Chapter 8

Hartnitz slowly walked down the lavishly decorated corridor and arrived in front of the guest room.

This was the place in the castle where guests were received, but now it was where Aka was being confined. A knight stood at the entrance, serving as a guard.

"…Open it."

"I have been ordered by His Majesty not to let you in."

Hartnitz commanded the knight, but the king had already given strict instructions. The serious knight did not nod even to the words of Prince Hartnitz.

However, he really wanted to talk to Aka. Since the graduation party, Hartnitz had not spoken to Aka.

Moreover, in such a confined state… he was worried about Aka's mental state.

"I won't stay long. Just a little to check on her."

"But…."

If it were the usual Hartnitz, he would have followed the king's orders. The current leader of the knights was King Alexander, not Hartnitz.

He understood this well and would not bend the orders of the knights.

But this time, Hartnitz could not back down.

"Please. I might…"

"Your Highness?"

"…No. I might have made a wrong judgment. I think I need to talk to Aka to confirm it."

"……"

The knight, surprised by Hartnitz's serious words, opened his eyes wide.

He had heard rumors that Hartnitz was infatuated with Aka and had become a hopeless fool. At first, the knight thought it was a lie.

But when Filienne, the maid of the Clamentier Marquise, came to the castle and said, "My Tiararose has been deeply hurt by Prince Hartnitz…," she cried sadly.

The knight, who stood at the castle gates in turns, knew Filienne well. Filienne, who cared for her mistress and was bright and cute, was popular among the knights.

"I am very pleased to hear that you think so, Your Highness."

"Really, just a little."

Hartnitz pleaded again, a royal prince begging a knight. This was something that almost never happened. The knight wondered if it was right to let Hartnitz, who had hurt Tiararose, see Aka.

"…10 minutes. I will close my eyes for that long only."

"Thank you."

Harming a woman goes against the code of chivalry. But Hartnitz was the prince of this country and had the potential to become the leader of the knights in the future.

—Perhaps His Highness is trying to grow.

If so, it might be necessary to push him as an adult. The knight understood Filienne's feelings deeply but believed that people grow through mistakes.

However, he did not forget to keep the door slightly open to watch the situation inside.

It was not good for a man and a woman to be alone in a public place before marriage, and the knight would be responsible if anything happened.

But soon, he would regret letting Hartnitz into the room.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Prince Hartnitz!!"

"Aka…."

To make the most of the 10 minutes he was allowed, Hartnitz hurriedly stepped into the guest room.

Aka was there alone, sitting in a chair and reading a book leisurely.

"I missed you, Prince Hartnitz! I was so bored, I thought I would die from having nothing to do!!"

Aka, who greeted Hartnitz with a smile, threw the book aside and ran over.

Aka, who said she was bored, had not thought about the events at the graduation party.

Hartnitz, on the other hand, had not been able to sleep at night after the graduation party, thinking about various things.

"But I never thought that Prince Aquasteed would say such things to Tiararose. I hope Prince Aquasteed isn't deceived by Tiararose… What happened?"

"…Father told me that my engagement to Tiararose has been dissolved. I haven't heard anything about Prince Aquasteed, so I don't think he is engaged to her."

"Is that so?"

Aka clearly looked relieved.

Hartnitz couldn't tell if her relief was because the engagement between Tiararose and himself was successfully broken or because the engagement between Aquasteed and Tiararose did not happen.

Until now, Aka, who had always called him "Prince Hartnitz" and shown affection, had been close to many men, such as her stepbrother, the school healer, and the squad leader of the knights. Hartnitz had not been particularly bothered by this.

Of course, this was because Aka was a target to be pursued, but Hartnitz did not know this fact.

"Even if you broke the engagement, I was surprised by the turn of events. You must have been close to her for a long time!"

Hartnitz wanted to reprimand Aka for her anger but held back because of the limited time.

He needed to confirm the important things first.

"…Aka. Was everything Tiararose said at that time true?"

"Um—? What did she say?"

Aka tilted her head and said, "I remember being harshly criticized and feeling hurt…"

This meant that she disliked the harsh words and the criticism itself, not the content of what Tiararose said.

"I see."

"But, I had Prince Hartnitz with me… It made me feel very strong."

Aka, blushing, hugged Hartnitz tightly. However, Hartnitz pushed her away as if brushing her off with his hand.

"Prince Hartnitz…?"

Usually, Hartnitz would hug Aka and pat her head, but he had no time for that now.

He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts.

"Is something bothering you? If you want to talk, I'm here to listen, so please tell me."

"Is something bothering me—?"

"Yes. Did Tiararose say something to you? —I heard that the antagonist lady will continue to be involved even after the main story."

Hartnitz smiled wryly at Aka, who was determined that Tiararose was definitely at fault. The last words were too soft for Hartnitz to hear, but he believed they were words of concern.

—Aka must have been said something terrible by Tiararose. Or perhaps, it's just a reaction to her personality.

Hartnitz had heard that once women get into a conflict, it can be very complicated.

"I haven't seen Tiararose since then. I've been thinking about the graduation party on my own."

"About the graduation party? Indeed, I don't like being confined here. I want to go to Prince Hartnitz's place! When can I go to Prince Hartnitz's place?"

"…It will be difficult for a while. I know it will be hard on you, Aka, but please wait a little longer."

"Is that so… But please make it quick?"

Aka told Hartnitz that she didn't want to be alone in this room anymore.

Hartnitz, who had always cared for Aka, naturally wanted to let her out.

However, it was not a decision he could make alone. He needed to talk to the king and decide on the future before taking any action.

"Tonight—I will talk to Father. I will come back and tell you the result, so please bear with it a little longer."

"…I understand. I will wait for Prince Hartnitz. And please tell me about Prince Aquasteed! I want to help him before he gets hurt like me by Tiararose."

"Aka…"

Prince Aquasteed, the crown prince of a great nation, would not be hurt by a single woman, Hartnitz thought. But he told himself that Aka was genuinely worried.

He didn't like hearing other men's names mentioned in front of him, but he didn't feel like reprimanding her.

—Perhaps I'm just tired.

While Hartnitz sighed, Aka talked about how worried she was about Aquasteed.

He wanted her to focus on the current situation and think more about themselves. He wanted to shout at her to think more about themselves.

Talking more might not be good for his mental state right now. But he couldn't push away Aka, who spoke to him with a sad look.

What should he do? As he bit his lip, a voice came to his rescue.

"Prince Hartnitz, 10 minutes."

"Eh?"

"Ah, sorry. Aka, I have to go. I know it's inconvenient, but please stay in this room a little longer. If you need anything, tell the maid."

Aka, hearing the knight's voice, pouted and said, "Don't go yet."

Unlike Hartnitz, who only smiled wryly, the knight said, "It's an order," and pulled Aka away from Hartnitz. Surprised, Aka took a step back.

"Prince Hartnitz"

"I understand. …I'll come back."

"Eh…? Wait, Prince Hartnitz!!"

Hartnitz, nodding at the knight's words, quickly left the room.

The knight, who tried to stop Aka from following, watched Hartnitz leave, feeling exasperated by such a woman.

◇ ◇ ◇

The richly colored carpet enhanced the solemnity of the room. A glass on the desk contained a luxurious drink made from fruit.

Sitting in the chairs were the king of the country, Alexander, and his son, Prince Hartnitz.

"……"

Despite being father and son, there was a heavy silence between them.

It was the night after the graduation party, and the meeting between Alexander and Aquasteed had already ended in the afternoon.

Therefore, Hartnitz was more nervous than usual, wondering what his father would tell him.

"Hartnitz, I heard you went to see Aka today?"

"…Yes. I apologize for my impulsive actions."

The serious knight had said he would close his eyes but had reported everything. Hartnitz sighed, apologized sincerely, and explained that it was necessary.

"Did you learn anything from the conversation?"

"I should have listened to Tiararose more. I took Aka's words at face value without listening to anything else."

Hartnitz clenched his hands and his face twisted in pain.

But he didn't know how to apologize now. Moreover, he had been refused by the Marquise Clamentier, his father, and couldn't even meet with him.

"You and Tiararose were engaged when you were young. But your behavior was not good, both as a royal and as a human being."

"…Yes. I have also thought about it. I met Aka today and thought about the two of us. Aka likes me, but Tiararose…."

Aka liked Hartnitz. This was an undeniable fact.

—What about Tiararose?

To calm his breathing, Hartnitz took a deep breath and slowly spoke about what he felt.

"Tiararose