“Please become my fiancé.”

Whitney’s clear and refreshing voice echoed softly in the green courtyard in front of the palace.

The man’s gaze shifted to the small, white hand extended to him. Flower petals carried by the wind swirled around the two of them as they passed by.

A straight nose bridge and a face like a sculpture meticulously crafted by an artisan, the shoulder line of a perfectly fitting suit and long, stretched legs. Even his indifferent expression, as if uninterested in others, he hadn’t changed at all.

At least, that’s how Whitney remembered him.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re here to be the Queen’s spy, and I can’t think of a reason why the Princess of Orleans would make such a proposal to me.”

Cheston’s eyebrow twitched. He continued to stare at her without losing his smile.

“I want to protect Your Highness.”

“It seems Lady Orleans sees me as a fool who can’t even protect his own life. The Queen has gone too far… how did she spread such rumors? That’s why incompetent fools keep swarming around me.”

His blue eyes glinted. Unlike his smiling eyes, the atmosphere he exuded was sharp. One might have their throat slit by his sword at any moment. Cheston had been a Sword Master at the age of ten.

Since childhood, Cheston had always been under threat from his half-brother Karl, the legitimate heir, and the forces supporting him. Given such an environment, his reaction was only natural.

And his sharp words towards her were surely not from the heart. She knew his true self.

The sharp tone, the expression, all of it was a mask he wore to protect himself. She wasn’t fooled because she had seen his kind nature.

‘If he had left me to die, he could have lived.’

Because of her, who had been caught up in his half-brother’s schemes, Cheston had died. There was no way he could have killed her when he couldn’t turn a blind eye to another’s death.

‘This time, I absolutely won’t let things unfold that way.’

Whitney closed her eyes tightly and opened them again, closing the distance between her and Cheston. Then, grasping his hand firmly, she said,

“Then what about Your Highness’s mother? Would it make a difference if there was a way to save your mother?”

His face, which had maintained a smile, suddenly hardened. His changed eyes were filled with a murderous intent she had never seen before.

His mother, Elenia, the current Emperor’s consort, was not well. Elenia was dying from an illness that even doctors couldn’t diagnose.

“How can I believe that? Are you saying that a princess can cure my mother’s illness that no one else has been able to treat?”

“Yes. I can do it. If it’s a lie, I’ll gladly accept the punishment for insulting the royal family.”

“It sounds like you’re saying you don’t mind dying.”

Whitney nodded slowly. She met Cheston’s gaze fully, without avoiding it. He stared at his captured hand for a moment, then gripped it tightly.

“I’ll be in your care then, Lady Orleans.”

“I’ll be in your care as well, Your Highness.”

This time, she would save him no matter what.

The cherished daughter of the Orleans ducal family. Whitney Belle Orleans. After her father’s death, her stepmother and her sister Melissa had driven her to the attic.

Not only did she lack proper clothes, but all the menial tasks in the ducal house also fell to her.

There was no one on her side in the duke’s residence. Even the position of head of the family was not passed on to her, with the absurd excuse that she was inadequate.

The only time Whitney could appear as a person in front of others was at balls. But even then, she had to leave because she couldn’t bear her stepmother’s glares.

It was no different at this royal ball. Her pinched arm ached, but the pain was familiar and didn’t bother her anymore.

Wearing a long-sleeved dress on a hot summer day was her stepmother’s ploy to hide her bruised arms from others.

‘It doesn’t matter anyway. No one is interested in me.’

Why she wore long sleeves in this midsummer, why she attended in an out-of-fashion dress. No one was curious about her, who hadn’t even properly had her debutante ball.

Her hair fluttered in the warm breeze. Soft wheat-colored hair and fresh green eyes. Despite her lively appearance, her face was numb.

Whitney sat on a rock, looking at the blue sea, waiting for the party to end.

Suddenly.

Splash!

With the sound of something falling into the sea, her gaze turned towards the high cliff. The foam scattered and spread over the blue sea repeatedly, then spat out a man towards the beach.

‘It’s a person!’

Whitney immediately ran to the beach. The moment she saw the man with golden hair, Whitney covered her mouth.

The Queen’s only son. Karl de Clifton.

It was undoubtedly him.

Whitney quickly checked if he was breathing. Her hands were shaking, but she recalled various knowledge as she needed to save a life.

Fortunately, after confirming that he was breathing, albeit weakly, she performed first aid to make him expel the water.

“Thank goodness. He’s breathing… I need to move him quickly.”

She turned her head to see if there was anyone around. It was difficult to move an unconscious man by herself.

Whitney grabbed the hem of her dress tightly and dashed towards the ballroom.

The first person to see her disheveled appearance, soaked in seawater, was her sister Melissa. Melissa gasped and grabbed her hand, leading her out of the ballroom.

“Are you protesting right now?!”

“No, that’s not it. Sister, on the beach…”

“It’s already chaotic enough without you acting like this. Are you crazy?!”

Whitney’s body shrank at Melissa’s sharp voice. She hurriedly grabbed Melissa’s hand and pulled her along.

“His Highness the Prince has fallen into the sea. I don’t know how it happened, but I’ve performed first aid. We need to move him quickly.”

“…What? His Highness?!”

Melissa immediately lowered her voice and said to Whitney,

“Have you told anyone else about this?”

“That’s not important right now. The First Prince is unconscious!”

“Then, you quickly go call for help. I’ll go see if he’s alright. Hurry, go call the royal guards and gather everyone!”

Whitney, pushed by Melissa, went to find the royal guards. The gazes of people in the ballroom turned to her, but she paid no attention.

When she returned to the beach with the royal guards, she saw Prince Karl, who had opened his eyes, in Melissa’s arms.

Although it was clearly Whitney who had saved him, it was her sister Melissa who received the reward bestowed by His Majesty the King. She even seemed to have captured the prince’s heart.

“Thank you for saving my life, Lady Melissa.”

“I merely happened to find you while taking a walk. It was an honor to be able to save Your Highness.”

Whitney couldn’t say anything. Even if she said she had saved him, no one would believe her. Knowing this well, she kept her mouth shut.

Even if she had fallen for the beautiful prince with golden hair, she just had to keep her feelings hidden. If it was something she couldn’t have anyway, it was easier on her heart not to desire it.

Melissa would try to take everything Whitney had, no matter what. Whitney was already overwhelmed just trying to protect herself in the duke’s residence without her father.

A prince didn’t suit Whitney. Perhaps it would be different for the lovely Melissa with her rose-colored hair. So maybe this was how it should be.

How nice it would have been if it had ended there.

Led by Karl’s words that she just needed to honestly report to the King about the incident, she came to the audience chamber. She thought she just needed to say that Prince Karl had fallen into the sea and that she had discovered him and tried to save him.

“Whitney Orleans. As a witness, recount everything you saw then.”

Whitney had no idea why she had become a witness. Her gaze wavered as she stood before the King and Queen.

“Did you really see someone push the First Prince off the cliff? Someone who tried to kill him?”

“No, I…”

“Your Majesty. It seems she’s still in shock. Perhaps we should continue this conversation later?”

The King nodded at Karl’s words. Whitney was led out of the audience chamber by Karl’s hand.

“Whitney.”

Karl, who had called her name tenderly, turned his head to face her.

“I actually know that you saved me. How could I forget the sensation of your lips on mine?”

“…Do you really believe it was me?”

“Yes. But since everyone saw Melissa holding me, we had to let it go. I know it was you who saved me.”

Whitney’s vision blurred at his words. His loving expression and the warm touch of his hand holding hers reminded her of her father.

After the Duke of Orleans died, everyone who approached her had ulterior motives. Even her close friends had distanced themselves because of Melissa. She was thoroughly isolated, and all she could do was follow the lead of her stepmother and Melissa.

And now Karl had approached her. Whispering sweet words that he knew everything, professing his love.

“I love you, not Melissa. Because I know you’re my savior, the one who saved me.”

Karl kissed the back of her hand. Whitney burst into tears at his sincere voice.

“So, if you really are the one who saved me, I’d like you to do me a favor.”

“What kind of… favor?”

“My brother, my beloved sibling, is trying to kill me. So could you testify that Cheston pushed me? When all of this is over, I will marry you. I’ll take you out of the ducal house.”

Whitney clenched her fists at his words, which seemed to know everything about her situation.

“There’s no one there who loves you. Come to my side. How could I not love you, who saved me?”

Karl tilted his head to the side, urging her answer. She could feel the warmth in their clasped hands, and his red eyes gazing at her didn’t seem false.

“Cheston is a prince anyway, so he’ll only receive a light punishment. But we need to give him a warning, don’t we? If things continue like this, I’ll destroy myself, living in fear of when I might die. Whitney, just say one word to my father for me.”

He continued to whisper softly into Whitney’s ear.

“I’ll give you the love you desire.”

Love. A warm place full of laughter. She didn’t know how much she had longed for that.

But Whitney was not a fool.

“…I can’t bring disgrace to someone who’s done nothing wrong.”

“You just need to nod. Do it for me.”

Whitney raised her head in surprise at Karl’s words, but she couldn’t answer due to Karl’s kiss.