It was December, and Win's big day is fast approaching. And yet, Win has not yet revealed anything to his new friends the truth.
Of course, Love and Khao will be with him on his big day, and the three have already arranged the perfect crime — a trip to Cebu disguised as a short weekend vacation. But when Off overheard them one time, Win was left with no choice but to extend the invitation to him and Tay. The complication, however, is an invitation to Off, and Tay obviously extends to the Prince.
"I will also be in Cebu the same weekend. That would be perfect. I can join you after the event that I am obligated to attend." Bright shared.
Win, Love, and Khao looked at each other's eyes, appearing to be communicating through their gazes.
"Are you attending the investiture of the Duke of Cebu?" it was Off asking. "I recently got a call from my old man saying I will be attending on behalf of my family. I didn't know our family is friends with the duke."
"Same dude. I was also told that I have to attend to represent the family. It was weird, though as my brother said, it seems that I was particularly asked to attend on behalf of the family." Tay joined the conversation.
"So we three will be in the same event. Cool. We can then just drive together to join them in wherever resort they gonna stay." Bright excitedly suggested.
It appears to be coincidental, but Win already planned everything. Since there is no escaping, he would rather have his friends with him when Bright discovers the truth about Win. The duke is anxious about what would potentially be Bright's reaction, but he is confident that the Prince would be cool about it. He would be the best person to understand how difficult it is to be part of the nobility and the reason why Win and his family decided to hide it in the meantime.
Bright offered to fly everyone to Cebu, joining him in his chartered flight to Cebu. But Win will be flying commercial with his family, Khao and Love, so he made an excuse they made the lamest excuse ever — that flying economy together is a sort of a bond for them, and they want to do it again as it has been a long time since the last they did it. However, Prince Bright brought their excuse easily as he saw how close these three and that could be their travel ritual that he, a royal, may never be able to enjoin.
Bright flew a day before the event with Off and Tay. He will be staying with his parents in the east wing of the magnificent Sugbo Palace upon the dictates of tradition that the Duke of Cebu shall host any visiting royal in the island of Cebu. It is the very reason that Cebu City, despite it being the second largest metropolis of the Philippines and the most important economic center south of Luzon island, has no royal palace for the monarch to stay. Off and Tay, on the other hand, will be staying at a nearby hotel.
It was lunchtime when the Rama household arrived at the Sugbo Palace complex, where they will also stay for the investiture ceremony. The personal apartment of the duke is located in the western wing of the massive palatial complex. Win is aware that the royal guests are within close proximity and has no plans to reveal to Bright anything until the very last moment, at the very ceremony. He's anxious about his social introduction, but he's more concerned about Bright's reaction.
It would be fine, Win thinks. Bright is a reasonable guy. It was not he intentionally hid his identity just to be close to the Prince. The truth is, Win wanted to live his normal life until the very last moment, and his meeting and becoming friends with the Crown Prince is just purely a coincidence.
The personal apartment of the Duke is the section of the palace that is regularly lived and used by each holder of the ducal title. The apartment is composed of seven private rooms (perfect for Win's immediate family of five), a working kitchen, a dining area, a private library, and a sitting room where the duke's family can retreat after a busy day. Minus the elegant engravings and artworks, the personal apartment is actually homey, which is a sharp contrast to the elegant and stately rooms and halls that compose the rest of the palace.
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The Prince and I | BrightWin FanFic
RomanceA few months before graduation, Win learned that his normal life would soon change. He is set to inherit the title of Duke of Cebu. Bright, whose heart was broken before returning to his home country, is the Crown Prince who surprised everyone when...
