Frederick was still the same man. Yet somehow, he didn't feel like himself anymore.

He was once a man so confident and full of fire, but he looked nothing like that tonight. As he faced Selena, he looked like a man troubled by love and weighed down with sorrow. He even seemed somewhat weary.

Selena poured him a glass of liquor.

Frederick had always come to her when something was on his mind, whether he was happy or troubled. Tonight, it was clear he was troubled.

After several stiff drinks, he finally looked at Selena and quietly asked, "How is your brother's injury?"

"It's better," Selena replied cooly, her face showing no emotion.

Frederick knew as well as she did that some wounds would never truly heal.

He gently took her hand in his. "Lena, please don't be angry with me. It was my fault that day. I shouldn't have been so harsh with you."

In truth, he had always treated her well over the years. He never got angry at her, and if he even spoke harshly to her, he'd immediately apologize. He also never used his status as a prince to lord over her, except for that one time three days ago.

Selena lowered her gaze and instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Frederick held on tighter.

"Lena, please don't be mad. I don't understand why I've changed like this."

"Changed how?" Selena asked as she looked up at him.

His face was marked by pain and confusion, and he looked utterly lost.

But he was Frederick, Warbringer of Aurensia. He had faced countless battles and weathered every storm without ever showing a flicker of doubt. Even if the very mountains fell around him, he would remain unshaken.

When had he ever seemed so troubled before?

Suddenly, he said, "Lena, my heart belongs only to you. It always has, and it always will. There will be no change to our marriage plans. Next month, we wed. From that day forward, I will love no one but you."

If this had been the old Frederick speaking, Selena might have felt deeply moved. But as she recalled the murderous gleam in his eyes directed at her that day, she suddenly felt that whatever he said no longer held much meaning.

"Are you upset?" Frederick's voice grew heavier as Selena stayed calm and silent.

She raised an eyebrow and asked in confusion, "Why should I be happy? Isn't that the promise you made to me previously? Why must you say it again now?"

Was he really saying those words to her, or was he trying to remind himself in a different way?

This time, Frederick avoided her gaze. After loosening his grip on her hand, he picked up his glass and took a slow sip.

Selena was running out of patience. She still needed to tend to Sally and Sebastian. Seeing her impatience only made Frederick's frustration grow. She had never behaved like this toward him before.

"Lena, can I share what's on my mind with you? Are we still like we used to be?" he asked.

Why had he loved Selena for all these years? Because no matter what he went through, she never left his side. When he was punished for crossing the king, everyone else quickly turned to flatter his brother, the fourth prince. But Selena stayed loyal, always by his side.

She was Frederick's safe harbor. No matter the storms he faced, returning to her was the only thing that brought him peace. And now, he hoped he could still find that comfort with her.

"Lena, I think... I might have fallen for that wretched woman."

"So, are you here to talk about breaking off our engagement?" Selena asked.

Her face remained calm and composed, but her fists slowly clenched tightly inside her sleeves. As her sharp nails dug into the flesh of her palms, there was a sting, but it barely compared to the ache in her heart.

Her troubled fiancé had come to her and confessed to having fallen for another woman, then expected her to comfort him as she usually would.

How strange the world could be.

How utterly cruel.

Selena's words about breaking off their engagement struck Frederick's heart with a deep and overwhelming pain.

"Impossible! How could I break our engagement? I will never leave you. Not in this lifetime!"

He grew agitated and gripped Selena's hand fiercely. This time, his hold was tighter and harder than ever before. Her nails were already pressing against her palms, and his actions drove them deep into her flesh. The pain was sharp, yet somehow, she hardly noticed.

She met Frederick's gaze with steady calm. "Then, tell me, what exactly did you come here to say tonight?"

"Lena, please don't be so cold to me. We've been through so much together. Are we really going to fall apart over something like this?"

Still holding her hand, he grabbed the bottle and drained half of it in one hard gulp, then slammed it down on the table. Pressing his fingertips to his forehead, he closed his eyes, his face twisted with pain.

"I don't know what's come over me. She's ugly, scrawny, small, and not even a fraction of your worth. But every night when I close my eyes, all I see are those eyes of hers. Bright and defiant. She looks at me with such boldness and arrogance, like she isn't the least bit afraid. That damn fool... she has no idea who she's messing with."

Though he was cursing Freya, the corners of his lips unconsciously curled into a smile. However, he didn't seem to realize he was smiling and still seemed as troubled as ever.

"Maybe she's different from any other woman I've known. She doesn't flatter me or try to win my favor. She never obeys me, and her rebellious streak makes me furious enough to want to kill her. Maybe that's why I can't stop thinking about her."

Frederick squeezed his eyes shut for a while before returning to his senses.

He opened them and gently said, "Lena, give me some time. I'll forget her, I promise. I swore I'd love only you in this life, and I meant every word. I'm a man of my word. Please believe me."

"Very well."

Selena said nothing more, quietly pulling her hand free. She looked at the man she had loved for so many years.

When she was just eight years old, he had saved her from a fire. From that day forward, she told herself she would marry no one else. He had only been twelve back then, but was already a young hero who was brave and full of confidence.

Selena had truly liked him.

To keep pace with him, she had spent her childhood mastering every skill she could. Not just music, painting, and poetry, but everything one might need on the battlefield. Though she had thrown herself into learning it all, she never showed off or boasted in his presence because he liked gentle women.

In his eyes, she had always been a delicate and refined young lady. She was graceful, well-mannered, tender, and almost fragile.

But now, he confessed he had fallen for a proud, headstrong young woman who made no effort to hide her spirit.

Selena stood up and looked down at the slightly drunk prince. Her voice was calm as she said, "Then, please be sure to rein in your thoughts once you return, Your Highness."

"I know you're still angry, but I meant every word I said." Frederick stood up, gazing at her stunning face bathed in moonlight. "Give me some time. I'll forget her, and you'll be the only one in my heart again. I will definitely fall in love with you again!"

Selena said nothing and simply looked at Frederick with a faint, knowing smile.

He felt a flicker of disappointment. He had expected her to offer at least a few words of comfort to ease the weight on his heart. After all, he had always been honest and open, never hiding his true feelings from her.

Men were often fickle, and Frederick believed he had behaved better than any man under the sun.

Still, she wouldn't stay angry for long. Frederick knew Selena was kind and forgiving. Once she had time to think it through, she would eventually forgive him, regardless of what he had done.

"Cheer up. We'll get through this. Just wait for me," he said, forcing a smile before leaving.

When his figure disappeared beyond the garden gate, the faint smile on Selena's lips faded slowly. She turned and walked toward Sally's room. When she entered, she saw Sally sitting on the bed, wiping away tears.

Selena's eyes flickered with concern as she hurried over. "What's wrong? Are you still in pain?"

Sally shook her head but looked at Selena with tear-filled eyes. "My lady, I heard everything earlier. His Highness is too much! How could he treat you that way?"

Sally had sensed something was wrong between them the moment she heard Freya call Frederick scum. She had noticed how he didn't react as most would, as if he had grown used to being addressed that way.

Not even Selena had ever dared speak to him so boldly. It was clear how much Frederick doted on Freya.

"My lady, do you really believe he will change his mind?"

Selena stared out the window, her eyes calm and unreadable. "Whether he forgets Freya or not is no longer my concern."

Sally looked surprised. "My lady..."

"No one wants to stay in one place, hoping someone will occasionally look back at them. Since he has already walked away from the world we shared, all I can do is keep moving forward," Selena added.

Nine years of love couldn't be wiped away in a day. But once something was broken, it didn't matter how much one tried to fix or protect it. It would never be the same as before.

The old saying was right—some things just couldn't be fully repaired.

"Focus on getting well. We're going back to the capital soon." Selena stood and headed for the door. "I'll go check on my brother first."

Sally wanted to say more, but in the end, she just quietly watched Selena's graceful back and held her tongue.

Everyone thought Selena was fragile and gentle, someone who could be shaped and molded at will. But only Sally truly knew how strong she was.

When news came that Thomas and his wife, Lara Smith, had fallen in battle, Gideon fell ill and Sebastian fainted. It was the seemingly most fragile woman who single-handedly arranged all the funeral rites for her parents.

She seemed fragile, but everyone depended on her the most. Otherwise, Frederick wouldn't go to her for comfort every time he was wronged. He just didn't realize it himself!

After that day, Selena stayed with Sally and Sebastian, personally caring for both of them. Seeing that she neither cried nor caused a scene, Frederick assumed she had accepted the situation with Freya. With that, he felt somewhat at ease.

For seven days, they didn't see each other.

On the seventh day, the army finished its preparations and was ready to depart for the capital. A recovered but still weak Sebastian was leading the soldiers at the front, leaving Sally as the only one standing by Selena's side.

When they first arrived here, Frederick had been with Selena. They laughed together and were the picture of ease and happiness, drawing the envy of everyone around. But now, as they prepared to leave, the person next to the prince was someone else entirely.

Sally couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. In contrast, Selena remained calm and composed, as if nothing had happened.

By midmorning, the army had been waiting for some time, but Frederick hadn't arrived. The soldiers waited another hour before the prince's carriage finally appeared in the distance, slowly making its way to the city gate.

Though the man himself had yet to arrive, the shouting could already be heard clearly by everyone nearby.

"You're already engaged to her, so why bring me to the capital? Do you think I'm like her? That I'd sacrifice my dignity for fame and status? I'm not and I won't. I will never share a man with another woman. If you can't promise to love only me for the rest of your life, then don't bother. Now, get out of here!"