After that embarrassing night, the prince arrived early the next morning with a big smile on his face, While the maid fed me milk through a baby's bottle. I could not ease the discomfort gnawing at me stared at the prince.
"I'm here, my dear sister."
As my gaze met his, a rush of memories flooded me. I could not stop the burning heat in my cheeks. What had gotten into me last night? I had cried Infront of him, of all people! How could I have been so vulnerable? So embarrassing.
I quickly averted my eyes, trying to hide my shame. I should never have been fooled by his sweet voice and soft, angelic face. He could be the most charming person in the world, but I was not about to fall for his tricks. He is the son of the son of the emperor after all.
"You looked bored, my sister." The prince's voice drifted through the silence, light and casual, as if his words were nothing more than passing breeze.
Bored? I nearly choked on the thought, clenching my tiny fists. Not bored, you idiot. I feel uncomfortable around you, not bored! I wanted to yell it, but all that escape my lips was a soft gurgle, utterly powerless. How frustrating.
He leans beside my crib, his lawn green eyes gleaming with a playfulness. "Do you want me to bring you outside?" he offered, tilting his head slightly. "a baby like you deserves to see the world beyond these dull walls."
Dull walls? I thought incredulously. These walls far from dull, were made of expensive materials I could not even begin to name. but I am sure they were crafted from rare marble, adorned with intricate designs, and build with the finest gold. But who was I to argue with the prince?
A small part of me wanted to say yes. Not because I trusted him, but because these walls are quite repeated to see every single day and I needed to know more, more of this world.
"My garden is full of daisy flowers," he continued, his eyes sparkling. "In fact, I don't call it just a garden, it's my paradise."
The thought of stepping outside, of experiencing the world beyond the castle, made my discomfort momentarily disappear. My maids never took me out, feeding me, playing with me and helping me nap were the only routines that filled my days. But I was curious.
The princes gently picked me up, cradling me in his arms. I stiffened, surprised by his tenderness, just like last night. He started walking, and I could not help but glance around at the grandeur of the hallways. Expensive vases lined the walls, intricate ornaments glimmered, and the emperor's portrait hung in every corner. The floor beneath us was covered by a rich, dark blue carpet, patterned with delicate designs. It felt like I was in a dream, a place far too beautiful to be real.
"Liking the view already, sister? We are not even halfway outside," the prince teased, a playful smirk curling at his lips.
Soon, we reached a pair of tall, imposing doors. The guards, uniformed and standing at attention, opened them with perfect synchronization. Beyond the doors was the castle's vast outer grounds, a sight that made my breath catch in my throat. The world outside was even more magnificent than I had imagined.
The prince walked further, guiding me towards the deepest part of the gardens. A great tree stood before us, ancient and towering. The space around it was covered in a sea of daisies. The vast field stretched endlessly, a beautiful sight unlike anything I had ever seen before.
"Awuu…" I muttered, I almost unintelligibly, as I gazed at the saw of flowers. The prince chuckled softly, then placed me on a delicate carpet that he had laid on the ground. The picnic rug was as elegant as the castle itself, and even simplest of things seemed to possess a certain opulence.
"Now, be on your best behavior and take a seat while I share a story with you," he said.
I could hardly believe what I was experiencing. I am finally outside…
This was my first time outside the castle walls, my first glimpse of the world beyond those walls I keep seeing since I got here.
"How dare they keep this beautiful world from me?" I thought bitterly.
As I reflected on this, something small and fluttering caught my attention, a butterfly. My eyes widened. That is the same butterfly I saw in my previous life before I jumped. How could it be here? Perhaps this type of butterfly was common in this world, or maybe it was just a coincidence. But as I looked closer, I saw that its wings had a crystal-like shimmer to them.
"It's my favorite place to pass the time whenever I don't have anything else to do and just want to relax," the prince's voice interrupted my thoughts. He was weaving something with the flowers he had picked earlier, but I was not paying attention. The butterfly had captured my full attention and I began crawling toward it, ignoring everything else.
The prince's voice grew urgent. "Lyunette!" he suddenly rose to his feet, his hands quickly lifting me off the carpet. I was too absorbed by the butterfly in front of me. "You shouldn't crawl off like that, it's too dangerous for you."
He set me down, gently but firmly, and I could not help but notice the delicate bunch of flowers putted together to look like a crown in his hand. He placed it on my head with a soft smile.
"Mom must be overjoyed to see you wearing the flower crown I made for you," he said, his voice filled with warmth.
Mom? My heart skipped a bear. Now that I thought about it, I had never actually seen her. Was she being too busy? Or did she not want to be with me? Don't mothers typically breastfeed their babies? Yet she had never done that for me. Could it be that she hates me too?
A sudden yawn slipped out before I could stop it, my tiny mouth opening as sleep began to pull at me like a tide. My eyelids grew heavy, the familiar exhaustion set in me once again. This baby's body, so delicate, so easily worn out. Even I wanted to stay awake my body seemed to have its own control.
The princes must have noticed. Without hesitation, he gently scooped me into his arms, cradling me as though I were made of porcelain. His touch was careful, his warmth is oddly comforting, and yet… I couldn't relax, not fully…
"Are you feeling sleepy?" he asked, his voice lower now, softer. "Why don't you rest here for a while? Ill carry you back to your room later."
But I didn't trust it.
His kindness always felt like comforting. I could not understand why he even bothered spending time with me when he is the prince of this castle, which mean he'll be the heir and heir needed a lot of work.
Just for a moment, I let myself lean in him, letting the warmth of his arms, the steady rhythm of his breathing, lull me deeper into the haze…
Maybe… just this once.
My thoughts filled with doubt. Should I trust him? The prince, the only son of the emperor? He might have the kindness of a saint on the outside. But who was to say that he wasn't just another manipulator, like so many other people I had once met? I could not afford to trust someone like him.
Suddenly the prince's soothing voice reached my ears again.
"Sleep now, my sister."
As the sun dipped behind the horizon and twilight blanketed the castle gardens in violet hues, the air grew stull. Lanterns flickered to life like sleepy fireflies, casting golden halos over the quite picnic setup under the use old tree. The prince stood slowly, careful not to wake me up from my deep slumber in his arms, and brushing off the folds of his royal cloak, eyed never leaving the figure nestled Peacefully on the embroidered picnic blanket.
He saw me looking so fragile like that—lost in a deep slumber, my lashes resting against my cheeks, my lips slightly parted as I breathed. He smiled softly, genuinely loving the sight before him in his arms. For a moment, he stayed still, allowing himself to feel the warmth of me against his chest.
"How can anyone hate someone like you, when you look so innocent like an angel comes right from the heaven itself?" He mumbled softly with a smile.
Then, wordlessly, he turned and began the long walk back into the castle.
The corridors were mostly silent at this hour, tapestries swayed lightly with the wind that crept in through arched windows, and the marble floors echoed with the soft sound of his boots. He moved with calm purpose, each step echoing down the stone halls. The occasional guards and servants bowed as he passed, their eyes flickering with surprise at the sigh of me sleeping his arms—but none dared speak a word.
The royal wing was dimly lit, a place of hush and velvet shadows. When the prince stepped into my room, the maids were already waiting, as thought summoned by instinct. They bowed in unison, skirts rustling, heads lowered in deference. They do not want to make a single mistake in the sight of the prince or else they know they will have to face a horrible consequence.
"Greetings, Your Highness," one of them said softly, the rest echoing the sentiment.
He barely looked at them. His voice when he spoke, was form but not, unkind. "Take good care of her."
"Of course, your Highness," they chorused in reply, lowering their head again not daring to meet his gaze, for respect and fear also.
The prince walked across the room and lowered me onto the crib, a crib made of expensive materials, nestled beside the huge window where moonlight shines down to me.
Anyone would wish to be in this position, yet here I am, someone as ungrateful as me was blessed with such privilege as a princess of the powerful empire.
The prince watches me stirred faintly, lips moving as if whispering to someone in sleep, but did not wake up.
He lingered.
He lingered for a moment…
One hand hovered over me, unsure, as though he wanted to brush a strand of hair from my face—but thought better of it. He straightened, lips pressed together, staring down at me with something unreadable in his eyes.
A long pause…
Then he turned, slow and silent, walking back toward the door.
No one would know what exactly in his head, his expression shows no emotion at all as he stared at me sleeping figure in the crib, he placed me earlier.
He soon shut the door behind him with a quiet click.
The maids remained still until the echo of his footsteps had long faded from the hallway, and everyone sighed in relief.
One of them, older than the rest, moved first. "Prepare the warm cloth. She may catch a chill."
Another maid stepped closer, adjusting the blankets with careful fingers. Her touch was featherlight, as though the girl beneath them might shatter. "Did you see how he looked at her?" she whispered, almost in awe.
"No," a younger maid replied, her voice breathy with wonder. She pressed a hand to her chest, a small smile playing on her lips as she exhaled slowly. "But I felt it. it was like the whole room stopped breathing. I was so nervous I thought I would faint!"
The eldest maid gave a quiet chuckle, soft and fond." Shh," she murmured, her eyes flicking to the crib. "Let her rest. We cannot risk waking the princess."
The two maids nodded quickly, chastened. Their voices dropped to hushed murmurs, barely above the crackling of the fire as they continued tidying the room and tending to their sleeping charge.
"She's so small," one whispered. "But he carried her like she was the most important thing in the world."
The older maid didn't reply, but her expression softened. She smoothed the hem of the blanket one last time and glanced at the closed door, as if still feeling the echo of the prince's presence.