Robellia scooped a large portion of whipped cream from the ruined cake with an intricately designed silver fork. She lifted it and pressed it to her red lips without even opening her mouth. The white cream clung to her flushed lips, stubbornly refusing to look defeated.

Then Robellia shot Akan a haughty look, as if to say silently, Now what are you going to do? As Akan looked at her, he suddenly drew his body closer. In an instant, the distance between them shrank. Robellia’s eyes widened in surprise.

It felt as if their lips were about to touch. Without realising it, Robellia half lowered her gaze. But Akan’s lips, which had closed so suddenly, stopped just a finger’s breadth from hers.

As Robellia cautiously raised her eyes again, a wet tongue brushed lightly across her lips. The ticklish and unfamiliar sensation made Robellia’s shoulders jump.

“Huh…”

The heat of Akan’s breath brushing her lips was something she felt only for a moment. Then, softly, their lips met. Unwillingly, Robellia’s grip on Akan’s arm tightened.

Their lips brushed – a soft, slightly moist touch of tender flesh, nothing more. It was the kind of innocent contact shared by children expressing affection, nothing more. But Robellia froze, unable to breathe freely.

Her face turned bright red from holding her breath, and tears naturally welled up in her wide, unblinking eyes. Akan’s lips curved into a slight smile.

“Robel, breathe.”

It was only then that Robellia realised she had been holding her breath. Coincidentally, she had just reached her limit.

Robellia parted her tight lips slightly.

Whooo

She exhaled the stale breath she had been holding and quickly inhaled fresh air. In that brief moment, Akan’s tongue slipped over the border. Robellia instinctively held her breath again.

Slowly and carefully, Akan’s tongue explored the inside of her mouth. A place she had never allowed anyone to enter before was being invaded for the first time. The sensation was strange, but not unpleasant.

Robellia blinked slowly. The tears that had gathered in her wide eyes rolled down her cheeks, following the flutter of her lashes. Akan gently brushed his thumb across her cheek, wiping away the tears.

“Robellia…”

A soft whisper passed between their joined lips, accompanied by a warm breath that wasn’t hers. The tip of a tongue brushed against the soft flesh inside her cheek, slipping under the root of her tongue. Robellia, intoxicated by the unfamiliar sensation, let out a shallow breath through her nose.

Akan wrapped his arm around Robellia’s slender waist and, not to be outdone, Robellia wrapped her arms around Akan’s neck. Their lips touching at first, their bodies soon pressed tightly together – when suddenly, bang! the door burst open.

“Your Highness─!”

At Madam Suther’s booming voice, Robellia froze and quickly shoved Akan away. The startled head maid entered the room, breathless. The princess’s face was redder than the flowers in the vase, and her lips glistened faintly with traces of someone else’s saliva.

Madam Suther was on her way back from the main palace after being summoned by the Crown Prince. As she approached the drawing room, she noticed something strange – all the maids were standing in the corridor. She had heard that Akan Roxas was visiting.

She cautiously opened the door, and as expected – what on earth were they doing with the princess when they weren’t even married yet? The old woman’s sharp eyes immediately fell on Akan.

“Lord Roxas!”

With no excuse to offer, Akan looked away and quickly wiped his lips with the back of his hand. Only then did Robellia come to her senses and begin to rub her glistening lips vigorously.

“You too, Princess! The Crown Prince told me to start preparing for your engagement today, but you couldn’t even wait!”

“Really?”

Robellia replied with a cheerful smile. Since it was clear that the princess had nothing else on her mind but to marry Akan Roxas, there seemed no point in scolding her for her inappropriate actions in the palace. Madam Suther let out a loud sigh, as if she wanted them to hear it.

“Yes, it’s true. Even His Majesty, the Emperor, has been eagerly awaiting the Princess’s marriage. And on top of that, Duke Roxas is already on his way.”

Madam Suther turned her sharp gaze back on Akan. Akan, avoiding the old woman’s intimidating gaze, glanced playfully at Robellia. Robellia, in turn, looked at Akan with shy but bright eyes.

Madam Suther shook her head at the sight of them, her lips curled in a smile.

It was indeed a joyous occasion. But she wondered if she would be able to control the princess, who was likely to behave like an energetic foal, throughout the engagement and wedding.

As Madam Suther feared, it was impossible to forcibly separate a young man and woman in the prime of their youth – especially if they had been apart for a long time and had developed feelings for each other over time.

“Your Highness!”

At Madam Suther’s booming voice from the corridor, Robellia let out a soft, uncontrollable laugh. The gentle rise and fall of her chest as she laughed was fully felt by Akan, who was pressed close to her.

At that moment, the two of them were hiding in the princess’s dressing room. The wide skirts of her lavish gown provided the perfect cover to hide their closeness.

As Robellia continued to giggle, Akan’s lips fell softly on her smooth forehead, as if to say, “Enough laughing, let’s finish what we started”. Robellia didn’t mind; instead, she wrapped her arms around Akan’s waist. Almost as if he had been waiting for this moment, Akan leaned in and planted kisses along the corners of her eyes and cheeks.

The grown Akan was exactly as Robellia had imagined – kind and full of affection. And she didn’t resent the slightly rushed way he showered her with love. In fact, she liked it. Because it meant she wasn’t alone in holding on to what had seemed an impossible dream all these years.

“Akan.”

“Yes?”

“How have you been?”

It was a late question, long overdue. Whenever their eyes had met, they had been too busy pouring out their pent-up affection for each other.

“Hm?”

“I mean, after your letters stopped. I heard my brother had you doing something.”

When Robellia asked more specifically, Akan’s expression showed a hint of discomfort. He had only mentioned briefly that he had travelled to various parts of the Empire over the past four years, but he had never given a detailed account of his experiences.

Robellia wanted to know everything – what Akan had been through and what he had been thinking during the time his letters had stopped. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was hiding something. Uneasy, Robellia leaned closer to press him further.

“It wasn’t anything strange.”

“Then why are you avoiding the question?”

“Uh… well…”

Akan embraced Robellia, who was clinging to him, and held her tightly. Robellia lay quietly with her head on Akan’s chest. As she listened to the steady sound of his heartbeat, her mind began to calm. Akan spoke in a low voice.

“There were some disturbing movements, so I was sent to investigate beforehand.”

“Hmm…”

“There was nothing dangerous.”

It wasn’t a complete answer, but Robellia knew there was little point in pressing. Every time Akan entered the palace and had a private audience with the Crown Prince, it seemed clear that it had to do with royal business or, more broadly, national affairs.

Although Robellia resented her brother for using the marriage as a means to exploit Akan, her heart was softened when she heard Akan say that he had worked hard to gain permission for their marriage. Knowing that he had endured hardship just to be with her, she couldn’t help but love him even more.

Akan rested his face against Robellia’s soft golden hair. For Robellia, just being close to him like this brought her so much happiness that it was almost frightening. It was as if all the years of waiting had finally been rewarded. Slowly, Robellia tilted her head to look up at Akan.

“Kiss me.”

Their lips met gently. Robellia closed her eyes softly. While she had become somewhat accustomed to moments like this, allowing her to act more naturally on the outside, inside her emotions still raged uncontrollably.