AWLC 10

Chapter – 10

Alesto stared at the Saint in front of him, holding a teacup and trying to look elegant.

She had looked messy yesterday, and today was no different.

Her hair was disheveled as if she hadn’t brushed it after waking up, and the shawl she had thrown on was crooked.

“Even if she’s from a humble background, do noble ladies usually look like that?”

Noblewomen supposedly took great care of their appearance, but the Saint didn’t seem interested in such things.

Or maybe she simply trusted her own beauty too much.

“…Still, even when she looks messy and disheveled, she’s undeniably pretty. That’s trustworthy enough.”

What should one call someone like that?

A bright-eyed puppy rolling in the dust until its white fur turns gray?

But really, a beautiful puppy.

For some reason, the image of a dog kept coming to his mind—but he couldn’t think of her as a dog.

The Saint wasn’t a dog, and she was, after all, an adult like him.

“Would you like to have lunch together today?”

…Maybe she was a little like a puppy.

After all, she was noble too, and Alesto knew how busy the Crown Prince must be with his duties.

Yet she said something akin to a puppy stamping its paws, “I don’t care how busy you are, play with me now!”

Surprisingly, it didn’t make him annoyed.

“Is there something you’d like to eat?”

The Saint smiled innocently.

“I want to eat out. Meat, please.”

Alesto nodded deeply, though he thought her diet needed some adjustment.

“Then let’s go.”

The two of them headed to Lake Buisel, located in the heart of the capital.

Lake Buisel had varying depths, and the water’s color changed accordingly, creating a stunningly beautiful scenery.

Alesto and Asha took a quiet spot at a lakeside restaurant.

Their balcony seat, elevated and open, offered a perfect view of the lake.

A staff member poured water into glass cups and stood politely.

“Would you like the full course meal?”

Last night, at The Lion’s Table, Asha had tried wine, choked a little, and her face had flushed bright red before finishing even a single glass.

Alesto assumed she couldn’t handle alcohol.

“The lady can skip the aperitif and have something light. Apple juice okay?”

Asha nodded without thinking much.

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Alcohol or juice didn’t matter—what mattered was eating meat outside the palace.

In truth, there was a reason she wanted to eat out today.

Yesterday, while escaping, she had overheard something meaningful.

She was curious whether she could go outside and had subtly tested it with the proposal to eat out.

Alesto thought she was pretending not to know how busy he was, but that wasn’t the case.

Asha genuinely had no idea how busy the Crown Prince’s duties were.

All she knew about princes came from romance novels.

Clichés like [cold on the outside, soft tofu inside], [cold but warm to his lady], [lonely in a glamorous world], and the like.

In most romance novels, princes were either main or important side characters, and the story focused on their romantic scenes.

So Asha, unaware of the prince’s responsibilities, was happy with today’s outing.

Lake Buisel was truly magnificent.

The blue sky, warm sunlight, the gentle breeze rustling the leaves—all of it felt strangely unfamiliar to her.

No more wearing dusty overalls, standing by the rails, working like a machine.

This was a calm, beautiful everyday life, yet she felt almost overwhelmed with emotion.

“Have you ever been in love?”

Huh?

“Suddenly…?”

A subtle smile appeared at Alesto’s lips.

“Suddenly? But yesterday, Asha said it was her dream to be taken by a handsome man and loved, didn’t she? And that I should take her along.”

Asha swallowed hard.

“Yes… that’s right.”

“I also said I liked you, Asha.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

As she tried to find words, he added,

“If both like each other, isn’t that dating?”

A straightforward declaration from a handsome man was enough to make Asha’s heart flutter.

There was no reason to refuse.

He was perfect in appearance and figure, and he saw her as a potential romantic partner.

It wasn’t marriage—it was dating. What was there to refuse?

Above all, she didn’t know if it was love, but the thrill of her racing heart was too delightful to deny.

“I… I guess so. …It’s my first time dating.”

Just then, her gaze caught a sudden sight across the balcony.

“Huh?”

She spotted a blond man.

It was Cedric, the main male character from the original story, whom she had seen yesterday in the lavender garden.

Seeing him across Alesto’s shoulder stirred complicated feelings.

Realizing it was from the story, she decided she would marry Cedric and live happily.

But an accident had disrupted the match.

And now, she was talking about dating another man…

‘Feels like I’m cheating,’ she thought.

Of course, it was just a feeling. She knew full well it wasn’t infidelity.

She had never even spoken to Cedric, and he didn’t even know who she was.

Cedric had been in a foul mood since yesterday.

Specifically, ever since he saw the Crown Prince and the woman presumed to be his companion in the lavender garden at the temple.

The reason was clear.

He kept thinking of the woman with another man—the Crown Prince.

Was it possible he had fallen at first sight for someone spending close time with another man? His heart raced.

“…Pathetic.”

He didn’t entirely believe in love at first sight, but having dreamed about her made it somewhat credible.

In his dream, he was in the lavender garden, sharing a deeply passionate kiss with a woman whose name he didn’t know.

She hadn’t resisted.

In truth, calling it a “passionate kiss” was too refined.

His clumsy and hasty kiss had almost seemed like he would devour her.

“I’m going crazy.”

Had a late adolescence hit him?

It felt as if someone had cast magic—or a curse—on him.

“…Sigh.”

Lake Buisel was a location recommended by his steward, who accompanied him to the capital.

Since he had been cooped up sighing all the time, it was suggested he try a change of scenery.

Now he was at a coffee house with a perfect view of the lake, trying to calm himself.

But unexpectedly, across the balcony appeared the Crown Prince and the woman from his dream.

For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating.

He rubbed his eyes and confirmed it wasn’t a trick of the mind.

He hadn’t intentionally eavesdropped.

Like being naturally drawn to a blooming flower by the roadside, his gaze had simply followed.

They were quietly talking about their future relationship.

Then he heard her name.

“Asha.”

The familiar name struck him like a lightning bolt. His fists clenched.

Asha was the woman he was supposed to meet yesterday.

That morning, when the Herman family’s eldest son brought an official apology for his daughter’s absence, Cedric had accepted it graciously.

He had no complaints about the failed match.

‘But the woman from my dream was actually Asha, the one I was supposed to meet?’

His heart throbbed as if struck by lightning.

And their conversation didn’t sound like a conversation between long-time lovers.

It sounded like a couple just beginning a relationship after meeting yesterday.

What had gone wrong, he didn’t know—but one thing was clear.

The person now smiling and talking about romance could have been me.