Chapter 3

Vivian blinked, not quite following. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"You said you're marrying my uncle, so there's no reason to keep throwing yourself at me. All this chasing and clinging, it's pathetic," Julian said.

Vivian blinked again. He'd completely misread the situation.

In her previous life, moments like this had happened all the time. She'd always known she should say something and set the record straight, but had been too afraid. She was worried she would say the wrong thing and make him dislike her even more, so she stayed quiet and let him think whatever he wanted.

But she didn't love Julian anymore. She hadn't for a long time. Why should she care what he thought of her?

She pressed her lips together and looked at him evenly. "Your Highness, I have no intention of chasing you. I made myself very clear at the banquet. I told His Majesty directly that I have no feelings for you whatsoever."

Julian raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then, I suppose you got lost today and just happened to run into me here?"

"Your Highness, Her Majesty summoned me. If you don't believe me, you can ask Ms. Smith yourself."

Julian paused and glanced at the attendant.

Eleanor gave a small, apologetic smile. "Your Highness, Lady Sinclair was indeed summoned by Her Majesty..."

As one of Rosalind's most trusted people, there was no reason she'd lie for Vivian's sake.

So, Vivian really hadn't come here for him today. Julian frowned, a hint of irritation starting to bubble up.

"I am about to marry Prince Damian. As Her Majesty is handling the arrangements, I've been invited to the palace today to choose the wedding date. If you still don't believe me, you may go inside and ask Her Majesty yourself."

After Vivian finished speaking, she felt an unexpected sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from her.

On the other hand, Julian felt an inexplicable irritation. He stared straight at her and said, "My uncle is still unconscious. The royal physicians say he may never wake up. If you marry him, you'll be a widow for the rest of your life."

Vivian thought about her marriage in her last life, of how she had also lived like a widow till the end.

"I appreciate your concern, Your Highness. But as I said at the banquet, I've long admired Prince Damian. As long as I can be by his side, it doesn't matter to me whether he's awake or not. I'm at peace with it," she replied calmly, even managing a faint smile.

Julian's expression darkened after he heard her words.

Vivian turned to the attendant beside her. "Ms. Smith, let's go. We shouldn't keep Her Majesty waiting."

Julian stayed where he was, watching her walk away. For a brief moment, another image of Vivian flashed through his mind. Unlike her present cold and distant demeanor, she looked shy. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she said, "I'm so happy I get to marry you, Your Highness."

However, the image vanished as soon as it came. A dull, inexplicable pain rose in Julian's chest, as if something extremely important to him was rapidly slipping away.

-

Rosalind had been waiting in Serenity Palace for some time. The moment she spotted Vivian, she gave her a warm, motherly smile. However, it didn't quite reach her eyes.

She waved her over. "Vivi, you're finally here. Come, sit with me."

Vivian didn't move toward her right away, instead dipping into a full, careful curtsey. "Greetings, Your Majesty. I hope you've been well."

Rosalind kept smiling. "You're always so formal, you sweet thing. But why did you come in alone?"

Vivian knew the queen was asking why Julian hadn't come with her, but pretended not to understand. She lowered her gaze slightly and said with a quiet, distant tone, "I'm the only one left in my family. There's no one to accompany me."

A flicker passed through Rosalind's eyes, but she quickly softened her expression again. "Alright, let's not speak of sad things. Come, take a look at the dates."

A sheet of paper was spread on the table in front of her. On it, two dates were written. One was the third of June, and the other was the nineteenth of October.

The nineteenth of October was the date of Vivian's wedding to Julian in her previous life. Everyone had said it was a lucky day, but it had poured rain from morning to night. The procession had been soaked through, and the whole ceremony had been a mess.

People talked about it for a long time afterward. Some said Vivian was an ill omen, while others said she'd bring misfortune to the entire royal family.

"In my opinion, the nineteenth of October is by far the better choice. Why don't we go with that one?" Rosalind suggested pleasantly.

Vivian smiled gently. "Thank you, Your Majesty. But I think the third of June suits better."

"It's already April. The third of June would leave us with barely two months. Isn't that a bit rushed?" said the queen.

"It is, but I'd like to marry Prince Damian as soon as possible," Vivian replied, letting a hint of shyness slip into her expression.

It was at that exact moment that Julian walked into the hall. When he heard her words, he paused slightly in his steps, unconsciously grinding his teeth. Was she really that eager to get married?

"Julian, you're here too." Rosalind smiled and gestured for him to come in. "Perfect timing. Vivi wants to hold the wedding on the third of June, but it's far too soon. I think October is much more sensible. Help me talk her into it. She always listened to you when you were little."

Julian glanced at Vivian, his voice flat and sharp as he replied, "If she's so eager to marry Uncle Damian, why would we get in her way? Push it to October and she'll probably be cursing us behind our backs."

It wasn't a kind thing to say, and it had an edge to it.

Vivian should have felt stung. Instead, her smile brightened. "You make a fair point, Your Highness. Then, it's settled, the third of June. I do hope you'll honor us with your presence at the wedding."

Julian's gaze darkened further, a dangerous edge in his eyes and his lips pursed. "I have things to attend to, Mother. I'll take my leave."

"Of course. Don't work too late. Get some rest."

Julian made a noncommittal sound and walked out.

Vivian was about to excuse herself too when the queen suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Vivi."

Vivian looked over.

"As you know, Prince Damian is still unconscious. He won't be able to come to Windmere Estate for the wedding procession, so we'll need someone to stand in for him." Rosalind paused, thinking it over. "By tradition, the proxy has to be unmarried. I was thinking, what if we asked Julian?"

Vivian shook her head without hesitation. "His Highness is far too busy, I wouldn't dream of imposing on him. Perhaps you could choose someone else from among the royal family, Your Majesty. Prince Ryan's eldest son would be a fine choice. He's unmarried and just turned twenty."

Ryan Winchester was Julian's fourth uncle, and his eldest son was Caleb Winchester.

The last thing Vivian needed was Julian showing up to escort her and finding new ways to make her feel small about it.

Rosalind gave a mild nod. "That works too."

-

On the way back to Windmere Estate, Vivian found herself thinking about when they were children.

Her grandfather had been Julian's archery and riding instructor, and he'd brought Vivian along to the palace so often that she and the prince had practically grown up together. They used to tell each other everything and sneak out of the palace together.

Once, the two of them had encountered a runaway carriage on the street. Vivian pushed Julian out of the way in time and saved his life, but she was struck and fell heavily to the ground instead. It resulted in an ugly bruise on her left knee, and left her unable to walk properly for days.

Back then, Julian had been so anxious that he broke out in cold sweat. He had grabbed Vivian's hand and said, "I'll take responsibility for you, I promise."

So, when did he start to distance himself from her and come to dislike her?

In her previous life, that question had eaten at her for years. She'd cried over it alone in the dark more times than she could count. The knee that had taken the impact never stopped aching, and eventually her eyesight had started to go too, blurring at the edges whenever the light was dim.

This time around, she was done losing sleep over it. She didn't need to know why Julian had turned cold. Outside of life and death, nothing else was worth that much grief.

The wedding was coming quickly, and preparations were moving fast across the palace, Fairmont Estate, and Windmere Estate.

Julian lived within the palace compound, so it was hard for him not to notice all the eye-catching decorations. Having been restless for days, he finally stepped out of his chambers to get some air.

However, a visitor was waiting for him—his cousin, Caleb.

Julian received him in the study and asked without much interest, "What brings you to the palace?"

"With Uncle Damian getting married, Her Majesty is looking for someone among the family to stand in for him and lead the wedding procession to Windmere Estate," Caleb answered with an easy grin.