Apologies

King Daneswara shook his head and took a deep breath after listening to his daughter's story.

"I apologize, Your Majesty. I have been careless." Princess Dixita bowed with regret. She didn't dare to look at her father's disappointed face.

King Daneswara thought for a moment and then said, "This evening, I have a scheduled visit to the residence of the Second Prince. I..."

"May I join?" Princess Dixita asked enthusiastically. "Oh my God, forgive me, Your Majesty. I have been impolite." Overjoyed, she became careless and interrupted King Daneswara's words. Princess Dixita, who was excessively pampered, grew up to be a reckless princess. She often made mistakes and lacked discipline.

King Daneswara let out a deep sigh. He couldn't bear to scold his youngest son. "You may come along, Lady Dixita. However, you cannot enter the right wing of the castle, where the Second Prince resides, as it is heavily guarded, and only those with a vested interest are allowed in."

Princess Dixita pondered for a moment. "Alright then. Perhaps it's better if I don't come along. Instead, I will entrust a gift of apology to the Second Prince. Does His Majesty the King mind?"

"Of course not. But Father doubts whether the Second Prince will be willing to accept it."

"It's okay, Your Majesty. Please bring it along. Whether it's accepted or not, that's a matter for later. I beg you."

King Daneswara gently stroked the little princess's head. "Alright." Although Princess Dixita was already seventeen years old, in King Daneswara's eyes, she was still a pampered and fragile baby.

Princess Dixita smiled widely and spontaneously hugged him. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I love you so much." However, she immediately froze in place. Princess Dixita winced, realizing her carelessness. "Is your brain not an accessory, Dixita? You're really foolish," she murmured inwardly. Her body tensed up as she felt her father's touch, but gradually relaxed as he hugged her back.

"You are truly careless, Lady Dixita. I have warned you to always be cautious," King Daneswara kissed Princess Dixita's head.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. Being near you always makes me forget myself and want to hug you."

King Daneswara laughed. "I accept your apology, my charming daughter."

Although King Daneswara is firm and appears strict in educating Princess Dixita, he does all of it for the sake of his beloved child's well-being. King Daneswara wants his daughter to become an independent, resilient, and unbeatable individual. He is aware that life within the palace is not easy. Only the smart and tough can endure.

"My daughter entrusted this to you, Your Royal Highness, the Second Prince." King Daneswara handed over the box wrapped in light blue satin cloth to Prince Chesta.

Prince Chesta smiled broadly as he received the gift from the girl he admired. "This means she already knows who I am," he murmured, then untied the knot on the cloth cover. However, Prince Chesta's forehead furrowed. "Kaliofia flowers?"

Prince Chesta carefully moved the container holding the bouquet of flowers. Then, the Prince took a whiff of the flowers. "There's no scent." Prince Chesta gazed at the flowers in the low-mouthed vase. In the vase, there was a stem of Kaliofia flowers, woven with the typical Gawote Kingdom Aliot-tall grass, and a small piece of paper.

You must be wondering why I am giving you Kaliofia flowers, which in our tradition symbolize condolences. Please, Your Highness, do not misunderstand. I am presenting this flower not to wish death or misfortune upon you, but because I genuinely admire its beauty. Sometimes I wonder why such a beautiful flower is associated with death. However, upon reflection, there is no harm in giving a beautiful gift to someone we may never meet again.

Please forgive my impulsiveness.

Forget me and our meeting last night.

Prince Chesta grinned. "She told me to forget her. What an intriguing girl." Then he stood up, searching for King Daneswara. Prince Chesta wanted to invite Princess Dixita to his birthday party that would be held next week. After handing over the invitation letter, Prince Chesta returned to his study room.

A week later, Prince Chesta's birthday arrived. Several officials and young nobles came to the celebration. In total, there were two thousand invited guests in attendance. Prince Chesta received congratulations and many precious gifts from his invited guests. However, behind his charming smile, Prince Chesta was visibly anxious, waiting for Princess Dixita's arrival. He worried that the girl he liked might not come. "It's already an hour late. Where is she? Isn't she coming?" Prince Chesta glanced sadly at the large clock in the corner of the room.

However, a smile soon appeared on Prince Chesta's handsome face as he saw the figure he had been waiting for had arrived. Prince Chesta hurriedly approached her. "Good evening, Lady Dixita," he greeted, bowing, followed by Princess Dixita.

"Good evening, Your Royal Highness the Second Prince," Princess Dixita straightened herself. "Thank you for inviting me. This is a gift for you, Your Highness."

Prince Chesta received the small wooden box. "What is this?"

"It's Kaliofia flower seeds. I hope Your Highness will accept them."

"Wow, thank you. I like these flowers. I will plant them later in my mother's garden at the Imperial Palace." Prince Chesta smiled widely.

"I'm glad if Your Highness likes them." Princess Dixita smiled modestly.

They chatted. At first, Princess Dixita felt awkward, but her awkwardness quickly melted away thanks to Prince Chesta's friendliness. They strolled around the prince's residence and ended up in the library. Princess Dixita was delighted to be there. There were so many books, even rare and supposedly extinct ones were well-preserved in the library. Instantly, her thirst for knowledge surged. Princess Dixita wanted to read all the books there.

"Why are you so happy? It's just a stack of books."

"I'm sorry. Is there something wrong with these books?"

"No, there isn't. It's just that usually, a noble princess prefers a stack of jewelry and luxurious clothing, not a pile of books." Prince Chesta grinned.

"Not all noble princesses are like that, Your Highness. You shouldn't judge everyone based on the description of a few people alone."

Prince Chesta laughed. "Alright. Let's forget about that. Now, I want to ask something."

"What is it?"

"Why do you like Kaliofia flowers so much?"

"Because the flower is strong. It can endure and continue to thrive even when the soil beneath it is dry. The flower never gives up on its surroundings. It can bloom so beautifully regardless of whether the season is hot or rainy."

The long conversation with Princess Dixita made Prince Chesta feel comfortable. Her extensive knowledge made their conversation flow smoothly. Princess Dixita had a deep understanding of literature, one of the subjects that Prince Chesta enjoyed.

After that evening's meeting, the two individuals who fell in love at first sight became close and frequently exchanged letters. They would share their activities and new experiences with each other. They also exchanged interesting books they read. As a result, two months later, Prince Chesta and Princess Dixita became a couple.