CASSANDRA: The Unfavored Princess-Chapter 153: Change

The journey to the Kir mountain was long and tiring.

Princess Valeria’s eyes glowed with excitement when she looked at the road ahead. What excited the first Princess more was the fact that Duke Salvador was not like his usual self.

As they had started spending more time together, Valeria realized that it was in Duke Salvador’

S nature to be quiet. He was a man who valued words a lot. So even if the Duke is silent and not talking it does not mean that he is not listening.

In the journey, Princess Valeria had seen that the Duke also kept looking at her from time to time. It was then that she understood that the Duke likes her too. How can a man not like her? The most powerful Princess in the Empire.

"How long?" Princess Valeria looked at the secretary with a smile. She could feel that her rage and anger had decreased a lot. She was not getting irritated and her mood was also relatively happy.

’It must be because of love.’

’Yes, once Duke Salvador started looking at me with love and care I started feeling good.’

’If I get the man, maybe I would leave the position of the heir to.’

Princess Valeria shook her head when a sudden thought flashed in her mind. ’But what if the Duke is near me because of that position.’

The secretary looked outside. He could sense the pure air flowing through the surroundings. A smile played on his face. They had long entered the Vivere kIngdom but the feeling of being home started to settle in him.

"We will be there in a few days." The secretary said with a smile. He looked outside as he saw the small army following them. "But Princess we have to inform the Vivere Kingdom about how many people are following us."

Princess Valeria could not understand the secretary’s words. "Why?" Her voice was filled with a questionable tone as she looked distressed. "Haven’t we already informed them of our arrival? I thought you took the permission."

"Yes we got the permission but still we have to inform them of the number. That is also the part of the agreement." the secretary said in a soft tone. His eyes had a slight curve, hidden from the first Princess. The Princess who could not see the hidden meaning in the secretary’s words nodded.

"It must be for their knowledge. It is understandable after all we had also asked them for such details when their Crown Prince and Princess came to visit us." The secretary tried to explain further only to avoid any more questions from Princess Valeria.

But the secretary realized that he was thinking too deeply. The first Princess did not care about it at all. Her eyes were looking at the man who was on the horse beside Prince Cedric.

It was as if the Duke had sensed that someone was looking at him as he turned around and smiled. Princess Valeria’s breath hitched when she saw it. Her own lips curled up as her heart was filled with happiness and content.

"You both have grown closer." The secretary said when he saw Duke Salvador looking in front.

Princess Valeria could not help but sigh. "Yes, that is true. This journey has truly brought us closer." Princess Valeria’s cheeks became pink as she saw the red gaze of the Duke stare eat her. The image of her face alone in the eyes of the man she had loved was enough to make her heart beat faster than normal.

Princess Valeria looked at the steady back of the Duke as her hands itched to move forward and touch him.

’How I want to sit beside him on the horse.’

’Should I ask the Duke to take me on a horse ride?’

A smile played on her face as Princess Valeria sat back in the carriage. Her eyes closed as she waited for the people to have a stop to rest.

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Prince Cedric turned around when he saw the interaction between the Duke and the first Princess. The uneasiness in him started to grow.

Prince Cedric could not understand what had happened so suddenly that Duke Salvador changed so much. The Duke’s eyes started to move towards the first Princess from time to time as he also took small walks with her whenever they stopped somewhere.

Even though Prince Cedric could feel that the Duke did not talk much, his actions were enough to make people misunderstand.

Prince Cedric smiled as he looked at Blazh who was looking forward. The only thing revolving in his mind was to ask Blazh, ’What is wrong with your master?’

—--------

Prince Cedric’s face twitched as he saw the first princess laughing with the Duke. He was filled with confusion as he saw what was going on around him.

Prince Cedric looked at the man beside him who had a similar expression as him. A sigh left his mouth as Prince Cedic asked. "What is going on here? Can you explain to me?"

Blazh who was having the same question looked at the third Prince. He looked down, unable to answer.

Blazh had asked the same question to the man who was portrayed to be Duke Salvador. After all, everything that he does will be seen as done by the Duke himself.

’He said he liked the first Princess.’

’He cannot control himself when the first Princess smiles at him even though he knows that he is just a fake replacement for the Duke.’

Blazh rubbed his forehead as his face turned ugly. The only concern that he had was how Duke Salvador would react when he knew what his replacement had done.

’What if Princess Cassandra misunderstands the relationship between the Duke and Princess Valeria?’

’If this happens then the Duke will be very angry.’

’No to mention that the Duke really likes the fifth Princess.’

Blazh shook his head as he remembered the dark face of his lord. A chill ran down his back when Blazh thought about the possible destruction Duke Salvador will do if things become a mess.

"Blazh, does the Duke like Princess Valeria?" Prince Cedric asked in a whisper. Her gaze sharpened as he saw Duke Salvador helping the first Princess to sit on the horse.

"How is it possible!" Blazh’s gaze shook in worry. He denied the possibility with all his might. There was no way that Aiden Salvador would love the first Princess.

"But then why is he doing such a thing?" Prince Cedric looked at Blazh with a serious expression. "Why is he giving Princess Valeria such false hopes? Is it one of his plans? Or has the Duke really started falling in love with the first Princess?"

Blazh shook his head. "The third Prince should not worry. The Duke only supports you."

"If that is the case why don’t you tell me what is wrong with him then?" Prince Cedric looked towards the Duke and the first Princess who was riding on the horse. "I have tried talking with the Duke myself but he never said anything."

Blazh looked at the third Prince in a questionable gaze. He knew that the Prince and Duke were talking but he was asked to stay out of their tent. Even Blazh had asked the man pretending to be Duke about what they had talked about; he simply shook his head and said it was nothing special.

Prince Cedric’s gaze was filled with doubt as he said his next words in a whisper. It was as if he was a little frightened of saying it out loud. "It is as if the Duke is not himself anymore. Like someone else is in his body."

Blazh’s body stiffened when he heard the words. "Why would the Prince think so?"

Prince Cedric grew serious. Her eyes sharpened as his voice low. "You should have noticed it too Blazh. Don’t you feel something is wrong with the Duke? Although his eyes are sharp and he still does not talk a lot, the indifference in his gaze has lowered."

Prince Cedric continued. "HE is laughing and smiling now, something he had never done before. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying it is a bad thing. But maybe because I have seen it for the first time, I feel like the Duke has changed."

Blazh took a deep breath as he sighed in relief. "Yes, Duke Salvador has started expressing a lot but he is still the same."

Prince Cedric hummed but his heart refused to believe it. After observing the Duke closely Prince Cedric was sure that something was wrong with the Duke. But when he looked at him, Prince Cedric could not pinpoint why he felt the way he did. After all, the face of Duke Salvador was still the same. His red eyes looked at everyone the same way as before but somehow the cruelty in them had reduced.

’Is it because of love?’ Prince Cedric thought but he shook the thought away. ’No, I know the Duke. He can never love someone like Valeria.’