Declaration.........

"Audelia?! Why are you crying?!" Rugbert asked in shock.

When the Crown Prince exited the carriage, Rugbert glanced at his beloved little princess and was shocked to find tears falling from her pretty eyes. Those tears were just like precious jewels and what shocked Rugbert even more was the pain and sadness that were shown in those lovely ruby eyes.

Why there was pain and sadness?

It felt like those eyes carried the experience of a life time..

Slowly those pain and sadness disappeared and regained its peace, but Rugbert would remember this moment for his whole life. Audelia realized that her tears had brought Rugbert into confusion, she wiped the tears away just in time the crown prince arrived in front of them.

"I am okay, Otousama. I am just feeling hungry." Audelia let out a soft smile that was just like a mature lady.

'I can't tell him..'

'That I am the reason why our family is destroyed..'

'And the person who destroyed it...'

'Is that boy..'

Audelia muses as she turned her gaze back at the boy, watched him walking closer and closer with peaceful eyes. As he stopped one meter in front them, Rugbert greeted the boy with a courtesy of a Grand Duke.

"Welcome to Leonhart Palace, your highness crown prince."

"Thank you, Grand Duke." The boy spoke with an honest and pure smile.

"This is my daughter, Audelia." Rugbert said with a smile, "She will be your playmate during your stay in this Grand Duchy."

"Greetings, your highness." Audelia started introducing herself without the signal given by Rugbert.

"My name is Audelia Elizabeth Von Leonhart, pleasure to meet you." Audelia smiled coldly at the boy, her eyes turned from peaceful to indifference.

The crown prince was taken aback by the cold smile and the indifference Audelia showed toward him. It felt like there was something wrong with that smile and eyes but the crown prince didn't know what it was.

"Pleasure to meet you, my name is Jonathan Lemian De Rozenkrenzt. Since we are going to be friends, you can call me Lemy."

'Lemy...'

'The special name only those who is close to him can say...'

She used to call him that way..

Until she wasn't allowed to call him like that ever again..

Audelia felt this situation was ironic. She used to want to call him that forever when she wasn't allowed to, it drove her into madness. Now.. hearing him saying that it was okay to call that name again, Audelia only felt disgust.

"I beg your pardon, your highness crown prince. I prefer calling you Prince Jonathan and you calling me Audelia." Audelia refused politely.

The refusal Audelia made caused Rugbert and Jonathan to be stunned to the point they couldn't say anything. The first one reacted was not even both of them but Caius Rothwell, the crown prince's aide instead.

"Lady Audelia is really straight forward." He said with a smile.

Audelia turned her gaze toward the dark brown hair man whose eyes as sharp as a hawk. This man used to taunt Audelia with his sarcasm a lot and she hated this man so much at that time.

Still keeping the polite smile, Audelia replied to Caius's words. "I am sorry but Otousama used to teach me to be polite to royal family."

"Right, Otousama?" Audelia asked the agreement with a cute smile.

Being given such cute smile from his most beloved daughter, Rugbert agreed to Audelia's words right away. "Yes! That's right! we have to maintain proper distance with the royal family!"

"As expected of my sweet beloved Elia, you are really smart!" Rugbert added as his hand reached for Audelia's head and pet it gently.

Audelia giggled as she said, "I love Otousama the most!"

Only after saying it that Audelia realized she had made another stupid mistake. She should know what would happen if she said those words to her family members, most of all, her father. Right on the mark, after hearing the words from Audelia, Rugbert started to break in tears as he reached for Audelia and hugged her.

"Oooooh! Audelia loves me the most!" Rugbert said the words loudly. From the tone he used, clearly he was feeling touched deeply.

"Did you hear that, Your highness, Sir Caius?! Audelia said she loves me the most!" Rugbert added, "Only me!"

"O-Otousama.." Audelia was speechless by the reaction Rugbert gave, she had a feeling that this reaction was just the beginning of early chaos.

"Declare to everyone in the palace! Audelia loves me the most!" Rugbert ordered Sebastian who was staring at them with warm eyes.

'What?!'

Audelia's eyes widened in surprised hearing the words as she was still in her father's tight embrace. Struggling to break free from the passionate hug Rugbert gave her, Audelia could hear more declaration order from her stupid doting father.

"Declare it to the whole Grand Duchy! Say that the one who Audelia loves most is me! The Grand Duke of Leonhart!"

"Wa-Wait! Otousama!" Audelia who was struggling, tried to talk some sense to her father but..

"Don't forget to make a board of announcement in every corner of the city--"

"N-NO, WAIT! OTOUSAMA!! STOP IIIIIITTT!!

Audelia said loudly as she finally broke free from the passionate hug of the Grand Duke. Sebastian chuckled softly as he watched Audelia tried to stop the Grand Duke from his super over dotingly action for making such stupid declaration.

At the same time, The Crown Prince Jonathan and his Aide, Caius watched the whole debacle with dumbfounded expression plastered on their faces.

Truly.. a chaotic moment..