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Before She Was Kidnap
Prince POV
The hunting games had just started, and I was in a great mood that day.
I've just received the handkerchief that my fiancée had embroidered.
I know she dislikes giving it away because she finds her embroidery skills unsatisfactory. Still, I always knew how much work she puts into it, and the drawing on her embroidery always amuses me.
"This is a fox? Or Cat?"
The Prince chuckled as he stared at the handkerchief in his hands.
(Author: It's actually a bear from Chapter 7)
"What are you laughing at, Leon?"
"Nothing Gregory"
The Prince smoothly puts away the handkerchief back into his pocket, not wanting to let Sir Gregory see it.
"I told ms Ivy that I would work harder this year. Perhaps I'll aim for number 1," he smirked.
Then the Prince recalled Gregory's conversation with Ivy.
".....I'll fall for you even more if you get to number 1."
The Prince grip his horse, rein tightly, boiling with anger.
"I should remind you, Gregory, that she is My Fiancée."
"Only for the moment ...."
Gregory grins sarcastically
"Why you little...."
"As I recall, both of your engagement is but an arrangement by your parents, and the Duke can cancel that arrangement at any time if he pleased. So until we defeat the Duke in his own game, are we both not equals in pursuing my lady?"
Although Prince Leon felt angry with Gregory's words, he admits that his words do hold the truth, and that truth made Prince Leon even more unpleasant.
"From the looks of it, I'm guessing that you have yet to confess."
"I....! No.... not yet."
Prince Leon became flustered.
"Leon, I want to confess to Miss Ivy"
Gregory said it in a serious tone while Prince Leon was stunned by his short speech.
"I want to know how she feels, and I think you should do it too."
Prince Leon looked directly at Gregory, and he could see that he was serious.
Although it is not that the Prince had never thought about it, he thought about letting her know how he feels every second of his life.
However, he was afraid.
He was afraid that the truth might cut the thin line that binds them together.
His thoughts were full of what-ifs.
As the Prince was deep in thought, suddenly, a servant came along with an emergency message.
"Lady Augustine has been kidnapped?!"
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During Her Kidnap
Prince POV
Back at the estate, both his royal highnesses rush through the guards to meet Ms. Gracie.
"Gracie!"
"Brother!"
Gracie ran towards her brother and cried in his arms.
"Brother, Ivy she... she..."
"Ok, calm down, Gracie. Tell us the whole story."
Before Gracie could talk, the noise of a door slam interrupted them.
"BUMP!" "BUMP!"
"WHO KIDNAP MY DAUGHTER!"
"WHO KIDNAP MY GRANDDAUGHTER!"
The Duke and Mr Omer rumbled into the room together.
"Some unknown men attacked us in the woods, and Ivy was hurt! I couldn't control my horse well, and they kept shooting arrows at us, and I ... I..."
Gracie's tears started welling up again while her brother hugged and comforted her.
"HOW DARE THEY....." x3.
Leon, Augustine, and Omer spoke at the same time while their expression turned pitch black.
"Master, Mr Omer, as ms Ivy's Fiancé, I will bring the royal knights and personally MAKE THEM SUFFER..."
"What are you talking about, your highness? They dare hurt the precious daughter of the duke household. It is the father's responsibility to KILL THEM MYSELF..."
"Hohoho..... you two should save yourself the energy. Making my only best granddaughter in the world wounded, I as the grandparent of this family should take responsibility to DESTROY THEM personally..."
(Author: for some reason, they prioritize a lot more on eradicating the enemy than saving Ivy. Hohoho)
And so the three ferocious leaders, unable to see eye to eye on who gets to take out the kidnappers first, went on their separate ways.
Rumour has it that never in history, the royal knights, the royal guards, and the underground mercenaries had ever worked together until today.
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After Her Kidnap
Prince POV
When Ivy passed out, we quickly carried her back to the estate.
"Ivy!"
Gracie yelled
"Is she ok?!"
She began to weep in concern.
The doctors immediately came, and we were told to leave the room. Only the Duke and Mr Omer were allowed to stay.
As they waited outside, Prince Leon slammed at the wall.
"—-How could I let this happen to her! If only I were..."
The Prince looked anguish and agitated.
When Gracie saw the prince feeling depress, she had to confirm his feelings for her friend.
"Your highness, may I have a word with you in private?"
The Prince wasn't in the mood to talk, but he nodded as he saw how serious Gracie looked.
They carried the conversation to the garden balcony, where no one could hear them.
Gracie then pops the question and ask Prince Leon.
"Your highness, I need to know. How do you feel about Miss Ivy?"
Prince Leon was surprised by her sudden inquiry.
"Why is it that you want to know?"
"To tell you the truth, your highness. We were in the woods yesterday because I invited Ivy to see the secret garden to cheer her up. She was feeling rather depressed because she was planning to tell your highness to cancel the engagement with her"
"What! Why would she say that?!"
He was in shock that he held Gracie's shoulder firmly to reconfirm her words.
"Your highness, please let me go. You need to calm down."
The Prince let go of Gracie's shoulder. His heart felt like it was going to drop to the end of the earth.
Looking at the Prince's expression, Gracie immediately got her answer, then let out a long sigh.
"———Sigh, your highness. Miss Ivy only said this because she felt that both of you have no affection for each other, and she hopes that your highness should choose to marry someone you love instead-but from the way I see it, I beg to differ."
The Prince turn and look at Gracie, feeling a sudden ray of hope.
"She said that?"
"Your highness, do you plan to confess to Miss Ivy?"
The Prince stands firmly with conviction.
"Yes, I plan to confess my feeling to Miss Ivy once I defeat her father in a sword battle."
"Huh? When will that be?!"
"It will be soon. I promise"
Gracie let out a long sigh again.
"Your highness, she plans to tell your highness to cancel the engagement before your highness's coming of age."
"But that's in 3 months!"
"Your highness, I'm only telling you this because, as Miss Ivy's closest friend, I do not wish to see her unhappy. Even though she did not tell me that she loves you, but I can see that she truly cares for your highness."
Prince Leon looked down as he felt frustrated with himself.
"No matter what happens. I will support ms ivy's decision, even if that is cancelling the engagement with your highness. I will always be by her side."
Prince Leon glared at Gracie while gripping his hands into a fist.
"I won't allow that to happen. I will not cancel the engagement no matter what."
"Then, your highness, be sure that you'll take the appropriate measure because if the engagement does cancel, I intend to help bring my brother and ivy together."
His hands gripped even tighter, looking even angrier than before.
"I shall take my leave then, your highness. Thank you again for saving my friend."
Gracie then left Prince Leon alone.
Once she left, the Prince punched a large hole through the wall, letting out all the anger he had.
Then he just sat down feeling anguished.
"What should I do now?"
(Author: by the way, the Prince is actually very strong because of all the years training with the Duke. So punching a hole through the brick wall was a norm for him, but sadly, he has yet to win against Ivy's father)
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Since that Day
The doctor said that her neck and hand were severely bruised and that she would need about a month to recover.
Ivy has been at home recovering, and I haven't seen her since then.
Whenever I went to the Duke household for training, I've been avoiding every chance of bumping into her.
I'm afraid if we ever meet, she will do what Miss Gracie had said that day.
That is the only thing that I won't ever give her the privilege of doing so.
So I've preoccupied myself at the palace, and my days have been filled to handle the illegal immigrant matters.
Even though there was a lot of work, I told myself that I needed to make this country safer so that something terrible like that wouldn't ever happen to her again.
I had also increase my training. I needed to quickly defeat Master and be the best as soon as I could.
I want to show her that I'm worthy of her as soon as possible.
It has been a month since I last saw her, and I have yet to finish my work, nor have I beaten Master.
I missed her smile and her laughter.
"I wonder if you miss me, so too."
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That Same Night
While Ivy was fast asleep in her bed, Prince Leon snuck into her room through the window.
He thought he could have a glance at her then quickly leave after.
With just the gleaming moonlight shinning from her balcony window, the Prince stood by her bed closely so that he could see her face a little bit better.
Although he wanted to touch her, he held his urge only by touching the strands of her hair to avoid waking her.
He thought to himself as he stared at her sleeping face that bathed under the moonlight.
While the Prince was looking at her and was deep in thought, Ivy started mumbling in her sleep and instinctively pushed away her bed covers, revealing most parts of her body, and it spooked the Prince a little.
"Nmmm... so hot," she mumbled.
As Ivy was lightly dressed with just a silk camisole gown, the Prince could see the revealing parts of her smooth skin.
The Prince blushed and gulped as he unconsciously stared at the revealing parts of her body.
He then tries to quickly control himself by immediately covering her back with the bed covers.
When he did so, Ivy caught Prince Leon's hands in her sleep, thinking it was a pillow.
Prince Leon flinches a little but stays calm while trying his best not to make any sudden movements.
As he could feel the warmth from her hands and the soft skin on her face, he couldn't help it but let her hold on a little longer.
"you really are making me crazy. You have no idea how hard I'm trying to control myself right now."
The Prince said with a soft voice while trying to stay composed. Until Ivy unconsciously nibbles the Prince's index finger, then it made him so surprised that he immediately removed his hands away from her.
The Prince was worried about the sudden movement he made, but luckily Ivy is a heavy sleeper, and she continued to sleep innocently, not knowing what she had done.
The Prince felt so embarrassed that his whole face blushed red.
He then felt the residual of her saliva on his finger and looked at the finger that had touched her lips and her mouth.
The Prince then tasted the finger she nibbled.
He felt that it tasted sweet and happily smiled.
"———ahhh. I don't think I can let you go anymore. Even if you hate me, I will spend my whole life to make you fall in love with me."
(Author: After that, the Prince tried his best not to wash his hands but eventually was severely lectured by his butler about his hygiene)
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