Chapter 10

Alesto looked at the Saintess sitting before him, pretending to be graceful as she lifted her teacup.

She had looked scruffy yesterday, and she was no different today.

Her hair was messy as if she had not brushed it after waking, and the shawl she had thrown on was uneven on both sides.

‘Even if she comes from a lesser noble family, is this really how a count’s daughter usually looks?’

Most noble ladies were said to be careful about their appearance, but the Saintess seemed to have no interest in that.

Or maybe she trusted her pretty face too much.

‘She really is pretty even when she looks messy. I guess that makes sense.’

How could one even describe her right now?

Like a bright puppy rolling around in dust until its white fur turned gray.

Yes, a very pretty puppy.

That image kept appearing in his mind, though he quickly brushed it away.

The Saintess was not a puppy. She was an adult, just like him.

“Would you like to have lunch together today?”

…Or maybe she really was a bit like one.

She was still a noblewoman, so she had to know how busy the Crown Prince was.

Yet she said something that sounded like a dog wagging its tail and begging to be played with.

Still, strangely enough, he did not find it annoying.

“What would you like to eat?”

She smiled brightly, her eyes filled with innocence.

“I want to eat out. With meat.”

Alesto nodded deeply, though inwardly he decided her diet needed improvement.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

They went to Büsel Lake, located in the center of the capital.

The lake was known for its great difference in depth, and its color changed depending on how deep it was, making it a beautiful sight.

Alesto and Asha chose a quiet restaurant by the lake.

Their table was on a balcony with a clear view of the water and an open breeze.

A waiter filled their glasses with water and stood politely.

“Will you be having the full course meal today?”

Last night at The Lion’s Table, Asha had choked on wine and turned completely red before she could even finish one glass.

Alesto decided she could not handle alcohol.

“The lady will skip the wine. Bring her something light instead. Is apple juice fine?”

Asha nodded without thinking.

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Wine or juice, it made no difference.

What mattered was that she could eat meat outside the palace.

In truth, there was another reason she had asked to eat out today.

Yesterday, after she was caught trying to run away, she had heard something meaningful.

So she wanted to test whether she could really leave the palace. Her suggestion for lunch had been a quiet way of finding out.

Meanwhile, Alesto assumed that she knew how busy he was and ignored it on purpose.

But that was not true.

Asha truly had no idea how busy the Crown Prince’s duties were.

All she knew about him came from romance fantasy stories.

The kind that said things like, Cold on the outside but soft inside, or Cold to the world but warm to his woman, or Living in a dazzling world but deeply lonely.

It was natural. Every romance novel she had ever read had focused on love, and Crown Princes were always either the main lead or a major side character.

The stories had never shown what they actually did for work.

So Asha was simply enjoying her outing today.

And Büsel Lake was truly beautiful.

The clear blue sky, the soft sunlight, and the gentle wind brushing through the trees made everything peaceful.

For a moment, Asha felt the scene was unreal.

To be sitting here under the warm sun and no longer standing before machines all day in a dusty uniform felt strange.

This world was beautiful and advanced in its own way, not primitive or rough.

‘Am I finally getting to rest?’

The calm peace of it all filled her heart.

Then suddenly,

“Have you ever been in love?”

What?

“W-what? That’s so sudden.”

A faint smile appeared on Alesto’s lips.

“Is it sudden? But didn’t you tell me yesterday that your dream was to be captured by a handsome man and loved deeply by him? You told me to take you, remember?”

Asha swallowed hard.

“Yes, I did say that…”

“And I told you that I liked you.”

Thump.

Her heart skipped.

Before she could respond, he continued.

“We both like each other. Doesn’t that mean we’re dating?”

Hearing those words from such a handsome man was enough to make her heart beat faster.

Honestly, what reason did she have to refuse?

He looked perfect. He even said he saw her as someone he liked.

It was not marriage. It was dating. What was there to hesitate about?

More than anything, she liked the feeling of her heart fluttering. She did not want to turn it down.

“T-then, you’re right. I’ve never dated before, though.”

Just then, something across the balcony caught her eye.

‘Huh?’

Her gaze stopped on a man with blond hair.

It was Cedric, the male lead from the original story, the same man she had seen yesterday in the Lavender Garden.

Seeing him again behind Alesto made her chest tighten with complicated feelings.

Right after realizing she was inside the novel, she had planned to marry Cedric and live happily ever after.

But that plan had fallen apart when the arranged meeting was ruined.

And now she was sitting here talking about love with someone else.

‘This feels kind of like cheating.’

Of course, it was not. Asha knew that better than anyone.

She had never even spoken a word to Cedric. He did not even know who she was.

* * *

Cedric had been in a gloomy mood since yesterday.

To be exact, ever since he had seen the Crown Prince in the Lavender Garden with the woman who seemed to be his lover.

The reason was simple.

He could not stop thinking about her.

Had he really fallen for a woman who was already with the Crown Prince?

‘Pathetic.’

He did not believe in love at first sight, but the fact that he had even dreamed of her made him unsure.

In his dream, he had been back in the Lavender Garden, kissing an unknown woman.

She had not resisted him.

Actually, calling it a passionate kiss was too mild.

It had been clumsy and desperate, as if he might devour her whole.

‘I’m going insane.’

Was this some kind of late-coming adolescence?

It felt like someone had cursed him.

“Haa…”

The café by Büsel Lake had been recommended by his secretary, Steward, who had accompanied him to the capital.

After seeing Cedric sighing in his room all day, the man had gently suggested that he go outside for a change of pace.

So here he was, drinking tea at a coffee house overlooking the lake, trying to calm his mind.

Then he saw them.

On the next building’s balcony sat the Crown Prince and the woman from his dream.

For a moment, Cedric thought he was imagining it.

He rubbed his eyes, but she was still there. Not an illusion.

His ears sharpened.

He was not trying to eavesdrop. It just happened naturally, the way your eyes follow a beautiful flower when you see one on the road.

The two were talking quietly about their new relationship.

And then he heard her name.

‘Asha.’

As soon as he remembered where he had heard that name, his hand clenched into a fist.

Asha was the woman he had been supposed to meet yesterday.

That morning, the eldest son of the Herman family had sent an official letter of apology, explaining that his sister had failed to attend their meeting.

Cedric had accepted it without resentment.

‘But that woman from my dream… was Asha?’

A sharp pain struck through his chest.

And now that he listened carefully, their conversation did not sound like that of long-time lovers.

It was awkward, like a man and woman who had just started dating.

He did not know how things had gone so wrong, but one thing was clear.

The person sitting there, smiling and talking about love, could have been with him instead.