novelraw Chapter 1343: His Affection Is Laughable, Yours Is Terrifying
Chapter 1343: His Affection Is Laughable, Yours Is Terrifying
Rosen took Willow into the luxury car and disappeared from sight.
...
Inside the luxury car.
Willow sat there dazed, her spirits crushed. Prince Rosen spoke softly, "Willow, come back to my place. A good sleep will help you forget Miles completely."
Willow hung her long lashes, tears still lingering on them, "Send me to Vivi."
She rejected going to his place and asked to go to Vivi instead. Prince Rosen raised an eyebrow, knowing not to rush things. He nodded, "Alright, I’ll take you to Vivi."
"Thank you."
"Willow, it’s time for us to leave here. The elders want you to attend the royal school, and in two years, when you turn 18, we’ll have a grand engagement ceremony."
"Engagement ceremony?" Willow looked at Prince Rosen in confusion.
"Yes, Willow. Haven’t your parents and brother told you? Alani and the royal family have arranged a marriage. Now, Morgan Ashworth from The Merfolk Kingdom is eyeing your brother’s regime. We must ensure the stability of the three-party alliance, and marriage is the best way. Morgan Ashworth has been scheming to get close to you, making you like him, just to sabotage our alliance. Willow, as the Princess of Alani, this is your responsibility and mission, isn’t it?"
Her responsibility and mission?
Willow lowered her head. Yes, this was her responsibility and mission. The peace her parents achieved with their blood now required her marriage to maintain.
Seeing that she was slightly moved, Prince Rosen reached out to hold Willow’s cold little hand, "Willow, I know Miles hurt you deeply, and you need time to recover. It’s okay; I’ll be with you always. You should know about my feelings for you; I’ll be by your side forever."
Prince Rosen looked at Willow gently, taking the opportunity to confess.
Because he knew the timing was perfect, he could step in while defenses were down.
Yet, Willow slowly withdrew her hand, "Rosen, you’ve said what you wanted to say, but I haven’t said what I need to say."
Prince Rosen’s expression changed.
"Rosen, I only see you as a brother. If I could love you, I would have already. I have no romantic feelings for you, so there will be no engagement, no marriage. I will not marry you."
A sharp look flashed in Prince Rosen’s eyes; he hadn’t expected Willow, fresh from heartbreak, would reject him directly.
A single statement of brotherly love ended all possibilities.
The atmosphere in the car plummeted to freezing, very heavy.
At this time, the car slowly stopped; they had arrived. Vivi was waiting outside after a long wait.
"Rosen, I’m heading back." Willow went to open the car door.
"Willow!" Rosen grabbed her slender wrist, "I..."
"Rosen," Willow interrupted calmly, "Rosen, do you mind about me and Miles?"
What?
Willow turned her pale face towards him, her clear, moist eyes quietly watching him, "I liked Miles, once liked him very much, he was the first boy I liked in my life. Rosen, do you mind?"
"I don’t mind."
"Oh, really?" Willow curled her lips, "True, you took those photos. By the time I turned ten, you were already aware of the Merfolk Kingdom’s heir purposely approaching me, yet you said nothing and watched from the sidelines."
Prince Rosen’s heart skipped. All along, he thought Willow was naïve, a little white rabbit, protected too well, overly innocent, lacking in scheming, and unaware of worldly dangers. In orchestrating all this, he didn’t consider Willow, and now he suddenly realized he’d underestimated Princess Willow of Alani.
"Later, with Morgan Ashworth from The Merfolk Kingdom disguising as Miles coming into my life, this must also have been under your control. You say Miles disregarded my life; when he pushed me into danger, where were you?"
"Earlier you said you don’t mind about me and Miles. I believe that; you certainly wouldn’t mind. The praying mantis catches the cicada, but the yellow sparrow lurks behind. You, the sparrow, are hidden so deep."
"You always say I’m your fiancée. To let your fiancée slip away, to have stopped none of this when you clearly could—you, Rosen, Prince Rosen, why did you endure this?"
Willow looked at him calmly as if seeing through his inner thoughts.
Prince Rosen felt a bit flustered, his anxiety completely due to... his affection for her.
He genuinely liked her.
Yet today, having taken down Miles, he implicated himself as well. Just now, Rosen realized how strong Willow must be, inheriting the genes of Serena Sterling and Hayden Crawford. How could she be ordinary?
To see through people even while heartbroken, that is the real Willow.
"Willow, I truly do... like you," Prince Rosen said.
"Like?" Willow chewed over the word, recalling how Miles held her earlier, saying the same thing, "You know, earlier, Miles said he liked me too. Miles’s affection felt laughable, but yours, Prince Rosen’s affection, feels... terrifying."
With that, Willow forcefully pushed him away, opened the car door, and stepped out.
Vivi had been waiting for a long time, swiftly running over, "Willow sister, you’re finally back. I was so worried."
"I’m fine, Vivi. Let’s go back."
"Okay."
...
Inside the luxury car, Prince Rosen watched as Willow disappeared from view, not withdrawing his gaze for a long time.
"Prince, who would have thought Princess Willow already saw through all of this? With her temperament, she wouldn’t tolerate Morgan Ashworth, nor you. Her family loves her immensely; if she doesn’t want to marry, this marriage will be called off..." his aide whispered.
Cough, cough.
Prince Rosen suddenly coughed twice, taking out a white handkerchief to cover his mouth. After coughing, there was blood on the handkerchief.
"Prince, you’re coughing blood again! The Imperial Physician came with us; I’ll call him right now!" the aide said in panic.
Prince Rosen raised his hand to stop him, "No need, I know my body best; my time is limited."
"Prince!"
"Earlier, Willow asked why Prince Rosen would hand his fiancée over and tolerate all this. That question is a good one, because my time is limited. I’m the royal family’s only prince; now, my uncles eye the throne eagerly. If I die, they will surely rebel and seize the throne. I need the marriage alliance with Alani, need external support. I need Willow to become my first queen, so that even if I die, Willow can guard for me!"