"You can cry if you want..." Xhemin asked, her voice shaking as she was still crying under the prince's arms. She was resting her head in between his shoulder and neck and she could clearly feel his throat shaking as if he was withholding his own cries.

"Shut up," Huzey was in denial. He will not shed a tear in front of her, never. "You are the only cry baby in all of grandad's children"

​​

"Ziggy cries more than me," She reminded him. "It was a settled fact when we were young that he cries the most,"

"Looks like the spot had been taken by you now,"

Xhemin pushed him away and looked at him. "Stop teasing me. I'm already leaving and yet you are not giving me a break. Also—"

Xhemin was about to say something more when she noticed the painting Huzey was working on when she came. Her eyes lingered on it for a moment and eventually dragged it back to the prince.

"It's her again," Xhemin noted. "You are painting her again,"

"Just had no subject to think of," Huzey defended and just then, Xhemin saw the expression that went across his face. It flashed a sign of guilt and she could only guess why.

"Are you feeling guilty because you choose to chase her instead of pursuing me?"

Huzey didn't answer and chose to evade her eyes. He grabbed his apron and painting brush again, sat in front of the canvass and started his strokes.

"I told you not to be guilty. I was all destined to go back to Manggan Island afterall,"

Huzey chose not to comment anymore and just focused on his painting. Xhemin knew that something was bugging him and it's all related if not of her, then about the woman he had been dreaming about. She was very aware of his attempts of searching as Ziggy told her in clear detail how Huzey called on the best investigators and detectives in the country to look for her but until then, there was no signs of her.

Odd. She used to appear once in a while but now that Huzey was looking for her, gone was all her trace. She just disappeared, like the wind.

"Xhemin," After a long silence Huzey called on her. Without looking at her eyes, he asked. "You told me you love me...but then you settled that you love Darryl more,"

"How did you know?" Huzey asked and creased a brow at how he seemed desperate at the answer as if this too was his dilemma, "How did you know you love him more than me?"

Xhemin didn't know how to feel at Huzey's desperateness. What is happening with the prince? She knew for a fact that he might have been heartbroken of her confession today but why does it seem like this was nothing about her. However, since he asked a significant question, she gave her an answer.

"Huzey, whenever I look at you, I can see you as a man and as a friend," Xhemin started. "My love for you does not depend on who you can be to me , I can always love you either as my man or my best friend…"

"But for Darryl this isn't the case," Xhemin thought about it well and her mind went from their conversation to all her thoughts of Darryl and their love, "Whenever I look at Darryl, I can only see him as a man, my man. I cannot love him other than being my man...I cannot love him just as a friend….I cannot be just his friend...that would kill me,"

"I see," Huzey smiled bitterly. It was obvious in his eyes that he was bombarded with so many thoughts he didn't want to tell her and Xhemin didn't force him to say anything. Whatever the prince was undergoing right then, she knew he could overcome it.

"Huzey—"

"Truth is I guess it would be better for you too to get back with Darryl," Huzey heaved a sigh helplessly. "Afterall, I'm a one miserable man. I might not be able to give you the happiness you seek. Its enough that we tried to love each other and found that we were not meant to be before things get deep,"

"I'm sorry if I made your heart break today," She said, very sorry for how she hurt the prince. She loved him deeply as a friend and even sacrificed her youth to find some cure for him. She never thought that at the end, she would be the one to cause him so much pain.

"This is only one of my many heartbreaks," Huzey replied thinking about all the things he had gone through. "I'll get over it. If you see me in pain, don't ever blame yourself for it. All my pain is not caused by what you told me today, it's one of the many. You are not solely responsible...in fact you are not responsible for it because you never gave me an assurance afterall. You gave us a chance and I'm already happy with that,"

"Go off now," He kissed her head for one last time and caressed her face. "The Lagdameo heir had already been waiting for too long,"

"I will miss you my prince," Xhemin bid him farewell. "Please be well,"

"I will be okay," Huzey promised. "Do not worry. When you go there, do not worry about us here. Ziggy and I will get everything you left covered including the Richmond ranch and your grandaunt. Worry about yourself and your family there. It had been too long that you had prioritized us, it's time that you prioritize yourself and your happiness,"

"Promise me you will have a happy life," he added and wished all the good things he could for her. "Even if we are not together. Even if Ziggy is not there. Promise us you'll lived happy,"

"I promise you my prince that I will live a good life," Xhemin assured him. "Please live a good life too,"

After that, Xhemin left the Montarini Manor with her aching heart and complicated thoughts. She dared not look back as she walked out, afraid to see Huzey and his pain. She knew the prince will overcome this heartbreak, and so will all the things he will face right after.