THBO 44

Chapter 44

Before the boat outing, during a brief picnic, Sharten was absolutely thrilled.
It was because a noble of the royal family, who had been in seclusion for so long, finally appeared.
The princess, escorted by her younger brother, captivated everyone with just a light smile.
Could it be that the royal dress code today was blue?
The late-arriving empress wore a sapphire tiara, the crown prince sported blue cufflinks, and the princess had a corsage made of blue roses—everything harmonized beautifully.

“They’re getting along well, as always.”
“Who’s getting along badly?”

Sven tilted his head at the perfectly audible muttering of his close friend.
They say the genius and the eccentric are separated by a single sheet of paper—sometimes, his friend Franz Sardie would blurt out strange things.

Franz gave a faint smile and reached out. Sven recoiled at the merciless hand ruffling his hair.

“I spent a lot of time getting ready this morning, Franz! Isn’t that a bit much?”
“It’ll all get messed up in the wind on the boat anyway. What’s the difference?”
“That may be true, but…”

Wait, is he treating me like a kid now?
Sven pursed his lips, then shrugged.
Franz gave a soft chuckle at his friend who forgot so quickly.
Sven Fabien’s simple personality was something Franz both envied and liked most.

If Sven heard this, he’d sulk and throw a fit.

When Franz picked up a new glass of champagne and turned around, Sven had already joined the group surrounding the princess.
Franz sipped his drink, watching the princess’s curly black hair flutter in the wind.

A masterpiece of beauty.
It was lucky that she was born a princess; if she had been born a commoner, life would have been harsh.
History has proven how pretty yet lowly women usually end up.

Franz rolled his eyes, easily dismissing the trials his muse might face.
‘The crown prince will handle it well enough…’
All that was left was to eat cookies and watch.

He yawned and glanced at Alexis Lucien.
Earlier, Alexis had entered cheerfully, placing his sister’s hand on his arm.
Franz had hoped that the sibling pair would have a flashy fight over Eugenie Riville’s crazy antics—watching a fight is fun, and watching a fight between young men and women is even more fun—but apparently, they hadn’t argued.
The crown prince’s gaze at his sister overflowed with affection, while the princess smiled innocently, unaware.
Her little brother must have been boiling inside.

‘By the way, when will His Highness confess?’
Franz frowned as he picked at the grapes in his champagne.
Royal love affairs were interesting, but right now he just wanted the grapes.

Meanwhile, Alexis, unaware he had been outshone by the round fruit, pressed on his temples in a corner.
‘What should I do?’
He had to organize his thoughts as quickly as possible.
He hadn’t completely failed to anticipate Cecilia’s resistance or refusal…

“Are you tired?”
Blanche, or rather Blanc, asked indifferently, and Alexis adjusted his posture instead of answering.
Thierry Estidore approached, performing a trick holding three champagne glasses in one hand.
Blanche Houston followed with her eyes, but when she saw the blond knight, she abruptly turned her head.

The sharp motion was audible enough to make Alexis squint.
“Did they fight?”
“No, they didn’t.”
“Really?”
“Really.”

Then there was only one conclusion.
Blanche, realizing he noticed, whispered softly with a flushed face:
“…It was a mistake.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“You damned prince…”

Should he really send this one to prison for insulting the royal family?

While pondering seriously, Blanche added nonchalantly,
“It was a mistake just now, too.”
“How many mistakes do you make?”
“Life is a series of mistakes.”
“Should I send you to prison by mistake?”
“That would be intentional, Your Highness.”
“Intentional or not, seems like a good enough reason.”

Blanche began to mutter again, but Alexis signaled her to be quiet.
The usually obedient, crazy chestnut mare remained silent, and he took the glass from the knight who had approached.
Then, as usual, he looked for his sister.

As expected, Cecilia Lucien was surrounded, receiving admiration from everyone.
Beautiful as always, and today more than ever, it was impossible not to be captivated.

Swallowing a sigh that threatened to escape, Alexis looked at his own palm.
The crescent-shaped marks proved he had clenched his fist many times.
A very familiar scene.
While he was apart, the woman gleamed in the distance, dazzling.

Yet every time he saw her, his emotions ran wild.
Her smile, her touch, her gentle words stirred inevitable jealousy in all who received them.
His breath caught.
His insides twisted, and sometimes his vision flushed red, his neck aching.
He wanted to tear everything away and capture her alone.
He knew he couldn’t touch her even if he destroyed the world, and sometimes wondered, madly, whether he should blow everything up.
In his imagination, the world had been obliterated countless times.

So Cecilia Lucien had to stay by his side.
Even for the sake of a complete world.
It was miserable that reality didn’t give him the right to make such a request…

But Cecilia certainly didn’t see him as just a little brother.
There were countless signs she was aware of him.
Had she firmly believed he was merely a ‘brother,’ she wouldn’t have noticed his feelings last night.

‘What do I do now?’
Alexis exhaled deeply.
How could he make Cecilia…
Cecilia…

His thoughts broke off.
From “cheater” to “weird fortress,” all the colorful expressions she had used pounded his head.
He felt completely lost, repeatedly hit on the back of the head.

“Your Highness?”
…Huh.
Blanche jumped in surprise as he suddenly raised his head.

Before she and Thierry looked back at Sharten, Alexis’s sharp gaze was first.
A woman stood somewhere far off, watching them.
Her thin dress and silver hair, bathed in moonlight, fluttered in the wind.
Seeing her about to turn, Alexis dashed after her without thinking.

‘No wonder this morning felt ominous.’
Curses escaped between breaths.
He pressed his lips together, eyes fixed ahead.
Her silver hair flew in the wind as he ran—like snow falling silently on a winter night, like a small moon watching the world alone in deep night.
He had even forgotten he could use magic.
The very fact she appeared was shocking, and all he could think about was catching her.

Clenching his teeth, Alexis chased after her.
Despite differences in stride and stamina, the distance inevitably closed.
The fleeing woman’s speed gradually slowed, and she finally stopped, gasping.

“…It’s been… a long… time.”
Alexis snapped his fingers, forming a barrier. The woman straightened her posture.
Under her long, wavy silver hair, her blue eyes gleamed.
So vividly blue.
Like the owl that snatched Cecilia on her debutante day, like the bear attacking Blanche Houston in the Dublen Forest long ago.
Endlessly deep, intensely blue eyes.

“It’s… been a long time, Your Highness.”
Her icy, merciless gaze made her seem not just unreal, but almost alien.
A sense of floating, belonging nowhere, with a refusal that could not be approached.
Like the anguished cry of a wandering soul with no rest.

She began fiddling with her hair, exhaling evenly.
Watching her familiar gesture, Alexis ground his teeth.
‘No.’
He hadn’t expected the same silver-haired woman to evoke such a different emotion.
But he hated it.
So much.

“Why… are you here, Madam?”
The woman, staring quietly at him, looked around blankly.
A stifled laugh reached them.
“I never thought I’d hear honorifics from you, Your Highness.”
“…”
“I just came to the wrong place. Getting lost seems to be my nature.”
“Mrs. Eupheia Hunt.”
“See you again, then.”

Before he could say anything, she was enveloped in a gold-green glow and vanished.
He reached out desperately, but only air met his hand.
Alexis stared at his empty palm, exhaling long and hard.
Countless emotions boiled and churned inside him.

‘…I’m losing it, seriously.’
His daughter caused chaos in the morning, now his mother in the afternoon.
But there was no time to linger. He blinked, quickly regaining composure.
He needed to return before the boat outing, so Cecilia wouldn’t worry.

Releasing the barrier and slowly heading back along the path, Thierry Estidore and Blanche Houston followed, panting.
“Your Highness!”
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Keep it a secret from my sister—”

Alexis Lucien turned swiftly.