Chapter 72 - Only You

Lady Irene, can you please do me a favour," Alan asked as he looked at Irene with warm eyes.

" Please don't smile at others..." Alan said as he kissed Irene strand of hair.

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Irene stood there with a blank expression processing everything that just happened.

And when she truly understood what happened her face turned into a deep shade of red which made her cover her face.

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Which the crown prince found very cute, "Lady winter then should I take it as a yes." Alan asked in a sweet voice.

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Irene didn't say anything to his question so he held her hand and looked at her cute red face.

"Will you agree or not?" Alan asked as he looked at her eyes directly.

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Powerless Irene had no choice but to say yes to him as she nodded her head politely and nicely.

"Brother! Lady Winter comes inside!!" Alfred shouted towards them.

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"Coming!" Alan said as he went towards him

with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Lady winter aren't you coming?" Alan asked Irene asked as he looked at her.

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Irene was still in the process of normalizing everything that happened, didn't hear him so Alan took this chance and he held his hand as both of them walked together.

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"Your Highness this!!!" Irene said in a panicked voice as she looked around hoping that no one would see them together,

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"Don't worry, Ashton told me holding hands don't make you pregnant!" The crown prince said with a million-dollar smile on his face as if he achieved something big.

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"Your Highness...this you think I was preg-- no actually are you this much happy just for holding hands?" Irene asked as she looked at him.

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"....Umm, yes I am more than happy right now~especially when Lady winter is only looking at me....the way you are now." The crown prince said as he looked at her and both of their eyes meet.

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And when that happened, a tingling sensation was felt all over their body especially the heart.

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"But your highness you shouldn't just hold into someone like this...you never know when they will get the wrong idea or when they will become interdependent on you..." Irene said as she removed his hand from hers.

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"It doesn't matter," Alan said as he shrugged.

Irene eyebrows twitched hearing his response which made her kinda mad so she wasn't able to keep quiet and asked him "What if that person becomes a burden in your life?" 

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Alan stayed silent for a while to think of a possible answer,

"First I will be happy if she is interdependent with me, secondly I will never think nor make her feel like a burden to the. And the last point is that the only hand I want to hold is yours." Alan said as he held into Irene's hands and looked at her with dreamy eyes.

"It's weird but lady winter's handset perfectly it to mine." He said as he looked at their hands.

"Yes, indeed weird..." Irene said as she looked at the earth below her which seems to be calling her so that she could hide her tomato face.

"What's wrong Lady winter, you don't like me holding your hand....well if you don't like it then I can just..." Alan said as he loved his grip but Iren stopped him.

"It's not that I don't like it....but rather I am afraid I will get used to it...as well as you," Irene said in a nervous voice which made Alan laugh a bit.

"Then just get used to it, I don't mind," Alan said as he put her hair behind her ear.

"Okay if the crown prince says so...I will try to keep holding your hand until the end," Irene said as she smiled towards the crown prince.

Those words made Alan happier than he thought it would and as for Irene, she was having a mental and emotional crisis.

After that, both of them entered the drawing-room where different types of drinks and food items were being served, and everyone was already having them.

"Took you guys long enough?" Alfred said as he patted the seat beside him as he signalled Irene to sit beside them. 

But the crown prince didn't let her to, and just like both of them sat together on another sofa.

"Brother Lady winter isn't only for you, so give her some space," Alfred said as he slammed his hand on the table dramatically.

"I can't hear you~," Alan said as he had one of the sandwiches, which made Alfred more pissed but he can't say anything bad about him so all he could do now was just sit silently.

"Lady winter have you perhaps meet my twin sister Rose?" Harris asked as he poured himself a cup of green tea.

"Yes, I have met her sometimes. But why do you ask?" Irene asked as she looked at him. Note she isn't smiling at all.

"It's just that when I introduced my self you didn't react much and while you were looking at me it was obvious that the lady was trying to join some dots," Harris said as he sipped his cup of tea.

"Young Master Harris is right I did try to join the dots and thanks to that face of yours I was even able to guess who you were," Irene said as looked at Alan who offered her a piece of Strawbery that. To which she said thank you.

" I see that's the case but I don't think lady winter is a friend with my sister~," harries said as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Well that's true," Irene said she ate a spoonful of Strawbery tart.

*Sigh* "No wonder I never meet you before or else by now....we must have become pretty close friends." He said as he smiled at Irene.

The only thing that was going around earlier head was Harris safety since she could reduce feel the tension in the air along with the three of them sending death glares to him.

"Haha, maybe~," Irene said she laughed awkwardly. 

"I am done! Thank you for the food." Ash said as she rose from his seat and looked at me.

"Sister let's leave, lady carot must be waiting for us," Ash said as he forwarded his hand, "Okay," Irene said in an instant as she held his hand and stood up.

"Then please excuse us," Irene said as both of them bowed towards them.

"Yes then we will see you tomorrow~," The second prince said as he waved towards us.

"Ha, I wanted to talk with you for a bit longer but looks like today is not the day...anyway please visit our dukedom someday!" Harries said as he smiled at Irene.

"Yes, we will try to." Irene said as he looked at him, "...only when we are free." Ash continued as he looked at Harries with danger in his eyes.

"Then travel safely," Alan said as his eyes meet with Irene's which made her blush and the crown prince chuckled.

"Have a nice day," Irene said as she held Ash's hand and left the room as fast as possible.

"Hah, I almost died there." Irene aid as she touched her face it was warm.

"Sister, what's wrong with your face?" Ash asked as he touched her face, " It's hot even water would boil up here." Ash said with a smirk on his face.

"Then how about I give some of the heat to you," Irene said as he looked at Ash with mischievous eyes.

"No, I take back what I said," Ash said as he started to walk forward.

"But did you meet the empress?" Ash asked while glancing at Irene who had a disappointing look on her face,

"Don't worry the empress is very sick even the princes are not allowed to. see her....so no wonder you were rejected too." Ash said as he opened the carriage door for Irene.

"Yes, you are right...." Irene said as she went inside the carriage.

"And sister can you please not visit the palace from tomorrow," Ash asked hesitantly.

"Huh? But why? Did I offend you somehow?" Irene asked with a nervous look on her face.

"No, No it's not like that..." Ash said as he shaked his head.

"Then what is it?" Irene asked as she tilted her head.

"I...I just don't want any type of weird fly around you.."Ash said as he scratched his face.

" Fly?? what are you talking about?" Irene asked as she looked at Ash losing her patience.

"I...I just don't want that red-headed Harries to run around you!" Ash said as he crossed his arms.

"But why should I stop visiting the palace?" Irene asked as she sighed.

"Because that punk would be joking us for the training," Ash said with his not so angelic smile.

"Oh..*ahem*...I understand.." Irene said as she smiled awkwardly.