But since I didn’t want to praise him out loud, I chose to change the subject.

“Oh, there’s a glass greenhouse over there. Would you like to see it? There are many tropical plants imported from abroad.”

As soon as I said it, I regretted it.

It was fine now, but soon, at noon, it would be as hot as summer.

Besides, a greenhouse without any breeze would be like an oven. I had no desire to wander around the greenhouse, sweating profusely in front of the Crown Prince.

“Let’s go then.”

“That… the greenhouse is quite hot. Even though there are many tropical plants, it’s nothing compared to the palace greenhouse, so I’m not sure it’s worth enduring the heat.”

“Are we going or not?”

“Well, if you’re really curious…”

Reluctantly, I led the Crown Prince to the greenhouse.

As expected, the inside of the greenhouse was already hot. We hadn’t walked far before sweat started to bead on my forehead.

“Shall we leave?”

“We haven’t even seen half of it, Lou.”

“Aren’t you hot?”

“It’s bearable. The greenhouse is quite nice. It seems the Duke of Dronay has put a lot of effort into it.”

Even though the Crown Prince must have been hot, he only looked slightly flushed.

Life was truly unfair.

“Please look around. I’ll rest for a bit.”

In the end, I sat down on a bench. The perceptive attendants brought over an iced drink.

As I sipped the drink, I drifted into other thoughts.

‘How on earth am I going to meet Iscallion?’

Iscallion Pontos.

The Pontos he ruled was originally an independent country, annexed by the Kebrenia Empire about 300 years ago.

However, since it was so far from the capital, they maintained their autonomy due to the Empire’s limited influence.

The Pontos Grand Duchy was known for its traditionally reclusive nature, rarely interacting with other nobles in the Empire.

Especially Iscallion, who had never shown himself to the outside world. Even during the war with the demons in the original story, he was the last of the human male leads to join the war.

Unlike with Gined, the situation with him couldn’t be solved with money or status. The Northern Grand Duke in romance novels was a figure even the Emperor couldn’t easily handle.

‘What if everything really falls apart…?’

I felt as if the end of the world was imminent.

Meteor strikes, tsunamis, earthquakes… While imagining various ways the world could be destroyed…

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

The Crown Prince, who had sat across from me at some point, asked lazily.

Seeing him, a ray of light shone in the world on the brink of destruction.

At some point, he had taken off his jacket and was now in a shirt. His cravat was loosely tied, and a few of the top buttons of his shirt were undone.

His long, elegant neck and the glimpse of his clavicle were incredibly sensual.

No matter the substance, his outer appearance was flawless.

As if he knew exactly where I was looking, the Crown Prince smiled meaningfully.

“I’m a bit warm too.”

His looks were so close to being a cheat, it felt unfair.

I barely managed to collect myself and forcibly tore my gaze away.

“If you’ve finished looking around, let’s leave now.”

My flushed face was definitely not because of the Crown Prince. It was just that the greenhouse was too hot. That was it.

I quickly exited the greenhouse, trying to hide my reddened face.

The Crown Prince leisurely followed me with his long strides.

By the time we reached the entrance of the garden filled with roses, the Crown Prince had caught up to me and gently took my hand.

I knew it was all an act.

However, given how much his beauty had affected me, even this slight touch made my heart skip a beat.

“Please wait a moment, Your Highness.”

I hastily pulled my hand away and stopped.

Luckily, I had a good excuse.

“Why?”

“I want to ask the gardener to pick some roses. They smell wonderful.”

“Sure. Roses suit you well.”

Suddenly, the Crown Prince reached out towards the roses.

Not anticipating what he was about to do, I watched him blankly.

Until the moment the upright rose stem snapped.

“What…! What are you doing!”

Ignoring my startled scream, the Crown Prince handed the rose to a nearby attendant.

“Trim it and place it in Lou’s bedroom vase.”

The attendant, unsure of what to do, took the rose.

I urgently instructed the attendant.

“Call the physician, quickly!”

Looking at the Crown Prince’s hand, I saw drops of blood on his white, long fingers. The thorns were sharp, and the wound seemed quite deep.

I took out a handkerchief from my pocket and wrapped it around his finger. The handkerchief quickly turned red.

‘He’s f*cking crazy, isn’t he?’

Even though I had heard from Lina how madly he acted when in love, I didn’t expect him to do this in front of me, whom he had no affection for.

“You got hurt! Why didn’t you call the gardener? Why do something so reckless?”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Of course.”

Even if the love had faded, seeing someone get hurt right in front of me naturally made me worried and shocked.

Despite the pain, the Crown Prince was still smiling. It wasn’t his usual sneer, but a bitter, self-deprecating smile.

“……”

I kept my mouth shut.

Today, the Crown Prince was acting a bit, no, very strange.

Although Lina said he was different with her, the Crown Prince I had seen always meticulously calculated every situation.

What message was he trying to convey by injuring himself?

I couldn’t figure it out at all.

‘They say people change when they’re about to die?’

I remembered hearing a story about someone who died from tetanus after being pricked by a rose thorn.

Could it be that he was going to die from tetanus too?

If the incubation period for tetanus was 10 minutes and he was already showing symptoms, it would explain his change.

I seriously pondered while waiting for the physician.

“Lou.”

I looked at him, hiding my anxiety that he might do something unexpected again.

The Crown Prince was quietly staring at his hand.

Still looking at his hand, he spoke.

“I didn’t believe you went to the Holy Kingdom to study.”

“What?”

I asked again, not understanding what he meant. He bent down and whispered in my ear. His elegant and sweet scent wafted over me.

“I never expected you to go there to enjoy a secret rendezvous.”

“What? A secret rendezvous?”

I jumped up.

A secret rendezvous!

Life in the Holy Kingdom was the epitome of asceticism.

Although laypeople didn’t have to follow the strict rules of the priests, I had adhered to them as much as the priests to meet Gined…

‘Wait, is he talking about Gined?’

Considering how much silver I had donated, it wasn’t surprising that the news had reached the Crown Prince’s ears.

But it was still unfair.

Of course, if Gined had proposed a secret rendezvous, I wouldn’t have refused, but unfortunately, our meetings were completely innocent and aboveboard.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I swear I’ve never done anything shameful.”

‘Not by choice, anyway.’

I confidently looked the Crown Prince in the eye.

He then raised his hand, wrapped in the handkerchief.

“Then how should I interpret this? You pulled out a handkerchief with another man’s name on it right in front of your fiancé.”

“What…?”

The Crown Prince slowly unwrapped the handkerchief.

I gasped as I saw Gined’s signature embroidered on it.

I thought I had given all the handkerchiefs to Seren, so why was this one fluttering in the Crown Prince’s hand now?

“Gined Roengreen, huh. Have you changed your target already?”

“This is just… a cheap souvenir I bought as a keepsake from the temple. I didn’t embroider it myself, nor did Sir Roengreen personally sign it. Are you accusing me based on a mere handkerchief?”

While my actions weren’t entirely justified, I didn’t expect to be accused over a cheap souvenir that female devotees often bought as a joke.

I felt sorry for Gined, who got involved unintentionally, and I felt wronged myself.

“It’s not something a future Crown Princess should carry around.”

“I bought a few to give to the maids as gifts. I thought I had given them all out, but it seems there was a mistake.”

‘That was smooth.’

Praising myself for handling it calmly, I extended my hand towards the Crown Prince.

“I’ll dispose of the handkerchief immediately. But I swear there’s nothing like what you’re thinking. Besides, he’s a priest.”

I wanted to clear up the misunderstanding and end the situation here. Explaining any further would only make it more ridiculous.

But the Crown Prince, not understanding my intentions, showed no signs of backing down.

“I’m disappointed, Lou. You have worse taste than I thought.”

“Worse taste?”

Well, I couldn’t exactly claim to have good taste in men. That’s why I was so hung up on the Crown Prince.

Hearing such words from the person I used to like made me even more annoyed.

I took a deep breath to maintain my composure.

“The Commander of the Sephiroth Holy Knights, huh. He might look impressive, but priests are restricted from economic activities. No matter how great he is, he’s penniless. He wouldn’t even be able to buy you a cheap piece of jewelry.”