Chapter 23. Heartwood's Heart

A week had passed since Lysandra's first encounter with Prince Lysander within Clover Castle. Lysandra followed her daily routine, engaging in lessons as a princess and as the prince's potential bride.

Although Prince Lysander was not the heir to the throne, he still held the title of prince. This led her father, who had originally been a leader of the anti-royal faction, to unexpectedly align their family with the royal lineage to increase their fame and fortune. While Lysandra was repulsed by her father's ulterior motives and doubted her worthiness to stand by Prince Lysander's side, she couldn't deny her excitement that her future partner was someone like him.

At first, the news of her betrothal to a prince stirred a whirlwind of conflicting emotions within her. The fear that the prince might not deem Lysandra a suitable match, or that she might not match his expectations of beauty, haunted her. Doubt, feelings of inadequacy, and a myriad of other thoughts clouded Lysandra's mind.

Consequently, whenever she dwelled on these thoughts, she struggled to concentrate during her practice sessions and the lessons tailored by her father. This resulted in frequent scoldings from him.

"You useless girl! What was the point of my damned wife sacrificing herself to give birth to a worthless daughter like you?" Her father's verbal assaults became even harsher upon discovering Lysandra's difficulty in preparing the perfect tea for him, despite having hired a tutor to train her in hosting a tea party suitable for a noblewoman.

Lysandra's self-assurance began to waver, and she started to doubt her worthiness as her father's daughter. Despite this, her father found value in Lysandra's presence, seeing an opportunity to arrange her marriage to the second prince of the Clover Kingdom. This union would elevate the status of the Heartwood family and solidify their position as distinguished members of the royal court, unrivaled by any other noble household.

As her routine days grew more challenging, a pivotal moment approached when her father led her to meet the second prince within the castle walls. However, just as the Heartwood family's carriage neared the castle gates, her father whispered something unexpected, "Although you are betrothed to the second prince, consider cultivating a relationship with his elder brother, the crown prince. Then, if the crown prince also express a desire to wed you..."

Listening to her father's repulsive request, Lysandra reached her breaking point and leaped out of the carriage towards the edge of the castle. Despite the feeling that she was making a mistake by forcefully entering the palace like that, she pressed on, running with determination.

As her overwhelming sadness threatened to engulf her, Lysandra allowed herself to cry. Although she had promised her mother not to cry and to maintain a smile, the weight of the day's events left her unable to contain her tears.

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Despite her father's harsh words, her mother actually did not pass away immediately after bringing her into the world. Despite Lysandra's tender age at the time, she cherished memories of her mother's soothing lullabies and the warmth of her embrace during feeding. She also remembered her mother's bedtime stories, even amidst her persistent coughing fits that sometimes resulted in alarming instances of coughing up blood, leading Lysandra to panic and cry out in fear.

Not wanting to see Lysandra cry so bitterly, as it deeply pained her heart, her mother made a difficult agreement with her after trying to cheer her up with a smile.

"Listen, my dear. If something terrible were to happen, promise me you won't cry but smile instead. Or even laugh? Just don't cry. If you break your promise, I will have to punish you!"

This somewhat reluctant agreement was the last thing her mother said before they both fell asleep in the same bed, Lysandra holding onto her mother as tightly as she held her.

The next morning, her mother's once warm body felt cold. Initially, Lysandra thought her mother was just tired, so she left her be until a servant tried to wake her, only to scream in terror and break into heavy sobs. After that, her mother stopped feeding her and singing lullabies in her melodic voice. It was then that Lysandra realized her mother was no longer there.

In a rush, as if in a dream from the night when her mother had asked her to promise not to cry, even when sadness consumed her.

But this time, she couldn't bear it any longer. Lysandra was torn between hating her father, the prince who was meant to be her partner, or even hating herself for being the sole daughter of the Heartwood family.

Lost within the palace, Lysandra halted her running out of exhaustion. She set out to find a peaceful place to rest.

Discovering a secluded spot hidden behind bushes teeming with plants and wildflowers, Lysandra curled up and embraced herself tightly, trying to recreate the warmth of her mother's embrace from her childhood.

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After some time had passed, she finally heard the sound of footsteps crushing the grass around her, and a shadow, only slightly taller than herself, covered the sunlight in her hiding spot.

As she raised her head in fear, her teary eyes met the dark green eyes of a blond-haired boy who looked at her with a calm and gentle gaze. His serene and deep eyes made Lysandra feel like she was getting lost in them, her heart beating rapidly.

What unfolded next seemed like a dream from the storybooks about princesses and princes that Lysandra used to read.

Lysandra felt overjoyed to realize that this kind boy was the prince she was betrothed to.

Despite her father's sinister plans, Lysandra made a conscious effort to set aside her worries and immerse herself in the company of Prince Lysander, even though they had only just met that day. The prince delighted her with his witty jokes and shared intriguing insights about the artwork and ancient artifacts in the palace.

Prince Lysander's striking good looks compelled Lysandra to find herself captivated by his visage. As the evening drew near, a sense of melancholy crept over her at the thought of parting ways with Prince Lysander.

In a moment of courage, she opened up about her feelings, only to be met by Prince Lysander's teasing response. Despite her apprehension of potential rejection, Prince Lysander surprisingly assured her that he would endeavor to reciprocate her affections.

Listening to Prince Lysander's response had a profound impact on Lysandra's heart, igniting a newfound enthusiasm for the days ahead.

Even as she faced her father's reprimands on the way home for addressing the prince informally and questioning the absence of the first prince at the meeting, Lysandra's thoughts remained transfixed on the garden where she had shared a moment with Prince Lysander, holding onto his words of reciprocation.

Thus, Lysandra made a firm decision to strive to become the epitome of grace and elegance for Prince Lysander.

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To Be Continue ?