Chapter 217 - Only The Beginning

Once I entered the terrace, I closed the door back to the hall. I let out a sigh of relief. I had finally said it. Throughout the little exchanges we had during the dance, I was constantly afraid that other people might notice that something might be going on between us. After all, there must be a reason why he did not reveal his identity to me all this time.

I was surprised that he had asked me to dance with him. Still, I did not accept his request right away. Most people would simply think I had danced with him to show courtesy.

Dance was one of the most common means of communication among aristocrats. It was a tool for socializing with acquaintances, reaching out to people one wanted to get to know, and courtship. One was allowed to dance with a single person up to three times. However, this only happened if the two were interested in each other romantically. On the other hand, dancing with a person only once was considered a polite rejection. Therefore, the people were likely thinking that the crown prince was interested in me, and I had rejected him. Hopefully, no one would be able to guess that I knew him personally.

A giggle escaped from me just then. I had always thought Max was a little strange but couldn't believe he was the crown prince. Now that I thought about it, there were many times he had acted out of place. He spoke very arrogantly for an ordinary commoner. Moreover, he tended to act elegant yet haughty like a young master of a wealthy family. I had guessed that he could either be an illegitimate child born from an affluent family or a runaway noble… but never concluded that he would be the crown prince.

I started feeling betrayed, and so I quickly shook off my thoughts.

"Lady Floyen," he called just then.

'What? 'Lady Floyen'?' Frowning, I turned my head at his formal address. I had expected to see his handsome face, but he was still wearing his mask. I felt disappointed for a moment but shook my head. 'There must be a reason why he has his face covered,' I sympathized.

"What did you call me here for?"

I sighed in response to his arrogant tone and decided to get straight to the point.

"How about we stop here, Max?"

I could tell he was startled, but he continued to pretend. "I don't know what you're talking about—"

Not wanting to waste any more time, I cut him off. "Our contractual relationship. It's time to end it."

He began sagging to the floor once I finished speaking.

"M-max?" Taken aback by his reaction, I called him. I could see the despair in his eyes.

"Are you really… thinking of ending it? Like this?" I nodded right away. Lowering his head, he mumbled, "Can't we continue it?"

I began to feel sorry but could not put this off any longer as I had already made up my mind. "Max, don't do this…"

I approached him to help him stand. He grabbed my hand and spoke in a trembling voice. "I will be a better boyfriend. I won't do anything you don't like… so please reconsider, Jubelian."

His desperate words made me feel like I was the bad person. Sighing, I forfeited, "Will you promise then? Promise that you won't do something like this again." Instead of answering, he nodded eagerly. The gesture was rather cute, but there was something that bothered me. His attractive features were still covered by the mask. With my free hand, I removed the hideous mask that had been hiding his identity. The familiar yet stunning face was soon revealed.

"Jubelian." His ruby eyes were teary, showing my reflection. A single teardrop fell. No matter how dense I was, I knew what I had done. I had tamed the very person I had feared my whole life. "I love you," he confessed. The short but impassioned phrase was enough to convey his sincerity.

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Hope you enjoyed it,

Love,

Biji ^^,

Jan.1.2024