As a massive building approached through the stained glass window of the presumptuous carriage, the (h/c) haired girl's jaw dropped open. Entirely unnecessary, the palace of the archduchy family was lined with gold, the roof topped with sparkling tiles, made of magic stones. The sight was enough to blind someone if they looked for long enough, so the only thing she could do was gaze in shock at it.

On the other side of her, the young prince looked at her with great awe. With wide eyes, he leaned forward, head first, holding his hands together tightly. It was clear to the girl that he was watching her but she made no attempt to tell him off. Rather, she only flinched uncomfortably at his insistent staring while his butler tried to think of a way to placate them both, or at the very least, calm the boy down.

Regardless, as they exited the carriage and a fleet of soldiers, maids, and other servants greeted them, (Y/n) frowned. Quickly, Savino exited the device, he quickly straightened his outfit and let out a heavy breath. The male then placed his hand on his heart and bowed at the waist, extending his free hand to her. However, as she stepped past him, refusing to take his hand, his lip trembled, the male all but whimpering like a neglected puppy. He only continued to walk behind her, wondering if he had done something wrong...aside from his massive screw-up of an introduction.

His eyes watered as he grabbed onto the hem of his shirt. At that, his mother chuckled. Standing there with a confident posture and curved lips, she fascinated the girl. Staring, she couldn't take her eyes off of her. With more gems than she had ever seen to countless luxurious silks woven into her dress, it must have cost as much as a small nation. The (h/c) haired girl came to the conclusion that the massive waste of money was common for that family. She frowned again.

"My, what a tiny little thing you are," the woman chuckled, batting a crimson fan in front of her naturally gorgeous face, "Welcome to the archduchy. I'm sure I don't need to tell you, but make yourself at home, hm?"

The brunette blushed brightly, shaking his head. His mother just chuckled at his bashfulness before turning to enter the mansion's front doors fit for a giant. Just like everything else, it was coated in abundance, prompting great uncertainty from the girl. Regardless, she entered, Savino following as close behind as he could. The other servants remained in place, continuing to bow their heads in reverence.

The archduchess wandered off somewhere, but she instructed one of her ladies in waiting to show (Y/n) around the estate. Obviously, considering the astounding size of the manor and its surrounding lands as well as her short legs, they couldn't explore 5% of it. However, it was adequate for the first day, the girl being shown to her room. She was surprised to find it already decorated.

With light blue walls and controlled vines draping down the area, it felt more lively than anything else she'd seen thus far. With the countless gems, luxurious goods, and magic stones, she didn't think the word "modest" was in their dictionary. That didn't mean she wasn't happy to see her room was different. Rather, she felt at ease in the bedroom, grateful for anything at that point. At the very least, it wasn't coated in splintered wood and a dusty mattress.

In the midst of looking around, the girl caught a glimpse of Savino peeking his head around the door frame. He gave a look of shame when she noticed him but did not move away in fear. Instead, he stepped forward, hands behind his back and eyes looking at the floor as he mustered the courage to say something in his defense. The lady-in-waiting found it was best she leave the two alone, giving a curtsy before exiting promptly.

"D-Do you like it?" the brunette finally squeaked out, rocking back and forth nervously, "The room?"

"Yes."

With the abrupt response, the prince gave a disappointed gaze, ceasing his rocking. Instead, he stood still, trying to rack his mind for anything else. What he really wanted was an excuse to stay with her, but it was easier said than done. His thoughts were written on his face, the older girl able to read it as easily as she could anything else. So she did her best to ignore it, placing her hand on the wallpaper of the room as if she expected it to flake off.

"I designed the room myself," Savino murmured, desiring praise for his work, "Since this blue is your favorite color."

"No, it's not."

"It's not?" he panicked, feeling his heart race, "B-But I had thought...just...you always wrote about this color in your stories."

At the sound of that, the older girl paused. She then looked down at the book in her arms, worn down and decrepit. It hadn't been that long since she had finished writing it, but even so, it was given to her in shreds and she hauled it around everywhere. It was falling apart at the seams, she knew that. What she didn't understand is what the male meant by that. After all, though she had it published, she had written under a pseudonym. Gazing up at him, his stature taller than hers due to her years of malnutrition, she bit down on her lip.

"I just wrote about this color because Irene - the viscount's daughter - had a pretty dress like it. That's all."

The brunette blushed, shying away from the girl. He had always believed he knew how to read people, even if it was over text they had written. But he had been proven wrong. Immediately, he bolted away, leaving the (h/c) haired girl alone again. She exhaled before looking in every little drawer or nook and cranny. Though mildly surprised that there were already materials for her such as brushes, a stationary, and even dresses, she didn't want to use any of them. They mocked her.

However, as she heard a heavy stomping then panting, she looked back at the door, taking her attention off of their immodesty. The brunette had returned, a handful of books in his hands. He could barely hold them up, their weight almost half of his, but he proceeded to place them on the table regardless. Curious, she drew closer to them, gazing down at their elaborate covers only to realize that they were all her work.

"I'm a big fan! I know you just started, but I've never read anything like this before. It's fascinating!"

Despite the male's perfectionist nature, he adored the older girl's works. She had grammatical errors from time to time or misspelled words, but there was something beyond that in which he couldn't take his mind off of. The tales she wove were precious, each one of them defining something important despite the childish roots they were embedded in. Since the first time he had laid his eyes on them at the market, he couldn't help but buy as many of her works as possible. As shown by the bejeweled hardcovers he had resting on the table, he had even custom ordered them to show the value he thought they had.

"What do you call these?" he blushed, rubbing the back of his head, "These stories you make?"

The (h/c) haired girl once more paused, uncertain of what he was asking. Perhaps he wanted to know if they fell under the same realm of imagination. Or maybe he wanted to know if there was anything that inspired them. To either of those questions, the girl could not answer, only racking her brain for answers. However, she found that, when looking back on how she had written each of them, there was a hope in each of them. Each tale had a wish to become magical, for her to escape and fly free away from the chains that held her down in the viscount's manor. So she turned to him with a somber smile.

"Fairy tales."

Savino smiled wide and fiddled with the hem of his shirt again, not able to make direct eye contact with her for very long. He found her too mesmerizing to even try. Her ingenuity and sense of wonder gave him nothing less than complete adoration. And though it was far too early to reveal his intentions, he had to admit to himself that from the first story, he had fallen in love with its author. It didn't matter their gender nor how old they were. He wanted them all for himself, to write stories for him first before sharing their genius to the rest of the world.

Unable to continue being in her presence, the brunette thanked her for her time before letting her rest from the long journey. No doubt she was exhausted. As such, to keep himself occupied and his mind away from rushing back to talk to her, he busied himself with his classes. Sword fighting, etiquette, dancing, etc., he went back to his composed and perfectionist self, doing everything with a poise that only someone of his bloodline could do. At least, that's what he thought, but, in actuality, such things didn't matter.

As dinner approached, the male rushed off from his training to focus on more important things. He had practically burst into his own room, his maids standing up straight in anticipation of the young prince's orders. With a stern expression, he had then entered the bath, cleaning himself as well as he could. The male then exited, his brows furrowed as he readied himself. Though he hated being touched, it was necessary. As peacocks adorned themself with gorgeous feathers to impress the ladies, he was prepared to show off his best.

In the meantime, the archduchess sat with (Y/n), who had replaced her old outfit with a dress the maids pushed onto her. The two had decided on eating outside as the sky was gorgeous and the weather was tempered. In the gazebo with gorgeously rare flowers, they drank tea together, the woman drinking it straight whereas the (h/c) haired girl had dumped sugar into it. Either way, they enjoyed the time outside. Their very long time outside. With a chuckle, the archduchess watched as her son came rushing out of the manor with a look of panic. He must have known he kept them waiting.

"My Savino, I wager a bride would have taken less time getting ready."

The brunette blushed, but sat down quickly, trying to hide his ashamed face. However, when he remembered his original plan of dressing to impress, he thought of getting up once more to show off his appearance. That being said, the time was not right and he was already being snickered at by his mother. As such, he pushed out his chest and did what he could to draw the older girl's eye.

It seemed she was much more interested in the dishes arriving at the table than what he was doing, but she did eventually look his way. Giving a quick glance to him, he put on a stern and rigid expression as if to make himself appear more mature. However, his disinterested gaze only made her shy away from him in a crude manner. She didn't want to stare at the massive jewel broach on his pocket nor the elaborately made attire he wore. It was a blatant disregard for those that didn't have the wealth he did, and that was virtually everyone, even if he was just a child.

"Do you like the garden?" Savino mumbled briefly, trying to come up with another way to get recognition.

"No."

"Then the dress you're wearing?"

"No."

"Then...the main estate?"

The (h/c) haired girl placed down her knife and fork. Though she had wanted to continue eating the delicious food, despite its roots in luxurious ingredients, it wasn't worth it. She sighed before pushing her chair back and leaving. Maybe she could find something by wandering out later at night. Either that or she would sustain herself on the tea cookies that she had been given as a welcoming gift by the head maid.

She was surprised when Savino ran after her. While she didn't get very far at all, he nonetheless made it a point to catch up to her, his mother ceasing to chuckle. Instead, she stared with an eyebrow cocked, her fan batting in front of her plump lips as always. (Y/n) often thought that the woman must have been better versed with the temperature of the north. Perhaps she had been sent there for boarding school when she was much younger.

"You don't like anything here?" the brunette trembled, his false stiff expression melting away to show one of heartbreak, "I thought...you said you liked your room. Were you lying to make me feel better?"

"No, I like it."

"But nothing else? What about me?"

The (h/c) haired girl shrugged. Truthfully, she didn't know how to feel about the brunette in front of her. He was generous to help her out of her abusive home, but, aside from that, he had only been pompous and adorned in all sorts of luxury. His excessive use of it had twisted her into believing her first impression of him was dead wrong. So she simply shook her head half-heartedly to convey that feeling. Neither liking him nor hating him, she could withstand him for a certain period of time.

"I...thought I was doing a good job."

"That's your guys' problem," she sighed, turning to look at the boy's mother as well, "You nobles are always showing off your money in greedy ways. You don't give back what you have and ignore all the people that are starving to death. Those dumb gems and these gross dresses are disgusting. Just leave me alone. I'll leave tomorrow morning anyway."

With a trembling lip, the younger boy stayed in place as she moved away as quickly as possible. He then turned around and sat back at the table, burrowing his head into his folded arms with a sigh. The boy had thought everything had been running smoothly. Though he knew he messed up the introduction, he believed he could overwrite it with new memories. Impressing her was not as simple as he had thought, so he sulked in front of his mother, a woman who could make anything happen.

"I've really never seen something like this," she smirked, taking a large sip of wine, "I thought my Savino was perfect in every way, but he's quite useless at romance, isn't he?"

"Don't patronize me. I'm doing the best I can. For some reason, she doesn't like me. Tell me why, mother."

"Oh, this is new, too. Relying on me, I had always been under the impression you hated such a thought."

"Just tell me," the male blushed, continuing to pout.

"Well, if I had to stay, she's quite the frugal girl. She doesn't seem to like jewels or expensive doohickeys. You being a wealthy little half-duke half-prince must be a deal-breaker for her. How ironic. I'm afraid you're the first one she wouldn't want."

Savino grumbled, banging his head against the table. If he didn't do anything, the (h/c) haired girl would have left, or worse, hated him. It was then that he came up with a solution. She didn't want someone squandering so much money, so he would have to be the opposite. The male stood up with a determined gaze, rushing inside to the treasury. He didn't care if he had to spend it all, but he had to do something to convince her to stay, even for just a bit longer.

. . .

When (Y/n) woke up, she was greeted by the sound of noisy chattering. It wasn't from inside the estate, but, rather, out of it. By staring out of the window, the older girl saw a sight most bizarre. Countless peasants and commoners alike had gathered in the front of the estate, all of them with bright smiles on their faces. In a long line that stretched further than she could make out, their presence was more astounding.

After getting dressed in the simplest attire she could find, she rushed down the stairs like it was a holiday and ran through the massive front doors held open by the guards. In doing so, she was greeted with the sight of Savino handing something to a family. There were other servants doing the same, each with large bags filled to the brim with what looked to be rations. Curious, and concerned a war may be approaching, she snuck closer. The brunet kept his eye on her, doing it in such a way it wouldn't look like he was. He couldn't be caught doing the action of charity with the intent of romancing her.

"What's going on?" the girl questioned, addressing a nearby maid checking off a list.

"Welcome, milady. The prince put together this event to help the villagers. Isn't it lovely? I heard he was up all night putting together everything. You wouldn't believe how quickly they all came running to accept the young master's generosity. Would you like to see what he's done?"

With a nod, the girl followed alongside the maid as she checked up on a few stations. Having been organized by the staff by the gate's entrance, there was more than one kind of support offered. For families of two parents and one or more children, there was soap, rat traps, clean water, toys, and one bag of food for each member of the household. Then there was the single-parent household with supplies to assist children. For those that didn't have children, there were offerings of food, clean water, etc.. Even for commoner-run businesses, there were forms to sign in order to receive a tax dismissal for the next year.

It was all really impressive for the younger boy to have put together in such a short amount of time. She hummed, stepping forward to investigate a booth that was far away from the others. The line for it was long, filled with only households with children, the girl interested. As she approached, the maid holding up one of the forms, she gasped with adoration. The brunet had gone so far as to construct a school for the villagers. Though many of them were illiterate and uneducated, he had taken a step forward to help them in a way no other noble wanted to. She just had to see him.

"Good morning, (Y/n)," the boy grinned, tilting his head to the side while shaking a crying villager's hand, "Did you have breakfast yet?"

"Ah, no, but - "

"Then would you like to eat together? Breakfast is french toast, eggs, parfaits, and a lot more. I can't remember."

"Well, actually, I wanted to ask...Did you really do all this because of what I said yesterday?"

"Of course! You really opened my eyes. You were absolutely right. As a noble, I should care for the people under my rule, not shun them and gloat. So I've decided to start extending his kindness to them."

The man who had been shaking the boy's hand was weeping loudly, on his knees and thanking him with all of his being. He kissed the boy's ring while his wife and children continually bowed for the male's kindness. Of course, Savino wanted nothing more than to draw back his hand away from the likely diseased man's slobber, but he didn't. His brow might have twitched for a moment, but he had been dealing with his irritation since dawn. He didn't plan to stop when the (h/c) haired girl had finally appeared. That being said, he would remember to wear gloves the next time he approached such people.

"My lord is so incredible!" the man on his knees sobbed, "I thank you, I thank you! I thank you so much, your highness! I will pray for the gods to protect you from any harm!"

"That's very kind of you to say," Savino smiled as he got on his knees, doing his best to put on a flawless appearance when all he wanted to do was throw up, "but my role is to protect you. Please return home knowing I will do my best for you."

"Yes, yes, your highness!"

Seeing the brunette on his knees shocked the older girl. She brought her hand to her mouth, nervously covering it. Perhaps she had really misjudged him for a while. He had lowered himself to address a loyal subject, providing them with all sorts of essentials. It made her cheeks turn pink in shame. Savino had believed it to be for another reason. So he smirked, going so far as to meet the next person with an enthusiastic greeting.

"Thank you for coming out here so early in the morning! I know it's been trying for you to stand here for so long. Please offer my sincerest