Everything — from the masculine voice, that piercing gaze, his strength, and the towering figure he had become — differed from Daniel's child self. His demeanour was akin to that of a lone wolf, majestic yet mysterious - in a way. She wondered why he was walking around concealed by a dark shroud, when no one even knew of his true identity.

"So you do remember me." Daniel seemed rather pleased after she greeted him, his eyes fixated on her. He remained unsmiling; the prince wasn't exactly the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. It made him all the more difficult to read.

Irene could feel her heart racing in an uncomfortable panic, unsure of how to react in this situation. It was starting to become a little bit intimidating when he looked so serious. "W-Well, you are the first prince. Forgetting my first encounter with you would be rather odd, wouldn't it?"

Daniel averted his gaze, his mind trailing elsewhere for a moment. Technically, you did forget me the first time.

But I guess I'll keep that to myself for now.

Irene surveyed him for a moment, still amazed by this second encounter. So many things about him felt different to what she had expected. She remembered the way Daniel appeared so vulnerable and dissatisfied with his weaknesses when they first met. But the look in his eyes betrayed not a hint of his previous troubles.

In fact, he had a rather intimidating, steely visage. Unlike Mikael, who's features were easy on the eyes and retained a sense of youthful innocence, similar to that of a porcelain doll — Daniel had a sharp, ruggedly handsome aura about him.

Even though he was young, he had been through a lot to get to where he was now. The character development for the first prince seemed to have paid off for him.

Although, I can't help but wonder... She thought, pursing her lips. Whether or not he's the same Daniel I wrote about.

There was a rather awkward moment of silence - considering the two were less than acquainted. Both had a lot of things they wished to say, but couldn't seem to find the right words.

Daniel must have noticed the silence was starting to make her uncomfortable, since he spoke up again. "In any case, what brings you here, Princess Irene?"

She flinched, the moment her name resounded from his lips. Albeit a simple deduction, Irene didn't expect the prince to learn her identity so fast. How he found out, she had no idea — but a noble had all sorts of ways of finding information.

"I'm here shopping with my mother, Your Highness," she heaved a sigh. "We're trying to find new clothes for the ball you didn't give us time to prepare for."

Daniel's expression remained as stoic as before, eyelids half-mast as he gazed down at the young woman in front of him. He seemed amused by her response and confident attitude, the edges of his lips curving upwards ever so slightly.

"Is that so? In that case," Daniel gently reached his hand into a small pouch hanging from the belt around his waist, and Irene blinked in confusion for a moment. It was then he drew forth a folded piece of cloth; an intricately embroidered handkerchief. Sewn meticulously at one of the corners with a rare, silken threading, was the crest of Laydel's royal family.

A symbol of a crown, surrounded by five stars and a single flower.

"Take this, and show it to the merchants at the red booth in the town square. They'll give you some fine-quality fabrics."

Irene stared at the cloth in his hand for a moment, hesitating whether to receive it or not. She was rather taken aback by his offer, especially considering the hidden meanings behind being given a person's handkerchief.

"I couldn't possibly accept something so important-"

"Take it," he insisted, and Irene almost jumped out of her skin when Daniel leaned in to gently lift her hand. Placing the neatly-folded cloth in her palm, his long fingers curled over her own. "We will meet again soon, so you can return it to me then."

She clutched the linen in her hand, a little bit flustered by the close proximity between them. As expected, being in the presence of someone with such an imposing aura had its effects.

His soft-spoken tone, the lack of expressiveness in his intimidating visage, it left her unsure of what to think. Sharp, piercing blue eyes following her with attentiveness, patience, interest. Despite his intimidating features, there was something warm about his touch. Irene could feel her cheeks heat up, trying to avoid looking directly at him for the sake of her own sanity.

This is exactly why I wanted to stay clear of him.

The young man soon stepped back, before she could say anything else, and then turned to leave whilst adjusting his hood. "You'd look beautiful in the silks they sell."

She blinked, stunned into silence by the compliment. The young woman wanted to speak, but was still struggling to process what Daniel just said as she watched him stride towards the roads ahead.

Did I just...

Get complimented by the male lead?

...Is that something I should feel happy about?

With all her doubts and thoughts flurrying around in her chest, Irene watched the prince's tall, slender figure quickly disappeared into the cluster of people buzzing by. She released a long sigh upon acknowledging he was finally gone.

I was really not mentally prepared for that...

"...What are you doing, staring into space like an idiot?"

Irene jolted, her nerves twanging wildly as a familiar voice called out to her from behind. She whirled on her heel to find herself face-to-face with an aloof blonde — whose eyebrow was raised and blue eyes fixed to her with curiosity glazed over them.

"Mikael?! How long have you been here?"

He tilted his head, noticing Irene's startled visage. She wondered if he happened to see Daniel leave just now, but from the way he seemed completely clueless — it appeared they just missed each other.

If Daniel waited another moment, they would have met again...

"I just came to find you since you were taking so long. Are you an airhead? Stop daydreaming in the middle of the street," Mikael sighed, gently taking Irene's hand after she quickly stuffed the handkerchief into the hidden pocket of her dress. "Come on, I'm getting tired of these crowds so hurry up and get your shopping done."

Irene frowned at him. He really can't speak nicely at all. "Why did you come with us if you knew there were going to be people around?"

It didn't surprise her when he blatantly ignored that question, instead striding ahead and urging Irene to hurry in order to keep up with him. Mikael cast a fleeting glance back at her, but his gaze then lingered on the crowd further behind.

I could have sworn she was talking to some guy just now...

Soon, he guided her back to rendezvous with Sarah at the men's boutique. It was filled to the the brim with young noblemen, who had all come by in order to purchase some quality fineries. The attention Mikael received simply by being present, ended up resulting in them giving up.

"Ah, Irene you're back!" Sarah beamed, clapping her gloved hands together. "Now then, shall we start to choose some of the best outfits for our beloved Mikael?"

Irene blinked, glancing at Mikael beside her, who seemed a little bit embarrassed. His pale ears flushed red, as he silently trudged towards the elaborate suits lined up outside the changing rooms. A member of the boutique's staff held the curtain wide open, ushering him inside.

Wow, Mother is really good at getting Mikael to do things outside of his comfort zone.

Although it was just trying on some new clothes, because it was Mikael — everyone's attention was drawn to the changing room, waiting for it to open and the prince to step out. Even the other customers had stopped what they were doing, simply to catch a glance.

Mikael had been growing more handsome by the day, with his pale features still as soft and white as a snowflake. So when he stepped out of the changing room, wearing an elaborate suit with a black waistcoat and airy white shirt beneath, everyone erupted into a silent praise.

His creamy-blonde hair perfectly complimented by the embellished golden threading and intricate designs. Mikael tried on numerous varying clothes, and almost everything he tried on looked as if it were created simply to be worn by him.

Irene couldn't help but gaze at him in amazement. Since she saw him every day, she had almost forgotten just how beautiful he was. Mikael was easily flustered in these kinds of situations, but he seemed to gain enough confidence to keep his composure.

He really is so pretty, like a doll. I bet he would even look good in a dress. Irene thought, radiantly smiling at him as soon as their eyes met.

Sarah soon came to a decision, after enjoying the young prince have his own little fashion show. Holding her hands together in resolve, the duchess turned to the owner of the shop. "We'll take everything in this shop."

Those words elicited multiple gasps from the surrounding customers, but they knew they could not compete. After all, this was the second prince.

Mikael sighed, finding himself in a dark blue suit with silver embellishments. It was simpler compared to the other outfits he wore, but still complimented him very well.

"I think I'll keep this one on, I'm sick of changing."

Irene chuckled when Mikael exhaled softly, running a slender hand through his blonde locks. "Well, it does make you very handsome."

Her compliment was returned by icy indifference. "You'd call me that even if I was dressed in nothing."

"You've got a point there."

Her bold response only elicited a look of silent dissatisfaction in Mikael's eyes. She thought he would say something, but the prince pressed his lips in silence.

Irene couldn't tell why, but he really was moodier than usual these days. Perhaps puberty was having bad effects on his feelings, since he seemed to pick on her over the tiniest of things.

Soon after having all the transactions complete, the three egressed the store with a few knights in tow. Irene had no idea when they even arrived, but it seemed they were sent by Rudien to guard them after they already left.

Classic doting father move.

Sarah continued to leisurely shop alongside the two, perusing the elaborate dresses in store. However - there weren't many impressive gowns fit for a royal banquet. It was after her mother started to seem less motivated to buy anything, that Irene remembered the handkerchief the first prince let her borrow, and decided to try visiting the merchants he told her about earlier.

He mentioned them selling silks... If it's Daniel supporting them, I'm sure the quality is good, right?

Upon arriving, Irene had walked ahead by several feet to ensure she was guiding everyone to the right place, before arriving at the stall in question. The merchants handling this booth seemed like hardworking, honest men who smiled at their customers with kind eyes.

Despite the strong, Izadellian accents which had passersby on edge, there was nothing seemingly off about these salesmen.

What surprised Irene the most — was the amount of elaborate fineries they were selling. Patterned fabrics and quality silks unlike those of Laydel's, which greatly resembled the art of Jowei, a nation similar to East Asian cultures in her previous life.

Mustering the energy to approach the merchants, Irene wore a perfectly amicable smile.

"Hello. A person you may be familiar with recommended I come here. I was wondering if I could take a look at some of your products." Irene smiled at the man who seemed to be the leading merchant. She then produced the handkerchief, and his eyes instantaneously lit up.

"Of course! Please look through them at your leisure, My Lady."

Irene wondered how exactly Daniel became acquainted with these men, but she decided not to ask about it. Instead, she became rather distracted by the beautiful, intricate weaving in the materials they sold. They varied in soft, light fabrics — to heavy, warm ones which would be suitable even for the winter.

Once her mother and the second prince caught up, the duchess was also very much infatuated with the fabrics. Irene hadn't seen Sarah this excited to see unmade clothes in her entire life.

"Let's have some new dresses tailored with these silks!" Sarah suggested, and Irene didn't dislike the idea. In the end, almost half of the merchants' stock went home with them that day.

Soon after gathering all they could in preparation for the upcoming celebration, an excitable Sarah took the two back home for the day. It had been an enjoyable way for the three to spend time together — especially since Rudien or even Rayvis would try to monopolise Irene at every opportunity they could find.

And as the day drew nearer towards its end, Irene couldn't help but think back to her chance encounter with Daniel. The handkerchief firmly held in her hands, she gazed out of the window of the carriage, eyes sweeping over the town painted in burnished gold and red from the sunset.

The wheels of the story are going to start moving again soon.

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