It Seemed My Fiancé Hated Me, So I Distanced Myself—But for Some Reason, He Complained - Chapter 28

The day after the discussion between the Meriam and Flory families, I was to head to the royal castle.

Though I was taken aback by how soon it was, Prince Lucas had insisted I come as quickly as possible.

To be honest, I no longer wanted to stay at the Meriam residence any longer than necessary, so I was grateful for His Highness’s words.

However, I hadn’t married Prince Lucas, nor had I officially become his fiancée. The thought of being allowed to live in the castle despite that made me anxious about what the royal family and their subjects might think.

“Clarissa! I’m so glad you came!”

When the carriage arrived at the castle gate, Prince Lucas was already there waiting.

He approached with a bright smile that seemed to dispel my anxieties and offered me his hand.

I took his outstretched hand and stepped down from the carriage.

“Thank you for coming to greet me, Your Highness.”

“You’re welcome, Clarissa. You look absolutely beautiful today.”

His Highness’s gaze lingered on my hair, and his beautiful blue eyes crinkled slightly. For some reason, that expression made my heart flutter.

Today, just like at the garden party, I had parted my bangs with a hair clip. It had been a very long time since I’d styled my hair like this on my own.

As for my dress, I only had worn-out ones, so there was nothing I could do about that, but I’d made sure to look as presentable as possible.

When I saw my reflection in the mirror without hiding my face, I still felt a bit self-conscious, but a wave of happiness washed over me.

Perhaps I had finally broken free from Lord Ryan’s curse.

“By the way, Clarissa, did your family say anything to you?”

Prince Lucas peered at my face with a slightly worried expression as he asked. Hesitantly, I answered truthfully.

“Well… they didn’t seem very pleased.”

The looks on my family’s faces when they found out I’d been summoned to the castle were something else.

Father’s eyes widened in shock, and Stepmother’s face twisted. When I left the mansion this morning, Father pretended not to notice, but Stepmother glared at me with pure hatred.

As for Chelsea, when I said my goodbyes, her eyes widened in utter astonishment.

“Sister, from that party!” she started, then froze completely. She must have been shocked to realize that the unfamiliar young lady from the garden party was her sister.

Chelsea remained frozen until I left the mansion.

When I vaguely explained all this, Prince Lucas gave a wry smile.