Episode 53

SHAKING HEART (1)

As the main round of the swordsmanship competition began, the organizers, including Herald, became extremely busy. Sat, with dark circles under his eyes, sought coffee every day, and Haint, with a mysterious smile, actively recruited talents for the Second Knight Division.

Retina unconsciously avoided those who walked around without their souls, including her brothers. Despite being her brothers, they were quite intimidating.

“Is he okay?” she wondered.

While the two assisting the Crown Prince were in such a state, the Crown Prince, who oversaw all responsibilities and tasks, was likely suffering from added stress. After the end of the second qualifying round, Herald, who had promised to come by occasionally, couldn’t keep that promise.

“Miss, are you waiting again today?”

“Waiting for whom? No, that’s not… I just came out because the weather is nice-“

Retina explained, scratching her temple with a sheepish smile. It was true that she was waiting for him, but the nice weather was also a reason to enjoy the sunshine.

“But Miss, every time you have something on your mind, you come to the garden.”

“Really? Me? When?”

Retina, caught off guard by Lena’s accurate observation, scratched her head, pondering if she indeed did that.

“Would His Highness come to see me?”

After a moment of silence, Retina suddenly asked. On the last night, when the Crown Prince left the duke’s mansion, he secretly visited her room and held her in his arms all night.

‘It’s already time for him to leave.’

‘I don’t want him to go. I regret not staying at the duke’s mansion for the entire swordsmanship competition.’

‘You… I’m sure I’ll miss you.’

His voice reached her with a gentle breeze. It was as if he was trying to remember the figure he held in his arms until dawn.

The Prince, hearing the rhythmic sound of Retina’s gentle breathing as she slept uncomfortably in a fixed posture, quietly left the bedroom. Without saying a word, he left the mansion.

“What are you talking about, Miss! His Highness will definitely come to see you soon!” Lena confidently reassured Retina, who, upon waking up, received the news that the Prince had already left the mansion. She wore a disappointed smile.

Although he clearly said he would come to see her off for the last time, Retina anticipated that the prince, if he were to leave, might not wake her and leave quietly. Nevertheless, seeing the now-cold spot beside her, she couldn’t help but feel empty. After he left, the time they spent together felt short, like a brief summer vacation at the academy.

“Don’t worry. I told you. His Highness only makes that expression when he’s with you.”

“People’s hearts can change at any moment, and His Highness has always had a different lady by his side. And also…”

As Retina continued, she bit her lips, refraining from speaking the words that might turn into reality if spoken. While she didn’t doubt the prince, seeing over a dozen ladies approaching him made her anxious. Even though she felt pathetic for being anxious, she couldn’t help it. Worried that her feelings might also cool down if she left the mansion without him, she felt uneasy.

“If our bodies grow distant, our hearts will also drift apart…”

Unable to let go, Retina clasped her hands together. Her thoughts had been influenced by a conversation she had with the maids a few days ago.

“Isabel, did Young Lord Adrian propose to you yet?”

“Not yet. But I think he will soon. He’s secretly preparing something, and it’s so cute.”

“Young Lord Adrian always pays attention to details. Did he go all out during his confession too?”

“Yes. We had met about three times, I think, and he drew candles in the shape of a heart at the lakeside park. I was inside it. He gave me a bouquet of flowers, and the flames accidentally caught on, so you can imagine how surprised I was. Maybe because of that not-so-great memory, this time he refuses to use candles.”

“Oh, I envy you. In our household, with only men around, I don’t even know what the events are. It’s good to have a reliable man, but sometimes I miss those meticulous details.”

Listening to Isabelle’s bragging, Cecil leaned her chin on her palm and said, “But still, when he confessed, he showed an unexpectedly cute side, didn’t he?”

“That’s true. When he extended a freesia with those big hands, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.”

The maids each brought up stories about when they first started dating their respective lovers. They all received confessions, whether meticulous or not, as a formal declaration of their relationships.

While receiving a confession didn’t necessarily bring significant changes to the relationship, it served as a kind of ritual to confirm mutual affection and publicly announce becoming a couple. Most couples went through such a process to continue their relationships.

“Is there no good news for you, Lady Retina?”

“Me? Oh, I still don’t have any. Haha…”

“You’ve been looking even more beautiful lately… Is there really nothing?”

“Well, um, no.”

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

When Bacillus pressed her with a raised face, Retina raised her hands to stop her. Although she had confirmed her feelings for the Prince, their relationship had not progressed to the point where they could be considered a couple. Aside from some physical contact, their relationship was still ambiguous.

‘I’m not hoping for “Are we dating? Day 1 from today!

‘…’

Remembering the Prince who left without a proper farewell, Retina regretted not clarifying their relationship before he left. The incident with Mari was resolved after she confessed to lying, and the Prince publicly declared that he would no longer seek any ladies. Retina had expected him to at least ask about their relationship before leaving.

‘Was it uncomfortable to mention it to Haint before leaving? Even though I could have told him in secret without letting others know.’

Initially, she accepted that the Prince might marry another woman, but as her feelings for him grew, so did her greed. If she heard news about the prince selecting a princess consort, what would she do? Her anxiety only intensified.

“By any chance… Are you troubled by a man problem?”

Seeing Retina’s troubled face, Bacillus quickly asked, “Is something the matter?” At first, Retina tried to brush it off, but eventually, she confided in them. Rather than seeking advice from Isabelle, who already knew the identity of her crush, Retina chose to ask the maids for a more objective judgment.

“Well, there’s someone I’ve been meeting lately, not exactly dating, but we have mutual feelings. We’ve even held hands, but he hasn’t officially confessed. Listening to you all, who seem to confess and start relationships, I started wondering about our situation.”

Retina omitted the detail that her crush was the prince, and the maids, sensing her desire for privacy, refrained from prying further. Bacillus, in an outburst, agreed that a man not confessing after doing everything else was indeed a problem. Suppressing their urge to tell her to break up, they listened attentively.

“He occasionally says he’ll come to see me, but he’s been busy, and I haven’t seen him in a while. Now, I’m not sure about the nature of our relationship.”

“What? What are you saying? You held hands in a ‘some’ relationship, and he hasn’t confessed yet? Plus, you haven’t seen his face?”

“That sounds suspicious.”

“I agree. A guy who does everything but refuses to confess and start dating is a guy with issues. In this day and age, if you like each other, you should just go for it. What’s holding him back?”

Bacillus vehemently expressed his frustration, and they all contained the desire to tell Retina to break up immediately. The prospect of Retina, who hadn’t experienced a relationship before, meeting a good man excited them even more.

“He’s not a bad person, but…”

“Don’t judge too quickly. If you’ve done everything and he still doesn’t confess, maybe there’s something he’s holding back. Do you have any idea what it could be? Anything that comes to mind?”

Clara, who had been silently listening to their conversation, spoke up as a representative of the male perspective. She believed both sides of the story needed to be heard before drawing conclusions.

‘Thinking of too many possibilities might not be good.

Retina thought with a tilted head.

“Think about it slowly. Why is he doing this? Then you might understand his feelings to some extent. Even couples who have known each other for a long time often don’t completely understand each other. Sometimes, it takes time to understand each other.”

Clara said it with a compassionate smile. Despite her few words, Retina trusted Clara to provide wise solutions.