I followed Camellia into the cafeteria, still feeling bemused. She, on the other hand, was clearly embarrassed from her little speech, and was pointedly ignoring my presence.

As we lined up for our gourmet lunches, I couldn't help feeling this whole situation was quite odd.

I'm not the type of person who likes getting close to people. If possible, I like to keep myself as distant as possible. This could be due to my rigid upbringing as a royal, or it could be caused by a desire to protect myself from those who might seek to use me and my reputation.

However, at that moment I felt like I had wasted precious time.

My fiancée is not at all who I thought she was. In fact, I barely thought about her when I was Prince Vel. But all this time, she has been thinking about me. 

My public persona, the “ice cold prince” was a veneer people only spared a glance for without thinking to look further. None of my classmates sought to question how I acted, as long as I was still acting like a “prince.” All of my efforts, my achievements, were recognized only as things I was supposed to do. 

I was seen as an image rather than a person. As long as Asa upheld that image, she could take my entire identity, because to them, I was nothing but a figurehead.

Even I had thought that was all I was.

But Camellia had recognized something below the surface. She saw something more than the image. And she had already recognized the burden I was carrying. She had even been thinking of how to lighten that load.

I'm not the type of person who likes getting close to people. But that didn't stop me from reaching out to catch her sleeve as she attempted to walk away with her tray of food.

"Sit with me."

Her jaw quivered, as if she couldn't believe the audacity of this woman who had been conducting clandestine meetings with her fiancé and teasing her about it.

I tugged her sleeve again. "Come on. Prince Vel will be joining us soon. Maybe it's about time you stop being invisible."

The angry hauteur in her face slipped a little and she looked like she was in pain.

"I'm not…Do you think I'm allowed…Do you think he would mind?"

I cursed my new body and status, knowing that anything I said to her would mean nothing compared to the words of "Prince Vel".

"Why don't you ask him that yourself."

By the time we sat down, I saw Asa weaving through the crowd towards us. She was sweating a bit as if she had been running (probably spent more time ogling the librarian than she intended), but her eyes lit up when she saw us.

She plopped down and loosened her collar with a finger. "Whew, I'm starved!" She reached across and grabbed one of my croissants, stuffing it in her mouth before noticing my glacial expression.

She swallowed thickly, sheepish. Despite myself, I felt a little apologetic. Asa is a bright, energetic young girl, so it's a pity she has to adjust her personality and actions to fit mine. I also doubt she considered how difficult it would be to live as me and follow my schedule. Not only did I strive for academic perfection, I also excelled at swordsmanship, battle tactics, diplomacy, and horse riding, and my schedule reflected that.

She cleared her throat and once again attempted my monotone voice. "Did you two wait long?"

Camellia shook her head, long white curls flying everywhere. "Not at all, we just sat down." Her gaze took in "Prince Vel" with awe and devotion as if Asa was about to shake her hand at a ceremony. I don't recall her ever looking at me like that. Then again, we were rarely ever in close proximity. 

That must have been another thing I missed out on.

"Please don't hold back on my account. Eat! I'll go get a set myself." Asa stood and made to line up, but Camellia called out to her. "Wait!" Her shaking hands nervously shuffled her tray across the table. "You can have mine, if you want."

"Oh no!" Asa waved her hands in front of her in consternation. "I couldn't take your food. You need to eat!"

Camellia flushed as she walked off, and for some reason I felt a surge of frustration.

Asa was acting like a true prince…or rather, maybe the prince I should have been. Maybe Camellia actually preferred this version to my brusque self.

"He really is different, isn't he." I looked down at her. She had her chin cupped in her palms, a faraway look in her eyes. She turned to look at me, and it was like she was not really seeing me. 

Or at least, like she was not seeing Lady Raine.

"What's happened to Prince Vel?"