“That guy never calls unless it’s something serious. What could it be?”

Rashad propped his elbow on the windowsill and rested his chin on his hand while pouting. Aileen, who had been watching the slowly passing scenery outside the window and listening to the surrounding sound of horse hooves, looked at Rashad.

“The letter said to come quickly, didn’t it? Do you think something happened?”

Aileen asked with a worried voice, thinking of Devion who always greeted them with a smile. Rashad, who had been staring expressionlessly out the window, snorted as soon as he heard those words.

“Something happened? I’d rather hope so. I’ve been too bored lately.”

“Lord Rashad.”

Aileen frowned and scolded him like she was reprimanding him. Hoping something had happened – and to the Crown Prince no less. If someone had heard him say such things about anyone other than a close friend, he would surely have been rebuked for his audacity. It was fortunate they were inside the carriage, or someone would have certainly shouted at him for being presumptuous.

“How can you say such things? What if something really serious happened? Don’t say things like that elsewhere. You’ll get in trouble, Lord Rashad.”

Rashad, surprised by the sudden nagging, turned his head to look at Aileen. His expression seemed to ask why she was being so sharp with him.

“Good grief, are you defending Devion right now? With me sitting right here in front of you?”

“What? What do you mean… No, that’s not…”

“Ha! Right. You’d prefer being the Crown Prince’s consort anyway, wouldn’t you? Rather than a Marquis’s wife.”

“That’s not true. I didn’t mean it that way…”

“Forget it! You’re so transparent. You’re just another social climber after all. Already getting a taste for power…”

“I said that’s not it!”

Dealing with an actual child would be easier. After exchanging a few words, Aileen soon realized he was just teasing and fumed. Did he get thorns in his mouth if he didn’t tease someone for even a day? 

When Aileen clenched her fists and trembled with anger, Rashad, seeing this, stirred up more trouble.

“You’re not unclenching those fists? Huh? Huh huh? Going to hit someone? Huh?”

“How can you be so…!”

“Oh no! Everyone! There’s a wife here beating her husband! Oh dear! Today must be my funeral day. The day I die from being beaten by my wife!”

“Lord Rashad!”

“Ahahahaha!”

The sound of the two laughing and making a ruckus inside the carriage was loud and boisterous enough for the servants and attendants outside to hear. Though Rashad had always been mischievous, he had laughed more since Aileen arrived and sometimes acted like someone who lived for the pleasure of teasing his wife.

“Lord Rashad, we’ve arrived.”

“Already? We got here faster than I thought.”

Aileen had reached the limit of her patience with Rashad’s mischievous pranks and was just about to grab him by the collar. She knew she shouldn’t, but Rashad’s endless teasing was so infuriating she couldn’t stand it.

Just as Aileen was about to show off her fists, Rashad moved quickly upon hearing they had arrived at the imperial palace. Aileen, who had been glaring at him from behind as he got out of the carriage, soon sighed deeply and followed.

“If you get wrinkles on your forehead, there’s no medicine to smooth them out. So straighten up quickly.”

“And whose fault is that!”

Aileen’s personality, which seemed timid at first glance but had backbone, only encouraged Rashad’s teasing more. She had seemed completely timid and passive, but her character that bounced back when pressed gave him several times more enjoyment.

Aileen’s reaction of yielding to one comment but fighting back from the second was refreshing and fun. That’s why he kept teasing her, but Aileen didn’t seem to notice this fact and only showed him exactly the reactions he wanted.

‘Ah, this is so enjoyable and fun I could go crazy.’

Rashad swallowed those words and extended his hand toward Aileen. Aileen, who had been getting out of the carriage following Rashad, looked at the hand extended to her and fumed several times before inevitably placing her hand on his large palm like she had no choice.

“Lord Dionte also arrived a little while ago. You should hurry your steps.”

“Dionte too?”

Though both Rashad and Dionte had come to the imperial palace to meet Devion several times before, Devion usually went out because he found the palace stifling. Generally, they often gathered at the Hibion Marquis house, following Rashad who loved playing most…

“Hmm. If he’s summoning all of us, it must not be an ordinary matter.”

“Let’s hurry and go.”

Though Aileen disliked Rashad’s pranks, thanks to his teasing, the two had been able to become close quickly. Despite bickering with Rashad who teased her constantly, she felt comfortable with him.

The fact that they were only two years apart in age helped, but his childlike love of pranks drew out Aileen’s honesty.

So Rashad visited Aileen’s room every single day without fail. They had fun and bickered in a way that truly deserved the phrase “went to play,” never separating for even a moment.

That is, until Devion sent a letter asking them to come to the imperial palace as soon as possible.

“No, Aileen needs to gain more weight. She’s too thin.”

“I agree with that, but not now. Snacking before meals just ruins your appetite. Feed her afterward.”

“Then just let her have snacks and meals too. Why worry so much?”

“Aileen doesn’t eat large portions. If she snacks and then has a meal, she’ll put down her fork right away.”

“That’s why we should stimulate her appetite so she can eat well…”

The voices chatting softly inside were getting louder. Inside the closed audience chamber, voices allowing ‘Aileen’s snacking’ and voices absolutely forbidding it were in fierce opposition.

‘To fatten Aileen up, we should encourage snacks at all times’ was Devion’s argument, while ‘That’s good too, but snacking before meals isn’t right’ was Dionte’s argument. Aileen, listening to this from beyond the door, blushed and gripped her dress tightly, taking on the embarrassment for both of them.

Rashad noticed Aileen’s behavior and kept poking the side of the knight guarding the audience chamber door. It meant to quickly announce their arrival.

“Ahem, hmm…! Your Highness, Lord Rashad and his wife have arrived.”

“You arrived right on time.”

When news of their arrival was conveyed beyond the door, the two men’s childish fight also ended.

‘Ugh, I can’t live like this. Why are they all acting like this?’

Aileen felt embarrassed by the men bickering among themselves about her body. This kind of shame was always Aileen’s burden. Soon, what appeared through the gently opening door crack was a large shadow.

It was Devion, who had jumped up from his seat as soon as he heard Aileen had arrived and rushed out to greet them. Dionte, who had been quietly watching his friend’s back as he ran to the door with a grin stretching from ear to ear, pretended not to notice while sipping his tea.

It wasn’t because he was embarrassed by his friend’s obvious doting, but because he didn’t know how to look at Aileen, whom he was meeting after a long time. Dionte’s ears had already turned red as he held the tea in his mouth.

“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince. Have you been well…”

Aileen, who had been offering an elegant greeting according to proper etiquette, trailed off when she saw the hand extended to her. It was because Devion had come even closer before she could finish her greeting. 

‘Oh my, I can’t breathe.’

Aileen pretended not to notice the chest right in front of her nose and raised her gaze.

As soon as their eyes met, Aileen greeted his pleasant smile with an awkward smile of her own and soon took his hand and moved. Led by Devion, Aileen sat on the sofa and bowed to Dionte sitting across from her. Dionte glanced at her and nodded with eyes warmer than before.

Meanwhile, Rashad, who had been robbed of Aileen in the blink of an eye, pouted and sat next to Dionte. Soon, warm teacups were also placed in front of the two who had arrived last. Aileen turned her gaze from the steaming teacup to look at Devion sitting in the seat of honor.

Her light brown eyes held curiosity about what on earth had happened that he had summoned everyone, including herself. Devion, who easily noticed this, smiled at Aileen and met her gaze.

Just as the golden eyes staring intently without stating his business were starting to feel a bit burdensome, Devion let out a meaningful chuckle and finally began his preamble.

“Come to think of it, the first time we all went far away together was when we were fifteen.”

Devion said this while looking at Dionte and Rashad. Not only Aileen but the other two also looked puzzled at Devion suddenly bringing up a story from 10 years ago.

“Why are you suddenly talking about 10 years ago? Are you trying to brag to Aileen about what a troublemaker prince you were as a child?”

Rashad playfully retorted, recalling Devion’s childhood. Though he was now the most dignified and solemn Crown Prince, he too had been a son who gave the imperial couple quite a bit of trouble when he was young. And his friends Dionte and Rashad hadn’t been much different.