The Problematic Prince

✧ Lily of The Valley✧

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Even in front of the swarming crowd, Bjorn showed no signs of tension on his face and actions. Having been showered with attention and interest by the whole kingdom from the moment he was born, such a scene was already familiar to him. So familiar that he could deal with such a big crowd naturally as breathing. However, this also means that the slight discomfort he felt from time to time when he dealt with such attention was also by no means new to him.

“Stand back! Everyone make way!”

The roaring cries of his servants resounded through the crowded platform. Even amidst all the chaos and noises, the spectators still heard the shout and slowly retreated; paving the way for His Highness’ procession. With an upright posture full of dignity, he made his way in the middle of the parted crowd; exchanging greetings to those that greeted him and interacting with the citizens kindly. Such actions had become a habit for him after doing it repeatedly over the years, it was now deeply ingrained to his body.

She, too, was nothing but an spectator in the middle of the bustling crowd; standing there to catch a meaningless glimpse of him.

Nevertheless, the unique temperament of a specific little lady in the crowd made him stare at her for a little longer than needed. She wore a rustic, old-fashioned dress wrapped in lace, with ribbons that made her look like she had lived through this past century alone. As if an out-of-date floral dress was not enough, the hat she wore also complimented the aesthetic of her dress harmoniously. With such thoughts swirling in his head, he walked past by the interesting lady.

However, his gaze turned back around once again, but this time towards an agitated man that was screaming loudly. The red-faced man, who had been condemning the Prince for being a prodigal son of the royalty, staggered backwards after he unexpectedly received the said Prince’s gaze. Contrary to what he expected, the Prince smiled kindly to him with the same smile that he showed towards the others. Even in the midst of the chaos of admiration and criticism, His Highness remained relaxed and dignified as if he was just taking a relaxing afternoon stroll inside the royal gardens.

Bjorn proceeded leisurely towards the train that had just entered the platform, not paying any more attention to the meaningless faces that he wouldn’t even bother to remember.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

‘Put your mind into anything and you can do it no matter what.’ Erna once thought that, but after wandering for who knows how long to the point of exhaustion, she could confirm that having the right mindset was not always enough. Knowing the address didn’t help her much, and darkness was already falling over the city as the night fell. She currently stood by her lonesome in a plaza on Tara Boulevard and located in the center was a water fountain. With her tired body, she staggered towards the said fountain to rest; not forgetting to put down a handkerchief first. If only she could lie down for a bit to ease her weary body, but she knew such action was not befitting a lady such as herself.

She specifically chose to wear her favorite dress today, a muslin dress that was given by her grandmother as a present on her birthday last year. She was aware that she didn’t know her father well, but that wouldn’t justify any action that lacked the proper manners and dignity a lady should have. That was why she had to keep her dress clean, even if she had to endure hardships doing so.

Calm and graceful, at any given time and place. Like a true noble lady.

It was a life motto that her grandmother had kept for the rest of her life and was also a legacy she wanted to pass down to her beloved granddaughter. Although she inherited the surname of Hardy, she, the unmistakable lady of the Baden Family, had an obligation to uphold her grandmother’s teachings. With thoughts of her grandmother, she meticulously adjusted her outfit back to their pristine condition.

The gas lamps around her had started to be lit up by the streetlight keeper one by one, then he proceeded to the next area with his bike after finishing his work on the plaza. The unfamiliar sight mesmerized her for no apparent reason, her thoughts wandered around for a few minutes.

After immersing herself with something she had seen for the first time in her life, Erna stood upright and picked up her luggage. Unconsciously ignoring her swollen feet and legs, she continued on what she had to do; to find her father’s house before the night got even darker. With renewed vigor, she made her way along the street dyed with the light from the gas lamps. The scenery was so beautiful and dream-like that it helped distract her from the fear and dread she was feeling for a few moments. The fallen petals flowing together with the wind fluttered like snow falling for the first time, calming down her taut nerves.

“Wow…..” Erna exclaimed with her head raised like an innocent child, looking at the white full moon that peeked through the tree branches full of flowers. It was the same bright moon that accompanied her last night, as she sleeplessly tossed and turned around in her bed. The familiar moon somewhat brought a semblance of comfort to her agitated mind.

After taking a deep breath, she continued to walk down the pathway with more determination. Surprisingly, as if the moon had given her its blessing, she finally found the house that she had been searching for almost forever, to the point that she had chanted the address in her mind like an earnest prayer. The old-fashioned mansion, which was located at the end of Tara Boulevard, stood in front of her; the same Hardy Mansion that once used to be her home.

Erna once again examined her dress to ensure that she would present the best possible version of her. She kept her posture upright and maintained a light smile on her lips, just like how a noble lady should act. She was not sure if her appearance was good enough, however, by her standards, it was already adequate.

‘It will be alright.’ Even though she knew that the possibility that things might not end up well existed, she couldn’t help but to deceive herself with such a lie.

With trembling hands, she reached out towards the mansion’s doorbell.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

“I really don’t understand what is inside that head of yours.”

A certain lady’s excited voice pierced through the music that played throughout the cheerful hall. Sitting with his eyes closed, Bjorn opened up his eyes and stared at the young lady. His younger sister, Lady Louise, was now in front of him for who knows when. Her excited appearance, however, was a stark contrast compared to his dry reaction towards her.

“They say Gladys is coming back! Do you know what this means?” She asked excitedly.

“Well…” With a pause, his gaze, which was wandering around the hall filled with dazzling chandelier lights, turned towards her once again. “I guess it’s going to be a pretty unlucky summer, or something along those lines.” He continued, not bothering to be courteous at all. The blunt answer, which was said with a bright smile, sounded pitiful due to his sluggish tone full of drowsiness.

“Oh my gosh! How could you, my dear brother, speak of Gladys like that? Gladys, the woman whom you have hurt and thrown away??” Louise asked furiously, as if it was herself that he insulted. He, on the other hand, calmly grabbed a glass of water while her sister was fuming beside him, letting the water droplets that had condensed on the surface of the glass flowed down his long, smooth fingers.

Surrounding them, the charity party was still ongoing with no signs of ending soon, clearly showing how successful it was. Ladies from several social circles rushed towards Schwerin when the attendance of the Queen, who was loved and respected by the whole kingdom, was made known to the public. The head of the Royal Hospital showed no signs of stopping her smile at the amount of mercy demonstrated by their donations.

Great music, palatable delicacies, and well-known individuals from various social circles as guests. It was indeed a party that wouldn’t bring shame to the Queen’s dignity and made her attendance not to be in vain. The same could be said for the Duke, who gave up his time of rest to escort the Queen, as his efforts were also paid off. Overall, everyone enjoyed their spring weekend. Except for a certain Princess, who whizzes around like an angry bee.

“Brother, please.. Make amends with your mistake now. Alright?” She said with a tone that was meant to appease a child. The Princess, who was Glady’s friend, supported their marriage more fervently than anyone else. Due to this, she was more critical to any issues regarding the two after their chaotic divorce.

“Of course, it’s not an offense that can be forgiven easily. But if Gladys accepts your apology, I’m sure the two of you can……”

“Duchess of Heine.” Bjorn cut off his sister’s words as he put down the glass of water he was holding. Contrary to his smiling lips, his eyes and tone were so calm that it felt out of place.

“It seems that the Duke is currently looking for his wife, I think it’s about time you return to your husband’s side.” He said and pointed towards the Duke of Heine, who was walking through the crowd of ladies across the hall. Louise, who wanted to say more, ended up swallowing her complaints with a sigh and reluctantly left him.

After taking a short break, the royal band began to play again. As waltz played throughout the hall, Bjorn got up from his seat and walked forward. He leisurely passed among the ladies who secretly threw their glances at him, their eyes entwined with both vigilance and anticipation. Not paying them any attention, he made his way towards a terrace leading to the garden, which was now occupied by men smoking cigars.

“Bjorn, here! A familiar face beckoned him and he turned towards the cordial man. The group of nobles, who were normally engrossed in nonsensical discussions, was unusually quiet tonight. Some of them were even sipping their drinks with somber faces, like children on the verge of bursting into tears at any moment.

“Their investments failed.” Said Peter, who held a glass filled with amber brandy. Bjorn reclined at the terrace’s railing, a glass of wine in his hands.

“Investment?”

“They invested in some foreign bonds, in the end it turned out to be a scam or something.” Peter clicked his tongue and delivered the tragic news. His Highness, on the other hand, showed not much of a reaction except for the slight frown on his face. It seemed that the number of idiots who were caught up by investments, that were too good to be true, was greater than he had expected. This type of investments were currently the craze that had been stirring up the social circles for a while now.

“Thank you, my Lord. I’m still alive thanks to your help.” Peter, who moved closer to Bjorn, whispered lowly.

A few days ago, Peter also caught news about a profitable investment that piqued his interest. After he had enough information, he went straight towards the Schwerin Palace to ask Bjorn’s cooperation. It was a well known rumor among the social circles that the Prince’s luck regarding women and money were unprecedented, to the point that some nobles believed that God himself had given the Prince his blessings. Bjorn, however, heartlessly shattered the dreams of the excited nobleman after he heard the situation.

“Is your brain only there for decoration, you sick bastard?” Bjorn asked plainly with a low voice. He, Peter Bergen, was so insulted that he almost committed treason by assaulting a member of the royal family. If only his opponent was an ordinary nobleman, or even someone that he could defeat, then he wouldn’t even think twice and beat up someone so rude.

But alas….

With a reasonable mind, he justified that protecting himself and his family was more important than beating up an asshole. Especially if said asshole was His Highness, the Prince himself, then there was nothing in the kingdom that he couldn’t tolerate. Besides, didn’t he receive some pretty big profit by investing in a steel company with the information provided by Bjorn before? Just the thought of his earnings on that investment was enough for Peter to profess his deep love to His Highness.

If he, someone who only took a small sip from their investment earnings, already received this much, how much would it be in His Highness case? In the end, thinking too much about it would not help him to earn more. To be able to acquire so much funds was a talent itself, and one needed to be cunning enough in order to survive in this field. This reason was enough for Peter to continue his friendship with the Prince, even if it meant that he had to frequently endure his disrespectful attitude.

“You must catch them by any means necessary, Your Highness! It’s a serious crime that has devastated multiple victims already!” Exclaimed by a heir of a countess, as he began to frustratedly recite the name of the perpetrators. Most of the names were children of noble families that were known members of a fraternity, but there were also unfamiliar names on the list.

“Do you know Viscount Hardy? He was one of the most unfortunate victims, all of his fortune was taken away. Maybe he’s on the verge of committing suicide using a pistol right now.”

‘Hardy?’ The tedious grumblings of the affected nobles ended up with an unfamiliar name that he had never heard before.

‘Perhaps one can consider the Viscount as the biggest idiot out of all the foolish victims.’ Bjorn thought. With a lit cigarette on his hand, he turned his eyes towards the garden over the terrace’s railing. Through the hazy smoke, the colorful spring flowers that were in full bloom were visible against the rising water. He was slowly admiring the scenery with his gaze when suddenly, his vision stopped on a certain flower bed that had small white flowers in it.

‘Lily of the valley.’

His eyes, which were staring at the flower, narrowed slightly as he remembered its name. It was the same flower that Gladys carried during their wedding. Thanks to this, the lily of the valley, which was nicknamed the flower of the Crown Princess, was loved by many to the point that there was shortage of supply for a while. Of course, its popularity didn’t last long and faded in less than a year.

‘Hmm.. that interesting lady at the station wore a hat that was adorned with this flower that has long passed its trend.’ Bjorn thought as he hummed the waltz playing from the hall while he exhaled out the smoke from his ppl cigarette.

‘No wonder..’

He took his gaze away from the flower bed without any regrets and stared at the white moon hanging on the night sky.

Even if he took his attention away from that flower, it seems that he would still continue to encounter things related to Gladys; like some type of curse casted upon him.

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