ғᴏᴜʀᴛᴇᴇɴᴛʜ.

The moment she realized how swollen and puffy her eyes were after a night of crying to sleep, she asked the maid to prepare a cold compress to lessen it. She didn't bother to have breakfast when they invited her. She went straight inside the car and asked the driver to bring her to Royal High already. She received a good morning message from both men but she is still thinking on how she will face them later on. She thanked the driver when she finally arrived at school. There were only a few students around, so she went to the library first.

"Good morning." She jolted when she heard his voice. She forced a smile and placed her bag on the vacant seat. He cupped her cheeks and traced the puffiness of her eyes.

"Did you cry?" She shook her head but deep inside, she wanted to cry on him. She moved away from him since she felt like it was wrong. She is already engaged to the Seventh Prince. She shouldn't let other men touch her like that.

"Can you stop.. pursuing me? I'm already engaged to Hoku-chan." She mumbled while looking away. He clenched his fists tight and let out a harsh sigh.

She took her bag and when she was walking out of the library, she saw the Seventh Prince coming. It was a good morning for him. They are considered childhood sweethearts. She received a kiss on her forehead and she forced another smile. She needs time to think if she should really accept this engagement. Her grandfather has been giving her whatever she wants and accepting this engagement is the only thing she can do for him.

"We will be joining you and your family for dinner later." The Seventh Prince said and she nodded. It was already seven, so they needed to go to the classroom.

The Journalism Department released the monthly school newspaper that day, so everyone got their copies. They saw the photos from the school festival but the Third Prince and Ninth Princess' photo during the Music Night got the most attention. There was also a small panel for their speculations about the relationship between them. She turned the pages and placed it back on her desk. She raised her hand and when the teacher called her, she excused herself and told her that she was not feeling well.

"I can go to the infirmary by myself, Sensei." She said softly and she went out of the classroom quietly.

The nurse asked her what she was feeling and she said that she didn't have enough sleep last night and she got a headache. The nurse gave her paracetamol and let her rest in one of the beds. She turned to the side and stared at the wall as the nurse pulled the curtains for her privacy and the moment she closed her eyes, she immediately fell asleep. The nurse turned around when she heard someone opening the door. It was the Third Prince. Perhaps, he saw the Ninth Princess going to the infirmary, so he followed.

"Do you want to stay here for a while? I'll go to the hospital to bring some documents." The nurse said and he nodded. She gently patted his shoulder, leaving them alone inside the infirmary.

He took a chair and placed it at the bedside quietly. He pushed the curtains to the side and held her hand gently while staring at her sleeping face. He carefully nuzzled his cheeks against her palm and cherished the warmth it brought him. He doesn't want to wake her up, knowing that she carries more problems than him but at the same time, he will not give her up.

With the Aoyama and Yamamoto Empires being business partners for more than a decade now, he will not go bankrupt if he will let go of the Yoshino Group of Companies, right? Especially now that they are having rivalries because of the only Princess of the Hasegawa Clan. He brought his phone alone, so he sent the Eighth Prince a message that his twin sister is currently at the infirmary and taking some rest. It is almost break time, so he knows that the closest to her will go there to ask her if she is alright. She slowly opened her eyes and she saw him. They didn't talk but it felt stingy when he left a tiny love mark on her ring finger.

"I will marry you, Fuyu. I marked you mine." She blushed hard when she heard those from him. She pulled her hand away from him and hid it under the blankets.

"You know that you can't. I'm already engaged to Hokuto." She mumbled. He shook his head and pulled her hand closer to him again. He gently bit her fingertips and she blushed even more.

"What are you doing?" She asked and he stood up from his seat and moved on top of her. She was taken aback when he pushed the curtains to cover them.

"Making you mine." He whispered, holding her hands before leaning down to kiss her lips deeply. She shut her eyes and gripped on his hands tightly.

The moment she started kissing him back, they heard the door opening. He gave her one last kiss before getting off her. She sat up on the bed while trying to calm herself down. The curtains opened and she saw the Seventh Prince. She looked around and realized that the Third Prince was already gone. She saw how worried he was to her, so she smiled faintly.

"Hoku-chan, about our engagement.." She started and he nodded. He knows that she is unsure of it because the Third Prince is pursuing her but it doesn't mean he will let him take her away from him completely.

"I will give you time to think about it. I don't want to force you to this engagement but it doesn't mean we should neglect our grandparents' wishes. Let's take it slowly, hm?" He said and she nodded. He hugged her gently and she just rested her body on his.

"Are you hungry? Do you want me to get you food and drinks?" She shook her head but she appreciated the offer.

"Then, how about lunch? Let's have lunch together." She accepted this one since she didn't have breakfast earlier. She felt a soft kiss on her forehead and she just closed her eyes. It was calming and she felt safe with it.