Awakening in White Locks

Chapter 22

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The Archduke sat silently on the grass, his gaze fixed on the horizon as if lost in thought.

The wind carried with it the scent of flowers and the rustling of leaves, a melody that should've brought calm to anyone.

Yet, the Archduke felt a storm within himself.

He had trust issues. People often sought him for his power, his title, or what they could gain from him. Marami na rin siyang masasakit na napagdaanan sa buhay. Marami na siyang taong pinagkatiwalaan na sinara lamang din nila.

It was rare for him to let anyone in—his heart a fortress, guarded and cold.

But for some inexplicable reason, Naseria was different.

Her smile, bright and genuine, seemed to melt away the heavy burdens he carried.

Her endless chatter, though he would never admit it aloud, brought a strange kind of peace to him. It was as if her voice drowned out the noise of his weary mind.

She had a certain magic within her, a sanctuary he never thought he needed.

As they sat quietly, the cold breeze teased strands of Naseria's hair, making them fly in all directions. He watched her struggle to tuck them behind her ears, her lips forming a slight pout in frustration.

Before he realized it, his body moved on its own.

He leaned forward, his hand gently brushing her hair aside, his touch lingering longer than necessary. The act startled him as much as it did her.

Izra wasn't the type to cross boundaries so casually.

Yet, here he was, tucking a yellow flower he had picked earlier behind her ear.

“This...” he murmured, his voice unusually soft. “The wind blew it between us earlier. I thought it suited you.”

For a moment, silence stretched between them, both unsure of what to say or do. Naseria touched the flower lightly, her cheeks flushed, while Izra stared at her as if trying to decipher the strange pull he felt towards her.

Why did he do that? Why did he feel the need to?

He straightened up, masking his surprise with his usual stoic demeanor, though the faint warmth in his chest betrayed him.

Perhaps, just perhaps, he thought, Naseria was someone he could allow into his world. Just a little.

But the Archduke knew better than to hope too much. He had learned the hard way that people could easily shatter trust.

And yet, here he was, breaking his own rules for a woman who smiled like the sun and spoke like her words could chase away the shadows in his life.

Naseria, oblivious to the turmoil in the Archduke's mind, turned away shyly, muttering something under her breath about it being “just a flower.”

But Izra knew it was more than that—it was a beginning.

No, it wasn't even the beginning.

The real beginning was when Naseria first visited the Palace. When she brought him cookies and tea. For some reason, those little gestures helped him sleep. Not deeply, not without nightmares, but at least he could sleep.

And he... He didn't want to admit it, but he... really missed her presence too.

It felt strange.

He had never craved someone's company before. Not even from his mother, who left deep scars on his soul, or from his father, the King, who never seemed to care enough to ask how he was doing.