“I mean, you praised me! Despite how clumsy I am, you praised me without rolling your eyes the first time we met! I’ve never been praised by someone I just met before!”
“You can show your adorable smile all you want, but... Ah, actually, Father and my sister praised you even more! They’re much kinder than I am!” Al didn’t have any recollection of Cecilia praising her, but he wanted to form some sort of an excuse. Luna was surprised for a second, but her smile quickly returned.
“Really? That makes me happy. It seems like your sister won’t bully me even after we get married!” Luna said nonchalantly.
Despite how he may have looked, Al really did appreciate her feelings. It wasn’t as though he could say no to his father, considering he was being forced into a political marriage, but he was pleasantly surprised by his partner. She may have been a bit of a klutz, but she was kind and adorable. He would’ve been hard-pressed to speak badly of her, and that was exactly why he decided to reject her.
“No, we don’t have to get married. Honestly, I just lost my mother and brother. I don’t really feel like starting a relationship right now.” This seemed like the fairest way to answer her feelings. Hearing that, Luna pressed a finger to her lips and went deep into thought.
“Ah! Now I see why His Majesty chose me!”
What does that mean!? Al was starting to get irritated. He wanted to get this over with. If he couldn’t, falling for her wouldn’t be out of the question.
“I don’t really know what you’re getting at, but—”
“I also lost my parents half a year ago.”
“Wait, you too!?” Al asked, his eyes almost popping out of his skull.
“Yes. Assassins are commonplace at home.” To Al’s surprise, Luna’s smile remained intact. Distania was an agrarian nation, but in contrast to its fertile land—or rather, precisely because of such riches—it was plagued with infighting over the royal inheritance. Rumors held that the crown had switched heads three times in just one month.
“I love my country, but I don’t care about the throne. My entire family was slaughtered except for me and my sister, so instead of spending my life in the royal palace, I’d much rather spend my time here... with you, Your Highness.” Luna looked up at Al and pleaded, fidgeting in place.
“Well, I mean... As I said, I’m overwhelmed with my mother’s and brother’s...” Al cut off his excuse when he realized how awful it sounded.
Wait, she’s much worse off than me, yet she’s smiling!? And then here I am, looking like a... Al hung his head when he realized just how much weaker he was as a person.
“Ehehe. I feel like I have to supplement what I said earlier about Your Highness being kind,” Luna said to the sulking prince.
“‘Supplement’? With what?” Al was ready to hear how weak, puny, and fragile he was, but...
“Your Highness is a kind person who holds the memories of his late family dear to this very day.”
He lifted his head at those words, and the sight of Luna’s radiant smile came into view.
“Why do you insist that I’m such a great person?” Al asked in a soft voice. As he did, he realized that Luna’s incredible strength was pulling him out of his shell.
“Why, doesn’t thinking so make things brighter?” Hearing her nonchalant answer, Al looked into her eyes. They were looking straight ahead, without a trace of lies or deceit.
I may have fallen in love. Al decided to keep that thought to himself. He didn’t have any particular reason for doing so, yet he felt like Luna would disappear if he were to say it out loud.
“‘Your Highness’ sounds too stiff coming from my bride, so call me Al,” he flung his head to the side and muttered under his breath.
“Okay.” Luna was surprised, but she nodded bashfully. With that, their engagement was settled.
The days that followed were like something out of a fairy tale. He didn’t forget about the tragedy that had struck him, but her presence slowly helped him overcome his grief. At times when the pain outweighed his resolve, Luna was by his side to cry with him. Al realized he was falling for her more with every passing day. Riding the roaring wave of their feelings, they came up with a plan.
On the day their engagement was to be officially announced, they slipped out of the castle to exchange their vows in their own little private world. Later in life, Al realized that doing so was akin to playing house, but back then it was a deathly serious matter. When night finally fell, they made their move. They snuck through the castle and out into the courtyard, where the beloved roses belonging to Al’s late mother stood proudly in the night.
“I love this place.”
The moonlight gently danced on Luna’s face, making her smile more radiant than ever. They were completely alone in the serene garden that lacked any artificial light, though the guards stationed in the castle would rush to their aid in seconds if they screamed. Despite that, their secret outing felt like a real adventure. They snuck onto the lawn, clear of any trees obstructing their view, and laid down, gazing up at the moon.
“Hehe. We’re out here so late at night... We have to be careful not to yawn at the ceremony tomorrow!” Luna let out a cute chuckle. She had been much less reserved around Al since their engagement. At this point, even her occasional goofs felt adorable, leaving Al to wonder if he was wearing rose-tinted glasses.