The Fiancee Who Betrayed Me Is Obsessed With Me

2 – Engaged to the Princess of a Hostile Nation (2)

I continued to make great efforts to get closer to her.

Fortunately, my parents were pleased with my efforts, and diplomatically, our growing closeness was a good sign for the kingdom.

The Helia Kingdom’s stance was the same, so the royal family of Helia also welcomed me.

The only one who did not welcome me was Yuna.

“Your Highness, would you like to watch fireworks together in a nearby city?”

“No.”

“Oh, Your Highness? Then, will you visit our kingdom next week? We pride ourselves on our musicals that combine music and drama…”

“I’ve already seen it.”

“But this is a new release… Then, Your

Highness? I heard that Helia Kingdom has a genius artist, would you guide me to his exhibition? I’ve always wanted to go…”

“I don’t know who that is.”

“But I heard that the artist is royalty…”

There were onlookers, so they did meet, but that was all.

He tried to schedule a date to spend even a little more time with her, but she refused every time.

The only moment he could share with her was tea time. Even then, their conversation was pointless.

“Sigh… Love is hard.”

“hehehehe, you’re the prince of the Regius kingdom, right? The fiancé of Princess Yuuna.”

Another day went by without any progress. As he was about to leave, a lady, a maidservant of Yuuna, approached him.

He had seen her watching them from a distance, but this was their first conversation.

“Ah, hello, ma’am. You’re Princess Yuuna’s maid, right?”

“You remember me. How thoughtful.”

“What can I help you with?”

Though she was around his mother’s age, he was the prince of the Regius Kingdom. He continued the conversation with her, maintaining his dignity.

No matter how young he was, he couldn’t let a foreigner look down on him.

“I’ve taken the liberty of offering you a hint, my prince. It seems you’re having trouble with the princess.”

“A hint?”

“Yes, a hint. I know a way Princess Yuuna might accept your date proposal.”

“Really? Please tell me!”

Hearing her next words, he immediately dropped his formal facade.

Who could blame him? A way to date Yuuna, who showed no interest?

It wasn’t that he disliked Yuuna, but her continuous refusals were tiring.

He felt that one opportunity might bring them closer, but Yuuna never gave him that chance.

“hehehe. Alright, but it’s our secret, okay?”

“Yes, yes! Please tell me!”

“Recently, Princess Yuuna has taken a liking to a cute squirrel. However, it’s a species not found in our kingdom.”

“A squirrel?”

This squirrel was a rare species found only in specific regions. Its silver fur, which glows even without light, was famous among those who knew of it. Many nobles desired to have it as a pet, but it was scarce.

“Thank you, ma’am!”

He immediately rushed back to Yuuna.

The Regius Kingdom was home to the habitat of these squirrels.

While they were good at hiding, he wasn’t worried; he knew a way to spot them.

“Princess Yuuna!”

Thankfully, she was still there, munching on snacks.

Although she hadn’t eaten when he was around, it seemed she was hungry.

“hehehe!”

“Princess! I have a request! Please visit our kingdom in exactly 8 days! I promise you’ll get to see the squirrel.”

“…A squirrel?”

“Yes! I promise.”

Perhaps it worked, for Yuuna finally met his gaze.

It was their first eye contact that day.

“I don’t want to… Hmm.”

“You’ll definitely see it!”

“…I’ll think about it.”

“Thank you! I’ll be waiting, Princess!”

Yuuna left without giving an answer.

Still, he felt confident. He believed Yuuna would come.

Although he didn’t get a definite answer, he joyfully prepared for the day.

***

“If you lie, you’re dead.”

“Yes, yes. You’ll definitely see it, Princess.”

8 days later.

As expected, Princess Yuuna visited, and they strolled towards the forest where the squirrels lived.

She was grumbling, but her excitement was evident.

Even though she tried to hide it, her lips kept twitching.

“Are we heading the right way?”

“Yes, and we have guards following us, so don’t worry.”

It was getting dark.

The forest path was rough, but he was certain of their destination.

Yuuna seemed anxious as time went on, but knowing the guards were behind, she followed him.

Despite wearing a dress, she followed resolutely, clearly eager to see the squirrel.

“This way…! Please come, Princess!”

“Ugh… If this is a lie, I’ll be mad…!”

“It’s true. Just wait a bit.”

They arrived at a lake deep in the forest.

Surrounded by rocks, the lake in the forest was a strange sight but a natural one.

“Princess, did you know moonlight is reflected sunlight?”

“Uh, yes?”

“So, if there’s no moon, there’s no sunlight left on the ground?”

“Uh, yes… That’s right.”

They sat where they could see the entire lake. Their fancy clothes were dirty, but the prince couldn’t stop smiling, looking at her.

Yuuna’s dress was muddy, and her hair was messy, but she sat politely next to him.

Being in such an uncomfortable situation yet spending so much time with her was joyful.

“Do you know that squirrels hate moonlight? In fact, they hate sunlight too.”

“Uh… But their name is ‘moon squirrel.'”

“The name ‘moon squirrel’ comes from their dislike of the moon. And tonight, there’s no moon.”

The new moon, when the sun and moon are aligned and the moon isn’t visible.

“And tonight is such a night.”

“But without light, we can’t see the squirrel!”

“Don’t worry. Even without the moonlight, you’ll see them clearly.”

As darkness fell, Yuuna grew anxious.

But the prince smiled, wanting her to see the sight without expectations.

Time passed, and just as Yuuna was about to speak, the sun fully set.

There was no light in the world.

“Uh, what…?”

“I told you, you’d see clearly.”

And in the moment when the light illuminating the world completely vanished, the rock lake in front of them began to glow.

It felt as though the vast world had been condensed to this one point. Bright, but not painfully so.

The rock lake began to light up their little world.

“These are magical stones that emit light when the sunlight and moonlight completely disappear. Normally, they just look like regular rocks, but on moonless nights, they start to glow like this.”

“Wow… it’s beautiful…”

The squirrel-like creatures hadn’t yet appeared, but the scene was already breathtaking.

It was as if the night sky filled with stars had been cast over the lake.

It evoked the sensation of standing in the middle of the universe, a mesmerizing sight.

“And those squirrel-like creatures love the unique magic of these stones.”

Soon, the creatures started gathering around the lake.

Named for their appearance only on moonless nights in regions with these rare, glowing stones.

They typically shy away from sunlight and are most active at night, making them hard to spot.

The only certain time to see them is perhaps once a month, on the night when the moon doesn’t rise and the stones glow.

It was a lesser-known fact, one I learned as a child playing late in the woods.

“Look, there they are!”

“I told you we’d see them. We can get closer; they won’t leave the lake at this hour.”

“I want to get a closer look!”

Yuuna and I stood up to get a better view.

Having been crouched for so long, our steps were wobbly, but that only made us laugh more.

“hehehe!”

“Wow, they seem to like you, princess. They didn’t flock to me like this.”

“Can I touch one?”

“If they seem fond of you, I think it should be fine.”

As we approached the lake and sat on a rock, a few of the creatures came closer to Yuuna.

She mustered the courage to pick one up, and it nestled in her arms without any resistance.

“It’s so cute!”

“It’s surprising that they’re so friendly to humans. There must be something about you that they like.”

“Really?”

Yuuna’s mood lightened, and she giggled.

It was a genuine smile, one I hadn’t seen before.

Seeing her innocent, beaming face gave me a peculiar feeling in my chest.

I couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but I found myself avoiding her gaze.

My heart raced in an unusual way.

I couldn’t define the sensation that came with her laughter.

“Um, um…”

“Yes?”

As I tried to calm my heart, Yuuna, with creatures on both shoulders, tapped mine.

“Thank you… for showing me this place.”

“You’re welcome?”

Her gratitude caught me off guard, considering her usual prickly demeanor.

“Well, I’m glad I could share it with you. I always thought I’d bring someone I loved here one day. Not that I know what love is…”

“Do you love me?”

“What?! No!”

I genuinely had made such a vow.

From a young age, my father always said that beauty is best shared with a loved one.

And this scene was the most beautiful thing I knew.

That’s not to say I loved Yuuna then. I wasn’t even sure what love was.

But I certainly didn’t regret showing her this place.

I was genuinely glad she was the first one I brought here.

I may not understand something as complicated as love, but I genuinely enjoyed my time with her.

“Friends can call each other by name, without formalities.”

“Really? But can we?”

“Let’s make an exception, as a thank you for showing me the glowing creatures.”

“Then… thank you, Yuuna. For being my friend.”

It was a timid thing for a prince to say, but it was the best I could do at the moment.

Seeing her face lit by the lake’s glow made my heart race.

The sensation was unfamiliar, but not unpleasant.

“Yes, me too. Thanks for showing them to me, Ben.”

That summer night when we were 12.

It was too early to understand what love was, but I knew that memory would stay with me forever.

“… Yuuna, shall we come back next month to see them again?”

“…Yes.”

Every new moon, on the darkest night.

Those dark nights came to haunt me because of her.