23 — She Is Mine!

Yuden walked down the stairs in fury.

"It appears that in the end, you must come to me, Crown Prince," Layla sneered as she followed Yuden down the stairs.

Yuden turned a deaf ear to her words and continued walking at a faster pace.

"Yuden!" Layla yelled as she dashed to catch up with the ash-blond young man.

"What is it, Princess Layla?" Yuden turned around, speaking in a cold tone and appearing irritated.

"It is not as if you love her. If she loves someone else, let her be with him. Why are you getting worked up? Plus, we were supposed to get married! She came out of nowhere!" Layla exclaimed.

"Out of nowhere? Really? Unless you forgot, she was already there despite her years of absence. The elders repeatedly reminded me how she was the one meant for me. Even if I..." Yuden paused.

"Even if you what?" Layla raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed.

"Even if I was with other women, you know very well they meant nothing to me. I knew I had to be with her, no matter what. And now that she's back, you want me to give her to another man? First of all, he's not worthy of her. He is a commoner, and she has royal blood in her! Overall, she is mine! I will never give away what's mine. You know that full well, Your Highness," Yuden said coldly before making his way outside of the palace.

Layla, feeling frustrated, pivoted on her heel and retraced her steps, heading back up the stairs in anger.

Yuden, upon reaching the exterior of the palace, walked towards his car.

Just as the driver was about to greet him, Yuden swiftly and forcefully removed the driver from his car.

The driver, disoriented, nearly stumbled on the ground.

Reacting quickly, Yuden caught the driver, grabbing him by both shoulders to steady him.

"Get yourself a taxi," Yuden said, handing the driver some money. Then, he sat inside the car and drove away from the palace.

"What happened to His Highness?" The driver mumbled, his face filled with worry as he watched Yuden drive rashly away from him.

"This is not done, princess," Yuden muttered to himself as he raced, crossing the speed limit.

Despite the traffic lights shifting to yellow, Yuden remained oblivious, continuing to drive through the intersection without pausing. He ignored the traffic rules and narrowly avoided accidents. Other cars honked at him, but he didn't pay attention.

It wasn't until he arrived at his palace that he finally brought the car to a stop.

Gloria, who stood beside the window of her bedroom, was looking out the window and shouted upon noticing the speed at which Yuden arrived at the front of his palace.

"Crown Prince!"

Gloria hurried outside to greet her younger brother.

Meanwhile, Yuden got out of his car and slammed the door shut behind him.

"What's wrong?!" Gloria inquired, her face filled with concern.

"Nothing," Yuden grinned.

Gloria could sense that something was wrong; however, she didn't wish to anger him by asking further. After all, his anger was frightening to her as well.

All she could wish for was that he would calm himself down.

Returning Yuden's smile, she gently grasped his arm.

"Why don't you escort me for a walk, Your Highness?" She asked, looking up at him.

"This late?" Yuden perplexedly asked, glancing at his watch. It was already eleven o'clock.

Gloria tilted her head, raising an eyebrow.

"You will refuse?" She curved her lips into a bright smile.

Yuden was surprised by how quickly his sister had noticed his arrival, especially when none of the other servants seemed to take note.

But he was glad to see her. She was the only person he could confide in about anything, and he knew she would keep his secrets safe.

As they walked towards the garden, he couldn't help but wonder how she always seemed to sense what he was feeling, even when he tried to hide it.

Maybe it was their bond as siblings, or perhaps it was just her intuition. Either way, he was grateful to have her by his side.

Ever since their mother's disappearance, Gloria had been his unwavering source of support.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Yuden gave Gloria a soft smile and shook his head in acknowledgment.

"How dare I refuse the Duchess's wish?" He chuckled jokingly and walked toward the garden, holding Gloria's arm.

"So, what is bothering you?" Gloria asked the question Yuden wished to avoid the most.

"Work," he simply replied.

The driver had called Gloria once he saw Yuden's rash driving, leaving him worried. He notified Gloria about what happened in the palace.

However, Gloria didn't want to make Yuden uncomfortable by bringing up the unexpected event at the Throrens.

"Yuden," she said, taking a seat on the swing. "Push me," she said, with a bright smile.

"What is wrong with you, making unexpected requests?" Yuden chuckled and walked behind, pushing her.

Gloria's long ash hair was blown through the wind. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before she spoke.

"Yuden, you know everyone is raised differently. What's wrong for you isn't wrong for someone else. What's right for you isn't right for someone else. I hope you can become a good ruler," Gloria smiled brightly as she turned back to face her younger brother.

Yet that smile didn't last long. Her smile gradually disappeared, and she turned her head facing the huge building in front of her.

"However, for that to happen, you need to listen to everyone's side of the story. It would be best if you didn't lose composure easily. I know you're good at it: hiding your feelings is what you do best," she paused as she stopped the swing with her feet and stood up, turning her face to meet her gaze at her young brother's.

"You need to become a person's friend first before you want to form any other relationships," Gloria softly caressed Yuden's cheek with her right hand before retreating her hand away.

"I apologize for talking the way I did," She bowed down and turned her steps, leaving Yuden behind.

Yuden listened to his older sister's words attentively. He was a smart young man. He quickly connected the dots. She was talking about Princess Zahra's upbringing. The way she was raised, she probably never learned how meeting a stranger man in her bedroom could tarnish her family's reputation. However, Yuden still couldn't accept it easily.

Although he used to play around with women, he hasn't met any other woman ever since Zahra entered his life. He remained loyal to the promise he never made. The promise between the kingdom of Yurania and the kingdom of Averlyon; their alliance would remain intact only if the crown prince of Yurania and the crown princess of Averlyon got married.

Yuden took a seat on the swing, thinking about methods he could use to make Isaac regret his actions.

"You should root in jail for a few days," he sneered evilly. "A bit of beating won't be bad," he mumbled.

The next day, Yuden walked inside the police station.

The police inspector in charge jolted from his seat once he saw the crown prince walking into his office. He quickly bowed to the taller young man.

"Greetings, Your Highness," he greeted.

Yuden nodded and took a seat, wrapping his right leg around his left.

"You may rise and take a seat," Yuden ordered.

"How can I help you?" The officer hurried to sit on the chair.

"I want Issac Xawer to be locked in jail for a few days," Yuden started.

"But on what charges?" the officer asked.

"The charges are from Princess Zahra of Averlyon. Issac Xawer sneaked into her bedchambers late at night." Yuden continued, "That's a serious crime, isn't it? Some random man entered MY fiancée, the future queen of this kingdom's bedroom." Yuden emphasized Zahra's position, pressuring the officer.

The officer nervously noted down the complaint himself and gave the crown prince a wry smile.

"Your complaint has been filed. We will deal with him properly. You do not need to worry," the officer reassured.

"I'm not worried. If the work isn't done, it is your job that will be gone," Yuden simply replied, standing up and walking out of the office, leaving the police officer tense.

"Why do these royals keep coming to this police station?" the officer mumbled to himself.

Luckily for him, Yuden had already left the area.

Yuden wanted to meet Zahra once before he proceeded with his plan, but he hesitated, fearing that this encounter might ruin his plan.

After all, Princess Zahra was not an ordinary girl. She always did the unexpected. He couldn't risk his plans being ruined again.