Morning light filtered through the leaves, casting pale golden specks across the stone terrace of the estate.
After breakfast, Lucian and Seraphina prepared for their survey around the city of Balton.
Just as they reached the gates, a familiar figure was already waiting outside, holding a single stalk of iris.
Jeremiah.
Lucian's spirits, which had barely begun to lift, immediately sank again. But he didn't show it. He had worked too hard to rebuild his image in Seraphina's eyes to let it slip now. Instead, he silently watched her walk away from him, heading toward the gate, his hand tightening unconsciously beneath his cloak.
"Good morning, Lady Seraphina." Jeremiah lifted his hat in a polite greeting.
Seraphina nodded with a gentle smile. "What color is the iris today?"
"Red, milady," Jeremiah said, offering her the vivid bloom. "Because today's sun is just as radiant as your smile."
Lucian, who had stopped just behind her, almost couldn't help but sneer.
Seraphina reached for the flower, but before her fingers could grasp it, another hand appeared from behind and snatched it away. She turned to Lucian, half-expecting another one of his impulsive outbursts.
But what left her stunned was the gentle smile on his lips as he plucked the flower from its stem and tucked it behind her ear.
"Red suits you, Sera. Like a flame that never dies."
His gaze, whether by chance or design, shifted over her shoulder and locked onto Jeremiah. A silent warning. This was his sacred flame, and only he had the right to be burned by it.
Perhaps too focused on his rival, Lucian failed to notice the faint blush that flared across Seraphina's cheeks, vanishing before he turned back to her.
She brushed his hand off but didn't remove the flower, her voice cool as always.
"You're getting awfully sentimental, Your Highness."
She turned back to Jeremiah with a polite smile. "Thank you for the flower, Jeremiah. Have a lovely morning."
Jeremiah reached out, as he always did, to bid her goodbye with a kiss to the hand, but Lucian was quicker. He slung an arm around her shoulders and nudged her forward.
"Let's not waste time, Sera. We've got quite the route ahead of us."
Seraphina promptly brushed his arm off and walked ahead on her own. Lucian didn't fight it. He simply smiled, though the smile twisted slightly as he passed Jeremiah, offering a silent threat to anyone bold enough to trespass on his territory.
Jeremiah instinctively took a step back, frozen as he watched the proud silhouettes board the carriage. A dream shattered in broad daylight. The truth struck him with sharp clarity:
The lady he'd long admired… was someone forever out of reach.
Inside the carriage, Lucian and Seraphina sat opposite each other. She said nothing, poring over the report papers and noting down the locations they needed to visit.
Meanwhile, Lucian didn't take his eyes off her for a second. The flower he had placed behind her ear still sat there, bright against her chestnut hair. A soft smile curved his lips, its sweetness melting quietly into his heart.
"We'll begin with the town center, assess the market and trade routes…"
Seraphina remained oblivious to Lucian's gaze, focused solely on business matters, her mind elsewhere.
As for Lucian? The love-struck fool had already lost himself in the way sunlight kissed her delicate face.
When Seraphina finally looked up from her notes, the first thing she saw was Lucian's adoring gaze. Her heart skipped before she masked it with a dry cough.
"Your Highness, are you even listening?"
"I am, Sera." Lucian leaned against the window, chin resting on his hand, smiling like a fool.
She took a deep breath and set the papers aside, her expression sharpening.
"I expect you to take this seriously. We're not playing games anymore."
Lucian chuckled. "Did I say I was playing?"
"You're clearly distracted," she said bluntly.
He didn't deny it. In fact, he owned it, with a smirk that deepened.
"Then perhaps you could try being a little less beautiful? It's impossible to focus with you glowing like that in front of me."
Seraphina's lips twitched. The shameless flirtation was absurd, even for Lucian. She almost missed the arrogant prince he used to be.
"Sorry for my beauty. Should I find a local to accompany you instead?"
He burst out laughing. Of course, only his mate could match his freak.
"Alright, alright. I'll behave." He stifled his laughter and sat up properly. "I just want to look at you a little longer."
Seraphina let out a quiet sigh and picked the papers back up, repeating the key points again.
Fortunately, Lucian finally stopped teasing and actually listened. Thank the gods. Because Seraphina wasn't sure how much longer she could endure that look in his eyes.
When the carriage stopped outside a barley trading shop, Lucian got out first and offered his arm to help her down. She paused, eyeing the flex of muscle beneath his sleeve, then looked up at him, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face.
In the end, she accepted his arm and stepped down. Lucian's other hand hovered protectively above her head.
"Watch your step."
She shot him a skeptical look. Playing the gentleman again? How cliché.
Little did she know, that gesture came purely from instinct. Lucian's instinct to protect her. But perhaps she'd built up too many walls to see it for what it was.
As soon as her feet hit the ground, Seraphina let go and walked toward the bustling morning market. Lucian's hand lingered where her warmth had been. A faint smile played at his lips as he followed her into the sun.
She stopped in front of the barley shop and greeted the owner with a pleasant smile.
"Mr. Charlie, how have you been?"
The man, who had been unloading sacks, immediately lit up at her voice.
"Lady Seraphina! You've returned!"
"Yes, two days ago," she replied.
She scanned the shop. Barley sacks were piled high, and the customers appeared to be all locals.
"How's business lately?" she asked.
"Same as always, milady." Charlie scratched his head, chuckling sheepishly. "We only sell to the townsfolk. With the harvest coming in steadily, my family's sick of eating barley every day."
Lucian picked up a handful of barley grains on display, each one plump and clean, a fine crop. But some sacks in the back showed signs of mold, hinting at poor turnover.
He stood silently as Seraphina spoke with the shop owner, mentally taking note of everything.
After bidding Charlie farewell, Seraphina led Lucian through the marketplace. The problem was clear: no trade routes meant no way to move surplus goods, which bottlenecked the local economy.
But what struck Lucian most wasn't the numbers, it was the people's warmth toward Seraphina, and the way she responded.
The townsfolk, mostly Betas with rural roots, were humble and kind. And in return, Seraphina let her guard down. She laughed, smiled, answered every greeting without a hint of pretense.
Lucian had never seen her like this in the capital. There, she was always distant. But here in Balton, she belonged. Here, she was simply Seraphina.
It was obvious how much she loved her homeland. And here, she could finally be herself.
Lucian found himself jealous, of the ordinary people who could reach her smile without effort. While he had to brave every storm to get even close.
A prince raised in luxury, envying farmers? If that got out, the whole empire would laugh.
As they reached Balton's town square, the air grew livelier. Rows of colorful flags fluttered, and the people buzzed with excitement.
"Is there a festival coming up?" Lucian leaned close to ask.
The crowd was too dense for her to avoid him now, so Seraphina ignored the closeness and answered calmly.
"Yes. After the harvest, there's a celebration. It's an old tradition in Balton, to give thanks and pray for the next season."
Lucian's gray-blue eyes lit up in the sunlight. She hadn't brushed him off. A good sign, perhaps.
"When does it begin?" he pressed further, his breath brushing against her ear.
Seraphina frowned slightly. She could feel his pheromones, likely because they were the only two Alphas here. It was… not ideal.
"Tomorrow, Your Highness," she replied, subtly slipping into a nearby shop to widen the gap between them.
Just a little closeness, and she was already retreating again. Lucian pouted but didn't seem upset. He followed her into the fabric store, glancing at the simple, handmade goods.
"I want to attend the festival. Can I?" he asked suddenly, the question seemingly unrelated to their current task.
Seraphina picked up a coarse bolt of cloth and examined it, a faint smirk tugging at her lips though she didn't look at him.
"Of course. After all, Your Highness is Balton's savior now. Just make sure you focus on solving the real problems at hand first."
Lucian chuckled at her sharp-tongued reminder and dropped the teasing. He didn't press her anymore. after all, she had promised to take him to the festival. That meant more time by her side.
And that alone was enough to fill him with anticipation.
Would he get to see another side of Seraphina? A version of her he hadn't yet known, but had already fallen for?
After a long day traveling across the city, Seraphina leaned her head against the carriage window and drifted off under the fading red glow of the sunset.
Lucian, more accustomed to long journeys, remained alert. When he noticed her forehead bumping lightly against the wooden frame with every jolt of the wheels, he shifted to sit beside her. With careful hands, he adjusted her posture so her head rested gently on his shoulder.
Once he confirmed she was still asleep, he reached for the stack of documents she had left behind. Each page was covered in her neat handwriting, notes, observations, and important findings from the day.
The carriage rolled steadily onward, the sun slowly melting into the horizon and casting a warm hue across her hair. Every so often, Lucian would glance away from the papers to look at her sleeping face. His hand brushed aside a loose strand of hair from her forehead before returning to the reports.
Silence fell over them like a soft curtain. Only the steady rhythm of hoofbeats filled the air. And two quiet heartbeats, gradually falling into sync.
By the time they arrived back at the manor, the sun had completely vanished behind the hills. Seraphina was still fast asleep, her breath calm and even. She must have had many sleepless nights for her to rest this deeply.
Lucian didn't have the heart to wake her.
He gently lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the house, completely ignoring the astonished stares of the servants they passed.
He didn't care. All that mattered was keeping her undisturbed.
In her room, he laid her down on the soft bed and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders with the utmost care.
Then he stood there, unmoving, just watching her, like a thief frozen before a forbidden treasure. His expression wavered with hesitation, longing, and something unspoken.
At last, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, a silent confession with no witness but the night.
"Sleep well, my Sera."
With that whispered vow, Lucian turned and walked away.
The door closed with a gentle click.
And beneath the covers, a small hand quietly tightened around the warm blanket he had left behind.
***