After seeing his mother's carriage vanish at the end of the castle portico, Karl and Princess Louise walked side by side along the gravel path back to the main keep.
The warm afternoon sun filtered through gaps in the leaves, scattering mottled patches of light and shadow, but because of Lady Eileen's pointed parting words, the atmosphere between them was filled with a subtle, awkward silence.
The topic of children and heirs just now was like a stone tossed into a calm lake, stirring layer after layer of ripples in both their hearts.
The flush on Louise's cheeks had yet to fade completely. Her head was slightly lowered, her gaze fixed on the tips of her shoes as they moved, and her heartbeat was still somewhat unsteady.
Karl looked straight ahead, his expression unchanged, but the half-step pace he had unconsciously quickened revealed the unrest in his heart.
His mother's expectations, the territory's future, and the complicated yet profound emotional ties between him and the princess... these tangled thoughts wove together.
When they reached the steps beneath the main keep, Karl stopped and turned his head to Louise. His voice was a little lower than usual. "Your Highness, I still have some military affairs that need to be handled immediately. You should return to your room and rest first."
Hearing him, Louise raised her head and quickly glanced at Karl. The moment she met his eyes, she swiftly looked away again, gave a soft "mm," and said in a low voice, "Proper business comes first. Please go attend to it."
The two parted at the stairway. Louise lifted her skirts and slowly went upstairs, while Karl turned and strode toward the offices in the castle's side wing.
Inside the office, several core officers and infantry commanders who had received the