We Lost Our Engagement

When April came back from the funeral yesterday, the first thing Countess Campbell said to her was, ‘Now you can’t even move in your own room without my permission!’ That was it.

She seemed to think that perhaps Dominic’s visit was all due to April’s deviousness. She sat inside April’s room and even began to monitor her.

But despite the Countess’ efforts, April had to leave the mansion again today.

In the afternoon, a royal servant visited April.

He was Lochlan’s former servant  and had known April for a very long time.

He was also the one who helped them exchange letters in an informal way.

“Thank you for yesterday.”

“No, miss. I was surprised that Pepe came with a note after a long time.”

Pepe was a registered messenger bird with access to the royal family.

Lochlan had given it to April for her thirteenth birthday, and it had been trained to normally stay in the Count’s nest and go to Lochlan’s residence once a day to receive grain.

It took a very long time for them to be trained in this way, and it was only after about a year that April and Lochlan were actually able to use Pepe to exchange letters.

“Um, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but ….”

He read April’s expression and she nodded lightly.

“I understand. I suppose that means Pepe won’t get any more grain when he goes to the palace.”

“I’m sorry. No one will be allowed in the prince’s bedroom for a while.”

“I’m also going to retire from …… this.”

“I’m fine. It’s just Pepe is going to be confused.” 

“It’s clever, it’ll notice it soon enough.”

He hurriedly took out the letter from his pocket, as if the atmosphere was getting too heavy for him. 

It had the words “his last job as a ‘royal servant’.

The envelope he handed her was signed by Queen Natalia Lucian.

 April knelt down, thanked him, and accepted the letter from him.

***

An hour after the servant left, April arrived at the royal fountain garden, having hastily finished her preparations to go out.

“Welcome, Miss Campbell. Her Royal Highness is waiting for you.”

Duchess Allen, the Queen’s handmaiden, greeted April warmly.

At first, she thought she was going to the Queen’s parlor, but to her surprise, she actually arrived in front of Lochlan’s bedroom.

“Your Highness, the Queen.”

The gaunt-faced Queen was still slumped in her wheelchair in the hallway in front of the bedroom.

April, not wanting to be rude, knelt down completely in front of her.

“I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. Get up.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

The Queen stared at the young girl standing in front of her and clicked her tongue briefly.

“You’re very thin. And your eyes are swollen.”

Your Highness, too. …… April fought off the urge to say so.

“You must be surprised to be called here.”

“Yes, a little.”

The Queen looked at the tightly closed door of the room for a moment.

“I’m going to keep Lochlan’s room sealed for a while.”

 “Yes…”

“Some people said they had to clean up, but I didn’t let them do that.”

“Your Highness.”

“He was a special child. I was married from abroad, and even my family always had a hard time. …… This child, you see… was different.” 

“He was so kind, Your Highness.”

“Yes, he was a beautiful child. He was my only joy.”

The Queen blinked quickly. She felt like she could barely contain her emotions as tears tried to well up again.

“…Anyway, before I sealed the room, I thought I should invite Miss Campbell. If I remember correctly, Lochlan loves Miss Campbell very much.”

April was very pleased that she spoke in the present tense, ‘He loves you.’ It was a small difference, but it showed consideration.

“I think you’d like to see his room at least once.”

 “Oh, hmm…”

April was visibly flustered by the Queen’s words. 

Unmarried women weren’t supposed to go into the men’s bedroom.

Moreover, this was a royal chamber with many eyes. If April had been in and out of his private quarters, she would have already been the talk of the society.

 “…Hmm?”

Noticing the unusual reaction, the Queen looked at April with narrowed eyes. It was very interesting.

“It’s not strange. It’s okay.”

April blushed and waved her hand quickly.

“I’ve always met the Prince in public places. He was not the kind of person who would take me to such a private place. He really cared about my honor.”

The Queen nodded, “I’m sure he did.”

“But I like the prince, so I was curious about his room. I don’t know how His Highness Dominic found out, but he secretly brought me here the day after my thirteenth birthday.”

At the time, the mischievous Dominic called it “Lochlan’s private bedroom tour”.

Dominic showed great sincerity by bribing his own soldiers to stand guard and even carry a ladder to the outer wall. Thanks to this, April had an unforgettable experience of climbing the outer wall of the palace on a ladder.

Although she couldn’t tell the Queen that.

“That sounds like something that kid would do. He’s like his father and has a mischievous side.”

The Queen smiled happily and pointed to the lightly closed door with her chin.

“Then I don’t have to guide you.”

 “…… yes?” 

“‘You may stay here as long as you like. I’m sure no one will make a fuss about you being here on your own anymore.”

“Your Highness…….”

“You may take whatever you want with you. Just let me know.”

April wouldn’t dare to want the prince’s things, but she bowed down to thank her just in case.

“Thank you for your concern.”

The Queen nodded, then raised her hand lightly. The Duchess began to pull her wheelchair away and April was left alone in the hallway. She hesitated for a moment, feeling awkward, but as soon as she turned the doorknob and opened the door.

“…”

Inside, the bright sunlight warmly illuminated half the room. 

Perhaps it was because of the warmth of the room, it didn’t feel like a room without a master.

“Were you waiting for me here?” April imagined Lochlan would come and said that.

April closed the door and looked around the room slowly.

 It hadn’t changed much since she was a child.

A huge bed with tall posts. A table with a prayer book on it. A one-person sofa and a small personal desk placed by the window on a warm rug.

One day, Lochlan said he would sit on the couch by the window and wait for Pepe to come.

When April approached the window, she found some grain. Perhaps the servant left it for the last time.

April slowly swept the sofa.

She could feel the familiar scent softly on her fingertips. It had been two years since Lochlan left this room, so she was probably mistaken.

“…Is it really an illusion?”

She muttered quietly, and thought of the scene she had seen yesterday.

The blue ribbon on Dominic’s arm.

She wondered if Dominic had received a similar gift from another woman.

Or did Lochlan leave it to Dominic on the battlefield?

If that’s not the case……….

Dominic is not Dominic…….

Although she thought it couldn’t be, she couldn’t stop her assumptions.

Moreover, the strange familiarity she felt whenever she looked at Dominic intrigued her suspicions. 

“But the way to prove………..”

April looked around Lochlan’s room, but couldn’t find any clues to this.

“Is the only way to ask His Highness?”

Of course, she couldn’t just ask “Are you Prince Lochlan?”

“But it would be okay to at least ask about the blue ribbon right?”

“I’ll be able to see his reaction….”

“Yes, I suppose so. Maybe next time I see His Highness.”

When she nodded her head and made up her mind, suddenly, she heard the doorknob turn. Startled, she sat down behind the sofa and hid herself, not that she had snuck in secretly but….

Soon the door opened and she could hear someone walking in.

April held her breath behind the shadow of the sofa, unable to get up for fear of awkwardness.

Even if she didn’t know who it was, she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

If she got caught like this, it would look very strange.

However, despite her wishes, the person that had entered the room immediately sank into the bed with a thud.

Who could it be?

Not many people can act like this in a prince’s room.

When April tried to get up little by little over the sofa out of curiosity.

“April Campbell…….”

A small murmur could be heard.

“Yes….?!”

When April, who gave her an answer without realizing it, flinched and raised her head, Dominic, who was lying on the bed, jumped up in surprise.

“…”

“….”

In the quiet room they kept staring at each other.

April gripped the back of the sofa, remembering again the sound of his voice in her ears.

‘You called me didn’t you…?’

He didn’t know that she was hiding here, so he must have mumbled to himself. That was probably why he looked so surprised.

 ‘Why me….’

April continued to stare at him with a mixture of suspicion and anticipation on her face.

Then suddenly Dominic spoke up with a smirk.

“I didn’t think you’d show up for real.”

‘Why did you call me?’ April was about to ask, but Dominic quickly said something else.

“By the way, April, you’re not listening to me very carefully, are you?”

‘What does he mean?’ April clenched her lips.

“That’s probably why you’re hiding.”

He got off the bed and continued to explain.

“We decided not to run into each other after the funeral, did we not?”

 “…”

April now finally remembered the promise she had made to him in the royal corridor. For some reason, though, she had forgotten.

“Anyway, I’ll leave now, take your time looking around. I’ll be back later.” (Dominic)

As Dominic was about to walk out of the room, April called him.

“Wait!”

April rushed over to him and grabbed his arm.

“….?”

Dominic looked back at her, his brow furrowing slightly. April realized now that she had dared to touch the body of royalty without permission.

“Oh………. I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

April quickly removed her hand and lowered her knees, her voice trembling a little as she begged for forgiveness in horror.

But she couldn’t remain silent. Because she made up her mind to ask him a question when they would meet again.”

“I was afraid that Your Highness would leave like this.”

“…Interesting, isn’t it?”

He replied with a sigh in his voice.

“You seemed to have a hard time looking at me before, but today you’re afraid I’ll be out of sight.”

“There’s something I would like to ask you right now. Please allow me to ask you a question, Your Highness.”