Chapter 21: Chapter 20: The "Engagement" Fallout

Chapter 20: The "Engagement" Fallout

The morning after the ball, Tiara sat in her father’s study, glaring at the latest letter she’d received.

“Congratulations on your engagement, Lady Tiara!” it read. “We’re all so thrilled for you and His Highness. Such a perfect match!”

Her father, Duke Everhart, was sitting across from her, sipping tea and clearly amused.

“Father,” Tiara said through gritted teeth, “why are people congratulating me for something that doesn’t exist?”

“Well,” her father began, setting down his teacup, “you did waltz with the first prince at a grand ball. It’s only natural for people to jump to conclusions.”

“Natural?” Tiara repeated, her tone incredulous. “They’ve gone from ‘dancing’ to ‘engaged’ in less than twelve hours! That’s not natural—it’s insanity!”

Cedric, lounging on a nearby sofa, snickered. “Maybe you should thank Chris for boosting your popularity. Now everyone thinks you’re a future empress.”

Tiara glared at her brother. “Cedric, if you don’t stop talking, I will personally ensure you can’t eat sweets for a month.”

Cedric immediately quieted, but his grin remained.

The door to the study opened, and Felix and Lily entered, both looking concerned.

“Milady,” Felix began, holding up a pile of letters, “more messages have arrived. They’re all addressed to you.”

“Let me guess,” Tiara said, sighing, “more congratulations on my fake engagement?”

Lily nodded, her blue eyes wide. “Yes, milady. But some are... odd.”

Tiara frowned. “Odd how?”

“Well,” Lily began, hesitating, “some young noblewomen are asking for advice on how to win a prince’s heart. They think you’re an expert.”

Felix coughed to hide his laugh, but Tiara caught it and shot him a glare.

“This is ridiculous,” Tiara muttered, slumping into her chair.

Her father chuckled. “You could always write back and give them advice. Something along the lines of, ‘Throw a tomato at his head and insult him regularly.’”

Tiara groaned. “Father, you’re not helping.”

---

Meanwhile, at the palace, Chris sat in the royal gardens, utterly bemused as his attendants delivered the latest rumors.

“Your Highness,” one of them said hesitantly, “the nobles are quite convinced that you and Lady Tiara are engaged. Shall we issue a statement to deny it?”

Chris leaned back in his chair, smirking. “And ruin all the fun? No, let them talk.”

The attendant hesitated. “But Your Highness, this could create complications—”

Chris waved a hand. “Complications for whom? Tiara? She’ll survive. Besides,” he added with a chuckle, “it’s not my fault nobles have overactive imaginations.”

“Very well, Your Highness,” the attendant said, bowing.

As the attendant left, Chris stared up at the sky, his smirk softening into a genuine smile. “I wonder how Tiara’s handling it.”

---

Later That Day – Everhart Estate

Tiara was in the garden, venting her frustrations to Mia, who had come over to visit.

“This is a disaster,” Tiara said, pacing back and forth. “I didn’t even want to dance with him, and now everyone thinks we’re secretly engaged!”

Mia, sitting on a bench and watching her friend with amusement, twirled a lock of her silver hair. “To be fair, you two do look good together.”

Tiara spun around to glare at her. “Mia, don’t you start.”

Mia giggled. “I’m just saying! You and Prince Chris have great chemistry. And the way he looked at you during the dance—”

“Stop right there!” Tiara interrupted, holding up a hand. “There was no ‘way he looked at me.’ He’s just insufferable, and I’m cursed to deal with him.”

“Cursed?” Mia repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Are you sure you’re not just secretly flattered?”

Tiara groaned, covering her face with her hands. “You’re impossible.”

Before Mia could respond, a servant approached. “Milady, there’s a messenger from the palace. He has a gift from His Highness.”

Tiara’s eyes narrowed. “A gift? From Chris? What is he up to now?”

The servant handed her a small, elegant box. Inside was a note:

“To commemorate our memorable dance. Don’t worry—I didn’t send a tomato. Yet. – Chris”

Tiara sighed, setting the note aside. Beneath it was a beautifully crafted hairpin shaped like a crescent moon.

Mia peered over her shoulder. “Ooh, that’s pretty! He has good taste.”

Tiara rolled her eyes. “He’s just trying to mess with me.”

“Or,” Mia teased, “he secretly likes you.”

Tiara groaned. “Mia, I swear—”

Mia laughed, standing up and grabbing Tiara’s arm. “Come on, let’s go inside. You can plan your revenge over tea.”

---

Later That Night – Palace

Alistair sat in his chambers, his expression dark as he read the latest rumors in the gossip column.

“So,” he muttered to himself, “Chris thinks he can take what’s mine.”

His hand clenched around the paper, crumpling it. “We’ll see about that.”

Alistair’s thoughts turned to his next move, a sly smile creeping across his face. He would ensure that Tiara’s attention turned to him, no matter the cost.

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