Lucille had felt like she was dying of embarrassment upon finding Cedar sleeping next to her. And when she had slowly woken up, only to find him tangling his hand in her hair, it had only gotten worse.
He had been so gentle while kissing a strand of her hair that it was obvious that this wasn't just a small mistake.
She was actually relieved to have Cedar leave as soon as she opened her eyes because she ended up staying in bed for the next few minutes. She just stared straight ahead while waiting for her heart to calm down. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. She could just lie here while counting the seconds and hoping that she wouldn't have a heart attack.
Lucille was close to three hundred when she finally dared to sit up. Still, the blood didn't flow out of her cheeks. In general, it felt like her nervousness hadn't ebbed away. So, she did something to get it out of her system. She jumped up and moved around a little. At first, she just paced to the sides and walked around her sofa in circles. Then she recounted what had happened, and it got even worse. She could barely keep herself from dancing around and gave in to the urge after a short while.
Cedar had opened up to her. His past was so horrible that it made her cry, so it was understandable that he wouldn't just tell anyone. And yet, he had given her a hint about what he felt. It wasn't much, but it was enough for her to come to the conclusion that he had been honest about a part of his feelings.
And for Cedar, even this little, these few words, were a huge burden. Because he had told her about the core of his problems. About his conflicting emotions when it came to his mother, the very person who had hurt him so much from the very beginning. He had done his best to give Lucille all he could share at the moment.
That was enough to make her ecstatic because it meant that he trusted her. And not just that, he also did something like kissing her hair while thinking that she was asleep. That definitely could not have been an act. He did like her a lot. Maybe they were even more than friends.
That thought stopped Lucille while she was in the middle of twirling around. What were they? The more she thought about this, the more she worried. After all, she was pretty sure that she had fallen in love by now. So, it wouldn't be strange for her to try to define her relationship with Cedar at some point.
But did she have the courage to ask? Definitely not.
If anything was supposed to move forward here, Cedar would have to be the one to steer them in the right direction. But did he even have an interest in doing that? Going any further than this would have consequences. There was no way that spending the night lying in each other's bed was fine if others found out, but at least they hadn't crossed any lines. If they did continue, they would quickly step over the border though.
That worsened her mood quickly, so she stopped pacing around. More bad thoughts came.
Even if Lucille was happy about him opening up to her, Cedar's childhood had still been a nightmare. Just thinking about it was enough to make her want to gag. She couldn't imagine growing up with someone like Camille by her side. Luckily, she didn't have to do that, but Cedar had suffered due to that woman. No one could change that in hindsight, no matter how regrettable it was.
Lucille would need to do her best to help as much as she could now. She had to talk to Cedar and comfort him when he felt bad. She wasn't sure whether she could do that though. Even the thought of him living through all of those horrible things was enough to make Lucille dejected. She sat down on her bed and waited there while being unsure about what to do.
For a while, she tried to come up with ways to cheer Cedar up and remained unsuccessful. She was lost in thoughts while cycling between joy about being able to get closer to Cedar and dejection whenever she remembered his childhood. That didn't last for long though.
Cedar came back for breakfast. His smile was even brighter than before, and a mix of irritation and fury oozed out of the way that he desperately tried to seem happy. He looked like he had seen a spirit and refused to utter a single thing about what had happened. That would have been fine, but he also refused to ask for a hug afterward. It seemed like he didn't even want to admit that something had happened.
So, Lucille had to be the one to initiate the embrace this time.
As expected, Cedar didn't push her away but clung to her instead. In the end, they spent at least two hours while lying on the sofa in each other's arms and talking about some random things. After that, they went out to eat lunch together and looked around the royal library. Even in the evening, Cedar hadn't left her side but still refused to say what had upset him this time.
Lucille never found out about what exactly had transpired that day, but she knew that it hadn't been nice.
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Two weeks passed by, and Cedar spent time with Lucille every single day. They took walks around the royal estate and looked at the winter garden. They didn't do much but inspect the area around the palace together, even if Cedar probably knew everything here already.
There was no room for conversations about sensitive matters since it seemed like Cedar was trying to make up for that one weak day by being much stronger. But they talked about everything else, and Lucille used that chance to hear as much about Artias and the royal family as she could. She quickly noticed that Cedar was knowledgeable when it came to politics and the economy. When she asked him, he just explained that it was the task of every prince to know as much about the nation as possible. She suspected that it might be connected to Camille assuming that he would become emperor at some point, but of course, Cedar didn't say that.
Their conversations focused on pleasant or neutral matters while they tried to ignore the problems around them for a short while.
But even then, Cedar wasn't completely relaxed. It seemed like he expected an attack at any moment. Even if nothing came, he was on edge constantly. The days passed, and the palace stayed calm for the most part, but it didn't seem to lift Cedar's mood. No matter where they were, he always managed to find something that caused him to ponder as he refused to talk about it. When he felt that Lucille was looking at him, he just smiled at her and immediately continued the conversation as if nothing had happened.
Today, he had done it again. Cedar just jumped back to the original conversation despite having stared at the rose in front of him with a vacant stare for a while. “We've already seen everything within the royal garden, so it would be interesting to visit the part outside the walls. I feel like that might be a bit dangerous though. I would rather avoid that for the time being.”
Lucille nodded at him. It was a wonder how he could think about one thing while speaking about the other. She already needed to hold back from asking him what was going on, and that took all of her self-control. To her, it was almost unimaginable how he could concentrate on two things at the same time while still keeping his face unreadable with a bright smile. But of course, she didn't say that and just replied normally. “There is one other spot that I didn't see. We never entered the labyrinth.”
Cedar glanced over at the hedges and scanned them for a moment. “Well, I didn't go inside often in the past either. The layout is pretty simple. All you can see inside are hedges, and there is a fountain in the center. If you want to look around there, we can go in.”
Lucille wanted to decline at first. After all, it seemed like Cedar wasn't really interested in the labyrinth. But he probably wasn't interested in any other location here either. He had grown up in the palace, so he knew everything and still liked to show her around. Visiting a new but boring location was still better than seeing an old one, right? “Why not? I would like to see the center, and then we can go out again. After all, the hedges surely won't be very different from the ones around here.”
Cedar nodded. “Alright then.” They walked the few steps to the entrance of the labyrinth, and Cedar went inside without much hesitation.
Lucille followed him and quickly had some questions. Cedar had said that the layout was rather simple, but to be honest, Lucille couldn't see that. It was quite complex so that she would probably get lost if she left Cedar's side. She wouldn't risk that. She just hurried to avoid losing track of him.
For the first minute, that worked out well. But then, it almost seemed like Cedar suddenly moved faster. That might have been the case because he stared straight ahead again and was lost in thoughts.
Lucille tried to let him be for a while, but when he rounded the corner and she barely managed to see how he disappeared behind the next one already, she spoke up. “Wait! If you go so fast, I won't catch up to you.”
Cedar finally stopped at that. He turned around to find her hurrying toward him.
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Lucille was a bit ashamed to get lost so quickly. “I'm sorry. I'm a bit slow. I will get lost, so you can't go away too far.”
Cedar smiled at her. “No, no. It's fine. I walked a bit too fast, didn't I? I will go slower now. But we still can't take the risk. We don't want you to get lost. So, it would be better if we make sure that you can't run away.” He offered his hand to her.
Lucille should theoretically have noted that this wasn't necessary at all, but that thought didn't even cross her mind, and her hand was in his in an instant. Her breath hitched once more when Cedar showed her another one of his beautiful smiles before he guided her forward.
They reached the center of the labyrinth, and as Cedar had said, there was nothing special here. The fountain was beautiful but not as much as the bigger one near the palace was. Still, the inside had a calming aura.
Despite this, Lucille didn't feel the need to stay here longer. She wouldn't run out immediately either but decided to leave the choice to Cedar. After all, they could sit here and talk in peace, for which this place would be perfect.
It didn't seem like Cedar was interested in staying here though. He looked around while being much more attentive than a person who was just taking in the scenery. He seemed to feel unwell and spoke up after a few seconds. “It's quiet here, but...maybe it would be better to go elsewhere.”
Lucille was a bit taken aback by that. “Why?”
The prince turned to her and explained in a calm tone. “There are no guards in the labyrinth. So, it would be better for us to get out of here for the time being. I would rather be somewhere where the knights can see and reach us. We can't know whether some unpleasant gifts are hiding here.” He still worried about his mother trying something again.
Lucille quickly nodded. She wouldn't insist on staying here and unnecessarily worrying him. So, they left.
Of course, nothing happened on the way out, but Lucille was still a bit more uncertain until they finally reached the exit.
As soon as they stepped out of the hedges again, Cedar spoke up. “As expected, the labyrinth is nothing special. There is another interesting spot that I can show you though. I'm sure that you will love it. But we need to be careful while going there, or we will get in trouble.” That didn't sound too good.
“Are you sure that we should go there then?”
Cedar beamed at her. “Definitely. I feel like this might become one of your favorite spots quickly.” He seemed to be convinced, so she trusted him.
He led Lucille through the garden, and they followed the broader main path for a while. Then they took the smaller path that branched off from there. After a few steps, they came to the part of the pathway that was hidden behind countless hedges that almost formed a spiral to hide their destination.
Lucille quickly became more curious. She could only stare at the path in front of them while following the spiral, and when they rounded the last corner, she froze in place. “This is...”
Cedar showed her a bright smile as he finished for her. “Where my brother and his wife met. Obviously, he took care of it and made it look even prettier than it was when we were little, but it was always impressive. To the royal couple, this place is sacred, so you can't ever mention that we were here.” He lifted his index finger to his lips before looking back to the area around them. “It's beautiful, isn't it? Like it came right out of a fairy tale.” He was right.
In front of them, a white pavilion stood. The pillars and the roof were covered in ivy and some lilac flowers with blue ones being mixed in between. There was a white curved bench, on which one could sit to take in the scenery, which was just breathtaking. The whole pavilion was circled by the most colorful and stunning flowers and bushes that seemed to be in full bloom.
Lucille stared at the image in front of her for a while before turning to him. “It's...really pretty. I understand why Her Majesty felt like it was a fairy tale when they met here. Can we...go inside?” She knew that entering it when Blanche and Theodore would dislike it was mean, but she wanted to see the view from the inside at least once.
Cedar didn't seem to care about what the others were thinking anyway. “Naturally. Let's go.” He slowly walked forward and pulled her behind him.
Lucille followed him and only noticed that he was still holding her hand in a gentle grasp now. She felt a bit embarrassed, but as long as Cedar didn't turn around, this was fine. As soon as he turned around and saw her expression, she would have a problem though.
Cedar brought her to the center of the pavilion, and of course, she was unlucky. He turned around as soon as they stopped there. “The last time I was here, I didn't really have a chance to enjoy the view, but I have to...” He paused and smirked at her before continuing with a playful tone in his voice. “I have to say that it is quite a pretty sight. So, enjoying this with such a wonderful companion is perfect. But, say, are you perhaps feeling a bit unwell? After all-”
Lucille cut him off. “I know I'm red. You don't have to tell me. That's because of...” She almost wanted to tell him that it was his fault and stopped to rephrase that just in time. “It's because we're still...” Despite her new word choice, she didn't dare to voice it.
Cedar didn't seem to need her response though. “We're still holding hands. Is that what you were referring to?”
She gave up on trying to hide it. Lucille looked to the side and weakly nodded. She would need to work on not letting Cedar affect her this much, or she might have a heart attack soon.
That risk actually didn't seem to be too unlikely. After all, Cedar kept teasing her for the rest of the walk, and she only got more embarrassed with each comment.
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Thus, Lucille wasn't too happy when she arrived at the emperor's room, only to be reminded of her obvious behavior again. She had barely entered the room and sat down across from the empress when the comments already followed.
Darlene, who seemed to be the most brazen one, addressed it first. “You do seem like you might be sick. Have you visited the royal doctor already?” A wide smirk spread on her lips. “Or did you perhaps meet with His Royal Highness just now?”
Lucille's missing response was enough. This only made everyone around her grin.
Stella was the next one to comment on this. “You know, you should have expected it, Darlene. She is always with him when she isn't here. I would argue that she spends more time with His Royal Highness than with Her Majesty. She might as well be his lady-in-waiting. But then she could also get a more intimate position immediately.”
Lucille quickly averted her eyes and drank from her teacup. She didn't want to say anything about that. The women here already knew that she was more interested in Cedar than she should be, but she wouldn't give them more ammunition to tease her with.
Blanche sat on the sofa on the other side and gently stroked over her rounded stomach while responding. “It almost seems like they are moving similarly to us but at a slower, possibly more logical, pace. That was to be expected.” She showed the other women a bright smile. “What did Cedar do today to make you as red as a tomato? I assume him just talking to you wasn't the reason.”
Lucille would have liked to avoid replying. But the other woman was the empress, and she still felt a little guilty upon entering the pavilion when it was a special place for Blanche. So, Lucille forced herself to speak and immediately said more than she wanted to. “Cedar was mean today.” That sounded like he had done something bad. She hurried to correct that. “I... Not in a way that hurt me or something like that. He just...teased me.”
The empress grinned at that. “He is good at infuriating others. But he obviously does it differently with his friends. He will always do something to evoke the reaction he wants to see. Apparently, he enjoys seeing that you like him. What did he do?”
Lucille couldn't even list everything. “Well, he...held my hand. And then my heart beat quickly, and I got red. After that, he just asked about why I was blushing too.” And he might have done something else too. They might have danced a short waltz in the pavilion that ended with their faces being way too close to each other's. But there was no way that Lucille would admit that.
Blanche gave her a bright smile. “I would say holding his hand and then feeling like your heart will explode is a pretty unambiguous sign. I can assure you that there is no way that Cedar would hold someone's hand when he doesn't like them. He usually dislikes such gestures, so you can believe that you're his favorite.”
That comment only served to make Lucille even more worried. She lowered her gaze and dug her fingers into the cup while trying to hide her embarrassment. Why was she so sensitive? The others would definitely tease her now. She only needed to glance up once and immediately realized that she had been right.
Blanche's smile didn't hold any traces of mockery, but she still addressed the expected topic. “Ah, how wonderful it is to see young love. I have to say that others are exaggerating when they say that watching lovebirds together is stressful. I find it adorable. You only need to promise me one thing. Don't go as fast as Theo and me. We were...really a bit impatient.” She smiled to herself as if she got lost in her own memories. Then she snapped out of it and met the other woman's gaze again. “But I would argue that it's fine for you. You've been together for almost five months now. That's longer than what Theodore and I held on for. We already lost our cool two weeks after we met and had our first kiss in the pavilion where we met.”
Lucille almost flinched when the other woman mentioned the pavilion. She averted her eyes. “Ah. Yes. But... Cedar and I aren't like that. We're just-”
Stella cut her off there. “I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, but you are understating it.” She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “If you heard what the servants already caught you doing, it quickly becomes obvious.” She let out a huff. “I still can't believe that man is in the middle of falling in love.”
Lucille felt how her face became even hotter. There is no way that Cedar would fall in love quickly. He needed time to open up, and even then, it wasn't certain whether he even cared for something like romance. Surely, a prince would marry at some point, but usually, those arrangements mostly served to increase his political influence. There was no place for a viscount's daughter at his side. “You...can't be sure about that at all. I think we're just...” Close? That would make it sound like they were a couple again.
Blanche beamed at the other woman while she leaned forward in her seat. “Don't be so shy. As I already told you, Cedar is a good actor, but you notice the difference. You would be able to determine if he didn't like you. And since he keeps on doing things like this, you can assume that he has more than just friendship in mind. Or rather, in his heart. It's good to see that he's finally on the right track. I would even argue that-” She froze in the middle of her movement. For a moment, she looked straight ahead without budging even a tiny bit.
Immediately, the empress' maids rushed to her side. Stella seemed to be the most panicked one since she forgot to use the right title. “My Lady, is everything alright?”
Blanche stayed silent for a few more seconds while her face paled, and she finally seemed to wake up. “It's happening. Call Theo and the royal doctor.”
Chaos filled the room after that. Darlene ran out to inform the concerned people while Stella and Angelica panically tried to help Blanche to the bed.
In the meantime, Lucille could only sit there and stare at the scene in front of her with wide eyes.
It seemed like the royal heir would be born now.