106 A Friendly Corner

Prince Nathaniel's question left Daphne speechless. She could not find her voice, merely staring forlornly at her cake in despair. Her lips were parted, gaping open and closing again and again as if she was a fish out of the water, desperately trying to breathe.

In the end, it was the crown prince's chuckle that cut the awkward tension between them.

"Apologies, Princess Daphne," he said. "I shouldn't have asked something like that. It's not my place to pry."

"It's not that," she finally said, looking away from her plate. 

When met with Nathaniel's peaceful expression, Daphne cursed herself silently. He didn't rush her and simply patiently waited for whenever Daphne was ready to speak. 

Raxuvia truly was a cursed place. She had already made so many errors and caused so many faults ever since the journey had started.

"My siblings… they didn't mean it." Her defense for them was weak.

They did. She knew very well they did.