‘Will he really call for me every day?’

As daylight faded, Layla was summoned to the bedroom again, as Adrian had forewarned.

Yesterday they had literally just slept embracing, would it be the same today?

Layla thought he seemed to be calling her to let her rest.

Her room was cold and cramped, difficult to fully stretch out in despite being alone. Adrian, having already seen her room, may have felt pity.

But today, even after waiting a while, Adrian did not come. She thought he might be busy, but had no way of knowing, so she could only quietly keep her place until her legs started to go numb.

How long had she waited like that?

Instead of Adrian, Maeve entered. Upon discovering Layla still sitting obediently motionless, she hurriedly closed the door and approached.

“Today His Highness is busy and says he will be working through the night in his office.”

“…Is that so?”

She had wondered when it got too late, but actually hearing it said felt strange. Maeve spoke as she helped Layla to her feet.

“He said you may rest here and leave in the morning.”

“But if I’m in the room without its owner…”

Layla trailed off.

Wouldn’t it cause trouble for Adrian?

He would have made his own judgment, but she refrained from speaking out of concern her attitude of worrying about the Crown Prince might seem a bit presumptuous. Maeve, seeming to understand Layla’s unfinished thought, replied:

“If you dislike that, he said you may also come to the office. Would you prefer that?”

Fortunately there was a choice.

Thinking that might be better, Layla nodded. Maeve acknowledged and led Layla outside.

It was her first time going to the office, so she wondered if it was really alright for her to enter. However.

‘Could I ask to write a letter to Cedric while I’m at it?’

The thought suddenly occurred to her.

Though Cedric’s letter was burned, she had gone over its contents in her mind many times so as not to forget.

She wanted to send comforting words to Cedric, who was said to be in prison. She had been thinking all day about what to say.

In case the letter was discovered, she planned not to write a single word related to Hankin. She was even considering writing as if she were a sister captured by another kingdom.

With such expectations, Layla stood before Adrian’s office. Maeve knocked on her behalf and made her presence known to those inside.

“Your Highness, it’s Maeve.”

“Come in.”

The composed voice was still pleasant to hear. Savoring the sound of that fine baritone, Layla waited with her head bowed for the door to open.

Maeve stepped inside first. Layla followed, taking care not to make noise with her footsteps.

Adrian’s office, which she was seeing for the first time, was a room with a calm atmosphere painted in black and red.

Inside, Lilburn was with Adrian.

‘Even this late at night…’

Lilburn glanced at Adrian once, seeing that Maeve had brought Layla as well. Though it clearly meant “why let her in here?”, Adrian paid no mind and raised his head to speak to Layla with concern.

“It would have been more comfortable for you to sleep in my bedroom rather than coming all the way here, Layla.”

“I didn’t think I should be there when you weren’t, Your Highness.”

Adrian, as if respecting her opinion, said nothing more.

He gestured for Maeve to seat Layla on the sofa, then gave instructions.

“Bring a blanket to cover her.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Shortly after Layla sat on the sofa, Maeve really did bring a blanket to cover her. Receiving it a bit embarrassedly, she looked at Adrian, who nodded towards a space in a corner of the room curtained off in black.

“I thought the bed there would be more comfortable than your room.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Maeve quickly understood and walked over to draw back the black curtain. As Adrian had said, a low bed was revealed.

Though incomparable to the one in the bedroom, it was large enough to lie down and sleep on.

Layla remained seated on the sofa, staring blankly at it before shaking her head.

“I can go back to my room. More importantly…”

“More importantly?”

Though his eyes were busily scanning the papers piled on his desk, indicating the amount of work to be done even at this late hour, Adrian continued to respond to Layla’s words.

Layla felt sorry for seemingly disturbing him despite his busyness in coming here.

“Um, I was wondering if I could write a letter…”

Unsure if she should keep it secret from Maeve as well, she didn’t say to whom she needed to write.

As if her guess was correct, Lilburn, standing beside Adrian, reacted first.

“Maeve? I’m sorry, but it would be better if you wait outside. And please tell anyone who might be pressed close to the door outside to step back.”

“I’ll do that, Lord Lilburn.”

Accepting Lilburn’s words with a gentle smile, Maeve went outside.

Only after her voice could be faintly heard and several footsteps receded did Adrian open his mouth.

“Bring paper and a pen for Layla.”

Though Lilburn seemed to sigh softly at the order, he brought writing materials to the table where Layla was sitting without voicing any complaints.

A writing pad was laid under the paper, and ink and pen were prepared. As Lilburn was about to move away, he paused briefly and asked.

“Are you able to write?”

Many noblewomen were illiterate. He seemed to think Layla might have received less education, given her poor treatment in the Wessex family.

However, Layla nodded.

“I can write.”

It might be an embarrassing story, but she had learned to write from Cedric.

When living in Hankin, she had never even met a private tutor, and even after becoming a Wessex princess, she still received no formal education.

Not knowing the world was a cause of boredom. When she struggled to properly read books, it was her youngest brother Cedric who quenched her thirst for learning.

That’s why Cedric was more precious to Layla than any of her other siblings. Because he was almost the only one in the family who treated her kindly.

When Cedric, whom she had raised, began to teach her something, she felt embarrassed but also proud.

Layla picked up the pen, thinking of writing briefly about that time.

As the scratching sound of pen on paper was heard, Adrian paused his work briefly to look at Layla.

A faint smile on her lips.

Seeing that, Adrian smiled in return before walking over to her.

He sat down across from her, and Layla stopped writing and raised her head. Adrian reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear and smooth her long hair back.

At his touch, Layla mumbled before speaking.

“If you’re worried about the contents…”

Adrian shook his head.

“It’s not because of that, so write freely. I just wanted to see your smiling face up close.”

Lilburn’s faint sigh could be heard.

Layla flinched before lowering her gaze to the paper again. Somehow her hand seemed to tremble a bit with Adrian in front of her.

‘I’m nervous.’

There was plenty of paper, so she could just roughly decide on the content at first as if practicing, but not wanting to show Adrian poor handwriting, she became even more nervous as she wrote.

But whether he knew her feelings or not, Adrian murmured.

“Your handwriting is round and pretty too.”

At that, Layla blurted out her true thoughts.

“…I want to see Your Highness’s handwriting too.”

In truth, Adrian could have just listened and moved on. However, he returned her request as if already prepared.

“May I sit beside you?”

Layla’s eyes widened. As she unconsciously glanced at Lilburn, Adrian, noticing her look, quickly moved to Layla’s side as if to tell her not to mind.

He looked at Layla’s paper, where she had only practiced writing “Dear Cedric, I’m so happy to be able to write to you like this” a few times, and smiled with his eyes.

Then he spread a sheet of paper in front of himself and grasped the pen with his long fingers.

To my dear Layla.

Neat handwriting. Yet it was an attractive script that felt powerful and flowing.

Watching him write her name, Layla focused on Adrian’s hand.

His well-shaped fingers quickly wrote out elegant letters.

Though the light of our old memories has faded, I hope you know that this night with you by my side brings me deep peace.

No beautiful melody created by a skilled musician, no moving verse by an accomplished poet, nor the bright light of countless stars in the sky can soothe a heart that is eased by a single glance from you.

In the end, I can only speak truthfully before you, so you alone can break through a liar’s hypocrisy.