When I arrived, Jane and Cecil were already there, ready as always. Without dey, we quickly went through my evening routine—taking a bath, though we skipped the studying part since I’d already done plenty earlier.

  Once I was dressed in my nightgown, Jane helped with the final touches—fluffing the pillows and adjusting the bnkets just the way I liked them, while Cecil quietly tidied the room, ensuring everything was in its proper pce. Our nightly routine always brought a comforting sense of order, like gently closing the final page of a long day.

  I slipped beneath the covers, sinking into the softness of my bed as the quiet hum of the evening breeze drifted in through the windows. Jane and Cecil exchanged a few hushed words before excusing themselves, leaving me alone in the calm stillness of the room. Darkness wrapped around me like a cocoon, and I let my eyes flutter shut, feeling the day’s weight slowly begin to lift.

  But just as sleep began to cim me, a faint rustle broke the silence, followed by a gentle knock at the door.

  “Young Lady, it’s Jane. Forgive the intrusion,” her voice came, hushed but ced with a peculiar urgency.

  “Come in,” I said, blinking myself fully awake.

  Jane slipped inside, moving quickly but without arm. In her hand was a neatly folded note. She approached and held it out to me with a subtle gleam of amusement in her eyes.

  “This came from the First Prince,” she whispered, barely containing a smile. “I was stunned when he handed it to me. He did it so discreetly, like he didn’t want anyone to notice.”

  I stared at the note in her hand, momentarily at a loss. “He what?”

  A message. From him. In the middle of the night. My mind raced with questions.

  Why send me a note now? And why in such a secretive way?

  I hesitated for a second before taking the note from Jane, the delicate parchment cool and smooth between my fingers. I unfolded it carefully, half-expecting something dramatic or cryptic.

  I was taken aback by the handwriting—elegant and precise, every stroke reflecting the refinement expected of someone of royal stature.

  Lady Titania,

  Tonight’s dinner was… unexpectedly entertaining.

  Your talent for turning a simple meal into a battlefield of wit is impressive. I daresay your brothers never stood a chance.

  Thank you for the ughs, the surprises, and the reminder that not all noble affairs need be dull.

  Sleep well. Try not to plot too much mischief in your dreams.

  P.S. I’ll make sure there are enough sweet potatoes to st you until winter.

  —C.

  I stared at it, and read it again. Then once more, just to be sure.

  It wasn’t romantic. Or serious. Or even overly formal.

  It was… teasing. Pyful. Audacious. And somehow, exactly what I hadn’t expected.

  “Great. Just great,” I muttered under my breath. I’d been bracing for something important, something that would keep me up all night wondering. But this?

  I stared at the letter, considering whether I should toss it into the firepce. Would that be considered an offense to the royal family? I mused, tempted.

  “Did he write anything scandalous?” Jane asked, barely hiding her curiosity.

  “He also said there’s no need to reply,” she added. “Said you reading it would be enough.”

  That really boiled my blood. Even if he had asked, I wouldn’t reply, I grumbled inwardly.

  With a sigh, I folded the letter neatly and tucked it under my pillow.

  “No,” I said, settling back under the covers. “Just… strange.”

  Jane raised a curious brow, but I waved her off, pulling the bnket over my shoulder as I buried myself in the comfort of the quiet room once again.

  And maybe, just maybe, a small part of me was smiling.

  ? 2025 baobaochong – All rights reserved.