Aurelia and I sat across from King Monrok.
King Monrok leaned back slightly in his chair and waved his hand.
"You may all leave."
The guards didn’t question it. They simply bowed and walked out one by one, closing the door behind them.
The mont they were gone, the room suddenly felt a lot quieter.
King Monrok then looked directly at Aurelia.
"So," he said calmly, folding his hands together. "Would you care to explain why I am only now hearing that my daughter has a lover?"
Aurelia stiffened beside .
"I— I— Father, I..."
Her voice started stumbling almost imdiately.
Sigh...I had a feeling this would happen.
King Monrok continued speaking before she could gather her words.
"If you had simply told earlier, I would not have arranged an engagent with Heloc."
Aurelia opened her mouth again, clearly trying to say sothing, but the words just wouldn’t co out.
Seeing that she was about to panic, I decided to step in.
"Your Majesty," I said.
King Monrok’s eyes shifted toward .
"I’m actually the one who told her not to inform anyone yet," I continued. "We thought it would be better to wait until things were settled."
Aurelia quickly nodded beside .
"Yes! That’s right!"
King Monrok studied the both of us quietly.
For a mont, the room went silent again. Then Aurelia suddenly reached into a small pouch she was carrying.
"Actually... there is sothing else," she said nervously.
She placed two golden rings on the table. I imdiately recognized one of them.
Heloc’s ring.
King Monrok looked down at them.
"Heloc returned the ring?" he asked.
Aurelia nodded.
"Yes. He gave it back to earlier."
She then pushed the other ring forward.
"And this is mine."
King Monrok stared at the rings for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh.
"I see."
He rubbed his temple briefly.
"Well... that explains quite a bit."
The engagent had already been annulled. That part was clear now.
King Monrok leaned back in his chair again.
"Aurelia," he said.
"Yes, Father?" she replied carefully.
"You should have simply explained things to instead of running away to hide in a brothel."
Aurelia froze.
"You knew?"
King Monrok gave her a tired look.
"Of course I knew."
He gestured casually with his hand.
"Did you really believe the royal intelligence network wouldn’t notice where the princess of this kingdom was staying?"
Aurelia’s face turned bright red.
"I— I wasn’t hiding!" she said quickly.
King Monrok shook his head.
"I also know you were using that place as a loophole to avoid the marriage."
Aurelia looked even more surprised.
"You knew that too?"
King Monrok chuckled lightly.
"My daughter, you are not as clever as you think."
Aurelia slowly lowered her head.
"I’m sorry..."
King Monrok’s expression softened a bit.
He sighed again, though this one sounded more tired than annoyed.
"Perhaps I acted too rashly," he said.
Aurelia looked up slightly.
"You are my only daughter," he continued. "And you are already at the age of marriage."
His voice was calm, but there was a hint of concern behind it.
"When I saw that you didn’t seem to have any lover... I believed it was my responsibility to arrange a suitable match."
He glanced briefly at the rings on the table.
"That is why I insisted on Heloc."
Aurelia stayed silent for a mont.
Then she bowed her head.
"I’m sorry too, Father," she said quietly. "I should have told you the truth."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly beca a lot less tense. King Monrok nodded slowly.
"Very well."
Then, to my surprise, he reached into one of the drawers in his desk.
When he pulled his hand back out, he was holding a small box.
He opened it.
Inside were two golden rings.
Well... that escalated quickly.
King Monrok placed the box on the table and slid it toward us.
"If the previous engagent is already annulled," he said calmly, "then there is no reason to delay things."
Aurelia blinked.
"Father?"
King Monrok looked at both of us.
"Exchange the rings."
For a second, neither of us moved. Then Aurelia slowly picked up one of the rings.
I picked up the other.
I gently took Aurelia’s hand.
Her fingers were a little shaky.
When I slid the ring onto her finger, her face imdiately flushed bright red.
It was cute.
She then took my hand and carefully placed the other ring on my finger.
Her hands were still trembling slightly.
When we finished, King Monrok looked at us for a mont.
Then he suddenly laughed.
"Haha!"
Aurelia flinched.
"Father?"
King Monrok wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
"Well," he said with amusent, "my daughter certainly has quite the taste."
Aurelia’s face sohow turned even redder.
"Father!"
"And quite the standards too," he continued teasingly.
"I— I do not!" Aurelia protested.
King Monrok chuckled again.
I just sat there quietly. Honestly... I wasn’t sure how to respond to that.
After the laughter died down, King Monrok cleared his throat.
"So," he said, looking at . "When should the marriage take place?"
He went straight to the point.
I scratched the back of my head.
"Well... before that happens, I’ll need to bring my grandpa to et you."
King Monrok’s eyes widened slightly.
"Your grandfather?"
I nodded.
"He’d probably want to talk with you personally."
The mont I said that, King Monrok’s entire expression changed.
Excitent practically lit up his face.
"I see!" he said quickly. "Yes, of course!"
He leaned forward slightly.
"Then I shall be expecting your visit."
The guy looked way too happy about eting Old man Duke.
After a few more brief words, Aurelia and I finally left the palace. A few minutes later, we found ourselves standing on a quiet rooftop overlooking the city.
Aurelia stood beside silently for a mont. Then she suddenly turned toward .
"Jake..."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
I looked at her.
"For what?"
"For helping ," she said softly.
She looked down at the ring on her finger.
"If you hadn’t stepped in... I don’t know what would have happened."
I shrugged.
"Well... I kind of like you."
Her head snapped up imdiately.
"You— you do?"
"Yeah," I said casually.
"That’s the reason I helped you."
I glanced at her.
"And the reason I’m willing to marry you."
Aurelia’s face turned red again.
Man, this girl blushes easily.
"I... I like you too," she said shyly.
Then she slowly stepped closer. For a mont, neither of us said anything.
Then she leaned forward.
So I did the sa, bending down to her height and our lips t.
It wasn’t anything dramatic or overly passionate.
Just a simple kiss.
Still... it felt nice.
After a few seconds, we pulled apart.
Aurelia looked a little dazed.
Cute again.
I stretched my arms slightly.
"Well," I said. "I should probably head back."
Aurelia blinked.
"Back to where?"
"To the brothel," I replied.
Her eyes widened.
"But Father said I shouldn’t return there."
"I know," I said.
"I’m not taking you back to there."
I pointed upward.
"I just want to et my friend."
Aurelia tilted her head.
"I see. Just don’t ss around there—"
Before she could ask anything else, I wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Hold on."
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