By Zephyria 
When the Crown Prince barged in late at night, the attendants of the Peridot Palace were flustered and didn’t know what to do.
“Where is Cecile?”
“She is in her chamber… Your Highness! I will guide you to the reception room first.”
“That’s unnecessary. I will go meet her directly.”
Despite the attendants’ attempts to dissuade him, Alexis stretched his long legs and headed straight for the bedroom. The guard standing in front of the heavy double doors saluted him with precision. As he was about to announce his visit, Alexis pushed the door open and entered before he could say anything.
“Cecile!”
Fortunately, it seemed that Cecile was not yet asleep, as she was sprawled out on the long sofa.
It was rare for someone to call her name so loudly within the Peridot Palace, so her limp upper body sprang up in surprise.
“Your Highness.”
Without any explanation, Alexis simply nodded his chin. Cecile, awkwardly propping herself up on the sofa, moved without hesitation at his command. Her white bare feet touched the carpet, and in her nightgown, she approached Alexis unsteadily.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
“I need to check something. Extend your hand.”
Cecile extended her right hand, looking as if she didn’t understand what was happening. Alexis swiftly grabbed it, pressing his palm against hers and interlocking their fingers.
A strange standoff ensued.
“…What are you doing?”
“…….”
“Could you at least explain?”
Cecile sighed deeply, expressing her dissatisfaction. She tried to shake off Alexis’s hand, but instead, the grip on her fingers tightened even more.
“…….”
Alexis silently focused on the sensations transmitted through their hands.
Having received divine blessings from Yuria several times, he had learned to read the subtle energies from those with magical powers.
However, he felt nothing from Cecile. It seemed his worries were unfounded.
The idea that Cecile possessed any magical power was absurd. Even though he understood this logically, he found it ridiculous that he had come all the way here to confirm it.
Cecile, who was staring at his face, wiggled her fingers, which had gone numb from lack of circulation.
“Do you still have more to check?”
“Yes, it’s still far from over. Wait.”
He tightened his grip on her hand even more. Having already concluded that Yuria had been mistaken, he refused to let go, wanting to eliminate even the slightest possibility.
They continued their meaningless standoff, holding hands. Cecile, who had no way of knowing the reason, could only sigh repeatedly.
It seemed futile to expect an explanation from Alexis, and knowing his stubbornness, there was nothing she could do. She could only let her right hand hang limply and drift into her own thoughts.
About thirty minutes passed.
As Cecile stood there, spending meaningless time, she began to doze off. Not only did her head start to droop, but eventually, her knees buckled. Alexis instinctively caught her as her body fell toward him.
“Cecile?”
How tired must she have been to fall asleep while standing? No, it seemed more like she had nearly fainted. As he shook her, her head bobbed weakly. She had completely fallen into a deep sleep.
“Oh dear!”
The head attendant of the Peridot Palace, who had been waiting in the corner, rushed over to help.
While Alexis slipped his hand under Cecile’s armpit to support her, Leo gently cradled her drooping head with his hand, making sure it didn’t bend too far. Although the Crown Prince was carrying Cecile himself, it was not something Leo could dare to lean on.
Alexis calmed his startled heart and shot a fierce glare at Leo.
“Does she often fall asleep like this?”
“No, she took a sleeping pill just before.”
“A sleeping pill?”
“She has been suffering from severe insomnia lately. But she usually doesn’t fall asleep this suddenly… Perhaps she took a bit more than the usual dose today, and the effect seems to be quite strong.”
Alexis let out a laugh that resembled a sigh.
“Living without a plan, aren’t we?”
He adjusted Cecile’s limp body in his arms.
Leo, feeling embarrassed to borrow the Crown Prince’s hand, fidgeted nervously. He had insisted multiple times that he would take care of it, but Alexis ignored him and walked toward the bed, gently laying the sleeping Cecile down.
“Taking sleeping pills repeatedly won’t do any good. Starting tomorrow, stop the medication and instead give her tea that helps with insomnia.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Leo bowed his head in response. He glanced around cautiously, but the Crown Prince showed no signs of leaving. Instead, he even pulled a chair closer to the bed and settled in.
Alexis sat with his legs crossed, resting his chin on his hand. His gaze, which was hard to tell if it was watchful or worried, was fixed on Cecile’s peacefully sleeping face. Every time he saw her sleeping like that, he felt an inexplicable discomfort.
“When did you start having trouble sleeping?”
“…Well…”
“Don’t try to make excuses; just tell me plainly.”
Leo hid his trembling hands behind his back. It was right to conceal his troubles for the sake of his master, but the other party was the Crown Prince. Under his oppressive presence, Leo’s mouth felt dry.
“It’s been… a while. Since the day you witnessed the incident with the squire’s assault.”
“Was it really that shocking?”
Alexis found it hard to understand. He looked at Cecile’s face, which was breathing steadily with her narrowed eyes.
He had thought she would be arrogant and self-centered, resembling the Empress, but Cecile Adrian had a more delicate and complex personality than Alexis had imagined. It was so complicated that it was difficult to comprehend within the bounds of common sense.
It didn’t seem like she had developed strong feelings for Rocco Maxwell. There must be circumstances hidden from Alexis.
“Cecile Adrian, you are the most difficult person I have ever encountered.”
“…….”
The one deeply asleep had no response. It felt oddly infuriating to see her, having cast aside all the burdens of the world, lost in a peaceful slumber.
Alexis reached out and pinched Cecile’s cheek. Perhaps because she still had baby fat, her cheeks were surprisingly soft, and when he pulled, they stretched back with a delightful elasticity. What was this? It felt surprisingly satisfying to touch.
“Uh… Your Highness. That might leave a bruise…”
Cecile, who had fallen into a deep sleep under the influence of the medication, showed no reaction, while the head attendant could only fidget helplessly. To Leo, it seemed as if the Crown Prince was tormenting the sleeping Cecile.
After thoroughly pinching Cecile’s cheeks in a fit of frustration, Alexis finally stood up from the chair.
He lightly tilted his head back. Despite his languid movements, his gaze toward the head attendant was sharp, like a needle.
“By the way, it seems that all the attendants in the Peridot Palace are quite young. I remember it wasn’t like this before; wasn’t Cecile’s head attendant also of considerable age?”
“Head Attendant Felix retired for health reasons.”
“Did all the existing attendants change due to health issues as well?”
“I don’t know the exact reasons. I only know that they were replaced at Lady Cecile’s instruction. It was also Lady Cecile who personally selected us.”
“She personally selected them.”
Alexis muttered to himself. He looked down at the sleeping Cecile, slowly running his tongue along the inside of his cheek.
Did she really change the attendants that the Empress had assigned? Why on earth?
Unable to grasp her intentions, he felt an overwhelming urge to crack open that small head of hers and see what was inside.
Cecile Adrian was the most challenging puzzle Alexis had ever faced. He had always confronted problems with cold rationality, but when it came to matters related to Cecile, his emotions took precedence, and his usually sharp mind felt dull.
Another migraine surged, and Alexis pressed his fingers against his forehead. He couldn’t figure out how to deal with this girl.
* * *
Two months had passed since the knight appointment ceremony. During that time, the Verka Empire had enjoyed peaceful days.
The monsters of the Black Forest, which had always caused anxiety among the citizens, had disappeared, and with the mining industry taking off, the empire’s economy was thriving like never before.
As the country prospered, support and praise for the royal family deepened.
Thanks to Crown Prince Alexis, who was nurturing the royal knight order to further solidify the empire’s security, and Empress Elizabeth, who was leading the nation’s revival, the empire had entered a period of unprecedented prosperity in its history.
However, the royal family, which the citizens praised in unison, was currently walking on thin ice. Intricate schemes were exchanged without a moment’s rest, making it comparable to a battlefield.
“Isn’t it a bit inappropriate to hold a hunting competition at a time like this?”