“You’re avoiding me quite well.”

Cheston found it strange that he hadn’t encountered Whitney since that day. He could sense her presence, but when he turned around, she was nowhere to be seen. It felt like he was chasing after traces, even though they weren’t playing hide-and-seek.

“Are you referring to the princess?”

“Yes, it’s odd that she’s not visible. This place isn’t that large.”

“…It is large.”

Only Cheston could say that the annex palace wasn’t spacious. Their schedules were different, and it did seem like she was avoiding him.

Cheston was about to go for a walk when he spotted Whitney, who hastily changed direction towards a path out of his sight, perhaps having noticed him by the window.

As he stood by the window, gazing at her intently, she slowly hid herself in the shadow of a tree.

Huh?

He narrowed his eyes as he quietly observed her behavior. Though he didn’t know why she was suddenly acting this way, he was certain that she didn’t want to encounter him.

Does she think she’s hidden? Well, her wheat-colored hair did blend in well with the tree.

It seemed like she wouldn’t come out from behind the tree trunk if he kept staring. So Cheston averted his gaze from her.

“Did something happen between you two?”

“Not particularly.”

Aaron glanced out the window before focusing on his documents.

“If Libenia is in the Queen’s palace, shouldn’t we get rid of it?”

“I was thinking of doing just that.”

“It’ll be difficult to enter such a secretive place.”

“That’s why if it disappears, they’ll think it was an inside job. Few people know about that place, and if Libenia happens to vanish from where it was planted, the Queen will think of me.”

But there was no evidence. Cheston had never been there, so while there might be suspicion, there was no physical evidence to frame him as the culprit.

“Will you do it yourself?”

“There’s no need for that. Wood burns well, so just a small spark will do.”

“…Are you going to burn down the entire Queen’s palace? You’re not, right?”

“If necessary, I might have to.”

If the Queen had nowhere to stay, she could simply move to another palace. Or if not, she could enter the main palace where the King resided. Perhaps from the Queen’s perspective, it might even be a welcome development.

“I should meet Father.”

“You mean His Majesty the King?”

Cheston immediately set off to meet his father. Of course, he didn’t avoid Whitney’s walking route.

Whitney took a path she didn’t usually use for her walk.

Despite opening her parasol, the heat persisted due to the scorching sunlight. Nevertheless, she enjoyed being able to walk freely outside.

She was satisfied with the view of Lake Belendel in the annex palace. The path made of trees that towered over Whitney’s height, and the flowers blooming beneath them, everything felt like hope.

Her whole body felt light, as if spring had come in the middle of summer. Her flushed cheeks, her pounding heart, and her inexplicably light footsteps.

For some reason, it made her feel buoyant. But that feeling wasn’t unpleasant.

Then, when someone suddenly came to mind under the blue sky, Whitney’s heart began to beat faster and faster. It was an exciting feeling, like a child who had discovered a hidden treasure they had forgotten about.

It was similar to the feeling she had when her father used to hide gifts and ask Whitney to find them when she was young. Or was it a bit different?

If she were to face him with such an excited expression, she would surely be embarrassed.

‘I’ll definitely fumble around with an unprepared appearance!’

Whitney found the thought terrifying. He, not knowing the reason, would find her behavior strange.

Moreover, the kiss they shared was still lingering in her mind. Although it wasn’t an act filled with emotion, she couldn’t help but blush when she recalled it.

It was her first kiss. Her very first kiss, mind you.

Some might say she’s making a fuss over just a kiss. But for Whitney, it was an important matter.

She couldn’t dismiss it as just a meaningless kiss. It was also the breath that saved her life, and it was her first kiss in this new life.

‘Stop thinking about it, Whitney.’

She shook her head vigorously, trying to erase the thought.

Every time she recalled that incident, her face would flush, causing her to fan herself unnecessarily. Perhaps due to the social season, there were many nobles staying at the palace. They must have all come to meet Her Majesty the Queen, but Whitney tried her best to avoid encountering them.

Whitney moved to the shade to escape the hot sun. As she sat in a prepared chair enjoying the sunlight, her gaze fell upon Cheston walking in the distance.

Once again, upon seeing him, Whitney’s hand moved to her lips. Realizing she was unconsciously touching them, she quickly lowered her hand, composed her expression, and abruptly stood up.

“Is the seat uncomfortable?”

Startled by the maid’s question, Whitney nodded.

“The sunlight is too hot, I should go inside.”

“Understood. Since your etiquette lesson is approaching, shall we go directly to the study?”

Whitney immediately turned her body, putting her back to where he was approaching, and hurried her steps.

‘Gasp! Did he see? No, he couldn’t have.’

Given the considerable distance, he probably thought she was just another noble staying at the palace. Whitney hastened her steps as if being chased by someone.

Cheston noticed Whitney fleeing from him. But he didn’t chase after her. Perhaps it was because he had seen her flushed face.

He simply watched her retreating figure as she ran away from him, then smiled and turned his steps towards the main palace.

“It seems the princess just changed direction, sir.”

“I know.”

Cheston didn’t turn his gaze towards where Whitney had disappeared, despite Aaron’s words. She had tied her hair in a half-up style, adorned with a dark green ribbon. Although her parasol soon obscured her retreating figure, the afterimage still remained in his eyes.

Her swaying wheat-colored hair, which momentarily seemed more brilliant than gold as it caught the light. Seeing Whitney’s bright smile as she slightly turned her head towards her maid, a strange emotion stirred within him.

Then there was a moment when their eyes met briefly.

Whitney startled and quickly turned her head. Then she walked rapidly, trying to disappear from his sight. He closed his eyes tightly, suppressing the urge to chase after her.

‘It feels like I’m hunting.’

He walked briskly, trying to leave the space he shared with her before he became even stranger.

Cheston, who came to the audience chamber to meet his father, observed the King’s expression. Since his love for Elenia remained unchanged, he would allow anything related to his mother, as long as it didn’t harm himself.

“Are you saying you want to burn down the garden where Libenia is?”

“Her Majesty the Queen always offers Mother tea brewed with Libenia. And that tea is as good as poison to Mother and those with aura.”

“…Are you certain?”

“It’s confirmed information. The reason I asked for your help, Father, was because of Mother. Recently, thanks to Your Majesty’s frequent visits to the Queen, Mother hasn’t been having tea time.”

His expression gradually hardened. It was impossible to deny the connection between Mother’s recent improvement in health and the reduced meetings with the Queen.

“How do you plan to burn something inside the garden?”

“If you just show me the path, I’ll take care of it. However, I hope that no matter what happens, you won’t intervene, Father.”

“You’re asking me to stop the Queen.”

“She will certainly suspect me. But if such a situation works in Her Majesty’s favor… Mother will be free from the fear that’s been choking her, even if just for a while.”

The King pondered. How much could he sacrifice for the person he loved? Until now, he had only accepted things that could hardly be called sacrifices. A cowardly man who believed his mother was happy under the pretext of giving her a better life than others.

That was how Cheston viewed his father.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Keep her by your side until the Queen’s palace is repaired. Please keep Mother at a distance. If you don’t want to see Mother withering away, please do this.”

“…Very well. But remember, if you act like this, I’ll have no choice but to turn a blind eye when the Queen threatens your life again.”

All of this had happened because a successor hadn’t been designated. Cheston disliked suffering because of a position he didn’t even want.

“Do you still have no intention of proclaiming my elder brother as the Crown Prince?”

“Karl is not suitable to be the successor. If a man who can’t even properly use his power sits on this throne, the Kingdom of Reuven will soon perish. Is that all? Behind Karl, the Queen will be busy securing her own interests. She might even throw open the gates to the Kingdom of Karulo if given the chance.”

Cheston found it laughable that his father, who couldn’t even separate from the Queen and had dragged things out until now, was afraid of losing what was his. How could someone who claimed to worry so much about the Kingdom of Reuven create such a mess by failing to make up his mind?

Cheston chuckled lowly and said,

“I thought you wouldn’t fear war since you don’t fear internal strife.”

“How could that be? Internal strife is in my hands, so I just observe. It’s also because you’re strong, so don’t think of this father too coldly.”

“I understand well. Your intentions must be too deep for me to fully comprehend, Father. Please consider this for Mother’s sake.”

“Alright, I’ll grant you that. The Queen won’t be able to go to Elenia if she’s by my side, so she should be safe for the time being. With Princess Violet’s matter as well, it shouldn’t be difficult to appease her.”

“Will you announce the engagement?”

“Unfortunately, it seems that will only be possible when Violet’s heart softens.”

Father looked like he didn’t want to match Violet with Karl. Cheston noticed his intention, but he remained firm.

“She will come around. She has no other choice but my elder brother, after all.”