Chapter 81
“Looks like you got really excited after the first dance.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Her wide-eyed innocence made it even more ridiculous.
Well, Iela Clarence wasn’t the type to be sly. She didn’t have it in her.
“Are you… jealous, perhaps?”
At the crisp question, Franz flinched inwardly but outwardly burst into incredulous laughter.
“Ha! Jealous? Listen, young lady, I am Franz Princeton.”
“Ah, yes.”
She remembered Betty’s words and held a sliver of hope, but his answer crushed it completely.
“There are plenty of men here with hearts blacker than you can imagine—far beyond anything your innocent self could handle. You should be careful.”
“Does that include you, Your Highness?”
“Of course not.”
“Why exclude yourself? Honestly, I think you’re the most dangerous one here…”
The pure sincerity in her eyes made him falter. Her gaze brought back the memory of their kiss in the square.
If he thought about it, he was the most dangerous man here—without a doubt. But he was also the safest one for her.
“This is my birthday ball. I won’t allow anything improper to happen. And I’ll say this firmly—I’m the safest person you could be around tonight.”
“…Ah, I see.”
It was an even more disappointing answer. Him saying she was safest around him only meant he had no romantic interest in her. It wasn’t gentlemanly restraint—it was indifference.
To her, the prince was the most important, most precious person. But this was the first time she’d ever felt so let down by him. Iela lowered her gaze to her gloved hands in silence.
“And the gift?”
“Oh… I couldn’t think of what to prepare. You seem to already have everything, Your Highness.”
“So you brought nothing?”
He raised a brow playfully, and she quickly apologized with a deeply sorry expression.
“I’m sorry. I wanted to ask what you might like, but since I hadn’t seen you for days, I couldn’t prepare anything. Still, isn’t it better to give you something you actually need, instead of just anything?”
The guilt of attending his birthday celebration empty-handed pressed down heavily on her.
“There is one thing you can give me.”
“What is it? If it’s too expensive, I might have a problem…”
“It’s not something money can buy. But it’s something you can definitely give.”
“What is it?”
Franz leaned close, whispering softly against her ear. Iela’s eyes went wide in shock, her expression quickly filling with bewilderment, surprise, and flustered confusion.
“I’ll receive my gift later on the balcony. I also have something to talk to you about.”
“Something to talk about? What…?”
“You’ll find out when you come.”
Franz gave her a light smile, rose from his seat, and checked the time.
“Don’t forget.”
He wanted to ease her nervousness and fears. She’d be shocked when she learned he knew her secret, but he wanted to untangle the knot between them—even if it started this way.
Left alone again, Iela politely declined each man who came to ask for a dance. She didn’t want to dampen the atmosphere, but she simply couldn’t bring herself to accept.
All the gazes directed at her felt burdensome. She moved to the most secluded corner she could find, finally allowing herself to touch her burning red ears. Her heart was still thundering wildly.
“The last dance.”
His breath against her ear had set her face aflame, and his whisper tickled her heart. The heat filling her chest carried both nervous tension and a strange excitement.
If only she had said yes when he’d asked to date on the ship… would things have been different by now? The thought brought a small pang of regret.
She adored him. His neat profile, his steady gaze—it all drew her in. Day by day, her feelings only grew, until she could no longer control them. Seeing him constantly only made it impossible to let go.
Ever since that kiss in the square, she couldn’t stop wanting to touch him, to be held by him. Her desire grew stronger with each passing day.
Is this what it meant to like someone—that you lost all restraint? Or was it just that she was too easy?
Whether she wanted it or not, their relationship had already changed. If the prince truly harbored feelings for her but was simply unaware of them, then she wanted to be the one to confess first.
To say she liked him. Maybe even loved him. No—she wanted to tell him she loved him.
If he wanted a change in their relationship too, then she would gladly accept it. She wanted to stop this endless turmoil in her head.
So she decided to place her last hope on this moment. She would face it directly.
“Where are you going?”
The man blocking his way made Franz’s brows furrow the instant he recognized him. This was already the second time tonight.
“You must’ve missed me a lot while I was away in Altria?”
“Hearing that from you just makes my skin crawl.”
“Exactly.”
Franz sighed, frustration leaking out as he pressed his fingers to his furrowed brow.
Conversations with his older brother always turned out this way. Despite his age, he always ended up feeling like a sulky teenager. Embarrassing, really.
“You shouldn’t leave your own party. You’re the star tonight.”
“They’ll enjoy themselves just fine without me.”
“You need to keep up appearances. Everyone’s watching you.”
Frederick’s warning was quiet, meant for his brother alone. He was right, though. Franz was the center of attention.
Even if the guests seemed absorbed in the revelry, they still had their eyes and ears tuned to every move the prince made. Every smile they exchanged with him was careful and measured.
He knew. This was more than just a birthday banquet—it was an extension of his official duties. He knew how disgraceful it would look if he neglected his role. But honestly, he couldn’t care less right now.
The orchestra swelled, its music filling the silence.
“How about some fresh air?”
With a cheerful tone, Frederick broke the tense atmosphere.
Franz frowned, giving him a look that asked what on earth he was trying to do.
“Don’t make a scene. Just come along.”
The two brothers stepped out onto the balcony. Curious gazes followed them for a moment, then quickly dispersed.
For a while, they stood in silence, staring at the star-scattered night sky. Then Frederick spoke first.
“You like her?”
The subject was missing, but Franz understood instantly.
“Who knows. It’s fun being with her. She’s never boring.”
“You look pretty smitten.”
He’d guessed as much—Franz’s feelings were far from casual.
Frederick tested him with a teasing smile, but Franz didn’t fall for it.
“Do I really?”
“Quite a lot. Why not try tugging the rope a little—see where it leads?”
“You think I’ve lost that much of my composure?”
Lighting a cigar, Franz inhaled deeply, exhaling smoke into the night air. The haze cleared his muddled thoughts just a little.
“Oh? So you deny it?”
“I’m not denying it. But if it looked that way, maybe that’s how it is.”
Yes… that was probably true. Iela’s transformation tonight had been striking. Honestly, in that moment, he had been captivated—entranced, even. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“I won’t make excuses. She is beautiful, after all.”
After a brief pause, Frederick continued.
“What about marrying her?”
The sudden suggestion nearly made Franz laugh out loud. He wasn’t sure if this was his brother’s own idea or their family’s, but talking about marriage now was simply amusing.
“Marriage? Is this Mother’s idea?”
“You brat.”
“I’m not marrying. I’m a sworn bachelor.”
“What? Since when did you become a bachelor?”
“Not me.”
Franz gave him a sidelong glance, and Frederick’s eyes widened in realization. Then he broke into loud laughter.
“Sure, maybe before she met you. But don’t you think she might’ve changed since?”
“I doubt it. To Iela, I’m nothing more than a top-quality canvas, an easel, a stick of charcoal. She looks at me with the exact same face she uses for those things.”
Once celebrated as the lover of Lapland’s people, how had he ended up in this pathetic state? The thought made him sigh.
“Though sometimes… it’s comfortable, in a way.”
“Hahaha! How did it come to this? You’re in a slump, a real slump.”
Frederick laughed so hard he threw his head back.
“No, I’m not.”
Franz scowled, bristling at the mockery.
“Then push through it and claim her.”
“I told you, I’m not.”
“Or at least know when to stop. If you go any further, Miss Clarence will only end up cornered.”
In a flash, Frederick’s tone turned serious.
“Why does everyone tell me to hold back? Who decides where the line is, anyway?”
“Don’t be unreasonable, Franz Princeton.”
If you keep this up, the one who’ll be hurt most is Miss Clarence—that was what he really meant. Franz understood that well enough.
“Yes, I’m Franz Princeton. And I’m selfish. I’ll do whatever I want, live however I please.”
“For someone who claims that, you sure work hard at everything.”
“That’s called talent.”
Franz shrugged, cigar in hand. Frederick clapped his shoulder with a small smile.
“Be gentle with her. Mother always taught us that, over and over again.”
“I am being gentle.”
“No—you’re being too cold. Maybe you’ll only realize it after you struggle a bit more.”
Frederick could only pity him. Franz, who longed for a happy home more than anyone, couldn’t see his own feelings clearly when it came to Iela. But this was something he had to realize on his own.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’ll leave it at that. Talking to you makes me miss Diane.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why don’t you try living as a bachelor too? At this rate, if you keep acting so foolish, you’ll end up a bachelor whether you like it or not.”
Frederick left after dropping those words. Franz stared at his brother’s broad back, then let out a laugh of disbelief.
“Cursing me, are you?”
Leaning against the balcony railing, he exhaled smoke into the night, gazing quietly at the distant sky. He’d nearly finished the cigar when he heard footsteps behind him. A smile tugged at his lips.
But when he turned around with anticipation, that smile froze into a straight line.
