Chapter 10: The Visitor II

Though Sera accepted Ric’s invitation, the prince knew it was because she couldn’t refuse someone from the imperial bloodline. Despite knowing, he was amused instead of feeling guilty for forcing her to agree with his proposition. It was a mystery for him as he tried to understand what was going on in her head and the more she tried to create a gap between him and her, the more he wanted to mess with her.

“Shall we go on a walk?” He chuckled when the lady discreetly rolled her eyes before nodding her head. Just how cute could she be when she tries to suppress her annoyance?

Ric offered his hand for the lady to hold but Sera smiled awkwardly.

“I don’t think I could just touch your imperial highness so casually.” Instead, she stood behind him and gestured for him to take the lead.

“Don’t get smart with me.” Ric chuckled as he pulled her hand and wrap it on his arm. “Now let’s walk.”

Sera let out an annoyed sigh but Ric ignored it. He led the walk and brought her to the garden where Alexander brought him once. It was a beautiful garden near a pond where the sun reflected its light gorgeously on the waters.

“This is breathtaking…” Sera mumbled as she watched the pond water sparkle.

Ric looked at the lady and he was in awe at the sight of her silver-gray hair dancing with the breeze and glittering under the sun. Her eyes sparkled like gold, but what caught his eye was the innocence and authenticity of her expression. She looked like a child who saw something beautiful for the first time.

“Yes. It truly is breathtaking…” Who knew that a Fiore lady would be that beautiful?

They stood there for a while and admired the view. It was the prince who took the initiative and asked her to move to another place.

“My lady, it’s already tea time…” Mary whispered near Sera.

Ric noticed the lady roll her eyes again. He looked away as he hid a smile that crept on his face. Was it that burdening to invite him for tea?

“Your imperial highness…” Sera paused as she looked at him hesitantly.

“I told you to call me Ric.” He grinned widely when she shut her eyes as if suppressing her anger.

“I couldn’t refer to his imperial highness so casually, so please understand.” Sera was stern. “Anyway, would you mind having tea with me, your imperial highness?”

“Tea sounds good.” He let Sera lead the way, and she brought him to a pavilion near the annex. He looked around and found that flowers that weren’t usually found in the empire surrounded the pavilion.

“Does the duchess like flowers?” He asked out of curiosity and to open a topic to talk about with her.

“How would I know?” Sera shrugged. “But I don’t think it was the duke who filled this place with flowers, so maybe yes.”

Ric bit his lips when he realized what he just said. How could he be so untactful to ask her about the duchess? What if she didn’t have a good relationship with her and that was the reason they confined her in the annex? He was about to apologize but Sera smiled as if stopping her from what he was about to do.

“Do you like flowers, your imperial highness?” Sera changed the topic.

“I don’t like just any flowers.” Ric looked at Sera and smiled. “But If I were given a very rare flower, the only one in the empire, then I would treasure it just like the duke,” he said meaningfully.

“I don’t think there would be a flower as rare as that,” Sera looked at the flowers that surround the pavilion. “These flowers were somehow pitiful…” she mumbled. It was supposed to be for her to hear alone, but it also reached the prince’s ears.

“Pitiful, you say?” Ric also looked at the flowers. Why would she say that those flowers who bloomed beautifully were pitiful? What was so pitiful about a flower that was well taken care of?

“It’s nothing.” Sera smiled.

It was just a curt smile, and Ric couldn’t read the meaning behind her smile. She truly was an intriguing individual. How did the duke manage to hide such a daughter and why? If it was because it would cause a scandal for a duke who was known to not take any mistress, it wouldn’t be enough reason to hide her. Just having a daughter in the Fiore bloodline was already a big feat that his infidelity wouldn’t be given much attention.

“Seraphina…” Ric looked at her with hesitant eyes as he remembered the only flaw of the Fiore Duchy. Since Sera already exists, it would be a chance for Duke Fiore to show the other nobles that the Fiore House didn’t have any weakness anymore. “Did you know about your House’s weakness?”

“Would you still call it weakness when I am already existing?” Sera chuckled.

She knew that the Fiore House’s weakness was their lack of daughter in their household. Since they were a dukedom just a rank lower than the imperial family, they could increase their influence more if they marry their daughter off and make her the Empress. However, daughters never survived in the Fiore House because of their unique and strong genetics. That was also the reason the other nobles never saw the House as a threat to them, no matter how close they could be to the imperial family.

However, that weakness would be gone since Seraphina was added to the family registry. She was an official daughter of the Fiore bloodline who resembled their lineage, without any doubt. Knowing that, it was an obvious choice that the duke would send her to the palace to be the crown princess and the next empress.

And if that would be the duke’s decision, she would be his wife eventually.

Was that the reason why the duke was trying to hide her from him? But why would he? Their house would greatly benefit from the marriage, but the danger would also befall Sera. If she were to be a crown princess, the nobles would find any weakness in her and try to execute her. Was he trying to protect her by keeping her away from him?

He chuckled at his own thought. If he didn’t know the duke’s real personality, he would’ve believed such a conclusion, but he knew better. The duke didn’t care that much about his daughter. He could bet that he was just hiding her because he didn’t want others to find out his secret.

Either way, Seraphina could be a double-edged sword. She could bring glory and honor to her house or destroy it completely. But judging by her personality, she wouldn’t try to ruin her family. That was just how kind she was, despite being surrounded by a cold family.

“You don’t have to worry about the possibility of a political marriage between house Fiore and the imperial family.” Sera smiled. “There wouldn’t be anyone who could match your standards from the Fiore house, so you are free to look for a different bride from the other noble families.”

“What nonsense.” Ric grinned as he took a sip from his tea. “Why would I look for something better if the best was already in front of me?”

That was right. Ever since he saw Seraphina, he saw her potential. If she would be the crown princess, she would be a good empress in the future once she was trained well.

“You wouldn’t know the best unless you have something to compare it with, your imperial highness.”

Those kinds of smart answers made him want her more. If she would be by his side, it would stabilize his position as the crown prince. It was like winning something wherein the winner takes it all. Sera was already a full package. He couldn’t think of anyone who could be better than her.