Chapter 3

When I woke up, I was lying in my estate.

When I turned eighteen, the king had a mansion built for me outside the palace.

It was basically a preemptive wedding present from the king.

"Your highness, you're finally awake," Lucia said, her voice full of relief.

She quickly helped me sit up and held a cup of water to my lips.

I took a small sip and asked, "Lucia, how did I get back here?"

The last thing I remember, I was face down in an alley outside the general's estate.

"Your highness, you scared us half to death," Lucia said, her voice still shaky. "When you didn't come back to the carriage after a long time, we started searching everywhere for you.

"The people at the general's estate said you'd left, but we couldn't find you anywhere.

"In the end, it was Lord Noah who carried you back."

It took a while for the name to register.

"Noah Hughes," I blurted out.

Lucia nodded. "If it hadn't been for Lord Noah, you probably would've frozen to death right there in that alley."

How on earth did Noah find me and carry me all the way back?

The door burst open, and a warm, commanding voice called out from outside.

"Sofia, you're finally up! Guess what I brought for you?" Noah said, grinning.

He strode in wearing a purple robe and a hat.

The three years on the battlefield had stripped away the softness on his face—there was no trace of boyishness left, only the sharp confidence of a grown man.

Three years ago, the situation at the warfront was critical—they were desperate for reinforcements.

Noah requested the king's permission to lead the troops to the front lines himself.

To me, Noah had always been just a kid as he was three years younger than me.

I teased him then, "You sure you can handle it? Don't go pissing your pants the moment you stand on the battlefield."

Noah shot me a defiant look. "Don't underestimate me. If Oliver can do it, so can I."

"I'm gonna be a general too, and defend our kingdom," Noah said proudly.

And he'd pulled it off.

He charged to the front with reinforcements, teaming up with Oliver to crush the enemy forces.

Battle after battle, Noah came up with strategies, working in perfect sync with Oliver and stacking up victory after victory.

That day in the grand hall, Noah was probably right there with the rest of the soldiers, all waiting to be honored for their valor.

But I was so caught up with Oliver, I barely registered that Noah was there at all.

Noah waved a box of almond cakes right in front of me. "Hey, wake up already."

I snapped back to reality and snatched the almond cakes from his hand. "You're the one who needs waking up."

Noah chuckled softly.

At some point, Lucia had quietly slipped out of the room.

I opened the box, and the familiar sweet scent of almond cakes washed over me. My throat tightened, and suddenly my eyes filled with tears.

Back when my mother was still alive, she loved making almond cakes just for me.

Whenever I was in a bad mood, all it took was one almond cake to make everything better.

Noah reached over with a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes, his voice casual and teasing. "Sofia, are you getting all sentimental over almond cakes?

"What if you end up wanting to marry me because of this? Should I accept?"

I shot him a glare that could burn a hole right through him.

It seemed Noah wasn't as grown-up as he appeared. He was still the same cocky troublemaker.

Strange, really—all the young nobility in the capital couldn't stand me, avoiding me at every chance.

Yet for some reason, Noah and I got along just fine.

Maybe it was because I was the only one who could handle his wild streak.

"Sofia." Noah's usual playful tone was suddenly gone, his voice unexpectedly serious.

I looked up from the almond cakes, caught off guard. He hardly ever got this serious with me.

His dark eyes fixed on mine. "Call off the engagement. Oliver's not the right one for you."

*****

I spent a whole month holed up at my estate.

During that time, Noah kept showing up with treats and random little gifts to keep me amused.

Oliver came by a few times too.

But my servants followed my orders to the letter—they wouldn't let him set foot inside.

Lucia was beside herself. "Not only did General Patel want a concubine, he even gave your ruby pendant away. How does he even have the gall to show his face here?

"Does he think just showing up with a patched-up pendant and kneeling all day at the gate is gonna earn your forgiveness?"

Trust Oliver to think I'd just forgive him, just like that.

Oliver and I always had each other's backs, growing up with the same kind of troubles—nobody else could get me the way he did.

We were inseparable—like my life wouldn't even make sense without him.

But the moment that ruby pendant snapped in half, everything between Oliver and me was completely shattered—there was no going back.

That pendant was broken for good, and our relationship was too. No matter what, things could never be the same again.

So when my father came to see me at my estate, I finally told him straight up—I wanted to break off the engagement.

My father stayed silent for a long time, then said, "Sofia, are you really sure about this?"

I nodded. "Father, I don't want to go down the same path as my mother."

My father sighed deeply. Life in the royal family meant most things were out of our control, but he'd always felt a little guilty towards me. So in the end, he respected my choice.

After a long pause, my father added, "Actually, Lord Noah came to me as well. He asked for your hand in marriage."