‘He’s gotten cheekier!’

His broad back, which went into the bathroom, seemed to be smiling somehow.

Anyway, I stayed in the same room as Hadel, bathed together amicably, and had meals inside the room. Several days passed like that.

The king still didn’t show his face.

Until the first or second day, I was fine with it, but by the third morning, I was impatient.

‘It seems like communication won’t work.’

I’m well aware of the layout of the royal palace.

‘Should I break into the king’s room like this?’

As I was striding boldly into the garden, considering the distance to Taeyang Palace, where the king stayed…

“Hello?”

A woman I had never seen before came up to me.

Recently, in social circles, Prince Hadel’s name had been on the rise.

“Why did Prince Hadel come to the capital?”

“It’s too scary.”
“He can suddenly emit flames.”

“Untamed flames… doesn’t it give you chills?”

“How did someone with such frightening flame mana end up emerging from the royal family?”

In the past, flame mana wielders were not so rare. People talked about Hadel as if they had forgotten that fact.

The current buzz about Hadel ignited when Nella Orsini, who returned to the capital with Hadel, opened her mouth.

“I heard the story from Miss Nella. As you know, Miss Nella was Prince Hadel’s companion, raised in the royal palace.”

“Yes, I heard that they returned together.”

The lady who heard the story directly from Nella was very pleased with the attention she was receiving and said, “Prince Hadel has found someone he loves, and it seems he can’t marry Nella anymore. Coming to the capital is also to gain approval for that woman.”

Due to unexpected reasons, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.

As the general sentiment towards Hadel was fundamentally negative, those who heard the story were quick to speak ill of him.

“A woman who hasn’t received approval from King is just a commoner.”

“Why complicate things by having one lover after another?”

Despite the mocking of Hadel’s love, positive comments eventually surfaced.

“It seems Prince Hadel is not as aggressive as the rumors say.”

“Does that mean the woman has to be a princess? Haha! That’s definitely romantic.”

And the end of such conversations eventually led to Cecile.

“Haven’t you heard anything, Lady Cecile?”

Cecile, feeling lethargic for the first time since her engagement to the Birds Prince, smiled quietly.

“No. The prince hasn’t said anything to me.”

What the Birds Prince didn’t say was something she didn’t need to know. Cecile comforted herself with such thoughts.

The annoying words reached her at that moment.

“Oh, that’s strange. It seemed like he would say something.”

“… What do you mean by that?”

The talkative lady spoke without asking Cecile, revealing a fact she hadn’t asked about.

“I heard it sneakily from my distant relative working as a maid in the palace. She said that the young lady looks exactly like Lady Cecile.”

Upon hearing those words, Cecile turned pale. After that, she couldn’t remember what was said.

Walking along the familiar corridor, Cecile kept thinking the same thoughts.

‘Looks exactly like me. That’s impossible.’

Even if she tried to comfort herself in that way, one memory came to mind.

Occasionally, very occasionally, the Birds Prince would rest his chin on his hand and gaze at Cecile quietly.

‘Was it because of her?’

She thought someone might exist, but she never expected it to manifest in reality. The fear was considerable. It felt like her blood was freezing.

Cecile stopped walking for a moment and shook her head, lost in thought.
“That’s impossible. It doesn’t make sense timing-wise. She’s said to be Prince Hadel’s lover.”

Stories about siblings having similar tastes in women are common. Perhaps both had similar memories with a woman with pink hair in their youth. Stories of falling in love with someone resembling their first love from childhood are not uncommon either.

However.

“It bothers me.”

The Birds Prince is not that kind of person. Having known him for several years, Cecile learned that he was more rational and pragmatic than anyone else. His lack of expectations even in the position of a fiancée stemmed from his rational nature.

But he’s human too; can he always stay the same?

What if desires were hidden deep within?

Cecile turned her body. Then, she headed towards the Birds Prince’s palace.

Cecile confidently made a formal request.

“I would like to meet the Birds Prince.”

However, her courage shrunk the moment she faced the aide who looked at her with businesslike eyes.

“The Prince is currently busy, and there’s no time to meet.”

With a slightly lifeless voice, Cecile made the request again.

“Um, then could you please ask when he’ll have time?”