Chapter 8

Vivian glanced at his shoulder for a moment before slowly following him. After about five minutes of walking, Louis and Vivian arrived at a statue, neither too big nor too small.

“This is the butterfly.”

Vivian, still not convinced that it resembled a butterfly, reached out to touch the statue and Louis smiled.

“Well, go on. Sorry for the trouble I caused you today.”

If it weren’t for him, she would have had to relieve herself right in the middle of the corridor. This was nothing in comparison.

Vivian shook her head. With each shake of her head, her curly brown hair swayed gently.

“Can you find your own way from here?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, bye.”

With a slight wave, Louis dashed off but suddenly turned back and shouted.

“Louis isn’t my full name, it’s just a nickname, so don’t call me that without permission!”

So Louis wasn’t his full name.

Just as her parents called her ‘Vivi’, Louis also had a nickname. He disappeared as quickly as he had appeared and Vivian gazed at the statue she had patted.

“I didn’t even tell him my name.”

Muttering with regret, Vivian suddenly realized that the sun was already high in the sky.

“What time is it now? Oh no!”

It was well past the scheduled time. She was going to be late meeting the Crown Prince.

Vivian retraced her steps hurriedly, trying to remember the path she had taken with Alina.

—

“Oh dear, you got lost.”

Vivian was able to find the place where Alina had guided her at once. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Crown Prince was nowhere to be seen.

“Your Highness, do you realize how worried we were when we couldn’t see you, Lady Vivian?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“As long as you’re safe. Dovelia Palace is unnecessarily large. The Crown Prince had to attend to a quick errand after his sword practice and will be a little late, as he just informed us.”

“I see. That’s a relief.”

Vivian heaved a sigh of relief, placing her small hand on her chest.

“There’s no need to be so tense, Lady Vivian.” 

Hugo chuckled as he looked kindly at Vivian, who was stiff with tension in her chair.

“Even His Highness the Crown Prince is just a person, you know. Well, a bit arrogant, of course.” 

Hugo exaggerated, making a playful expression. Vivian chuckled softly at his antics. Seeing her laugh, Hugo spoke up.

“I hope you two get along well. His Highness doesn’t have many friends, you see.”

“Why?” 

Vivian asked, as Hugo, who had been casually inspecting the empty room, covered his mouth with his hand.

“Maybe because he is too arrogant? Maybe too aware of his own talents…”

Just then, the large door swung open.

“Hugo, are you insulting me?”

It was Prince Luideos Lindez Tapeullon.

“Your Highness. You have come.” 

Hugo smiled politely and greeted the prince with respect. Seeing this, Vivian hurriedly got up from her chair and bowed her head.

“Is it acceptable for a tutor to insult his student?” 

“Insult? I would never do such a thing.”

Vivian’s chuckle faltered, recognizing the voice that was getting closer. It was a voice she had heard many times before.

“Alright. Today, I’ll believe your words. So, you’re… huh?”

The prince suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

“Why are you… here?”

The prince’s perplexed voice made Vivian slowly raise her head.

“Uh…”

The two of them stared at each other with their mouths agape, while Hugo, watching them, spoke up.

“Do you two happen to know each other?”

Vivian was the first to find her voice among the two who were dumbfoundedly staring at each other.

“Why is Loius here…?”

Smiling brightly at Vivian’s words, Hugo said. 

“Haha. Yes, that’s right. Luideos Lindez Tapeullon, the Crown Prince of this Empire. It’s Louis.”

As Hugo spoke, memories from the first time Vivian met Louis until they parted flooded into her mind.

*Thud.*

Vivian grabbed her spinning head and then fainted.

“Lady Vivian!”

As her eyes closed, she heard Hugo’s surprised voice, but Vivian couldn’t hold onto her fading consciousness.

***

Struggling to lift her heavy eyelids, Vivian frowned at the unfamiliar ceiling. Continuously rolling her eyes to overcome the dizziness and figure out where she was, Vivian quickly got up.

“You shouldn’t get up so quickly; you might feel dizzy.”

Louis, no, Luideos Lindez Tapeullon, the Crown Prince of this empire, said.

“Just wait here for a moment. I’ll fetch the physician.”

“Wait.”

Vivian got up from her seat and grabbed Louis, who was about to leave.

“Are you really His Highness, the Crown Prince?”

Even as she asked, she felt foolish. Memories flashed through her mind—him confidently browsing through the imperial library, his familiarity with the palace grounds. Yet, she still wanted to hear it directly from him, feeling foolish for asking.

“Yes. I am Luideos Lindez Tapeullon.”

As expected.

At his reply, Vivian’s eyes squinted slightly. Seeing this, Louis, who had been about to call the physician, ruffled his hair roughly and sat back down.

Muttering, Vivian, who had been fidgeting with her hands, said, 

“I am not Your Highness’s fiancée.”

With a slightly trembling voice, she continued.

“I’m still only 10 years old. I haven’t even been engaged, nor have I heard about engagements. And also, and also…”

Vivian began to ramble, wanting to prove that she was not the ugly fiancée Louis mentioned.

“Vivian Dinever.”

Looking at Vivian with an anxious expression, Louis called out quietly.

“Today, just receive a brief examination from the physician and go home.”

“But I–“

As Louis tried to get up from his seat, Vivian grabbed his sleeve.

“I’ll call the physician.”

Louis’s sleeve slipped out of Vivian’s small hand. As he turned and left, the sound of the door closing echoed loudly.

***

“Vivian!”

After receiving a brief examination from the physician and hearing that there was nothing wrong, Vivian left the palace. 

As she stepped out of the carriage and opened the door to their ducal mansion in the capital, she heard Daisy’s voice filled with worry.

“Mother!”

“I was so surprised to hear that you collapsed in the palace. Are you alright?”

As Daisy turned Vivian around and examined her expression with concern, Vivian’s mind, which had been a bit hazy, cleared up.

“Mother.”

“Yes. What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“Mother, am I engaged?”

Startled by the unexpected question, Daisy was momentarily speechless. 

In truth, Vivian had wanted to ask her parents slowly about it after her father returned to their mansion. Given the circumstances, she seemed to be the prince’s prospective fiancée, but she knew nothing about it. Since Louis hadn’t returned after going to call the physician, her parents were the only ones she could ask.

However, her determination to calmly ask her mother about it disappeared like a sandcastle swept away by the waves when she saw Daisy’s worried expression.

“Mother, please tell me. Am I really meant to be engaged to the Crown Prince?”

“Vivian, perhaps something happened at the palace today?”

Seeing Vivian’s green eyes darkened like a rain-soaked forest, Daisy wrapped her small shoulders and said,

“Let’s go inside and talk about it, alright?”

Taking Vivian into the mansion, Daisy tried to figure out how to explain the situation to the slumped-shouldered child. She thought of the best words in her mind, but none of them seemed right.

Entering Daisy’s study, the two sat side by side on the couch. It was late afternoon, and the orange sunlight streaming through the window gently illuminated Daisy and Vivian’s faces.

“Now, please tell me.”

Seeing Vivian clutching her small hands tightly on her knees and looking up at her, Daisy decided to be honest.

“There have been talks about an engagement between you and the Crown Prince.”

It was a moment of confirmation for Vivian’s anxiety.

“Unless there’s a major issue, the engagement is likely to happen around next year.”

“I… I…”

Several reasons why she shouldn’t agree to this engagement flashed through her mind, but Vivian couldn’t easily voice them. Even though she was only 10 years old this year, she was smart enough to know that discussions with the royal family wouldn’t be taken lightly.

Seeing her daughter’s vulnerable expression, Daisy decided to be straightforward.

“Vivian, if you don’t want this, your father and I won’t force you into the engagement.”

“…”

“Vivian.”

Did something happen with the prince? 

Looking into her tear-filled eyes, Daisy gently wrapped her arms around Vivian’s chubby cheeks.

“What happened with the Crown Prince?”

Unable to hold back her tears any longer at Daisy’s unusually warm words, Vivian buried her face in her mother’s lap and burst into tears.

“Ugly people can’t be the Crown Prince’s partner! Huhu!”

***

At the heart of the Dovelia Palace, a large fountain with a statue of a three-headed eagle spewed cool water. Behind it stood the largest building in the Dovelia Palace, the Imperial Palace.

Past the fountain, in front of the entrance stairs, Louis’s carriage came to a halt.

“Welcome, Your Highness.”

The Chief Aide to the Emperor, Dave, greeted Louis as he got off the carriage.

“If you’re here to greet me, Dave, does that mean I’m in trouble today?”

“Trouble, Your Highness? No. Your father just postponed his schedule to have some quality time with his one and only son.”

Louis, feeling sheepish at Dave’s words, slowly began to climb the stairs. Following behind, Dave smiled contentedly at Louis, who was gradually adopting the demeanor of a monarch.

“I heard Your Highness’s opinions were included in the land reform proposal. Quite impressive.”

“I simply spoke my mind, and it was the Prime Minister who refined my insignificant opinions into the proposal.”

“You’re humble, Your Highness. Haha.”

Silently climbing the stairs, Louis stopped at the end.

“You’re not going to tell me what it’s about, are you?”

Dave, avoiding the intense golden eyes like those of the Emperor he served, bowed his head.

“Please come in.”

It was truly unwavering loyalty.

Louis clenched and unclenched his fists as he watched Dave’s resolute head. Knowing he would never speak, Louis walked uneasily into the imperial palace.

Dave led him through the statues of past emperors to the reception room, deepest within. Louis’s footsteps echoed particularly loudly.

“Your Majesty, Crown Prince Luideos has arrived.”

Dave announced Louis’s arrival by knocking on the door.

“Let him in.”

A low, firm voice emanated from beyond the large door.