The Special Significance of the Key
"Do you want my necklace?"
Stephanie was slightly taken aback, then furrowed her brows and shook her head. "This… this isn't possible. This necklace is the only keepsake my mother left for me. It's not even pretty; if you don't believe me, I can show it to you."
She gently unclasped the necklace and held it up for Caesar to see.
The bronze key was indeed exceedingly ordinary, and as a decorative item, it appeared quite ugly; if it were dropped on the ground, no one would bother to pick it up.
"It's not pretty…" Stephanie hesitated, stammering, "Moreover, it means more to me than just being my mother's keepsake. There's a very important reason…"
She tightly clutched the key in her small hands, as if it were more precious than life itself.
Not just a keepsake from her mother?
There was an even more significant meaning?
Her words ignited Caesar's intense curiosity, and he pressed further, "What reason? Would it be convenient for you to tell me, Your Highness?"
The reason…
Stephanie seemed to recall something, and suddenly, her charming face turned a brilliant shade of red, almost as if it were about to burst into flames!
She quickly shook her head, flustered as she avoided Caesar's penetrating gaze, stammering, "This… I can't say. It's… it's my secret."
It seemed that the question made her extremely shy!
This only fueled Caesar's burning desire to uncover the truth. He narrowed his eyes slightly, taking a step closer, his voice coaxing, "How about this, Your Highness… I won't ask for your key anymore. Just tell me your secret, and I'll tell you a story. What do you think?"
His voice was like a devil's temptation, whispering in her delicate ear.
Caesar was determined to understand what could be more important to Stephanie than an intriguing love story.
Gulp~
Stephanie's throat struggled to swallow, her exquisite face displaying a conflicted, hesitant expression. But in the end, she shook her head shyly, saying, "I really can't say this secret… I'm too embarrassed. You'll definitely laugh at me… I won't say!"
The coaxing had failed!
Caesar narrowed his eyes; just because you won't say it doesn't mean I can't find out! I'm determined to know!
"Your Highness."
He suddenly spoke up.
Stephanie instinctively looked up at him, immediately locking eyes with a pair of deep, abyss-like orbs that glimmered with a faint purple light… Caesar's eyes were beautiful, yet they resembled bottomless black holes, seemingly capable of swallowing everything about Stephanie… including her very soul.
Stephanie's beautiful eyes grew distant and bewildered.
And Caesar had already penetrated her inner world… to its deepest depths!
…
Sixteen years ago.
When Stephanie was four years old, her mother, Barbara, fell into a deep depression, longing for Count Stephen, and ultimately walked into the blazing sunlight, turning to ashes.
At that time, Stephanie was just an innocent little girl who didn't understand anything.
She couldn't comprehend why her mother was sad, why she was in despair, or why she would choose to end her life.
"Father, why doesn't Mom want me anymore?"
It was her first time asking Marquis Arthur this question, but her father didn't answer. He remained silent, his expression terrifying.
Unable to find an answer, Stephanie was unwilling to give up. She asked every day, every month, every year…
She wanted to know why her mother no longer wanted her.
Until two years later, on a certain day.
When Stephanie asked her father the question once more, Marquis Arthur finally responded.
His answer was just four words—"Because of love."
"Love?"
Stephanie looked bewildered.
This once again delved into her area of ignorance.
Thus, at the age of six, Stephanie embarked on a new journey, her only goal being to uncover one question: What is love?
…
She asked many people and received countless answers.
Yet she remained perplexed: Isn't love supposed to be beautiful? Why did it bring her mother so much pain, tragedy, and despair?
With such questions in mind, Stephanie opened her first romance novel, "The Romantic Castle"...
From then on, she was hooked.
Starting at six, then seven, eight…
By the time she turned ten, she finally began to understand what "love" truly meant.
She also finally comprehended her mother's choice.
Her mother didn't love her father; she had fallen for another man.
Her father loved her mother deeply and wouldn't allow her to seek out that man.
Her mother was heartbroken, and so she took her own life.
…
Stephanie, like her mother, valued love above life, soul, and dignity.
However, she did not wish to follow in her mother's footsteps, endlessly searching for love only to meet a tragic end.
So, when Stephanie turned twelve, she made an astonishing decision!
The keepsake her mother had left her would always be worn close to her.
If she ever fell deeply in love with a man, she would give him the key as a token of their love, a proof of a lifelong bond.
…
No wonder she was so shy and hesitant to speak.
It turned out this key was meant to be the "love token" for her future beloved.
The information flowed through Stephanie's mind, encapsulating her experiences from the age of six to twelve over six years.
Yet in reality, Caesar had absorbed all of this information in just one-tenth of a second.
He had long since shut off his mind-reading ability.
Even Juliet, standing not far away, noticed nothing unusual.
"Did I just zone out?"
Stephanie felt a hint of confusion, but quickly shook her head, dismissing the thought.
Her exquisite face was filled with sincerity, her beautiful eyes carrying an apologetic look. "I'm truly sorry, even though I'm eager to hear your story, I can't discuss the secret of this key."
"It's alright, Your Highness."
Caesar shook his head, offering a gentle smile as his soft gaze met hers. He said quietly, "Actually, I was just joking. I would be more than happy to share the stories I know without asking for anything in return."
"Really?"
Surprise lit up Stephanie's face.
Caesar nodded with a smile. "Really."
…
In fact, Caesar had always found Stephanie's bookish obsession somewhat unusual and peculiar.
Most people, no matter how fond they were of reading, wouldn't be so infatuated… to the point of being willing to forsake the entire world for the sake of books.
However, after learning about Stephanie's past, he came to understand her completely.
The princess had yet to escape the shadow of her mother's suicide; she wanted to explore everything about love.
Caesar felt a deep sympathy for this girl.
Even his gaze softened considerably as he looked at her.
He harbored no thoughts of harming Stephanie; in fact, he felt that if this angelic girl faced any difficulties, he would be willing to lend a helping hand.
Using mind-reading on Stephanie was not a gentlemanly act.
Since she wanted to hear a story, Caesar decided to indulge her as a way to make amends for his previous rudeness.
As for the key?
If she didn't want to give it, that was fine—he wouldn't force her.
To be honest, a mere prince's tomb wasn't something Caesar particularly coveted.
With the system on his side, he would become a prince sooner or later!
…
"Your Highness, let me tell you a story about a mermaid."
Caesar broke into a captivating smile.