‘Informal speech…?’

Adrian was dazed by Layla’s suddenly very casual way of speaking. He had wondered what she was thinking when their eyes met just now, but it seemed she had seriously misunderstood something.

Could it be that she didn’t even guess he was the crown prince?

But even if she mistook him for another prince, it didn’t seem possible for a duke’s daughter to use informal speech with a prince.

Could she be mistaking him for some third person who was neither crown prince nor prince?

Adrian’s head became complicated as several thoughts tangled in the span of a few seconds. But before long, he changed his perspective.

In any case, the fact that he was the crown prince could be revealed later. The method was very simple. If he just brought this child to the empty seat at the banquet hall, she would soon realize who he was.

For now, since there were no adults nearby, there was nothing wrong with using informal speech with each other.

Above all, he felt it would be a shame to color Layla’s bright eyes with awkwardness.

‘You don’t look much like your elder sister.’

Unconsciously recalling Victoria’s cold gaze that had been sitting across from him throughout the banquet, Adrian shook his head.

He had learned from his late mother that comparing people was wrong.

Adrian naturally extended his hand to Layla.

“Alright, I’ll guide you. I know the palace pretty well.”

As he waited for her to take it, Layla mumbled without unclasping her hands.

“Taking hands…”

Layla conveyed her discomfort by trailing off.

‘What’s this?’

Why is she uncomfortable with holding hands?

It was simply meant as an escort.

Adrian awkwardly smiled as he withdrew his rejected hand. He unnecessarily shoved his hands into his pockets as he turned first.

“Then just follow me.”

Seeing Layla quietly nod from the corner of his eye, Adrian entered the palace, turning down a corridor.

Meanwhile, Layla followed Adrian, peeking here and there with a demure posture.

She was a child who showed none of the composure typical of those born into high noble families.

…What a child.

She’s really unusual. The waddling earlier was one thing, but thinking about it, it’s very strange that she was absent from her seat throughout the banquet, even if there was an urgent matter.

Did she not receive proper education in the duke’s family?

He thought it unlikely that even a duke’s family would neglect their child, but with seventeen children, anything was possible.

In fact, looking at the atmosphere of the banquet hall, the Wessex children seemed either free-spirited or perhaps lacking in discipline… the feeling was strange.

When dining with just the imperial family members, everyone tended to speak only what was necessary in a stifling atmosphere, but today’s banquet was not like that at all.

Some children ate their food, carelessly making clattering noises with their silverware.

Feeling as if he had opened the lid of a secret box that shouldn’t be touched, Adrian entered the hall of the imperial palace.

The passing palace servants and waiting knights started to hurriedly bow their heads, but Adrian quickly calmed them with a gesture.

Instead, he slowed his steps and turned to look at Layla.

“So where did you lose your younger brother?”

“Um…”

Layla looked around the interior of the palace and pointed to the eastern balcony on the second floor.

“We were trying to go to the infirmary around there.”

“Oh? Then isn’t he hiding in some room trying to play hide-and-seek with his elder sister?”

Adrian added a word to test Layla as he replied.

“If he came down to the hall, the servants or… knights would have noticed him.”

He deliberately drew out his words in the middle so she could hear clearly, but Layla didn’t seem to notice anything strange at all.

Having lost her brother, Layla just mumbled weakly.

“Cedric does like to play pranks, but more than that, I let go of his hand in the middle…”

“We’ll find him soon, don’t worry. He probably didn’t go to another building. He would have been stopped by the servants or knights.”

“Okay.”

After confirming that she didn’t understand even after sending signals twice in case she didn’t hear at first, Adrian could roughly guess how Layla had misunderstood him.

She seemed to be thinking of him as a page or attendant to a prince or the crown prince.

‘Is it that easy to misunderstand…?’

As he walked towards the eastern balcony on the second floor that Layla had pointed to, Adrian looked down at his own attire.

A lightly tied cravat and a moderately neat vest, a plain jacket with gold thread embroidered on the sleeves, and the black trousers he usually wore comfortably.

Maeve had put some effort into it since it was the day to meet the entire Wessex ducal family, but given the atmosphere of a light dinner rather than a formal banquet, it wasn’t an ornate formal dress decorated with trinkets.

Moreover, that he, who could be called the main guest of the dinner, would be out wandering around…

‘Isn’t that something one could think of?’

No matter how he tried to rationalize it, Adrian couldn’t understand why Layla was misunderstanding.

Above all, silver hair and purple eyes weren’t that common in the empire.

Giving up on understanding and simply thinking of her as an absent-minded child made Adrian feel more at ease, so he decided to just enjoy this situation.

As he had already concluded, it was certainly more pleasant than listening to nonsense at the banquet hall.

Adrian headed towards the infirmary Layla had mentioned, and spoke to Layla who was following a step behind him.

“Layla.”

After calling her name, useless thoughts suddenly began to billow in Adrian’s mind.

Layla.

The name was really pretty.

It’s like a flower name.

It’s such an elegant name that seems like it would be attached to the most beautiful flower grown in the imperial garden.

Moreover, it was easy to remember, hard to forget once heard, and the pronunciation rolled in the mouth with a full resonance.

And then came the moment when he met Layla’s eyes.

Large eyes full of him, slightly flushed cheeks, small lips closed in a cute shape. Such a child was focusing on his words. Fidgeting with her hands.

At that moment, ironically, Adrian forgot all he was going to say, quite unlike himself.

This child with the pretty name was also incredibly cute.

Thinking that, his heart began to pound. His state had been somewhat strange since earlier. Come to think of it, when their eyes first met, he seemed to have been momentarily entranced as soon as he saw those eyes.

Eyes with beautiful and clear irises.

Though they were common blue eyes, they seemed to sparkle as if jewels were embedded inside.

Moreover, they were eyes that made the viewer unable to help but focus, as if thousands of words were hidden within them.

Adrian questioned himself as he kept finding Layla’s lovely aspects and pouring out infinitely positive interpretations.

‘Am I… Could I have fallen in love at first sight?’

That’s impossible.

While thinking that, Adrian felt his heart tighten due to something sharp and intense spreading like pain.

And when he heard Layla’s words.

“Why?”

He ended up harboring a desire to solve all the questions and curiosity held by this girl with the pretty name.

So that those sparkling eyes would be directed only at him.

Thus, the boy’s first love began without warning.

In the end, Layla, who had woken up disheveled near dawn, took a deep breath in the darkness where not even the first light had yet appeared.

She tightly gripped the blanket while sitting on the bed.

Her heart was still pounding fiercely due to the increased heartrate while dreaming.

‘Why did I dream of that time…’

It was a dream that perfectly recreated the situation when she first met Adrian. A dream of that time which should now be completely forgotten and thought to be forgotten… when even the joy felt then had become nothing but a nightmare.

Is it because of Millay?

Because of Millay who uses the exact same name, memories of him kept being dredged up in her mind.

It’s not a good sign. After all, recalling him now would only be painful.

Layla took a deep breath. And she tried hard to give herself a suggestion.

‘It’s just uneasiness.’

Because of fear for what’s to come soon.

It seems she’s unknowingly become scared facing her engagement ceremony with Reynold. It was natural. After all, she had handed over the key to change her life to a man who was lying to her.

Thinking about it, it was too impulsive a decision.

‘But.’

She wanted to know so badly.

What kind of person Millay really was.

Layla pulled up the slipped blanket tightly and buried her nose in it.

I’m not sure if this is the right expression, but the scent was very affectionate.