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Standing in front of the door to Andres\'s chamber, Iria tried her best to calm down herself. She didn\'t want her cousin to know what just happened as it would bring no good.

Andres Francia was one of the greatest blessings in her life ever since she went to Cedore. Though he loved to tease her around, he was the best brother one could ever ask for. He was funny yet serious at the same time. Not to mention his overprotective nature!

Iria was convinced that if Andres ever got the chance, he won\'t hesitate to kill Zaro. He might appear simple but... he wasn\'t someone to mess with. He rarely got worked up but if it ever happened, the one who caused it will regret for life! He was that kind of person.

Once she believed that she was prepared, Iria knocked on the door and walked inside.

Crown Prince Andres was on the couch which was placed beside the bed. He seemed to be quite troubled but when he saw his cousin, he forced a little smile. "What\'s up, Iria?"

Iria Helev made her way to her cousin and took a seat on another couch which was on Andres\'s right. "I want to check on you," she said and asked, "Something\'s wrong, right?"

The Crown Prince stared at his cousin, feeling a bit confused. Then he asked, "What do you mean?"

"You don\'t look fine during the feast," Iria pointed out and he smiled.

"There\'s no such thing," he calmly said.

The Queen observed her cousin and sighed. "You always hate it when I lie to you. Why are you doing the same?" Though she want him to bring it up first, she felt like she had no choice. "What\'s going on between you and Crown Princess Maria?" she cautiously asked.

Did he like that woman who will be getting married in a few weeks?

Andres\'s reaction. It was a hint of amazement but soon, he maintained his composure again and flashed a small, unconvincing smile. "What did you know?" he asked Iria. Still, his voice remained calm. He was always patient with her.

"I ask you because I don\'t know," Iria sighed. "I only have a feeling that there\'s something wrong." With a firm voice, she added, "Don\'t lie to me, Andres. I\'m sure that there\'s something going on."

Andres Francia maintained his silence for a while. He narrowed his eyes and his fingers repeatedly tapped the armrest of the couch before he finally looked at Iria again. "I love her," he said. "But that\'s not important now."

"Why?"

"You saw what happened, Iria," the Crown Prince sighed. "She will be marrying that Duke."

"You mean that she doesn\'t feel the same as you?" Iria inquired.

"I don\'t know," Andres said. "She never tells me." He made a deliberate paused and continued by saying, "Growing up, I spent a lot of time with Maria. We\'re both lonely, only child and we understand each other well. I often visit Vialand and she often came to Cedore too. I don\'t know how I started liking her but... I only know that it\'s been many years now. Maybe more than half of my life."

He\'s 23 and that means he already liked her for more than a decade!

"Did she know how you feel?" Iria asked. As curiosity took the best of her, she had many questions.

"Of course," the Crown Prince admitted. "During the past years, I often told her how I feel but she never responds. However, I understand her. That\'s why I\'m letting her go." Once again, he narrowed his eyes and said, "One day, she will succeed her father and I will become the Emperor. It\'s not like she can abandon Vialand for me. The same goes for me. I can\'t run away from my responsibilities and go to her."

Iria understood his situation so well. She also knew how tormenting such a feeling was!

Now that she heard his story, she felt tight-lipped.

What could she possibly say? It\'s not like Maria or Andres could flee from their homeland as she did. Their case was different. They were both the future ruler.

"Though she never tells me, I have a feeling that she feels the same as me," Andres Francia continued in a low voice. "She\'s not just a Princess but a Crown Princess. She can\'t live for herself. I have to respect that."

"Is this why you refuse to marry until now?" she asked.

Hope? It was always hard to give up even if there was the slightest hope.

The Crown Prince nodded. "I can\'t just give up, right? I don\'t want to regret it later." He took a deep breath and forced a smile. "She will get married after a few weeks and after that, I won\'t have to hesitate anymore. After all, I can\'t just stay unmarried considering my status."

He\'s giving up on his love for the sake of his responsibilities. Though she felt bad for him, it reminded Iria of just how lucky she was. She should never take anything for granted.

"Don\'t give me that face," Andres said when he noticed her expression. "I already hold on for years and I think I\'m ready to give up now. At least, I will know that I fight till the end. I gave my all but it didn\'t work out. I will remember that and I\'m sure that it will help me a lot."

"Since when were you so optimistic?" Iria asked and chuckled. It\'s strange to hear that from him while he was always so good at teasing her around!

"I\'m always like this," the Crown Prince frowned. "One more thing. Don\'t tell anyone about this. I don\'t want my parents to give me the look you gave me just now. It\'s not like it will change a thing."

"I won\'t tell them," Iria promptly said. "But I can talk to them not to rush your marriage. I can stall some time for you."

Andrus laughed when he heard her. "Aren\'t you always too eager to make me settle down? Why the change of heart?"

"I only -"

"It\'s fine, Iria," he calmly said before Iria could say anything. "I already stall years. It\'s time for me to settle down.. Who knows, it might even help me to move on faster."