(137) Third Prince Harold (4)
Ariana glanced quickly around the Lily Palace gardens. The maids who had been moving with her had disappeared, and the garden was almost deserted.
This is not good.
'Should I have brought Shini?'
The palace was a place not just for the faint of heart, and it was also dangerous. So, to avoid any blame, she came alone, but she found herself in an awkward situation.
“My mother is also looking forward to meeting the Princess.”
Harold wanted to introduce Ariana to Royal Consort Aelra. But Ariana was certain the Royal Consort Aelra would not be present at the Lily Palace.
This is one of Harold's methods.
Harold and Ariana stayed alone in the empty Lily Palace for a long time. Many maids saw Harold and Ariana enter the Lily Palace. They will likely encounter Royal Consort Aelra somewhere far away from the palace.
'Then even if nothing happened between the Third Prince and me, rumors will spread that something happened.'
There was no way Harold would touch Ariana's body directly. He never gets his hands dirty.
'At first, I thought, 'Are you trying to use rumors to smear me?' It's an obvious ploy.'
She had no intention of letting the Third Prince do as he wished.
Ariana stopped walking and spoke to the Third Prince.
“I don’t think I can greet the Royal Consort Aelra today.”
“Why? After coming all the way here.”
"I can't greet you empty-handed on our first meeting. She's such a precious person."
“My mother isn’t the type of person who cares about that kind of thing.”
“I care, Third Prince, don’t make things too difficult for me.”
"But..."
"Third Prince. Do you wish for rumors to spread that I, the Princess of the East, was rude enough to come to see the Royal Consort Aelra empty-handed?"
“There is no one in the palace who is easy-talking, Princess.”
“Are you sure?”
Ariana stared straight at Harold. Her blue eyes pierced him with a sharp, penetrating gaze, and he involuntarily averted his gaze.
“Of course, I am sure. I trust our royal family.”
“This is my first time in the palace. So, Third Prince, please understand.”
It was a word that contained many meanings: difficult because it was the first time, scary, unfamiliar, and difficult to completely trust.
The young lady of a noble family does not reveal her feelings openly in front of others, but Ariana expressed her feelings openly.
There was nothing to criticize. But if he continued to be stubborn, he would be seen as a man who didn't understand a woman's feelings and was being unreasonable.
It was only then that Harold realized that Ariana was no pushover.
A flower that blooms on a mountain that is difficult to climb. Therefore, it is all the more valuable, and as precious as it is, it evokes a strong desire to possess it.
Harold studied Ariana's small face and the perfect features it contained. Her blue eyes, nestled beneath delicate eyebrows, were so clear and pure they resembled a lake untouched by human footsteps.
He wanted to step into that lake where no one had set foot. No, he wanted to make it his own and admire it every day.
An indescribable lust burst from within Harold. He unconsciously reached out for Ariana's cheek.
“Oh, no. Did I interrupt you?”
A voice rang out, shattered the dreamlike atmosphere.
Harold looked back nervously.
“Northern lord.”
Harold growled, but Cyrus approached leisurely and stood next to Harold and Ariana.
“Oh, it was the Princess.”
Ariana was looking up at Cyrus with wide eyes, and Harold didn't like the sight.
“This is the Lily Palace, Northern Lord.”
"Oh, is this the Lily Palace? I haven't been to the palace in a while, so I got lost and ended up here. How is the Royal Consort Aelra doing?"
Cyrus's words and actions, which seemed to imply, "You're inferior to me," infuriated Harold, making him unbearable. It was already irritating to have ruined the good mood with Ariana, but the thought of being polite to the arrogant Northern Lord in front of Ariana made him seethe.
“The Northern Lord is always so rude. The Eastern and Western Lords never treat me like that.”
"They are who they are. And it seems you're the one being rude. What were you trying to do by dragging the Princess into the empty Lily Palace?"
“There is my mother in the Lily Palace.”
“Oh, I ran into your mother over there. She was chatting with the maids.”
Cyrus gave Harold a look that seemed to pierce his mind. Harold's face flushed red.
"For some reason, it wouldn't be good for the Third Prince and the Princess to be alone in the Lily Palace, where there are no maids or servants. If the Royal Consort Aelra needs anything, it would be better for the Third Prince to wait alone."
Cyrus looked back at Ariana.
“Princess, I’m lost. Do you happen to know the way out?”
Ariana, who had been watching the situation in a daze, quickly straightened her posture and nodded.
"I know."
"Then would you mind giving me some guidance? I'll make sure to reward you handsomely."
Ariana looked back at Harold. He couldn't hide his displeasure.
It was a pleasure to see him like that. She had never seen his expression break down before.
Harold noticed Ariana's gaze and belatedly fixed his expression and smiled.
“It’s a shame that my mother was so curious about the Princess.”
"Yes, but I'm sure there will be another opportunity. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today."
Ariana, with a beautiful smile as if drawn, turned without hesitation. Cyrus followed her without a word.
Harold, who had been watching the two people, who seemed incredibly close despite walking at a respectful distance, frowned. A gust of wind blew, fluffing Cyrus's luscious silver hair as if teasing him.
‘Northern Lord...’
Cyrus had no good feelings towards him.
At one point, he considered bringing him over to his side, but Cyrus's reputation was so great that he feared he might overshadow Harold. Furthermore, the Emperor cherished Cyrus as if he were his own son, to the point where he would laugh off even the slightest rudeness.
So he put off touching the North border until last.
'I don't like it.'
Wouldn't it be better to nip it in the bud before the North becomes more prosperous?
Harold turned around and walked nervously.
There were many people in the palace.
The courtiers, the attendants and maids, the servants and maidservants, moving quietly about, the knights.
They saw the Northern Lord and Princess of the East walking side by side. It was their first time seeing her in public, but they could tell it was her by her sky-blue hair.
People who like to talk would quickly gather together and whisper when two people moved away.
“That woman is the Princess of the East, isn’t she? What kind of relationship does she have with the Northern Lord?”
Ariana glanced quickly around the Lily Palace gardens. The maids who had been moving with her had disappeared, and the garden was almost deserted.
This is not good.
'Should I have brought Shini?'
The palace was a place not just for the faint of heart, and it was also dangerous. So, to avoid any blame, she came alone, but she found herself in an awkward situation.
“My mother is also looking forward to meeting the Princess.”
Harold wanted to introduce Ariana to Royal Consort Aelra. But Ariana was certain the Royal Consort Aelra would not be present at the Lily Palace.
This is one of Harold's methods.
Harold and Ariana stayed alone in the empty Lily Palace for a long time. Many maids saw Harold and Ariana enter the Lily Palace. They will likely encounter Royal Consort Aelra somewhere far away from the palace.
'Then even if nothing happened between the Third Prince and me, rumors will spread that something happened.'
There was no way Harold would touch Ariana's body directly. He never gets his hands dirty.
'At first, I thought, 'Are you trying to use rumors to smear me?' It's an obvious ploy.'
She had no intention of letting the Third Prince do as he wished.
Ariana stopped walking and spoke to the Third Prince.
“I don’t think I can greet the Royal Consort Aelra today.”
“Why? After coming all the way here.”
"I can't greet you empty-handed on our first meeting. She's such a precious person."
“My mother isn’t the type of person who cares about that kind of thing.”
“I care, Third Prince, don’t make things too difficult for me.”
"But..."
"Third Prince. Do you wish for rumors to spread that I, the Princess of the East, was rude enough to come to see the Royal Consort Aelra empty-handed?"
“There is no one in the palace who is easy-talking, Princess.”
“Are you sure?”
Ariana stared straight at Harold. Her blue eyes pierced him with a sharp, penetrating gaze, and he involuntarily averted his gaze.
“Of course, I am sure. I trust our royal family.”
“This is my first time in the palace. So, Third Prince, please understand.”
It was a word that contained many meanings: difficult because it was the first time, scary, unfamiliar, and difficult to completely trust.
The young lady of a noble family does not reveal her feelings openly in front of others, but Ariana expressed her feelings openly.
There was nothing to criticize. But if he continued to be stubborn, he would be seen as a man who didn't understand a woman's feelings and was being unreasonable.
It was only then that Harold realized that Ariana was no pushover.
A flower that blooms on a mountain that is difficult to climb. Therefore, it is all the more valuable, and as precious as it is, it evokes a strong desire to possess it.
Harold studied Ariana's small face and the perfect features it contained. Her blue eyes, nestled beneath delicate eyebrows, were so clear and pure they resembled a lake untouched by human footsteps.
He wanted to step into that lake where no one had set foot. No, he wanted to make it his own and admire it every day.
An indescribable lust burst from within Harold. He unconsciously reached out for Ariana's cheek.
“Oh, no. Did I interrupt you?”
A voice rang out, shattered the dreamlike atmosphere.
Harold looked back nervously.
“Northern lord.”
Harold growled, but Cyrus approached leisurely and stood next to Harold and Ariana.
“Oh, it was the Princess.”
Ariana was looking up at Cyrus with wide eyes, and Harold didn't like the sight.
“This is the Lily Palace, Northern Lord.”
"Oh, is this the Lily Palace? I haven't been to the palace in a while, so I got lost and ended up here. How is the Royal Consort Aelra doing?"
Cyrus's words and actions, which seemed to imply, "You're inferior to me," infuriated Harold, making him unbearable. It was already irritating to have ruined the good mood with Ariana, but the thought of being polite to the arrogant Northern Lord in front of Ariana made him seethe.
“The Northern Lord is always so rude. The Eastern and Western Lords never treat me like that.”
"They are who they are. And it seems you're the one being rude. What were you trying to do by dragging the Princess into the empty Lily Palace?"
“There is my mother in the Lily Palace.”
“Oh, I ran into your mother over there. She was chatting with the maids.”
Cyrus gave Harold a look that seemed to pierce his mind. Harold's face flushed red.
"For some reason, it wouldn't be good for the Third Prince and the Princess to be alone in the Lily Palace, where there are no maids or servants. If the Royal Consort Aelra needs anything, it would be better for the Third Prince to wait alone."
Cyrus looked back at Ariana.
“Princess, I’m lost. Do you happen to know the way out?”
Ariana, who had been watching the situation in a daze, quickly straightened her posture and nodded.
"I know."
"Then would you mind giving me some guidance? I'll make sure to reward you handsomely."
Ariana looked back at Harold. He couldn't hide his displeasure.
It was a pleasure to see him like that. She had never seen his expression break down before.
Harold noticed Ariana's gaze and belatedly fixed his expression and smiled.
“It’s a shame that my mother was so curious about the Princess.”
"Yes, but I'm sure there will be another opportunity. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today."
Ariana, with a beautiful smile as if drawn, turned without hesitation. Cyrus followed her without a word.
Harold, who had been watching the two people, who seemed incredibly close despite walking at a respectful distance, frowned. A gust of wind blew, fluffing Cyrus's luscious silver hair as if teasing him.
‘Northern Lord...’
Cyrus had no good feelings towards him.
At one point, he considered bringing him over to his side, but Cyrus's reputation was so great that he feared he might overshadow Harold. Furthermore, the Emperor cherished Cyrus as if he were his own son, to the point where he would laugh off even the slightest rudeness.
So he put off touching the North border until last.
'I don't like it.'
Wouldn't it be better to nip it in the bud before the North becomes more prosperous?
Harold turned around and walked nervously.
***
There were many people in the palace.
The courtiers, the attendants and maids, the servants and maidservants, moving quietly about, the knights.
They saw the Northern Lord and Princess of the East walking side by side. It was their first time seeing her in public, but they could tell it was her by her sky-blue hair.
People who like to talk would quickly gather together and whisper when two people moved away.
“That woman is the Princess of the East, isn’t she? What kind of relationship does she have with the Northern Lord?”
“Come to think of it, didn’t the Northern Lord help the Princess of the East before? It was some kind of trial.”
“Custody trial.”
“I wonder if there was something between those two?”
At any other time, Ariana would have been wary of what people were saying about her. But now, the background was blurred, and she felt like she was walking alone with Cyrus.
The silence was heavy. She tried to say something, but then kept her mouth shut, afraid of making the same mistake as before.
Then, Cyrus broke the silence first.
“I thought you hated the Third Prince.”
Ariana glanced back at him. He was staring straight ahead, his expression unreadable.
The long eyelashes hanging down beneath his silver hair caught her eye, especially today. And the small mole under his left eye.
She was thinking about pressing that point when she suddenly came to her senses.
'What am I thinking again?'
When Ariana was with Cyrus, she acted as if her head wasn't her own. That really annoyed her, and she hated it.
“I hate him.”
“But you followed along without fear. Did the Third Prince say he’d give you chocolate or something?”
Ariana frowned at the barbed words.
"Even though he was born of the Royal Consort Aelra, he is still His Majesty the Emperor's bloodline. It was difficult to refuse the prince's request here, especially in the palace."
“You are the Princess of the East.”
“So, we have to consider the East's position.”
“The Princess still thinks a lot with that little head of hers.”
-“You think a lot with your small head.”
-“Your Excellency’s head doesn’t look that big either.”
-“Are you saying that even someone like you can’t think like that?”
Ariana felt a little bitter as memories from long ago suddenly flooded back. Back then, Cyrus hadn't been this wary of Ariana.
When Ariana didn't respond, Cyrus spoke again.
“What were you thinking if the Third Prince forced the Princess to do something terrible?”
“The Third Prince is not the kind of person who would do something like that.”
This time, Cyrus frowned. He didn't like the way Ariana sounded, which seemed to place too much trust in Harold.
“He’s not the kind of person who would do something like that... How would the Princess know that? I didn’t know you were so close to the Third Prince.”
"You don't have to be close to know someone to know them. The closer you are, the more your eyes become clouded by that affection, and you often miss what you need to see."
Cyrus glanced back at Ariana.
Ariana stared straight ahead, seemingly content with meeting Cyrus after so long. The shadows cast by her long eyelashes painted her blue eyes.
Cyrus desperately wished those eyes were turned towards him.
“Even if he hits me.”
At the following words, Cyrus came to his senses.
"I was thinking of screaming. There are so many people in the palace; there must be some who haven't been touched by the Third Prince. Won't anyone come to help?"
“If you do that, the Princess’s reputation will fall.”
Only then did Ariana look back at Cyrus.
But it wasn't the look Cyrus wanted.
The blue eyes that once shone so affectionately before Cyrus now held a chill. Their icy gaze pierced Cyrus's very core.
“Do you think the Northern Lord would be afraid of my reputation falling?”
Cyrus smiled at the abrupt question.
“No, I think you’ll grab it by the collar and drag you back to your fallen reputation.”
A smile appeared on Ariana's lips.
“That is exactly right, Northern Lord.”
Ariana's eyes turned forward again. Cyrus had to suppress the urge to grab her chin and force her to look at him.
Look at me, Ariana.
He swallowed the words that were stuck in his mouth.
That's why he hated it. Because when he is in front of Ariana, he doesn't feel like himself anymore.
Everything he wanted to say and do, everything he wanted to think and feel, everything felt unfamiliar. A tidal wave of indefinable emotions surged through him, leaving him feeling suffocated.
Cyrus had a suspicion that everything might be due to Paganus's power, but he was also uneasy, wondering what would happen if that happened.
He felt like he would have to abandon everything, turn his eyes away from the North that his parents had tried to protect, and look only at one person.
“Custody trial.”
“I wonder if there was something between those two?”
At any other time, Ariana would have been wary of what people were saying about her. But now, the background was blurred, and she felt like she was walking alone with Cyrus.
The silence was heavy. She tried to say something, but then kept her mouth shut, afraid of making the same mistake as before.
Then, Cyrus broke the silence first.
“I thought you hated the Third Prince.”
Ariana glanced back at him. He was staring straight ahead, his expression unreadable.
The long eyelashes hanging down beneath his silver hair caught her eye, especially today. And the small mole under his left eye.
She was thinking about pressing that point when she suddenly came to her senses.
'What am I thinking again?'
When Ariana was with Cyrus, she acted as if her head wasn't her own. That really annoyed her, and she hated it.
“I hate him.”
“But you followed along without fear. Did the Third Prince say he’d give you chocolate or something?”
Ariana frowned at the barbed words.
"Even though he was born of the Royal Consort Aelra, he is still His Majesty the Emperor's bloodline. It was difficult to refuse the prince's request here, especially in the palace."
“You are the Princess of the East.”
“So, we have to consider the East's position.”
“The Princess still thinks a lot with that little head of hers.”
-“You think a lot with your small head.”
-“Your Excellency’s head doesn’t look that big either.”
-“Are you saying that even someone like you can’t think like that?”
Ariana felt a little bitter as memories from long ago suddenly flooded back. Back then, Cyrus hadn't been this wary of Ariana.
When Ariana didn't respond, Cyrus spoke again.
“What were you thinking if the Third Prince forced the Princess to do something terrible?”
“The Third Prince is not the kind of person who would do something like that.”
This time, Cyrus frowned. He didn't like the way Ariana sounded, which seemed to place too much trust in Harold.
“He’s not the kind of person who would do something like that... How would the Princess know that? I didn’t know you were so close to the Third Prince.”
"You don't have to be close to know someone to know them. The closer you are, the more your eyes become clouded by that affection, and you often miss what you need to see."
Cyrus glanced back at Ariana.
Ariana stared straight ahead, seemingly content with meeting Cyrus after so long. The shadows cast by her long eyelashes painted her blue eyes.
Cyrus desperately wished those eyes were turned towards him.
“Even if he hits me.”
At the following words, Cyrus came to his senses.
"I was thinking of screaming. There are so many people in the palace; there must be some who haven't been touched by the Third Prince. Won't anyone come to help?"
“If you do that, the Princess’s reputation will fall.”
Only then did Ariana look back at Cyrus.
But it wasn't the look Cyrus wanted.
The blue eyes that once shone so affectionately before Cyrus now held a chill. Their icy gaze pierced Cyrus's very core.
“Do you think the Northern Lord would be afraid of my reputation falling?”
Cyrus smiled at the abrupt question.
“No, I think you’ll grab it by the collar and drag you back to your fallen reputation.”
A smile appeared on Ariana's lips.
“That is exactly right, Northern Lord.”
Ariana's eyes turned forward again. Cyrus had to suppress the urge to grab her chin and force her to look at him.
Look at me, Ariana.
He swallowed the words that were stuck in his mouth.
That's why he hated it. Because when he is in front of Ariana, he doesn't feel like himself anymore.
Everything he wanted to say and do, everything he wanted to think and feel, everything felt unfamiliar. A tidal wave of indefinable emotions surged through him, leaving him feeling suffocated.
Cyrus had a suspicion that everything might be due to Paganus's power, but he was also uneasy, wondering what would happen if that happened.
He felt like he would have to abandon everything, turn his eyes away from the North that his parents had tried to protect, and look only at one person.
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