Familiar Stranger

Lili stared at the Crown Prince with wide eyes. The realization of what she had done hit her like a ton of bricks, and she couldn't believe the words that had come out of her mouth. "YOUR HIGHNESS?!" she had exclaimed, feeling flustered and embarrassed.

The Crown Prince looked at her quizzically. "Are you shouting at me?" he asked.

"N-No, no. I mean… I don’t like you," Lili stuttered, her heart racing in her chest.

The prince gazed at her in disbelief. "How can you reject me when I am not even courting you?" he asked.

Lili was stunned. She had never thought of it that way before. "And I don’t like you either, so don’t you dare reject me! I also have no intention of courting or liking you because I have high standards for women!" he exclaimed, his voice rising in frustration.

Lili felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She understood that the Crown Prince was angry because she had rejected him, but his words and reactions seemed more convincing than her own, even though she had only