Lucas's quiet response lingered in the air.
"…I didn't say you were wrong."
June blinked once.
Then twice.
Her face lit up instantly, like clouds parting to reveal sunlight.
"Ooh… really?" she said, her voice bright with relief.
She clasped her hands together happily, her eyes sparkling.
"Thank you so much, Your Highness!"
Her smile was so pure, so genuinely happy over something so small—
That Lucas felt completely unprepared for it.
For a moment, he just stared at her.
It wasn't a polite noble smile.It wasn't a calculated expression.
It was warm.
Alive.
Dangerously disarming.
"…You're thanking me for something insignificant," he said, though his voice lacked its usual sharpness.
June shook her head quickly.
"It's not insignificant," she said earnestly. "I was worried I upset you."
Her honesty struck him again.
Most people feared his anger.
But she cared about his feelings.
The realization unsettled him more than any battlefield ever had.
Lucas turned his gaze away, hiding the faintest change in his expression.
"…You worry too much."
June giggled softly, completely unaware of the storm she was causing in the heart of the kingdom's coldest prince.
And for the first time that night—
Lucas didn't feel like leaving.