"Oh my," Elara murmured, her tone laced with intrigue as one delicate brow arched upward. "That’s quite..."

She didn’t finish the sentence, but the way her gaze lingered on him made Florian’s pulse quicken. He tried not to fidget, though his hands were already slick with sweat.

"I know it’s... a bit presumptuous," he began quickly, his words tumbling over themselves. "Maybe not even a bit, but I assure you—whatever I request in the future, I’ll make sure it’s within reason. It won’t compromise your position as Duke, nor bring harm to your—"

Elara raised a graceful hand, silencing him before he could finish.

Florian froze mid-sentence.

’Oh no. She’s about to reject it, isn’t she?’

But instead—

"I accept your terms."

Florian blinked, certain he had misheard. "You... accept?"

Elara’s smile deepened, smooth and deliberate. "Yes," she said. "Truth be told, it’s quite bold of you. But that only proves further that you’re the right person for this task."

Her tone softened for a brief moment, but then amusement glimmered in her eyes like the flicker of a candle flame.

"And," she added, "I’ll admit—I’m curious. What could you, the object of the strongest king across the land’s affection, possibly need help with from a mere duke like me?"

She laughed lightly behind her hand. "I’m sure His Majesty would give you anything you wanted."

Florian’s lips twitched, but not in humor.

’Not everything,’ he thought bitterly. ’Not what actually matters.’

But he didn’t say it out loud.

God, everyone knew.

It was like Heinz’s feelings for him were an open secret—something whispered behind fluttering fans and smirks over tea.

Florian knew, of course he did, but he had tried so hard to ignore it. Deny it.

And yet now, hearing it from Elara’s mouth made him want to vanish into thin air.

It was cursed knowledge—useless and heavy and painful.

Because that same love, the one everyone romanticized, was the reason the original Florian died.

That love was poison. Heinz’s love was unstable. It always had been. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Oh?" Elara suddenly said again, tilting her head with that same sharp curiosity.

Florian blinked, startled. "Yes?"

"Perhaps it’s just me," she mused, setting down her teacup with a soft clink, "but judging by your expression, it seems you’re finally aware of His Majesty’s... feelings for you."

Florian went still.

Heat surged to his cheeks before he could stop it. He turned his face away immediately, hoping she wouldn’t notice.

"That’s..." He swallowed. "...not something I’d like to discuss."

He could feel Elara’s eyes on him, studying, assessing.

He hated it.

He didn’t want to talk about Heinz—not his love, not his guilt, not the storm behind his eyes that made Florian’s chest twist every time he looked at him.

Everyone acted like it was inevitable, like they were meant to end up together.

But Florian knew better.

That kind of fate only led to ruin.

So he inhaled deeply, forcing his voice steady as he redirected the conversation.

"Since we’ve come to an agreement, Duke Elara..." He glanced up at her, composed once more. "...may I know what the task is now?"

The shift in his tone was deliberate—polite, but distant.

"Ah, right. Of course." Elara nodded with that composed grace of hers, and only then did Florian realize he’d been holding his breath. He exhaled quietly, shoulders loosening a little.

’She noticed... she definitely noticed how uncomfortable I was,’ he thought, almost grateful. ’But she didn’t press on. She actually respects boundaries.’

It was rare.

Refreshing, even.

Unlike so many others in the palace—who spoke to him like he was porcelain to be displayed or a pawn to be moved—Elara had always spoken to him, not around him.

She didn’t suffocate him. She gave him space to think.

Out of everyone here, besides Cashew, Elara might have been the only one who truly saw him as a person, not a possession.

"Well then," Elara said, folding her hands neatly over her lap. "You should know that this task will require you to leave the Diamond Palace, Your Highness."

Florian blinked, his curiosity instantly sharpening. "That’s... interesting. I’m assuming the task will take place in Celestial Peak?"

Celestial Peak—Elara’s dukedom. A land known for its cliffs and silver-lined mountains that shimmered under moonlight. He’d seen it once in passing, years ago, but never set foot there.

Elara nodded, confirming his guess. "Yes. You’ll be staying in Celestial Peak for four days."

Four days.

Florian’s eyes widened slightly. ’Four days? That long?’

He’d expected a brief errand, a single-day inspection perhaps—but not this.

"Are you still willing to do it?" Elara asked gently, her tone neither demanding nor condescending. "I’d understand if you didn’t wish to, Your Highness, especially with... everything that’s happened."

Florian shook his head quickly. "No, no. It’s fine. Really."

And it was.

In fact, it was perfect.

A few days away from the Diamond Palace sounded like a blessing. Away from the marble halls that echoed with whispers. Away from the heavy eyes of Heinz that followed him everywhere.

’I need time to think,’ Florian thought. ’Time to breathe. Time where I don’t have to feel his presence hovering over me.’

Elara smiled softly, almost as if she understood his unspoken relief. "You’re free to bring a companion if you wish. That young servant, Cashew, perhaps. Or anyone else. Think of it as... an outing, in a sense. A short reprieve."

Florian nodded, his interest rising. ’A task that sounds like a vacation. That’s a first.’

"I assume you’ll be hosting?" he asked.

Elara’s expression shifted ever so slightly. "Ah. No."

That surprised him. He tilted his head. "No?"

"Where you’ll be staying," she began, lowering her gaze for a brief moment before meeting his eyes again, "is the task."

Florian blinked. ’Where I’ll be staying... is the task?’

"I’m sorry," he admitted, his brow furrowing. "I don’t quite understand."

Elara inhaled deeply, her smile still poised, though there was something underneath it now—a faint sorrow, a flicker of something haunting.

"As I mentioned the other day, Your Highness," she said slowly, "I have an older brother. Eldrick. The title of Duke was supposed to belong to him."

Florian nodded. He remembered. She had spoken of him briefly before—never in detail, but always with a tone that carried both pride and unease.

"I can’t... say how I came to inherit the title instead. The details aren’t important now," she continued, voice quieter this time. "But my brother, Eldrick, will be the one to host you during your stay."

Florian felt a small knot form in his stomach. Something about the way she said will be sounded deliberate—final.

Elara’s eyes met his, her gaze calm yet heavy with meaning.

"And the task," she said at last, "is to figure out why I had him host you for four days."