By Zephyria 
“Let’s move to another spot. It seems like we might disturb everyone here. There’s a nice place to have a conversation nearby.”
Alexis skillfully intervened and separated Larissa from me. His smooth handling left no room for Larissa to feel offended. She willingly stepped back, lightly grasping the hem of her dress and performing an imperial-style greeting.
“In that case, I’ll just stop by the powder room for a moment. Please wait a little.”
Larissa looked quite excited at the thought of conversing with Alexis.
As soon as she led her maids away, Cecile openly ruffled his hair. His fierce glare was now directed at Alexis.
“Why are you here?”
“Why do you ask why I’m at the opera hall? What kind of question is that?”
“I naturally thought you would be on the first floor…!”
“I thought the same. I merely avoided a crowded place, considering that Princess Larissa might come to watch the opera…”
Alexis burst into laughter mid-sentence. In the end, it was their mutual consideration that led to this mess.
“Let’s move to another seat for now. It’s impolite to chat during the performance.”
Alexis personally tidied Cecile’s disheveled hair. Forgetting his irritation for a moment, he smiled warmly at the dazed Cecile. It was quite a strange thing. Now, just seeing Cecile made him want to smile.
A spacious balcony existed a little away from the audience seats.
Its original purpose was to allow people to enjoy fresh air and take a comfortable break or have simple conversations.
However, heavy velvet curtains were drawn to prevent sound from leaking out, and there were many secluded corners, so the opera hall balcony had become famous as a place for secret meetings.
Even now, there were several nobles sharing love while the opera performance played in the background. But the moment Crown Prince Alexis and Cecile appeared, they quickly vanished as if caught in the act of stealing.
Cecile didn’t even glance at them as he moved on. Beyond the elegantly arched iron railing, a beautiful garden was visible, but he didn’t have the energy to care about such things.
He slumped down onto a sofa, feeling drained. Soft cushions were scattered everywhere, making him want to sink into them. He wished he could just lie down comfortably like this.
Alexis naturally took the seat next to him. He glanced down at Cecile, who was sprawled out.
“You look terrible. You’re about to collapse.”
“Do you have any idea how much I’ve been struggling these past few days?”
“I do. But that’s something you brought upon yourself. I never ordered you to pour your entire day into this.”
Alexis reached out. On the low table, there was a glass vase. He plucked a small flower from it and playfully poked it into Cecile’s ear as if awarding him a prize.
Cecile frowned as he lay back against the sofa. The flower petal tickled his temple.
“What is this?”
“Now you look a bit more presentable.”
“Do I look that shabby that I need a flower decoration?”
“You know your own condition well enough, don’t you?”
Cecile let out a hollow laugh and pulled the flower out.
The flower, having lost its purpose, could simply be thrown away, but since it was given to him by Alexis, he couldn’t bring himself to discard it. In the end, he discreetly tucked it into his pants pocket.
Alexis laughed out loud at the sight. Embarrassed, Cecile straightened up and poured some wine, offering a glass to Alexis as well.
“Did you come alone? What about Yuria?”
“Yuria? Why would I look for a child who’s resting comfortably at home?”
“Well….”
Cecile bit his lip. It was strange. He clearly remembered that Alexis had watched the opera with Yuria the night before.
Of course, the details could change. Cecile no longer placed much significance on trivial changes. As long as the outcome was satisfactory, that was all that mattered.
As a moment of silence passed, Alexis gently swirled the glass of wine in his hand. The wine inside sloshed against the glass walls, and its rich aroma tickled his nose.
Looking down at the swirling wine, Alexis spoke.
“Did you know? Sometimes you start to say something and then drift off into your thoughts, as if recalling a memory.”
“…That’s not true. I just forgot what I was going to say.”
“Sure, let’s go with that for now.”
Alexis replied dismissively and brought the wine glass to his lips. As he swallowed, Cecile couldn’t help but swallow along with him.
If he sometimes drifted off into thought, Alexis would suddenly test him. Lately, the frequency of this had increased, and sometimes it felt as if he knew something.
Cecile cleared his throat a couple of times, as if his throat was dry, and composed his expression. He just had to act brazenly. There was no way his secret would be exposed.
While they were both drinking wine, the velvet curtain was drawn back, revealing Larissa. With a much more radiant face and a bolder outfit than before, her determination was evident.
“I’m thirsty. Could I have a glass of wine too?”
Larissa approached Alexis with an elegant demeanor. Cecile, quicker than her, poured some wine and handed it to Larissa.
Her eyes narrowed at his overly swift action. However, she couldn’t refuse Cecile’s kindness and silently accepted the glass.
She rolled her dark eyes. Unfortunately, Alexis and Cecile were sitting side by side on the sofa, leaving her with little room to squeeze in.
“Please, make yourself comfortable, Princess Larissa.”
At Alexis’s invitation, she had no choice but to sit on the opposite sofa. Larissa glanced at Cecile as if expecting something, but for some reason, the usually perceptive man remained oblivious this time.
“I’m glad to see you’re having a good time in the empire. By the way, it seems you don’t have much time left before you leave.”
“Exactly. Thanks to your thoughtful care, I’ve lost track of time. I hope you’ll come visit us in Kazarsan soon. I’ll make sure to treat you well in return.”
Alexis smiled politely. Raising his wine glass as if to toast, he replied.
“If the opportunity arises, I will visit.”
“Really? Since we’re on the topic, how about we set a date? When would be good for you? Next week? Or next month?”
“I have matters to attend to, so I can’t leave the empire easily. I can promise to visit, but I can’t give you a definite date.”
Alexis answered courteously, but there was an underlying refusal in his words.
Princess Larissa surely wouldn’t be unaware that it was merely a formality. The joy on her face quickly turned to disappointment.
Cecile, who had been listening to their conversation, felt a surge of worry and found it hard to sit still.
Although Alexis was responding more kindly than he expected, the other party was the unpredictable Princess Larissa. He couldn’t relax for a moment, fearing she might do something to upset Alexis.
“By the way, you two…”
Suddenly, Larissa opened her mouth. Tilting her head, she pointed with her finger between Cecile and Alexis.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t close?”
“…….”
Cecile searched for a response. If Alexis hadn’t been there, he would have easily brushed it off, but with the person in question sitting next to him, it was hard not to be concerned.
While Cecile hesitated, Alexis slowly lifted the corners of his mouth. His blue eyes captured Cecile’s awkward profile.
“We’re… not close.”
At his words, Cecile turned his head. As their gazes met, he could see the tension creeping into his own face. Alexis’s smile deepened.
“This guy is so jealous of me. Not only does he stick to my side, causing trouble, but he also follows me around like a shadow.”
“Oh my!”
“When did I ever do that?”
“Oh dear, are you trying to save face in front of guests?”
Alexis tugged sharply on Cecile’s earlobe. Cecile’s head tilted along with the pull.
Cecile swatted Alexis’s hand away and rubbed his still-tingling earlobe. His skin, which had been pale from his neck to his forehead, turned as rosy as a ripe peach.
“Shouldn’t you be the one to save face, Your Highness? Even children don’t act this childish.”
“Why don’t you try to fix that rude way of speaking?”
“I’m doing my best to be polite right now. Do you really want to see me act rude?”
As their playful banter continued, Larissa silently observed the two.
It seemed like a lie that they didn’t get along. They were sitting too closely together, and above all, the expression on the Crown Prince’s face was the most honest and relaxed she had ever seen.
“Alexis, it seems you really care for Cecile.”
Larissa offered her observation.
Alexis, who had been looking at Cecile the whole time, turned his head at her words. Although he smiled the same way, the joyful expression from earlier vanished like a lie, replaced by a subtly cold facade.
“Does it seem that way?”
“Even without a drop of blood relation, a brother is still a brother, I suppose? Better than Kilian and me. Sigh, how I wish Kilian were like you…”
“Lara, what’s wrong with me?”
A relaxed voice came from beyond the curtain. Soon, the velvet curtain was drawn back, and Kilian suddenly appeared.