"I have never felt this way in my life. I won't talk about marriage anymore. But please—"
Aurelian said desperately. I was lost in thought when his hand reached for mine, carefully enveloping it. I caught my breath.
"Please, let's start something," he said, looking away. "What do you want me to do to get you to say yes? Beg? I will do it."
Aurelian waited for me to say something. My lips parted, though I didn't know why. He was willing to beg. Should I say yes?
"Alright, I think—" he started, already pulling his hand back.
"Wait—" I interrupted.
Our eyes met, and we lingered in an awkward silence. Why had I given in? But what if this was the last time? I would probably never see him again if I said no. Yet I wasn't sure. I looked away, and he waited patiently, giving me time to think.
"We can," I started, covering my mouth, blushing fiercely.
"Start a relationship and see how it goes."
I said in a low voice, trying my best to sound normal but failing completely. Aurelian paused, simply gazing at me with a soft smile. I couldn't look at him. He shifted closer, forcing me to meet his eyes again. He took my hand once more, threading his fingers through mine, then lifted it to his lips. My pupils dilated as he pressed a kiss to my wrist.
Cassia instantly stood from where she had been sitting with the others. They seemed a little worried, unsure whether Aurelian was forcing anything. But then he gestured that it was not what it looked like. Cassia stopped, and I gave her a reassuring look, silently telling her I was fine. She didn't return to her seat immediately, standing there for a moment longer to make sure I truly was alright.
"Thank you," Aurelian said gently, warmth filling his eyes.
After some time, the innocent awkwardness faded and we chatted normally, now talking about more personal things. Where did I live? What was I expecting from this relationship?
It felt alive—a completely different experience. After all, I had been a man in my previous life... I had almost forgotten about that. But now I was a woman, and my biggest desires were about to become real.
"So, what exactly are you planning to do in the future?" Aurelian asked, his tone curious. He added, "Are you going to be a housewife or get a job? Will you apply to the Royal Academy?"
It was a genuine question, and he seemed eager to know. I crossed my arms, thinking he might be judging me.
"Obviously I will apply for the Royal Academy."
I said with confidence, testing and teasing him. But to my surprise, he grew excited.
"Yes, great. I will see you there."
Oh, how supportive of him. Any other normal man, according to society's standards, would have said something like, "But you will get busy after marriage, so it's pointless," along with some other nonsense.
Wait—did he just say he would be there?
"Wait, what did you say?"
I asked, making sure I had heard him correctly. Because the Royal Academy was also divided by tiers, with jobs as subdivisions. You could only apply to the Royal Academy within your own tier. Yes, it basically limited us, and I couldn't apply for higher education. He was tier one, and I was tier three. We had completely different career paths.
"I said I will be there," Aurelian laughed. I narrowed my eyes in confusion.
"I know what you're thinking. You're the one who said that we won't be able to meet often because of your grandmother."
His words came out faster. "Yes, because she doesn't allow me to go outside and I'm kind of a castle princess. But—"
I was basically repeating my own words, but he interrupted, "And I will be your prince. I will send you letters."
Aurelian shifted closer—not close enough to trigger Cassia. He changed his tone to something distinctly flirty and added, "Informing you when to come out into your backyard and then we will~"
I blushed, looking away as a giggle escaped my lips.
"That's romantic," I said with a flirty tone, matching his energy, then added, "but that doesn't answer my question, dummy."
I could tell my teasing melted him sometimes. When I was simply being myself—when I giggled—he would just pause and laugh at himself.
"I don't know if you're aware or not, but for us tier-one royals, the Royal Academy starts early. In fact, I'm studying law right now."
Aurelian said, gesturing lightly with his hands as I listened carefully.
"So by the time you apply, I will be a senior. We have this volunteer policy—you've probably heard of it."
"Ohhh, I get what you mean." I held my temple as realization dawned on me.
Aurelian was referring to that experience policy. Lower-tier students still needed to gain some knowledge of the laws, and we would have lower-ranking professors for that. Senior students studying law could apply as assistant professors under those lower-ranking professors. It was done to gain experience.
"But how will you be there? It's not like you can simply select the academy."
I asked. He gave me a confident smile. "You don't need to worry about that. I have my ways."
I appreciated his confidence on the inside, but I had no idea how he would actually pull it off.
"Alright, but that's after three years. We'll just have to use the backyard method until something else pops into mind."
I said, repeating and summarizing in a way that structured my words for what would follow. I pointed a finger at him, causing him to focus more intently.
"Keep in mind that I never agreed to marriage. You are not clear, Mr. D'Arthemont. I might agree if you stay on your best behavior."
I didn't even hesitate while saying it, not even blinking. I could be painfully clear like my mother sometimes. But unlike her, I suspected I would overthink this later. Did I sound like some old professor?
Aurelian smiled, and he seemed impressed.
"The effect you have on me is just so weirdly compelling, or..." He closed his eyes and gestured as though he couldn't find the right words, or as if his own words didn't make sense.
"Importantly, it's exciting and I'm craving you."
Aurelian said genuinely as he stood up.
"I had a wonderful time. Can we go on a walk?"
Aurelian asked, looking down at me. He was tall, and with me still seated on the bench, he towered like a pole. I stood up instantly, though that did little to bridge the height difference.
"Sure. A walk sounds great."
I said with a smile as Aurelian grabbed a lantern. I gestured to Cassia that we were going on a walk. The three of them stood up, ready to follow and watch us from a distance.