The Broken Prince's Love

Lucille felt like her heart would burst at any moment. The fact that her father was here was bad enough, and now she would also have to go inside such a cramped storage room full of dust and spiderwebs? She would have liked to refuse, but the choice between meeting her father and going inside was easy to make. Cedar only gave her a little push, and she quickly rushed inside while almost colliding with the shelf on the opposite of the door.

It wasn't that bad. She didn't have much space at all, but she could still breathe. At least she thought that until Cedar also came inside. He was much too close to her. This could almost be called a hug already, and the thought of that made her stomach tingle. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Maybe they should find another hiding spot.

Lucille opened her mouth to propose that but immediately closed it again. She could hear that her father spoke to someone in the distance, so she needed to be quiet. She told herself that but still had to hold back a squeal when Cedar moved.

The prince bowed down to her and whispered into her ear. “I fear that this is a bit uncomfortable, but we will have to ignore that. Please hold on for a while. We only need to wait until your father is gone.” He hadn't even said anything bad, but in an instant, she felt how her whole body got warm.

Without a doubt, Lucille's face was flushed now, and she hated herself for that. She had no idea why she reacted this sensitively to Cedar, but she definitely wasn't fine with him being so close to her. How come he was completely calm while she was so tense that she feared that she might collapse soon? She weakly nodded in response while trying to calm herself down.

As the footsteps proved, her father definitely came closer now, and he was almost here. Just a single thought of him accidentally opening this door and finding her like this made Lucille shudder. She held her breath in an attempt to calm down, but once again, the prince unintentionally riled her up again.

Cedar put his hand onto her shoulder and squeezed it for a moment. He had probably wanted to help her, but this didn't do anything to aid her composure.

Lucille stiffened even more and tried to ignore how odd it felt to be touched like this by him. Otherwise, she was only ever close to Fiona and Mathilda, and that didn't bother her, but this was completely different. She almost felt like her heart would stop soon, and at the same time, her blood almost boiled over. She was sure that she was blushing, and that only made her even more embarrassed. If she had to admit that this was because of Cedar, she would die out of shame.

But right now, it didn't seem like Cedar knew what he was doing. He leaned closer to her again and whispered in a quieter tone than before. “Are you alright? Do you have a problem with darkness or tight spaces or something like that?”

She quickly shook her head while doing her best not to pay attention to how sensitive her skin felt when his warm breath brushed over it. “I'm fine. Just...” Apparently, she had been a bit too loud since Cedar gently shushed her.

Just a second later, her father came close enough for her to understand what he was saying.

Two pairs of footsteps sounded through the hallway, and the man who accompanied Raymond and seemed to be a servant spoke up. “Should I go check her bedroom then? Or should I ask her maid?”

Viscount Valerian's voice was as cold as always as he replied. “Do both in that order. I thought that she would be here for sure, but it seems like she isn't ready yet. Tell her to come to the foyer as soon as you find her. I will go greet the guests in the meantime.”

This only proved that hiding here had been a stupid idea. Lucille's father knew that she spent all of her time in this building. If she wasn't here, he would get suspicious. But the same would have happened if he had found her in the hallway instead of the old bedroom, where she usually was. Walking around near her mother's old library had been a horrible idea from the very beginning. Lucille should have told Cedar that they couldn't go here. After all, Raymond might truly lose his composure if he found her anywhere close to this room.

But still, it seemed like she was somewhat lucky for once in her life.

Her father didn't bother to look around and just left immediately. The servant's hurried footsteps made it seem like he was running away as well.

Lucille held her breath for a bit longer before she allowed herself to exhale. Then she began counting and gave herself a minute before she reached for the door handle.

Apparently, Cedar had thought the same since their hands met there.

Lucille withdrew her hand as if she had been burned and waited for him to open the door. As soon as he did, she stumbled out and took a few steps forward. She held her hands to her cheeks and desperately tried to calm down a little before turning back.

She didn't know whether it was good or bad, but Cedar seemed to notice that and gave her a few seconds. He only spoke up when she had composed herself a bit. “I apologize for that. I didn't know that you didn't like rooms like this. I will remember it from now on.”

Lucille was about to correct him, but she stopped herself. It was better if he thought that she was scared of the dark and cramped spaces. Why would she need to explain that she just hadn't been used to being close to him? So, she gave him a forced smile. “It's not your fault. At least my father is gone now. But...” She froze as she remembered what Raymond had said. Her father wouldn't be happy if she came too late when they were welcoming guests. In an instant, her stomach began churning, and she whipped her head around to the prince in a panic. “We have guests. I will go greet them. It would be best if you go back to your room and stay there for now.”

Cedar smiled at her and nodded. “Of course. I hope that those are pleasant guests. Have a nice evening.”

She wasn't sure whether she would be happy to meet those people. If they were acquaintances of her father, she probably wouldn't like them. “I will, thank you. Have a nice evening too.” With that, she hurried toward the staircase, only to stop to turn around again. “Please take more care of your health. It would be really bad if you were to get hurt. So, be careful.”

Once again, the prince kept his cheerful facade upright without any cracks. “Naturally. I thank you for your concern. I will pay attention to that from now on.” He wouldn't. She was almost sure of that.

But she didn't say anything and just walked down the steps that her father hadn't gone to. Lucille used the back entrance and made a detour around the estate so that she could say that she had taken a walk in case someone asked her.

It didn't take long, but the extra minute was already enough to give her time to think about Cedar. Seeing him train had shocked Lucille more than it should have. She shouldn't have gotten so upset, and she shouldn't have scolded him either, but in that moment, she hadn't been able to hold herself back. It had barely been two weeks ever since his whole side had been slit open, and yet, he acted like everything was fine.

She had seen how he flinched when he accidentally brushed over the wound though. It had to hurt so much, but he didn't admit that to himself. Instead, he trained for hours and did so with an expression that didn't make it seem like he had been having fun. As soon as Lucille had come, he had turned to her and raised his sword as if he was prepared to defend himself from an attack from behind too. That wasn't something a person should have in mind when they heard a door opening.

Cedar didn't act like training was a hobby but like it was a necessity, so he continued to hurt himself by overdoing it. But as much as he didn't admit that he was suffering because of that wound, Lucille didn't admit that she was genuinely worried about him. She didn't want to accept that she would like to protect him for as long as possible. But even more than that, she didn't want to admit that she had reacted this sensitively to him just touching her shoulder.

Lucille pushed that thought away and shook her head before she sped up her pace and ran toward the building. As soon as she opened the door, someone pulled it open from the inside, and she was greeted by Matilda's shocked expression.

“My Lady! There you are! The master was searching for you. You have guests. You need to hurry to greet them.” Mathilda put her hands on the other woman's shoulder and began pushing her toward the foyer.

As expected, Lucille didn't get nervous at that even when her maid's fingers brushed over her skin. So, she truly had just reacted differently because it was Cedar. Great. She quickly decided not to dwell on that and focused on the situation at hand. “Shouldn't I change first? I think I need to brush my hair before I go downstairs.” She had definitely gotten a bit dirty in that storage room, so she had to pick a different dress unless she wanted to embarrass herself.

But Mathilda didn't listen to her for a single second. “The master said that you need to hurry. There is no time to change. Apparently, the guests will only stay for a short while. Come on.” She was much less careful than the prince as she maneuvered her mistress forward.

At some point, Lucille pushed the other's hands away and hurried to the entrance hall on her own. Nervousness rose inside her stomach, and she began asking herself who these guests could be. If they wouldn't stay long, they couldn't be her father's friends. Then maybe a business partner? But why would they come this late? She came up with a few possible explanations, but all of that was wiped away when she entered the foyer.

There were royal guards here.

Lucille froze in place and felt a shiver run down her spine. Those were the people searching for Cedar, weren't they? Had they found him already? No, then they would already have arrested him for sure. But those knights had probably gotten some kind of clue that had led them here. If she got scared now, she would reveal her knowledge about the prince's location.

Lucille balled her hands into fists and forced herself to calm down. If she stayed composed, the guards wouldn't have a reason to suspect her. Then they wouldn't walk around here, and they wouldn't find Cedar. The young woman slowly came down the stairs while gripping the railing tightly and walked toward the group.

Her father already saw her and glanced down at his pocket watch for a moment before he addressed her as soon as she had reached him. Raymond looked like he was upset, but he hid it as he always did when others were present. So, he just gazed at his daughter with a look that made her shrink in herself. “You are late, Lucille. Where were you? You let our guests wait.”

She couldn't even reply before another voice chimed in.

“There is no need to scold her, Lord Valerian. We didn't announce our visit, so it is only natural that she would not be prepared.” A man with a blond ponytail stepped forward and gave the young woman a polite smile. “I apologize for arriving at such a short notice. Good evening, Lady Valerian.”

Lucille felt like her lungs refused to work but did her best to smile back. This wasn't good at all. If Leonard Astame, one of the emperor's most trusted companions and the responsible one for investigating Cedar, came here, she was ruined. That man wouldn't just show up because he was bored. He had to be sure that the prince was here.

Lucille swallowed and made a small curtsy. “Good evening, Lord Astame. Welcome to our modest home. I hope that you had a pleasant trip here. What can we assist you with?” She could swear that her voice trembled a bit, and it almost felt like her legs would give in soon.

Leonard gave her a bright smile, but still, it seemed like his eyes just searched her expression for any trace of nervousness. “There is no need to worry. This is just a routine visit. As you might have heard, there has been some trouble in the capital. We are only here to ensure that your estate is safe. That is why I had to ask your father for permission to go through your mansion. It will not take long, I promise.”

Lucille's life flashed in front of her eyes, and she could only nod. If she said a single word now, she would give away that she was definitely hiding someone. Inwardly, she cursed all of this while imagining what would happen now.

Leonard would definitely find Cedar and arrest the prince. Then the Valerians would be accused of hiding a wanted criminal, and they might even end up being punished. Did this count as treason? If so, they were ruined.

Lord Astame scanned the woman in front of him for a moment before he spoke up again. “You are slightly red. Is everything alright?” Nothing was alright.

But Lucille just smiled at him while trying to keep herself from crying. “I apologize. It's just...” She couldn't say that she had hidden in a storage room with Cedar and that him being close to her had almost made her faint. But at least she had another excuse for this, even if she doubted that she was good at lying. “I...ran. I came here as soon as I heard that we had a visitor from my maid. That is why I also did not have the time to change. I apologize for my unsightly appearance.”

“Oh, do not be harsh on yourself. There is nothing wrong with your attire, and you are a beautiful young lady. I sincerely hope that the sudden visit did not interrupt any important matters.” Leonard smiled at her while looking like he already knew that she was hiding something before he turned to her father. “I did not mean to disturb you like this, but I fear that it will be necessary. Could I ask you to lead me around the estate now?”

Raymond put on his practiced polite smile, but his eyes were as cold as always. “Of course, Lord Astame. I will lead the way. I assume that you wish to see as much of the estate as possible.”

The other man nodded at that. “Indeed. And...” He glanced at Lucille with a knowing smile. “I would like to ask you to join us as well, Lady Valerian. I want to hear as much about the mansion as I can. And of course, I am curious about whether you witnessed any strange developments during the past weeks.”

Lucille felt a shiver run down her spine, but she nodded weakly. “Of course. I haven't seen anything, but I will do my best to help you.” She averted her eyes and tightly pressed her hands together while praying. As if that had ever helped her. But in the end, she had no other choice but to hope for the best while trailing behind the two men.

She noticed that the guards had dispersed and that only a few followed them while the rest most likely searched the estate. They truly suspected that Cedar was here, didn't they? As long as they didn't enter the annex, it would be fine. But if they did, it would be over.

The young woman felt like crying as she followed Leonard and her father and listened to their small talk. Whenever the marquess addressed her to ask what she had done for the past weeks, she tried to answer in a calm way but failed miserably. While they were in the main building, she still managed to keep her composure though.

But as soon as Leonard announced that he wanted to go into the annex, Lucille slouched her shoulders and wrote her last will in her mind. This was it. Unless Cedar had managed to climb over the wall without any guard seeing him, she would be accused of treason.

If she was good at lying, she might even have been able to feign innocence, but she didn't trust her acting skills for one second. Would pretending to be an arrogant troublemaker help her here? That was the only thing she was somewhat good at, but this would only worsen her punishment. Great.

When they entered the annex, Leonard personally opened the door to every room and looked inside. He even checked the storage room from earlier and the bathrooms.

In the end, only a few chambers were left, and Lucille got more nervous with each passing second. She knew that she could count the remaining time she would have in freedom, but still, a small part of her desperately hoped that she was lucky in some way. She didn't really believe that, but she tried her best to create some sort of opportunity for Cedar to leave. When they reached the hallway with the bedroom, she took a deep breath and spoke up. “Lord Astame? Would it perhaps be...possible that you could let me enter one of the rooms on my own for a minute? I fear that I may have...made a mess, and I would like to clean it up first.” She probably looked pitiful while saying that, but it didn't help her.

Her father glared at her, and Leonard just smiled. The latter one didn't think about it for even a single second before replying. “I apologize, but it would be better for me to enter immediately. I do not care much for the state that the room is in. I only need to check one thing. As soon as I am done, I will leave, and then I will refrain from bothering you again.”

Lucille's heart skipped a beat before it began pounding. “Are you certain? You cannot give me a second?”

This time, Raymond spoke up in a cold voice. “Lucille. Lord Astame will need to check that room. Stand back, and let him do his work.” He gave her a glare that underlined that this wasn't a request but an order.

Normally, she wouldn't dare to refute this, but Cedar being found was much worse than being forced to meet her angry father. Viscount Valerian would be much more upset about his daughter committing treason than about this, so the decision was easy.

Lucille turned to the marquess and tried to convince him again. “I am truly sorry, but...the thing is...that is my mother's old bedroom. She left a while ago, but I still care deeply about-”

This time, Raymond didn't let her finish. “Get yourself together.” He didn't seem to care that she flinched at his harsh tone and addressed the other man. “Lord Astame, please feel free to ignore my daughter and enter. There is nothing special inside that room.”

Leonard stared at him for a moment before turning to Lucille. He gave her a reassuring smile but remained firm. “I apologize, but I have to enter. I promise that I won't touch anything. You will not notice that I was inside at all.” He put his hand on the door handle and pushed it open without stalling for time. Yet, he kept his eyes on her face as if he wanted to see her reaction.

Lucille felt like she was about to throw up. Leonard would find Cedar now. There was no other way. She almost fell to her knees while doing her best to keep her head upright. She closed her eyes and balled her fists while waiting for someone to start screaming. She was sure that it would only take a second before the marquess rushed in to arrest Cedar, but it stayed quiet.

Lucille only dared to open one of her eyes after a few moments had passed. Why had nothing happened? Was everything alright? Had Cedar hidden? She opened her second eye too and was surprised to see the marquess come out of the room alone.

Leonard just smiled at her and closed the door behind him. “As expected, there was nothing special. I apologize for bothering you for no reason. But we can be sure that everything is fine now. Should we take a look at the other rooms?”

No way. Had the gods truly granted her wish?

Lucille could barely believe it. Had Cedar not returned to the bedroom? But where had he hidden then? She tried to hide her surprise, but she probably failed.

Her father just scanned her with narrowed eyes before he reached into his pocket to pull out a key. “I shall go open the next room. I assume that you wish to see every single one, so please wait for a moment.” With that, he walked over to the door to the old library and prepared to open it despite his obvious unwillingness.

Lucille let out a deep breath and was about to relax, but Leonard's presence kept her from doing so.

The marquess gave her an ominous smile before whispering to her. “If you wish to keep your lover hidden from your father, you need to be a bit more reserved. At least clean up the room, or anyone would guess what happened. And it's dangerous to leave candles unattended, so don't do that again.” He turned around and approached Viscount Valerian before going into the room with him.

Lucille was left behind in utter shock. A lover? What was he talking about? And she was sure that she hadn't left any candles burning. It was good that Cedar hadn't been found, but she had no idea what this was supposed to mean. She almost wanted to check immediately, but she feared making herself seem suspicious. So, she continued to trail after the two men.

It only took a few minutes before Leonard was done looking at all the rooms. He seemed satisfied when he hadn't found anything and, to Lucille's relief, decided to leave quickly. “I once again apologize for disturbing you, Lord Valerian, Lady Valerian. I will not come here unannounced again. I hope that you can forgive my insolence this once. I will have to excuse myself for this evening.”

Raymond replied with his typical cold expression. “There wasn't any issue, Lord Astame. We thank you for your visit. You are always welcome here, and we are happy that we were able to help you. I wish you a good evening and a safe return to your current home.”

Leonard smiled at that. “It is good to hear that we have not bothered you too much. Thank you for your hospitality.” He turned to the young woman and said farewell to her too. “I wish the both of you a wonderful evening. Remember to stay safe and out of trouble.” He almost seemed to remind her of what he had said earlier with that knowing smile of his.

Lucille's stomach churned a bit, but she replied with a polite smile anyway. “Of course, you could not bother us. Good evening, Lord Astame. Until we meet again. Have a safe return.”

Even if it seemed like everything was fine, she was tense until Leonard actually left the house. And this didn't even allow her to relax completely either.

Lucille still remembered angering her father earlier, so she needed to hurry to leave before he got upset. She had to find Cedar too. So, she whipped her head to the side and quickly addressed Raymond. “Father, may I have permission to leave? I will go clean up the room. I mentioned the mess a while ago, didn't I? Please excuse me so that I can take care of that immediately.”

Her father looked at her for a moment before he broke the silence. “Go ahead. Good night, Lucille.”

She made a quick curtsy while trying to hide her relief. “Thank you, Father. Good night.” With that, she rushed back to the annex. She didn't waste time running up to the second floor and was completely out of breath when she reached her mother's old bedroom. She barely dared to open the door, but she forced herself to do so anymore.

She extended her trembling hand and pushed down the door handle before the door opened with a quiet creak. Lucille stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

The room didn't look much different from last time. There only were three little differences. There were a few candles burning at different spots in the room. The bedsheets weren't tidy anymore, and the blanket had been pushed off so that it was lying on the floor. And there were rose petals spread across the room as well.

Cedar still wasn't here, but apparently, he had redecorated the room before disappearing.

Now Lucille understood why Leonard had assumed that she was meeting a lover here. But why had the prince made it seem that way? And even more important than that, where was he? She cleared her throat before quietly speaking up. “Cedar?”

The doors of the wardrobe swung open so suddenly that Lucille let out a yelp and jumped back.

Just a few seconds passed before Cedar climbed out of the wardrobe with a wide smile on his lips. He brushed himself off before looking toward her. “Well, that was annoying.”