Two-Faced Princess

He led Apollonia down into the depths of the forest. The trees were dense, but sunlight filtered through here and there, so it didn’t feel dark. After a few minutes, their gazes fell upon dozens of large birch trees. These trees, which appeared to be very old at first glance, with their bent branches and lush leaves, created an atmosphere that seemed to protect something behind them.

“Watch out for the thorns.” Uriel approached the birch tree in the middle and turned to look at Apollonia. With her sparkling silver hair and beautiful blue eyes, she looked like a fairy right there. “Be careful with the roots.”

As if unaware of how enchanting he was, he casually reached out his hand toward her. After hesitating for a moment, Apollonia took his hand and stepped over the thick and winding tree roots.

“This way.” Uriel swept away the branches draped like curtains and spoke. Apollonia took another step closer in the direction he led.

“Huh?” As she stepped through the cleared branches, the first thing she felt was the cool breeze. After a gust of wind passed, a beautiful landscape finally entered Apollonia’s vision. In the middle of the forest, there was a clear lake instead of trees, and the sunlight pouring down on it reflected into the water, emitting a brilliant light resembling thousands of diamonds. Despite its considerable depth, the lake was so clear that the bottom was visible. It had a slightly lighter, refreshing blue color than Uriel’s irises. However, what completely captivated Apollonia’s eyes was not the lake, but the scenery surrounding it.

“What on earth?”

Encircling the round lake were blooming hydrangeas and lilies in full splendor. Among the various shades of purple, blue, and pink mingling among the hydrangeas, the pure white lilies bloomed with a distinct presence. Every flower, perfectly harmonized, was astonishingly beautiful.

“I thought you might need a safer and quieter garden.”

Apollonia’s eyes widened. Although she didn’t show it at all, he had already noticed that she was disappointed with the closure of the Albreit Garden.

“Since when? When did you———”

“It took some time to plant the flowers and tidy up the forest. Fortunately, the two kinds of flowers you adore could bloom together in one season. You’ve always liked lilies since you were young.”

She loved hydrangeas and lilies. Lilies reminded her of memories with Sid, and hydrangeas…

“Hydrangeas are the flowers you always brought me.”

Uriel’s territory was famous for its blooming hydrangeas. Every time he visited Apollonia while being with Caelion, he would bring her a single flower of that kind. At some point, seeing the hydrangeas in the glass bottle on the table became a very joyful occasion for her. Uriel smiled once again. It wasn’t just a slight lift of his eyes, but a truly happy and radiant smile.

“I’m glad.” He spoke sincerely. Bathed in the sunlight pouring down as bright as his smile, he was dazzlingly beautiful. “I’m pleased that Your Highness likes the new garden.”

“My garden?” She echoed Uriel’s words in a whisper. Hearing that, he tilted his head and looked at her curiously.

“Everything that is mine has always been yours, don’t you know?”

“It’s the first time I’ve had a garden of my own.” As Apollonia spoke half to herself, Uriel raised an eyebrow slightly. “When I was young, I roamed the imperial gardens as if they were mine but no one ever made a garden for me. The Sarpia Garden that Grandfather granted to Mother belonged to Paris…” She trailed off, but Uriel understood. As long as Gaius was the Emperor, no place in the imperial palace could truly belong to Apollonia. Even the small flower bed in the Royal Palace’s rear garden could be taken away from her at any time if the emperor desired.

“So, you went to a garden outside the palace.” Apollonia nodded her head. She gently squeezed Uriel’s hand that she was holding. His earlobe turned slightly red due to her touch. “If a place like this existed when I was young, I probably would have spent every day here.”

She looked around once again. The blooming flowers, the completely secluded scenery with the birch trees, and the surrounding forest. The shining blue lake and the cool breeze. In this place, she genuinely felt at ease.

“The sunset is approaching.”

“I know. I won’t keep you here too late.”

Apollonia looked up at Uriel with an innocent, childlike expression. The redness from his ear spread to his neck and face.

“I mentioned that the sunset is the most beautiful moment, didn’t I? Because it’s the ‘Forest of the Red Lake.'” Uriel spoke while unable to take his eyes off Apollonia. Her eyes widened slightly, then curved like a crescent moon. Her innocent smile, contrasting with her usual demeanor, the slightly flushed cheeks, the shoulder she leaned against him, and the radiant golden hair cascading over it all made her incredibly lovely.