Chapter 31

Ever since the car ride, something between them had changed. It wasn't just respect now—it was something warmer, a recognition of shared excitement, maybe even understanding.

Cristiano stepped forward and extended his hand like the gentleman he was. She took it without hesitation, and they walked together into the ballroom, hand in hand, as a couple, not just as a political arrangement.

As they entered, the room paused.

Nobles bowed, commoners curtseyed, and the music shifted into something grander.

They had arrived.

Together, they were the stars of the evening.

But Cristiano quickly realised something else—he might have been the crown prince, but she was the heart of this place. The people didn't just respect her. They loved her.

She laughed with them, danced with the children, and addressed the servants by name. While they treated him with reverence, they treated her with affection. Genuine affection.