This morning had started so well. Why couldn't it have stayed like that?

After waking up, Lucille had received the news that her dragon tutor was sick. So, she had been overjoyed and hurried to the kitchen to pick up her breakfast. She had arrived there and found out that she would get fried bacon now, which she adored. So, her mood had been even better, and she had looked forward to meeting Cedar. But she had only taken a few steps toward the annex when memories of the past day came back to her.

Lucille got red again. Even though she knew that the prince hadn't said anything special, hearing him call her a good person had been wonderful. She had felt incredible after that, even if she had also been a bit flustered. Facing Cedar now would probably remind her of that, and she just hoped that her embarrassment wouldn't show too much. After all, he had only said some nice things to her. She didn't need to be oversensitive, just because she had received a compliment.

But she had to admit that she always reacted a bit strangely when it came to Cedar. Lucille wasn't quite sure whether one could call them friends, but in any case, she liked being with him. They had only known each other for a few weeks, and yet, they had already spent so much time together, which formed a strange relationship between them. They both wouldn't open up to each other, but for some reason, she still felt like they were close.

So, the thought of him leaving at some point and her never being able to talk to him again made her more upset than it should have. That was why she would use every second she could to spend time with him now.

Lucille took a deep breath and gathered some courage before smiling. She wouldn't be embarrassed because he had told her that he liked her in some indirect way. That would never be enough to render her so flustered. She was content telling herself that and put her hand on the door handle of the annex's entrance. But she didn't get far.

“Lucille.”

She froze upon hearing that voice. No.

No, no, no. Why was her father here? Had he found Cedar? There was no way. Raymond was probably just walking by coincidentally. At least Lucille told herself that before spinning around and making eye contact with him. She regretted that a second later.

Her father was furious.

Lucille took a step back and collided with the door. For a moment, she considered running away. But what would that do? Then she would only delay this conversation and make him even more angry. Lucille's fingers dug into the tray, which she held in front of her as if it was protecting her. “Father.” Her voice was trembling more than she wanted it to.

Viscount Valerian walked toward her and came to a halt right in front of her. He gazed down at her with an icy look. It felt like he was towering above her while she was just an insignificant speck of dust. For a moment, it was silent, and then he spoke up in a voice that was just as cold as a glacier. “Lucille. I think that we need to talk about that annex.”

Lucille tensed even more and desperately fought the urge to avoid his gaze. “I...see. If you believe that...to be necessary...then...” She was stuttering. That would only make things worse.

Her father didn't let her finish. “If there is no issue with that building, you wouldn't have to be so nervous. What have you been doing there? You've always spent a lot of time in that building, and I thought that it was fine. But for the past month, you barely left it.”

She averted her eyes and caught a glimpse of Mathilda behind the viscount. Apparently, the maid had told him about what his daughter was doing. Why? Why couldn't she have kept her mouth shut once?

Lucille bit her lips and pressed her fingers into the wood of the tray until it hurt. What should she do now? Should she say that she missed her mother? That would only make her father even more angry.

“Lucille.” Raymond's voice was even colder now. “Do not look away when I am talking to you. The question should be easy to answer. What were you doing in that room?”

Slowly but surely, she felt like no air reached her lungs anymore. This was horrible. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't lie convincingly enough, could she? She had to try anyway. The worst case would be her father finding Cedar, so she had to do anything in her power to prevent that. “I...” Lucille carefully lifted her gaze and almost panicked upon seeing the viscount's angry expression. She was petrified for a moment, and her heart began to thump in her chest. “I...”

What was the most obvious excuse? What was realistic? She couldn't say that she was meeting someone. What else could one do in the annex?

Lucille almost choked on her words when she finally found a reasonable excuse. “It's quiet! I just go there to read!”

Raymond narrowed his eyes at her and came a bit closer. “Then why are you so nervous? And why have you been bringing two portions of food to the annex when you never used to eat that much? You don't eat it yourself. You always have two cups, two plates and two sets of utensils. You aren't eating with Mathilda either. Who are you meeting there?” His voice was so full of anger that it made a shiver run down her spine.

Lucille pressed herself against the door and desperately tried to keep herself upright. “I...” That damned maid had revealed her greatest secret once again. Why? Why did that stupid Mathilda have to tell the truth? Couldn't the maid have lied for once? Did no one here get what kind of situation Lucille was in? The young woman pressed her eyes shut for a moment and began shivering a bit.

“Lucille, whom are you meeting with? Is it a servant?” Her father was directly in front of her now. From up close, he only seemed even more angry. “Answer me when I'm asking you a question. Lucille, this is serious.”

Lucille only wanted to run away. Raymond knew that she was meeting someone. If she named a random servant, he would go ask them, and then everything would be over anyway. She had nothing to say to make this any better. But her father called her name again, and she replied immediately. “It's not a servant! He's not from here, but he isn't a threat!” She only realized her mistake when it was too late.

Raymond froze in place. She could see the wrath flickering in his eyes, and his expression became even colder, even though that shouldn't have been possible. “Did you say ‘he’? You are meeting with a man?” He definitely assumed the wrong thing.

Lucille hurried to shake her head. “No, that's not it! He's just-”

“He's just what?” Her father was yelling now. “A man from another family? And you, as an unmarried girl, just think that you can meet him in secret? Do you have any idea what this means for your future?”

Lucille felt a sob form in her throat, and no matter how much she wanted to hold back, she raised her voice as well. “No! We're not-”

Of course, Raymond didn't bother to listen to her. “Your useless excuses won't make this any better either! You can't even imagine what this could do to our family! Did you think about that for one second? You-” He reached for her.

It wasn't clear what he wanted to do, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he moved his hand toward her. That simple motion was enough to make her brain give in.

Lucille's body acted on its own. She pressed herself against the door and cowered while lifting her hands to protect herself. The tray fell down, and the utensils and the porcelain crashed onto the ground. She could only stand there and let the tears rush down her face while bracing herself for the impact.

But that didn't come.

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Still, Lucille stood there in this position for a few seconds before she dared to open her teary eyes.

Raymond had a strange expression on his face. She had never seen this before. He was still upset, but his anger had become less visible. Instead, he pressed his mouth into a thin line, and his forehead was adorned by a deep frown. Why was he looking at her like that? It shouldn't be surprising that she had expected him to hit her after all those years. Why did he look regretful now when he had never cared about her feelings whenever she had been forced to do something for him?

Lucille only wanted to cry more at that. She lowered her arms and hugged herself while trying to keep herself from sobbing. She wasn't successful. Why had all this needed to happen? Why hadn't she been lucky once? Surely, it had been strange for her to bring over two plates every day, but why did her father have to care now? He usually ignored her presence, even when she hadn't hidden anything for eighteen years. Now she did her best to keep upright one lie, and he came to reveal it after a little over two weeks?

And what would happen now? Would her father tell her to throw Cedar out? Surely, he would demand to inform the royal guards, and Lucille had to prevent that.

Maybe she could send her guest away before her father saw him. If she could at least hide the prince's identity, it might be less bad because no one knew about her committing treason. But her hopes were shattered immediately.

Viscount Valerian was only silent for a moment before he spoke up again. “Who is that man?” His voice was trembling too, so he was probably at his breaking point.

Lucille swallowed and tried to reply as well as she could while crying. “He's...a noble too. I can get him...to leave. If you give me...an hour, he'll-”

Raymond's eyes flashed with fury again, which made her flinch. That seemed to upset him even more. “No way. I will go talk to that person immediately.” With that, he pushed her aside and opened the door. He rushed in without giving her a chance to intervene.

Lucille's heart felt like it would explode as thoughts about Cedar rushed through her mind. He would have to leave if Raymond found him. And then the prince would have to return to his horrible mother and be locked in the prison he had fled from. She couldn't let that happen. “Father!” She called out before she knew what she was doing and tried to run after the viscount with her shaky legs. “Please wait! He's not dangerous, and he can leave without anyone knowing. I promise!”

Her father didn't even stop or turn around. He was already at the staircase and only looked at her when he reached the second half. “Do you think I'd let someone that broke into my home and touched my daughter leave just like that?” He only sped up his pace after that and climbed up the stairs.

Lucille barely managed to keep up with him. “Father! Father, please! Don't go inside!” If he did that, he would condemn Cedar to a life with the very person who had tortured him ever since his birth. She couldn't let that happen to Cedar because of her own mistakes. She had to do something. “Father! Fa-”

The words were stuck in her throat as she saw how Raymond put his hands on the door handle. She rushed to his side, but it was already too late.

He opened the door and stepped inside.

It was early in the morning, so there was no way that Cedar was prepared for such a sudden meeting. The prince wouldn't be able to flee this time. Would he be angry? Would his smile fade for once? Would he think that Lucille had betrayed him? She didn't know what to expect.

But she hadn't definitely hadn't expected the following scene, even though she should have guessed that this would happen.

Cedar stood in front of his bed and gave the two visitors a bright smile. “Good morning, Lord Valerian. I apologize for not being prepared to meet you. I did not expect such a sudden visit early in the morning. But since I dared to reside inside your estate without your knowledge, there is no way that I would complain. Please excuse my appearance.” He said that despite looking absolutely flawless as always. He wore the servant clothes Lucille had brought him, and his hair was slightly ruffled, but that only made him even more stunning.

Lucille might have admired him for a bit only to be embarrassed later if she was in a normal situation, but right now, she could barely focus on him. She whipped her head around to her father and took in his expression.

Raymond looked like he was absolutely mortified. He stared at the prince and was completely frozen in place. At least half a minute passed before he replied in a weak voice. “Your Royal Highness?”

Cedar just nodded while still grinning as if nothing was wrong. “Indeed. I sincerely apologize for presenting myself like this. But it is me. The last time that we saw each other was about four months ago, but I shouldn't have changed that much.”

Viscount Valerian actually paled at that. He stood there in silence for a while longer before slowly turning his head to his daughter. He stared at her in utter shock before scanning the prince again. It didn't seem like he had grasped the situation properly.

Cedar, however, didn't seem to be taken aback in the slightest. At least until he saw Lucille's expression. Then it appeared like he forgot about her father. “Lucille? Is everything alright?”

She probably looked like a mess. In comparison to Cedar, her appearance was truly lacking right now. Lucille quickly lifted her hand to wipe over her face in an attempt to get herself to look somewhat presentable. “I'm fine.” Even now her voice sounded hoarse, and she could barely finish her sentence without sniffling. Why was Cedar asking how she was when he was obviously in the worse position now? She felt so horrible for being unable to hide him, and yet, he worried about her. “He found out. I'm sorry.” She cast her gaze onto the floor and tried to keep herself calm. For a little moment, she expected that the prince would tell her that it was her fault for being unable to keep even a single secret.

But when Cedar spoke up, he didn't have the accusatory tone she had waited for. Instead, he replied in a soft voice. “Don't apologize. You were the one who wanted to keep it hidden in the first place. I don't mind.” Footsteps sounded, and he slowly walked over to her. When she looked up, he gave her a little smile. Lucille didn't know what to wait for when he moved his arm, but surely, this hadn't been on her mind.

Cedar brought his hand to her face and gently wiped away some of her tears. That only left her to stare at him in awe. Cedar had never done something like that. This was the first time that he touched her aside from when they had hidden in the storage room, and it was the strangest thing she had ever felt.

Lucille shouldn't let him touch her. They weren't that close at all. But still, she couldn't bring herself to push him away. The fact that he was consoling her made her freeze, and she could only look into his face. She hadn't ever seen such calming brown eyes. They captured her, even though she had looked into them countless times in the past weeks.

The prince gave her a gentle smile and only pulled his hand back when he had managed to shock her so much that she stopped to cry. “You don't need to be sad. Everything is fine. I'm right by your side. Nothing bad will happen. We'll find a solution together. So, please don't cry.”

Lucille weakly nodded and opened her mouth to respond, but she closed it again. She still didn't understand why Cedar was trying to calm her down. Wasn't he in trouble now? He would have to go back to that prison. He would be forced to withstand his mother's constant nagging until he finally received his brother's permission to leave. And they couldn't even be sure that the emperor would ever allow him to leave. In the worst case, Lucille had condemned him to a life full of terror and manipulation. She knew how that felt, and his mother was way worse than her father had ever been. That thought only made her sob again, and her tears came back with full force. “I'm sorry...”

Cedar let out a small huff, and once again, he moved before she could guess what he wanted to do. He was careful when took a step forward and stopped directly in front of her. Then he raised his arms and gently put them around her to pull her in for a hug.

Lucille froze at that. She definitely shouldn't accept a stranger embracing her like this. Especially not when it was a wanted criminal who had committed treason. But the fact that he actually cared enough to console her was so touching that she only wanted to hug him back. She gave in to that urge after a moment and put her arms around him as well.

Why did this feel so calming? He wasn't doing anything special. Cedar just gently brushed over her head with one of his hands while the other rested on her back. But still, it felt so comforting that she didn't want him to let go at all.

For a moment, everyone was silent before the prince whispered to her. “Is really everything alright?”

Lucille nodded weakly and tried to be as quiet as possible as she replied. “Yes, but... What about you? What will happen now?”

“Don't think about that. I will take care of it.” Cedar slowly let go of her, and she immediately felt lonely.

But Lucille fought the urge to reach for him again and was quiet while glancing at her father.

Raymond still didn't look like he had gotten over his shock. He just stared at his daughter and the prince while seeming as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

Cedar gave him a short moment before he spoke up. “Then I believe that we should greet each other again in a more polite manner. Good morning, Lord Valerian. I apologize for intruding, and I will do my best to make up for it later. I am truly grateful to have been able to stay here. Naturally, I will compensate you appropriately. I apologize for not informing you about Lucille and me being acquainted. We should have told you much earlier.”

Viscount Valerian furrowed his brows so that deep wrinkles were etched into his face. He was silent for a few seconds before turning to his daughter. “His Royal Highness is the man that you...” He pressed his mouth into a thin line, and his expression made it very obvious that he wasn't too happy about this. “Since when?”

Lucille would have liked to respond, but her father looked much too angry to her. Without wanting to move, she took a little step to the side and stood behind Cedar's arm. This wouldn't help her at all when Raymond got really upset, but she felt much safer like this. To her relief, the prince didn't push her away either.

Cedar seemed like a real knight in shining armor as he stood in front of her and replied instead. “If you don't mind, I can explain the situation. I came here a little over two weeks ago. There were...a few issues with my mother, so I wanted to leave the mansion for a couple of days. But unfortunately, some of the royal guards seemed to think that I wanted to attack them. They were a bit harsh. As a result, we got into a fight, and I was injured. I barely managed to flee and climbed over the next wall I found. Lucille found me in your garden and got me a doctor. Ever since then, I've been hiding in the annex so that I could recover in secret, and she came to visit me daily. I apologize for not waiting for your permission, but I assumed that you would be better off without knowing. In case Lord Astame found me, I would have simply said that none of you knew, and you would have been safe. Thankfully, he didn't find me though.”

That story summarized it well, but that didn't mean that Raymond liked it very much.