It was said that practice made perfect and experience was the best teacher. Luciana saw the frown on Nicholas' face and instantly knew something was bothering him; she instinctively knew she had to tell him what he wanted to hear.
"Of course, who else can be the crown prince if not you? You are so outstanding, strong, formidable, impressive, and…"
"And what," he chimed in.
Luciana shyly averted her gaze at his question; now that he had asked, it felt awkward to say it out loud.
"I don't remember," she confessed.
"Your expression says otherwise; I don't believe you. Out with it," he demanded.
"Okay, you are handsome," she said and blushed.
"I know I'm handsome, but how do my looks affect my being the crown prince?" he asserted. Even though he was acting unaffected, inwardly, he had a wide grin on his face. 'Did she really mean all she just said about him? Didn't she hate him?'