Chapter 15.1

Chapter 15.1

“That’s not it. Please don’t blame yourself. This is my fault from any angle. I was short-sighted. I just wanted to show the Lady Liovanni the most precious thing I have…”

“What are you apologizing for? They were the rude ones.”

Jasmine replied somewhat coolly, then swallowed a sigh. This was just a venting of frustration.

Even if he provided the cause, he didn’t seem wise to give such an excuse.

She understood. Neither Charles nor Jasmine had done anything wrong. However, Jasmine couldn’t help but wonder if her usual self would have accepted Charles’ proposal if Richard and this incident hadn’t occurred.

If it hadn’t been for Richard and this incident, would she have impulsively dated a man she had no interest in and willingly left the capital alone?

She was skeptical. She knew herself well enough for that.

Jasmine’s frustration welled up as she thought about Richard’s face which kept appearing like a round-trip ticket. When would she stop thinking about him? When exactly?

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. In the end, Charles had also been used by her emotions. That was the punishment for that sin.

“I’m sorry, but I should go first.”

As she was about to turn around, a middle-aged man in butler attire rushed over.

“Lady Liovanni!”

“An invitation has arrived! To the Jade Garden…”

The invitation he held had a golden seal. A golden lion emblem. An honorable mark reserved for the immediate royal family. And the Jade Garden referred to a small estate in close proximity, the personal retreat of the Crown Prince.

Jasmine blinked in surprise.

***

Thus, Jasmine, who had intended to return to the capital immediately, couldn’t bring herself to decline the Crown Prince’s invitation. She had no preparations to attend the party, but when the Crown Prince personally wrote that she needn’t worry about such details and should come, how could she dare to refuse?

In the end, Jasmine sighed and reluctantly boarded the carriage, arriving at the Crown Prince’s private estate.

As she disembarked, greeted by the voices of lively people, the sounds of music, and the sweet scent of grape wine, she locked eyes with someone and swallowed hard.

“Welcome, Lady Liovanni. I’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

And the moment she averted her gaze to avoid him, she found herself face-to-face with someone even more imposing. Crown Prince Jilian, accompanied by Duke Aion, approached her with regal steps and extended his hand.

Jasmine swallowed her surprise, carefully kissed the Crown Prince’s ring that adorned his finger, and then raised her hand to her forehead in a respectful greeting.

“I greet the noble pillar of this country.”

“Well, I’ve wanted to meet you, Lady Liovanni, at least once, and since I heard you were nearby, I thought I’d invite you. I hope I’m not stealing too much of your precious time.”

“I would never think such a thing. It’s an honor.”

“If you say so.”

Jilian’s sidelong glance quietly returned to his cousin who stood nearby. As he looked back at Jasmine, he realized he made both of them uncomfortable with his indifference.

“I wanted to meet you, but this rascal here insisted otherwise. He said not to cause any trouble. He even mentioned it might be awkward for you. Can you believe it? The guy who never used to speak up, saying we’d be a nuisance.”

“Your Highness.”

Richard called him softly, but he pretended not to hear. It seemed to be a familiar attitude.

Jasmine had a rough idea of what was happening behind the scenes. While Jilian was the stable heir to the throne, he had long wished to build a solid political alliance with the influential Duke family in the south. Perhaps it wasn’t the only way to achieve that, but she doubted there was anything as effective as a marriage between her and Richard.

Or maybe it was just the playful antics of a mischievous cousin teasing his younger sibling.

“This region is beautiful and a perfect place to rest.”

Jilian smiled with just his lips.

“Welcome. Feel free to relax, unwind and socialize.”

“Isn’t it true that we won’t know each other if we don’t converse? Feel free to engage in conversations.”

As the prince nodded and swiftly turned away, the two remaining individuals, Richard and Jasmine, stared blankly at each other. Jasmine frowned slightly as Richard let out an uncertain sigh. It felt like she was being paranoid, sensing his discomfort as if he were uncomfortable meeting her.

Goodness, why did I even come here?

“Excuse me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Pardon?” Jasmine said.

Jasmine blinked in bewilderment. Richard, on the other hand, silently observed her with an inscrutable gaze. She looked just as radiant as she had a month ago. Was it because she was in a relationship? That’s why they were here, right?

“Because of me, it seems like you’ve been inconvenienced, during your time with your lover.”

“Lover? What…”

More than explaining herself or prompting for an explanation, Jasmine was about to open her mouth when several carriages and a few horses pulled up one by one at the villa, carrying groups of young nobles.

Coincidentally, among the crowd was Charles. Jasmine frowned as she involuntarily turned her head away. At that moment, she locked eyes with Richard, who was strangely observing her with an enigmatic expression.

What’s this? Why is he looking at me like that?

Feeling uncomfortable, Jasmine shrank her shoulders in response to the subtle irony she sensed in his gaze.

“It’s not a subject I dare to talk about….”

As Richard blurted out his words, Jasmine folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. Jasmine’s cheeks were puffed, her head filled with words like why, what, what, written on her face.

Richard’s blue eyes moved slowly over it. He looked as if he was groping her cheeks with his fingertips.

Slowly, deeply.