“I just… missed you so much. My Arrie.”
Aaron, with his fox-like eyes and charming smile, was so attractive that he could captivate countless women in an instant.
In fact, many ladies had envied Ariella for a long time due to his rebellious yet languid appearance and his playful, confident personality.
They harbored vain hopes that he might someday settle down with them.
However, Ariella had never once wanted to be his final destination.
His sly smile, arrogant tone, and the way his hands naturally caressed her face felt infinitely dreadful to her.
The touch of his fingers on her skin felt like ants crawling all over her, and she wanted to tear off the ear that heard his voice. Or perhaps tear out his tongue.
Aaron interpreted her stiff reaction as either embarrassment or excitement and continued to speak leisurely.
“Are you free this weekend? I’ve booked tickets for a good opera at the Delira Grand Theater. Let’s go together.”
“……I can’t.”
“Is it because you’re worried about the Duke? It’s a box seat, so you don’t have to worry—”
“It’s not that. I actually want to ask you something. Aaron, why are you suddenly acting like this?”
Ariella clenched her fists tightly and raised her head.
“I told you I would let you go. I wouldn’t harbor any more vain hopes. So why are you saying this to me now?”
“—Because I regret it!”
Aaron raised his voice, seemingly frustrated. But soon, realizing he had sneaked away from the Astoria ladies, he lowered his voice again.
“I regret it. I regret being so cold to you, and not taking your hand at the masquerade. Even though I acted more resolutely for your sake, I didn’t need to be that cold.”
“…….”
“It was painful for me to act that way too. We were engaged for eight years, and I naturally thought I would marry you. How could I just cut off those long-held feelings in an instant? Your hurt face has been stuck in my mind all this time.”
Ariella let out a hollow laugh inwardly.
Listening to him, it almost seemed like he was the victim. He had completely forgotten the fact that he was the one who had been cheating and was now lamenting his pain, which was quite impressive.
“……You said you liked Lizzy. So why are you doing this to me?”
“That was because of the situation we were in! No matter how I feel, I have to marry the real Princess Astoria, so I was trying to get closer to her. If it weren’t for that, why would I like Lizzy over you? Compared to your tall and elegant figure, she looks like a child who hasn’t grown up, and having grown up as a maid, she has no grace whatsoever.”
It seemed that comparing her to another woman was a habit of his.
He had once called her as skinny as a beggar on the street, and now he was saying Lizzy was a child who hadn’t grown.
Aaron must have said it hoping to lift her spirits, but instead, Ariella felt even more displeased.
“Give me a chance, Arrie. I don’t want to end our relationship like this. I can’t let you go. I know we can’t go back to the past, but I still want to return our hearts to the time when they were good.”
He meant to say that since he couldn’t break off his engagement with Lizzy, he wanted to enjoy himself as much as he could.
Her feelings for him had always been filled with hatred, so what was there to return? Was there ever a time when things were good? She suppressed the urge to lash out at him.
“……I’m not really interested in opera. Watching people sing isn’t my taste.”
As she turned her head sharply and muttered, Aaron’s face brightened. He had noticed that her tone had softened.
“Actually, I find opera boring too. Let’s see, what else would be good instead of opera?”
“I’ve heard that the food at the restaurant in Hotel Mercedes is very delicious.”
“……Hotel Mercedes?”
His eyes twitched. The restaurant at Hotel Mercedes was located just below the top floor and was known for being selective with its guests.
For the Crown Prince, making a reservation at the restaurant was not a difficult task, but the problem was that dining there together would attract attention.
Dining alone with his former fiancée at a hotel was not a good look, even in his opinion.
Ariella noticed his hesitation and let out a small snort.
Though not as simple as David, Aaron was quite straightforward. He might not know much, but the topic that always provoked him was the same.
That topic was jealousy.
“Actually, someone suggested to me that we have dinner there next Tuesday…”
“What? Another man? Who is it?”
