Ceres

91

Leonard watched over Ceres and Ceres quietly followed Leona and Lucas.

Leona and Lucas went over to one of the royal gardens near the main hall. Lucas asked the patrolling guards to stay at least some meters away from that place so that he and Leona can talk peacefully without anyone disturbing them.

The place was surrounded with luscious flowering bushes which are both fragrant and pleasing to the eyes. There were also some colorful and fragrant flowers that were mixed with the bushes in order to make such a magnificent garden. All of such things came from all over the Winsterein kingdom with some even originating from other kingdom or country. In broad daylight, the garden is already a wonderful scenery that would certainly capture any maiden's heart. But, it is also a piece of beautiful art work during the night particularly when the night lights of the royal palace illuminates the garden and its variety of flowers.

"What a lovely garden. It's already night time but you can still see how beautiful these flowers are. They also smell nice, huh?"

Leona was walking in front of Lucas. The latter seemed to be distressed about everything.

"What do you want?"

Leona couldn't help but bend down and smell some flowers. Some of the flowers were familiar to her but there were also those that weren't.

"I'm sure the third prince was also stunned by the announcement earlier."

Leona didn't even look back at Lucas as she continued to look closely at the flowers.

"I'm telling you that---"

Suddenly, Leona stood straight and faced Lucas.

"I want this engagement off."

She was looking straight at Lucas' eyes. Even though it was somehow dark, the moonlight and starry sky accompanied by some night lights from the royal palace helped Lucas see what her eyes looked like.

It was full of determination; nothing less of a dignified princess.

Leona continued speaking.

"It's not like I don't want to give you a chance at all. It's just that, I want to choose the person I want to marry by myself. This engagement... It wasn't supposed to be arranged this night. I will definitely tell my father about what happened in this banquet. I will definitely make my own stand. I only wanted to tell this personally because this engagement is between the two of us after all. If you agree with me then, all the more that we could break this engagement off."

Lucas couldn't help but close his eyes for a moment. In his mind weren't the words that Leona had just spoken. In his mind was the figure of a young woman, laughing and smiling at him.

"I also want to break this engagement."

Lucas brushed his hair with one of his hands and started looking up at the starry sky.

"I already have someone very precious to me."

Lucas looked like someone who was longing for something he couldn't have. Even though he was looking at the stars in this night, it feels as if he was looking at something far beyond those stars.

Such scene caused Leona to feel that something stung her heart.

"That person... She is very clumsy and very moody. She is shy but she is also kind, very, very kind; to the point that she is ready to hurt herself for other people's sake."

Lucas kept on staring at the stars. He seems to be recalling a lot from his memories.

"She is like a star in this night sky; beautiful yet, unnoticeable..."