Seraphina’s POV

I frowned at his response, not appreciating the teasing when I had asked a serious question.

Darius must have noticed the shift in my expression because almost immediately, his smirk faded, and he raised a hand in a small gesture of apology.

“Alright, alright,” he said, his voice softer. “I’m sorry for teasing you.”

I remained silent, waiting for him to actually answer the question.

He exhaled, running a hand through his dark hair before leaning back against the sofa. “To be honest, I have no issues with marrying you at all—if that’s what you were wondering.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly, crossing my arms over my chest. “Then why bring up the fact that I’m too young to be thinking about marriage?”

Darius tilted his head slightly, looking genuinely curious now. “Do you not think you’re too young to be getting married?”

I let out an exasperated sigh, rolling my eyes. “Of course I think I’m too young,” I muttered. “But coming from you, it sounded like you were saying it as an excuse. Like you were trying to find a way to indirectly discourage me from even considering accepting the arrangement—since you probably can’t outright refuse your father.”

Darius blinked at me for a second before he suddenly let out a small laugh, shaking his head in amusement.

“What?” I demanded, narrowing my eyes at him again.

“You’re definitely thinking way too much about this,” he said, playfully rolling his eyes.

I gave him a flat look. “Am I?”

He nodded. “Yes. Way too much.”

I exhaled sharply. “Then enlighten me, Your Highness.”

Darius chuckled at my sarcasm but straightened his posture, his expression turning more sincere. “Look, my father didn’t exactly force me into this,” he admitted. “If I hadn’t said yes, he wouldn’t have spoken to you about it at all.”

I studied him carefully, searching for any sign of dishonesty.

“And you wanted to say yes?” I asked skeptically.

He shrugged. “I didn’t not want to say yes.”

I gave him a dry look. “That’s not exactly an answer.”

Darius let out a small sigh, his eyes meeting mine with an unreadable expression. “I agreed because it makes sense,” he said. “Not because I’m madly in love with the idea of an arranged marriage, but because strategically, it benefits us both.”

I exhaled, leaning back slightly against the sofa, letting his words settle in my mind.

“So you’re fine with it,” I muttered.

“I’m open to it,” he corrected, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

I let out a long sigh, rubbing my temple slightly before looking back at Darius. “Alright,” I said, tilting my head, “if you’re really fine with this arrangement, then why did you say I was too young to get married?”

Darius shrugged, his expression calm. “For obvious reasons.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Which are?”

He exhaled as if he was explaining something simple. “I know it’s only a three-year difference between us, but I’m twenty-one—I’m in college, I’ve already started preparing for my future, and my responsibilities as the Crown Prince are only growing.”

He glanced at me pointedly. “Meanwhile, you’re eighteen and still in high school. You still have at least two or three years before you even graduate.”

“Two years,” I corrected immediately, because as much as I didn’t want to be engaged, I definitely wasn’t about to let someone think I was stuck in high school for longer than necessary.

Darius smirked slightly, nodding as if conceding my correction. “Two years, then, but my point still stands—can’t you see why that might be a problem?”

I frowned slightly, watching him carefully.

“It’s not just about age,” he continued. “It’s about experience—in life, in responsibilities, in… relationships.” His expression remained unreadable as he added, “I don’t want to marry someone so young and possibly inexperienced.”

I crossed my arms, rolling my eyes even though I completely agreed with him. “Well, your father doesn’t seem to think it’s a problem.”

Darius blinked at me before tilting his head. “Oh? And what did he say?”

I leaned back slightly, recalling King Orion’s words from earlier. “He said that we could simply announce the engagement now and put off the actual wedding until I was older.”

Darius stared at me for a second, then let out a soft chuckle. “Of course he did.”

I gave him a skeptical look. “You sound so surprised.”

He shook his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Not surprised. Just… not shocked, either. My father knows what he’s doing.”

I let out another sigh, feeling the exhaustion creeping back in. “Well, lucky for both of us, he’s giving me time to think about it.”

Darius studied me for a moment before leaning back against the sofa, his gaze still lingering on me. “And what are you thinking, Seraphina?”

I exhaled slowly, my eyes drifting toward the ceiling. “That my life used to be a lot simpler before all of this.”

Darius chuckled. “Yeah, well… welcome to politics.”

I shot him a dry look. “Oh, thank you, Your Highness. That makes me feel so much better.”

Darius chuckled, rolling his eyes slightly before leaning forward with an expectant look. “Come on,” he said, his voice laced with amusement. “Be honest with me, Seraphina. What are you really thinking?”

I let out a long, tired sigh, dragging a hand through my hair. “I’m thinking that I just want to sleep over my thoughts,” I muttered. “I’ve had a long day, and I can’t even begin to wrap my head around making a life-changing decision when I’m this exhausted.”

Darius studied me for a moment before nodding in understanding. “That’s fair,” he admitted. “Honestly, I’d probably feel the same way if I were in your position.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “You are in my position.”

He smirked. “Yes, but unlike you, I already agreed to this arrangement. You’re the one still deciding.”

I pursed my lips, not sure if I should find comfort in that.

Darius leaned back, stretching his arms over the back of the sofa before exhaling. “Take your time to think,” he said. “Whatever conclusion you come to, just let me know so I can prepare myself.”

I scoffed lightly. “And how, exactly, am I supposed to let you know first?”

He grinned, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. Without hesitation, he unlocked it and handed it to me. “Put your number in.”

I stared at him. “Are you serious?”

Darius chuckled. “Very.”

I hesitated for a brief moment before sighing and taking the phone from his hand. As much as I was wary of forming any unnecessary connections with him, it did make sense for us to have a direct line of communication—especially considering the circumstances.

As I quickly typed in my number, Darius leaned forward again, resting his elbows on his knees. “Look, I know we don’t really know each other,” he said, his voice lighter now. “But since we’re on the verge of either getting engaged or not, we might as well at least be friends, right?”

I paused mid-typing, glancing up at him with narrowed eyes. “Friends?”

Darius shrugged. “Or acquaintances. Whatever makes you feel less awkward about this.”

I shook my head slightly, finishing with my number before handing his phone back. “You’re oddly optimistic about this whole thing.”

“I like to keep an open mind.” He smirked as he saved my number. “Besides, if you need anything, you can always call me.”

I raised an eyebrow, unsure if I should take that as an actual offer or just polite conversation.

He stretched out his hand, palm open, his eyes watching me expectantly. “Whatever happens,” he said smoothly, “I hope we get along well, Lady Seraphina.”

I stared at his hand for a second before sighing and shaking it.

“Yeah,” I muttered. “We’ll see.”

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