On the night Eugene and Jenny abruptly parted, he wondered if he did or said something wrong as he felt her put up a wall between them again. He felt like he needed to clear up any misunderstanding between them so he decided to chase after her. The gap was quite big since she already went far ahead but he still decided to follow her. He ran towards her but then he lost sight of her when she entered the gates of the Diamond palace where the royal family resides. The sudden realization like a cold splash of water hit him then and there. Three years ago when he was still a newbie at The Ivory Aspirants (white knight order), he heard the rumors that the princess frequented the training grounds. That's why when he noticed her presence during his secret personal training at night, he paid her no attention. She seemed harmless and no malice. Actually, he had a bit of a familiar feeling as it reminded her of Jenny. Afterall, Jenny is the first female near his age he interacted the most with. And the princess gives off a similar vibe. The princess was like a savior to him. Her presence motivated him to have some courage in befriending his peers in the knightage so he felt indebt to her and gave his loyalty to the secret princess. He really never saw her face since it was too dark and it seemed like she didn't want her presence to be known to him so he respected that. He also really didn't felt the need to introduce himself because he didn't want the princess to get the wrong idea and he wasn't interested in dating. He found the actions of the princess cute at first but he didn't want the princess' admiration grow deeper as unwanted attention will cause problems. Eventually the princess stopped coming all together and he felt relief. He wished her well and prayed for her well being. Back to the present when he decided to get to know Jenny more, he planned to slowly court her. But then she keeps pulling as he pushes. Now he realized the reason she's backing out. He knew they felt they same but he kept wondering why they haven't started dating yet. It was because Jenny is a Princess. Jenny "was" the Princess. As he stood there, the wall he imagined she was putting up became more visible. There really is a wall between them. A wall so high he can't seem to reach. He doesn't know what to do with this information. He had mixed feelings. He didn't know if he should be hurt or touched because he knows Jenny has feelings for him but she's pulling and pushing him away because she cares for him or be bitter because she hid her identity or be happy because she has been always near and with him. It was her all along. He felt stupid he didn't recognize her. He should've approached the princess and introduced himself. He could've befriended Jenny when he caught her. He could've assured and convinced her that he understands and maybe they could've kept the secret together. Maybe they could've been childhood friends then naturally become sweethearts. It's such a shame, such as waste of time. So many what if scenarios. But one thing is for sure, no matter what the circumstances are, he knew for sure in his heart that he would fell in love with her still all the same. As many more thoughts crossed his mind, the rain poured down. He felt like the heavens are crying for him because he looks so pitiful. He stood there for a long time and he didn't even know know he got home. When he gained consciousness, his aide, was assisting him with a change of clothes and a bath. As he laid down his bed, he stared into the ceiling of his room and marveled it's beauty. He earned the title of a marquess no too long ago but it hasn't fully sunked into him yet. There were moments that made him think, ah, I'm Marquess Dalton now, and this moment is one of those. Now that he's thinking about it, he worked so hard and he's not that bad of a catch. A Marquess is a high ranking noble after all. However, he hasn't made any great achievements that are noteworthy. His father, Count Richard Howard was his greatest mentor who extended help with managing his new estate and territory. His family was proud and supportive of him that's why he was able to adjust, adapt, and learn his new responsibilities. He proposed livelihood plans and businesses so that the citizens can stabilize their lives independently. In this way his territory flourish and his citizens all loved and respected him as their new lord. He was not a youngest genius for naught. But is it enough that he's a Marquess? Jenny's a Princess so maybe a Duke, Grand duke or a Prince would suit her. Maybe she found him lacking and unworthy of her love because of this. He's been doing his best and is still doing his best, but is it still not enough? What more should he do? Devasted, he slowly fell asleep with his heart aching.