The Broken Prince's Love

Lucille hadn't done much during the past few weeks except for spending time with Cedar. Since her dragon teacher had called in sick, she didn't truly have anything else to do either. So, she read books next to him, talked to him or ate with him and occasionally with her father too. The news about Cedar's mother had been hard to swallow, but nothing much about their life had changed.

Thus, she was happy to receive an invitation from her friend to visit the capital together.

Lucille changed into a fitting dark green attire over two hours before she would be picked up and spent the rest of her noon reading. Of course, she didn't leave to be punctual though. She stood at the entrance early, even though there was still half an hour left.

To her surprise, Fiona's carriage was already there.

So, Lucille ran the last few steps and waited for the servant to open the door for her. Then she climbed in with the man's help and sat down on the bench next to her friend.

The door was shut, and a second later, Fiona already greeted the other woman with a long hug.

Lucille happily returned the embrace, even if her friend was almost crushing her ribcage. “Hello, Fiona. I'm happy to see you too, but I can't breathe.”

Fiona kept on holding her tightly for a few seconds before loosening her grip. “I know. But I was so worried.” She leaned her head to the side and rested it on her friend's shoulder. “I didn't have any idea what was going on in your home. Everything could have burned to the ground, and I wouldn't have know.” She lifted her head again and made eye contact with the other woman as a serious expression showed on her face. “How did things go with your problem?”

Lucille tensed at that. Her friend certainly wouldn't like the news, but she couldn't hide it either. “Uhm...” She hesitated a bit before explaining. “The situation changed a lot. My father kind of...found him.”

Fiona's face fell, and she paled. “What? No... What happened?” She was silent for a moment before rage overcame her features. “Did that nosy piece of-”

“Don't say bad words. You don't have to worry about me either. Everything is as fine as it can be. But, yes. Mathilda told Father that I kept eating in the annex with another person. He thought that I was hiding a lover and rushed into the room. So, he found my secret but refused to listen to my explanation. Now he may or may not think that I'm in a relationship with Cedar.”

Fiona furrowed her brows. She paused for a couple of seconds before raising her voice to inform the coachman that he should drive off. Then she spoke quietly again. “That can cause serious problems, do you know that? And what did you do about this?”

Lucille could already guess how her friend would react if she said it now. But even if she had her doubts too, she was rather sure that this way of approaching things wasn't too bad. “We just let him misunderstand for now. Cedar said that he could keep Father from doing anything bad by acting like this. I was really scared of being hit, and Cedar noticed and kept my father from hurting me. Then he made sure that Father misunderstood since me being known as his lover could protect me. No one can just risk offending a prince after all.”

Fiona didn't seem happy about that, but she still relaxed a little. “I guess so. If that man didn't hit you, it's good. But this can pose a big problem if anyone finds out. Your chances of marriage will definitely decrease tremendously if you spend too much time with His Royal Highness. There is no way that any family would overlook this. You need to be careful.”

Lucille nodded at her friend. “We are being careful. No one will find out. And the servants are scared of Father, so they will also keep their gossip to themselves. They don't know who Cedar is either, which means that it will be fine.” She wasn't sure about that herself, but right now, she couldn't do much about it. It was already too late for her to keep this rumor hidden. Revealing her lie to her father now would cause much more trouble.

Fiona let out a sigh and slouched on her seat. “I hope so too. I don't want to worry you, but you need to be careful. If His Royal Highness even takes a single step outside, he may be found immediately.” She pushed the curtain aside and looked out of the window. “Just watch the capital a bit. There are way more knights in this part of the city than normal. They are searching for him. And if anything goes wrong, they will definitely accuse the people who hid him of treason.”

Lucille strained her neck to look past her friend. She didn't see much but the side of the road. She assumed that the other woman had spotted some knights in the distance though. Lucille gave up on gazing out and leaned against her seat again. “I understand. He isn't leaving the estate either. I am making sure of that, and he also isn't stupid, so he will pay attention himself. After all, he recently contacted his mother and-” She had been about to explain how Cedar would cut his ties with the dowager empress, but she was interrupted.

The carriage came to a halt, and a few voices became audible from the outside. It seemed like the coachman was arguing with someone. Before one of the women could speak up, a knock on the door sounded.

Lucille felt her heart skip a beat. There was no way that anyone had heard them just now, right?

Fiona made eye contact with her before whispering to her. “Be calm.” With that, she pushed the curtain aside again and gave the man outside a polite smile. “Yes?”

The man, who was a royal knight judging by the uniform he was wearing, bowed for a moment before beginning with a little smile on his thin lips. “I apologize for the disturbance. Unfortunately, a few of our horses are currently blocking the road. We will only need a couple of seconds to clear the path for you. I do hope that we are not keeping you from reaching your destination in time.” This was too suspicious. There was no way those knights didn't have their horses under control when they normally only took the most obedient animals along on their trips.

But Fiona kept her expression unreadable. “I see. We do not need to be on time, so it should be fine. We hope that we do not need to delay our travel for long though. After all, we have planned our schedule as well.”

The knight grinned at that. “Of course. It will only take a minute. Say... There are only the two of you traveling in this carriage, correct? Is it not dangerous for two young ladies to go out alone?”

Fiona tilted her head to the side and just continued to smile. “We are aware. That is why we are accompanied by two guards. They are traveling with us, so there is no reason to worry. Before you ask, we did not see anything strange on our way here either. We would have informed one of the responsible investigators in that case.”

The knight nodded at her. “So, you already guessed it. I see. We will need to change our strategy. In any case, I am thankful for your cooperation. Please have a pleasant journey.”

“We will. Thank you for protecting our city.” Fiona smiled at the man again and waited for him to leave before she let go of her the curtain, and her smile dropped as she whispered to her friend. “Do you see what I mean? They are still searching for him, even though he disappeared a month ago. His Majesty won't give up on this. So, you need to be extra careful. The fact that they are searching for him right next to your estate says everything. They are aware that he disappeared somewhere around here.”

Lucille nodded weakly while clenching her fists. Had it already been a month since she had met Cedar? It somehow felt like it should have been longer with how comfortable she was talking to him now. But at the same time, it felt like she had found him bleeding in her garden yesterday. It didn't matter much though.

What mattered was that Lord Astame suspected that the prince was still here. That meant that Lucille would have to do her best to hide Cedar, no matter what it took. Right now, the prince was finally ready to cut his ties with the person that had hurt him so much. She wouldn't let anyone get in between him and his freedom.

With that conviction, Lucille only became more certain that she wanted to save him. Even if she shouldn't be so willful about this, she couldn't help it. Cedar's future was too important to her, which might be a bit more risky than what she could deal with.

The carriage soon started to move again, and the rest of the road to their destination was empty. Fiona repeatedly reminded her friend to keep her guard up around the prince, but that was everything that happened during their trip. They quickly reached the part of the city which they wanted to visit.

The closer they came, the clearer it became that this district was mainly the home of many boutiques with luxury goods. The people who strode through the streets were dressed in fancy clothing, and more knights paraded around than elsewhere.

The stores that lined the streets looked like they were extravagant and full of items that rich people loved. One of them was especially gorgeous, but this only made it clearer that everything sold here would cost a fortune. The facade was adorned by beautiful marble decorations that shined in the sunlight. The huge display allowed any visitor to take a look at the big amount of jewelry the store sold. One glance at the goods was enough to prove that this was one of the most lavish shops one could visit.

Lucille didn't like such stores. It wasn't like she didn't have the money. Her father gave her a generous allowance, and since marrying her off seemed to be his main goal, she had always been encouraged to buy cosmetics or pretty jewelry. She had to admit that she liked quite a few things she saw too, but to her, it would be foolish to buy one expensive item when she could have five ones in a less extravagant store. She also didn't tend to get along with the customers of such stores, those with such high status that they carried an intimidating aura of confidence with them.

But of course, she would follow her friend inside and would buy the one item she liked the most. After all, she knew how much the other woman adored visiting stores like this, especially since this was Fiona's favorite one. So, Lucille would never say anything. As always, she just smiled back at her friend while they entered the shop.

Immediately, an overwhelming smell of perfume greeted them, and Lucille almost wrinkled her nose. She was sure that it didn't normally smell like this here, but a glimpse of the noble lady who was in the middle of buying six big boxes with jewelry revealed that this woman might be responsible.

Lucille turned away and trailed after her friend. She entered the smaller side room in which the more expensive pieces were displayed while already deciding that she wouldn't take anything from here. She didn't need the most luxurious items. She would be fine if she just bought one necklace or a headpiece, and she wanted something simple. Something that wouldn't draw too much attention to her and wouldn't look bad with her red hair.

But for now, she would stick to Fiona and tell her how everything looked good on her. After all, her friend was truly a beauty, so she could pick freely.

For a few minutes, the women just got an overview of the newest pieces while Fiona happily tried on the things she liked.

The vendor probably already lost her mind because she had to open so many different displays before putting the jewelry back, but she didn't show it. Maybe she covered up her anger with her professional smile. Or she knew that the daughter of a duke would definitely buy a lot, so she was content with this visitor. If the latter one was true, she had definitely been correct to be patient

At some point, Fiona asked to be left alone. By then, she had already filled four boxes with things she would buy and let them be brought to the counter. Of course, she wasn't done yet and still looked around with vigor.

Lucille smiled at that. It was too cute to see how happy Fiona was about all of those items. But her mood quickly changed when her friend turned to her and began to hold different color palettes to her face.

Fiona still beamed and muttered a comment about every shade of green that she found. “As expected, I still like green the most on you. And blue. Or white. You know, there are many colors you can wear, even if you don't admit it. I'm a bit sad that you never try out anything flashy. You would definitely be the highlight of the party if you would wear what you actually like instead of choosing the most inconspicuous option. And I would like to see you in blue for once.”

Lucille immediately shook her head. “I aroused enough attention thanks to my father's great ideas. I don't want to stick out.” She hated people looking at her after all. “And you know that I won't wear blue because that's the royal color.”

Fiona pouted at that and picked up a different color palette. “That's not true. The royal colors are navy and gold. If you don't show up in an attire that mostly consists of these colors, it's fine. And while I would like to see dark blue on you too, I was referring to a lighter one here. I think silver and...” She froze, and her eyes locked onto something behind her friend. She lowered her hand and whispered. “What a coincidence. Look who's over there. The owner of the store is here.”

Lucille had no idea who owned this store. She turned around and immediately wished that she hadn't done so.

The person whom Fiona was referring to was on the other side of the room. A tall man with black hair seemed to be instructing someone. Lucille was pretty sure that she only knew one person with that hair color who was so good with business that she could trust him to be the owner of such an expensive store. Of course, she was this unlucky to see him here.

And just a second later, she became even more unlucky.

The man glanced over his shoulder and met her gaze. He gave her a smile before turning back to the customer.

If any gods had mercy on Lucille, they would have made him ignore her. But that wouldn't happen. The daughter of the third duke of Artias was here, so the owner would definitely greet her.

And that was just what happened afterward. Just a few seconds later, he turned around and walked toward the women. If Cedar looked like an angel, this man was the exact opposite. Black hair framed his sharp features and made his eyes stick out even more. Like melted gold, they drew in everyone that made eye contact. This man was known for his mysterious aura and handsome looks, which made him a beloved marriage candidate for any young woman his age.

That was Luciano Vasquez, the young duke who had recently taken over the family after his father's death. Someone who was close to the emperor now, even when he had previously been in Cedar's factions.

Lucille felt the urge to run away, but she just spun around to her friend. Why did she have to meet him here? That was the man her father wanted her to marry. Did Raymond still have that goal in mind after everything with Cedar had happened? She wasn't sure. And to be honest, she didn't want to know. She was already nervous enough with that possibility in the back of her head. She didn't need to be even more worried when wondering whether Luciano would somehow realize that she hid his cousin.

Fiona was quick to notice her friend's dismay and spoke up in a soft whisper. “It will be fine, Luci. There is no reason to worry. He is a nice person. You don't have to do anything right now, so just be polite.” That was easy to say for the person who managed to charm everyone with a little smile.

Lucille pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded, even though she knew that nothing was fine. This was horrible. She didn't want to talk to Luciano. Not because she particularly disliked him, but because his presence pressured her. If she made one little mistake, he could dislike her for that later, and then she would have lost all her chances of fulfilling this mission. Her father could blame her for messing up then, and the result wouldn't be pleasant.

Lucille gritted her teeth and tried her best to keep still. This was just a normal conversation. There was no need to get scared. Why was she so useless? Getting anxious now would make everything worse. She hated how she was overthinking everything when it came to how other people viewed her. But at the same time, she would have liked more time to think before beginning this conversation.

But someone stopped next to her, and she just froze. He was here now, wasn't he? Why was she so unlucky?

“Good afternoon, Lady Lamont. It is a great pleasure to meet you here. What led you into this modest establishment?” Luciano's voice was low and, apparently, sounded attractive to many people. There had been countless young women who had gossiped about that in the past. But no one had mentioned that it also gave him an authoritarian aura, which Lucille only seemed to notice today. She wasn't fond of that.

Fiona didn't seem to mind much and followed the proper etiquette like Luciano already had. The higher-ranking person spoke first, and that was naturally the duke, who was followed by a duke's daughter. A viscount's daughter would speak later, but Lucille hoped that they would forget about her, even if it seemed unlikely.

Fiona greeted the duke with a perfect smile and a small curtsy. “Good afternoon, Your Grace. It truly is a pleasure. It has been a while since we last met. What a coincidence it is that you are here at the same time we visited. But you do not have to be modest. This store is one of the finest Artias has ever seen. Of course, we would come here.”

Luciano returned a smile that was just as flawless as Fiona's. “I am glad to hear that. It is always wonderful to hear that my hard work paid off.” After saying that, he turned to Lucille, whom he had unfortunately not forgotten. “I wish you a wonderful afternoon too, Lady Valerian. How have you been?”

Maybe replying honestly wouldn't be such a good idea. Lucille couldn't say that she was under constant stress since her father wanted her to marry the very person to whom she was speaking, which wasn't even her biggest worry anymore. Thanks to the second prince of Artias, who had fled from confinement and was now hiding at her estate while pretending to be her lover, she had other things to ponder.

Lucille obviously said the opposite. “I have been well. Nothing much happened, so I cannot complain. Good afternoon, Your Grace. Your store is breathtaking, as always.” She put on the most convincing smile she could muster, even though she could hear how stiffly she had spoken. This conversation would drain her if it went on for any longer.

She hoped that Luciano would leave soon. But sadly, it didn't look like he was planning on doing that. He stayed next to the women and replied with a smile. “It is good to hear that other families have been well too. And of course, I'm happy to hear that you like the store as well. I am honored to welcome such wonderful clients in this establishment.”

Lucille almost sank in herself, but thankfully, Fiona took over. The duke's daughter showed the man a bright smile and began chatting about useless things.

The conversation was a bit more relaxed like this, but Lucille still tensed whenever she was addressed by one of the other two. It seemed like they didn't notice that she wanted to be excluded, but she couldn't just tell them either. So, she nodded along and waited for Luciano to leave. Whenever she didn't speak, she had enough time to think, so her mind quickly wandered off.

And for some reason, she immediately thought about Cedar. Maybe because Luciano was actually Cedar's cousin since the Duchess of Vasquez was the dowager empress' sister.

But there weren't many similarities between the two men, at least if Lucille was the one to judge. Maybe they were both handsome, but she clearly favored Cedar, who seemed so much more gentle and approachable. She scolded herself for thinking that a moment later and tried to distract herself. But when she focused on the presence again, she quickly found that she was being stared at.

“Is everything alright, Lady Valerian?” Luciano scanned her with concern, which only made her want to hide more. “Could I offer you a seat for the time being, or do you wish to drink some water?”

Lucille quickly shook her head. “No, no. I was just...” Thinking about his cousin. That wasn't a good response. “I...thought about the...” She had no idea what she should say. She cursed herself and her flushed cheeks. Her eyes flew around before she finally found something. “About the hair ornament! I...thought about buying it. But it may be too expensive, so I bargained with myself.” She gestured to a random stand and just hoped that she had really pointed at a clasp of some sort. When she looked down, she almost sighed in relief. She had been lucky.

It was a hair ornament with a branch-like structure. Thin silver branches held gemstones in a dusty light blue along with some smaller diamonds and silver leaves. The stones looked a bit like Cedar's hair, which, for some reason, was the first thing she could think about. The second thought that followed was that it was really gorgeous. This was something she would definitely buy.

It wasn't too bad to choose something like this, right? It wasn't too flashy. It was rather close to what Lucille wouldn't be comfortable with anymore, but it was too pretty to pass up on it. She was already prepared to buy it, but just a second later, she saw the price tag.

It was six thousand gold coins. Even the richer commoners had to work for over two decades to earn this much. There was no way that she could throw out all of that money for a single hair ornament.

Lucille felt disappointment in the pit of her stomach, but she quickly gave up. She wouldn't pay that much. However, she wouldn't admit that in front of the owner. “I...still have to think about this. But please don't mind me. I'm fine.” Actually, she was a bit bitter because she couldn't buy this ornament because of the limitations she had set for herself. She could act like her father wanted her to and just buy what she liked, but she just had to think about this before actually taking it. But at least her excuse had worked.

Luciano gave her a bright smile. “As expected. You have a good eye for jewelry. If you require assistance, please just inform one of the vendors or me. We will gladly help you decide. I have to say that a gorgeous ornament like this would fit a beautiful lady well. Do you wish to try it on?”

Lucille quickly shook her head. “I need to think about this a bit longer. Thank you.” If she put it on, she would probably end up buying it, and she didn't want to tempt herself.

“I see. Please feel free to inform a vendor if you change your mind. I do not wish to disturb you any longer than this. I hope that you enjoy this visit and that you will find what you are searching for. If not, we also offer services for custom jewelry.” Luciano was as professional as always. He would probably be able to sell people almost anything with this type of behavior. He carried an aura of confidence with him, and thus, his presence was pretty overwhelming.

So, it was relieving when he finally left.