I Stole the Prince's First

Like the first kiss, Retina’s eyelids trembled as she closed her eyes tightly. Her hand, placed on the armrest, clenched into a fist. What started as a gentle kiss gradually evolved into something more explicit. Herald, taking advantage of Retina’s parted lips as she breathed, sensually explored her with his tongue, savoring her like a ripe fruit. He firmly held her turned torso and breathed heavily, exploring Retina like a famished beast.

For a long time, he hungrily pursued Retina. Suppressing the desire to undo the curtain ties and embrace her right there, he restrained himself. Retina, grasping at his exploring hand, urgently stopped Herald. As much as she wanted to feel her long-awaited lover, this theater had an open view.

“I understand. I know. Right now, I won’t embrace you.”

Herald, wrapping his arms tightly around Retina’s back, released a restrained breath. His words sounded like a commitment to her.

“The day I formally propose to you, I will seek permission then.”

Herald’s world revolved entirely around Retina. Despite hearing rumors about her and Norden, he never questioned anything. He just acted meticulously to achieve the plan he had devised.

Retina silently caressed her lover, who was willing to endure anything. Despite knowing everything, Herald, without asking anything, awaited her to speak first.

When I meet him, I planned to tell the truth. It was difficult to bring up the subject for the first time. I wanted to appear nonchalant, but I was uneasy. I need to reassure him and make him believe in me.

“Your Highness…”

“You don’t need to say anything. I always trust you.”

Herald closed Retina’s lips. He knew what she was going to say without needing to hear it. No, it might be that he was afraid to hear it directly from Retina.

If Retina says she will choose Norden, can he really hold onto her? There was a tension in the hand that held Retina. Retina clearly had reasons to be drawn to Norden’s proposal. Herald couldn’t hold onto her just with the emotion that he liked her. Knowing the benefits Retina would gain by going to the North, it was not enough to hold onto her with the emotion that he liked her. If she chooses him and follows him, all her problems will be resolved.

“Even if those rumors are true, my feelings remain unchanged. Even if you leave me, my feelings will continue. However… if you say you want to live in Raglaras, I will respect your wish.”

Despite that, he couldn’t let go of Retina. Even if she leaves him and chooses Norden, he will still love her.

“Who said anyone is leaving?”

Pushing his chest away, Retina looked up.

“I thought you were someone who wouldn’t easily give up on something once you’ve got it. Isn’t this giving up too quickly?”

Her playful and slightly pouting tone was enough to surprise Herald. Retina looked at him with a vacant expression and covered his mouth.

“I… I was just trying to understand your intentions.”

“Your Highness, please don’t say anything. I will speak for both of us.”

Uncertain about how to express herself, she hesitated. However, thanks to the Crown Prince opening up first, the words flowed effortlessly. She expressed her love for Herald and assured him that, even if she were to choose another, she would respect his wishes silently. It was both comforting and endearing to have a lover who shared the same sentiments.

The fact that Herald Rudenheim could be perceived as endearing was unbelievable just a month ago.

“For now, what I can confidently say is that I have no feelings for Prince Norden Raglaras. The only person I love is Crown Prince Herald Rudenheim.”

With puffed-up cheeks, Retina pouted her lips. It wasn’t a statement to ensure the Crown Prince didn’t misunderstand. It was a promise that no matter what happened, she wouldn’t abandon him.

“And going with Prince Norden to the North, that’s true. I’ll be honest. I wavered a bit. Everyone says I can live there without any constraints.”

Herald’s eyes shook as he listened to Retina’s words. His concern was not that Retina would lose interest in him, but rather the worry that she would face unhappiness due to her situation if she stayed in Rudenheim. If she chose to go to the North, where she could live freely, he couldn’t just hold onto her.

If she said she wanted to leave because she didn’t want to hide anymore, what words could he use to keep her? The anxiety that arose after hearing about Norden choosing Retina lingered, and he couldn’t shake it off.

“But I won’t go. How can I leave when there’s someone so anxious about me even being briefly away? Besides, I don’t want to part with that person either.”

Retina spread her hands wide and cupped both of Herald’s cheeks so that they made a smacking sound. “You’re mistaken right now,” her eyes, filled with a fiery gaze, met his with intensity.

“Pfft.”

Herald, under the intimidating gaze of Retina, suddenly burst into laughter. Oh, how could such a dazzling person be born in Deneuve? His lovely, if not radiant, lover had turned him into a fool.

She believed in herself, yet he couldn’t believe in her. Perhaps jealousy had clouded his judgment.

“Yeah. Your words are all correct.”

A bright smile spread across his face as he held Retina close. Instead of worrying about things that hadn’t happened yet, he could find a way to be with her.

“That aside, how about the ailment? Does it still hurt?”

Retina observed his condition, always carrying pain before meeting her. Whether during the masquerade or at the mansion, his attachment to her was not just emotional but had other reasons.

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Herald couldn’t easily respond. He didn’t expect Retina to ask about it. Being questioned about symptoms that he had taken for granted until now was unfamiliar to him.

“Well… The days without you are the same every day.”

Herald, recalling the past few days, swallowed his words. Although he didn’t descend into madness, he couldn’t control his anger, and he absolutely couldn’t speak of the things he had done. Even now, he couldn’t bring himself to enter his bedroom.

“If we could meet more often, it would be nice.”

Attributing Herald’s behavior of suppressing detailed words to the severity of his struggle with madness, Retina traced a scar on his face with her index finger. Although the healed wounds wouldn’t hurt, looking at the scars made Retina uncomfortable.

The reality of silently watching him, even though being with him was supposed to make things better, was painful. He suffered, and even meeting was challenging.

“I found a way to improve even when I’m not by your side.”

Driven by the determination to cure the prince, Retina searched through the estate’s books during her time away from him. While there wasn’t an explicit mention, passages hinted at symptoms similar to madness in the Sun Prince. She spent several sleepless nights searching for a solution.

Though she couldn’t discover the exact relationship between me and the Sun Prince, she did gather some insights. Retina handed Herald a note detailing the methods she had found.

‘Breathe deeply, immerse hands and feet in icy water, and experience extreme sweating. Turn away and cover your eyes when you see blood… Why is this here? If you cover your eyes at the sight of blood on the battlefield, you’ll die immediately.’

Having read the note, Herald struggled to suppress his laughter. The methods weren’t without credibility. Among them were some of the things he had done under the encouragement of the royal physicians, but he pretended to be unaware.

Above all, he was touched by the sincerity of his lover, who took the time to investigate for him. How did she even think of looking into this?

“How is it? They say doing these little by little might help. In reality, the 7th Emperor, after suffering from a severe fever, soaked his hands and feet in icy water every day. Although he got frostbite for a while, he has recovered from the fever since his 40s.”

Retina, with an expectant expression, read the note together and spoke. Besides soaking in icy water, there were also suggestions like eating certain herbs or taking certain medicines, but she didn’t write down anything that involved taking any specific medicine, remembering his aversion to them.

“We’ll try one thing at a time from now on. Well, if it doesn’t work, there’s not much we can do, but it’s better than doing nothing, right?”

“Rather than this, kissing you again might have a greater effect.”

Herald, having let go of the note, covered Retina’s lips that approached him without defense. As the time to part approached, they didn’t dwell on worries about the future. They remained devoted to the present they shared.

“This is enough for now. We’ll continue next time, and it won’t just end with a kiss.”

Having briefly kissed her plump lips, Herald separated from her. He left the theater before people started leaving after the play.

Retina, now alone as she was when she first arrived, turned her gaze to the stage for the first time. The climax of the singer signaled the end of the opera.