Chapter Thirty-Five
An Unwelcome Visit
(Daniel's POV)
I noticed the royal carriage the moment it entered the town.
It was impossible not to.
The golden crest on its side caught the pale winter sunlight, shining brightly against the quiet street. People stopped what they were doing and stared as the carriage slowly rolled past the market.
A royal carriage in a small town like this meant only one thing.
Someone important had arrived.
I didn't expect that someone to be her.
I stood near the university road when the carriage finally stopped.
The door opened, and a familiar figure stepped out.
The Princess of France.
For a moment I simply watched from a distance, hoping she might not notice me.
But that hope disappeared quickly.
Her sharp eyes scanned the street until they found me.
Of course she had come here for a reason.
And that reason was most likely me.
I folded the letter in my hand and waited as she approached.
Her steps were slow and confident, as if the entire town already belonged to her.
When she finally stopped in front of me, I bowed slightly.
"Your Highness."
She studied my face quietly.
"So it's true," she said.
"You really are living here."
Her voice carried the calm authority of someone used to being obeyed.
I straightened.
"Yes."
Her gaze drifted around the peaceful street.
Students walked past us laughing, unaware of the royal tension standing between us.
"You left a palace," she said softly, "for this place."
"There's peace here," I replied.
She looked at me again, her expression unreadable.
"Peace can be boring."
For a moment we stood in silence.
The cold winter wind brushed through the street.
Then she stepped slightly closer.
"Tell me something honestly, Daniel."
There was something different in her voice now.
More direct.
"Do you like me?"
The question caught me off guard.
For a brief moment I didn't answer.
Instead, my mind returned to what I had seen yesterday.
The candle shop.
The broken glass jars.
The frightened shopkeeper.
Her cold expression when he refused to repay her.
I looked back at her.
"No, Your Highness."
Her eyebrow lifted slightly.
"No?"
"No."
Her calm expression hardened just a little.
"And why not?"
The street suddenly felt quieter.
I chose my words carefully.
"Because a person's character matters more to me than their title."
For the first time, irritation flickered across her face.
"You're refusing the affection of a princess."
"I'm answering honestly."
Her gaze sharpened.
"You've changed, Daniel."
"Maybe," I said calmly.
Or maybe living among ordinary people had simply reminded me what truly mattered.
She turned away slowly, her cloak moving with the winter wind.
"You may regret that answer one day."
Her voice was quiet but sharp.
Then she paused and glanced back at me.
"You forget something."
"And what is that?" I asked.
She smiled faintly.
"I rarely lose."
With that, she walked back toward her carriage.
The royal guards opened the door, and within moments the carriage disappeared down the snowy road.
I stood there for a while after she left.
The town returned to its usual calm.
Students continued walking past.
Laughter filled the air again.
But something felt different now.
The princess hadn't come here by accident.
She had come looking for the Prince of Wilson.
And somehow I had the feeling her visit was only the beginning of something far more complicated.
For the first time since arriving in this peaceful town, I wondered if trouble had finally found me.
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