“…I can’t believe this day has come. It feels like a dream,” Lidio murmured as he watched the carriage disappear into the distance, his gaze lifting to the starlit sky.
Lidio’s past was marked by loss. As a child, he had lost his father to illness and, shortly after, his mother had vanished.
His parents had shared a deep love, and they adored Lidio dearly. But his mother, overcome with grief, had grown weaker by the day, her spirit fading despite Lidio’s attempts to comfort her.
It was the family’s butler, who had quietly cared for her, who eventually rekindled her will to live. Their bond deepened into love, and one day, the two of them disappeared without a trace.
The young Lidio was left heartbroken and alone. He regretted not expressing his love to his mother more, wondering if he could have saved her. Though his grandfather, the former king, supported him, the fear of losing loved ones again made Lidio wary of forming close bonds.
Despite numerous proposals due to his position as the future duke, he rejected them all.
When Lidio met Alice at the academy, however, she was unlike anyone he had known.
Alice’s dedication to helping others, even when unacknowledged, drew Lidio’s admiration. He found himself seeking excuses to speak with her more often.
Knowing she was engaged to the second prince, Lambert, Lidio resolved to quietly wish for her happiness and suppress his feelings.
But when he heard of Lambert’s public humiliation and annulment of their engagement, Lidio’s anger boiled over. Rushing to the party, he had been ready to strike down the fool who hurt her, caring little for the consequences.
Yet meeting Alice in the hallway and hearing her true feelings stopped him. She wasn’t hurt—she was relieved, even joyful. That knowledge calmed his rage and shifted his anger into disdain for Lambert’s foolishness.
(What an idiot. How could anyone not cherish such an incredible woman?)
For the first time, Lidio realized he no longer needed to hide his feelings. The opportunity to express them was now, and he couldn’t let anyone else take his place.
“I’ll protect her,” he vowed silently, “and I’ll never lose someone I love again.”
* * *
Days later, the Blumel family received two letters addressed to Alice.
The first was an apology from Lambert. Hastily written and clearly forced, it was a pitiful attempt at remorse.
After the party, Alice had submitted evidence of her innocence to the royal family, who confirmed her claims. Lambert was stripped of his royal status and sentenced to indefinite military service in the barren western regions of the kingdom.
Alice knew Lambert would likely harbor resentment toward her, but he was no longer someone she cared about.
(As long as I never have to see him again, that’s all that matters.)
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