"I-I apologize for my behavior earlier, your highness," Elena spoke as she bowed her head in shame.

They were currently in the royal garden of the palace as they took a stroll after the suffocating moment they both had with the second prince of the Empire.

Well, for Elena, that is.

"Your apology is acknowledged, Lady Elena," Asher spoke as he smiled lightly at the lady who was wearing an elegant green dress, just like her, beautiful and elegant.

"It was embarrassing for me to assume that the second prince from the empire was pertaining to me. I deeply regret my words," Elena apologized again and Asher nodded in an understanding manner.

"As I have told you, my lady, it is okay for us to make mistakes at times," He spoke as he picked a yellow flower from the garden and placed it on the lady's ear.

Elena's beautiful smile can be seen as she was pleased with the Prince's display of affection for him.

"I am grateful for your considerations, your highness," She spoke and she also picked a blue rose and placed it on Asher's ear.

The two laughed as they stared at each other.

Asher's hands were wrapped around the lady's waist as they both walked side by side in the garden.

All the servants who saw the two smiled lovingly.

Prince Asher Lumiere and Lady Elena Scotch, the two individuals who will soon rule the Taron Kingdom perfectly fit each other.

Asher was the perfect prince and Elena was the perfect noblewoman with a perfect background for the said royalty.

"Remember the day that we went to the chef's kitchen and you took some pastries because His Majesty did not allow you to eat too much of it?" Elena asked as she giggled at the memory.

It was the time when Asher snuck out from his training practice of swordsmanship that he ditched with the lady who came to watch and visit him.

Of course, Asher was placed on a restricted diet because of his training so his consumption of pastries was limited but the Crown Prince was hard-headed that he snuck into the royal chef's kitchen and stole some pastries.

Asher bowed and scratched his head as he remembered the embarrassing memory.

"Ah, you don't have to bring that up again, my lady, I am embarrassed," He spoke and they both laughed.

"Such good times when we were still children, your highness," Elena smiled and Asher nodded his head.

"Indeed," the Crown Prince responded as they continued their walk in the garden.

However, there was an accompanying memory with what Elena had brought back again.

"Asher, I have brought you some cookies!" The young master who had been given the title of the successor spoke but Asher ignored him.

He was mad at Pier for not addressing Elena properly the last time they met.

"Aw come on, are you still mad because I did not address Elena properly?" The young noble asked and Asher's eyebrows furrowed.

"Lady, Pier! Call her Lady because she is the Lady of the scotch household!" He reprimanded Pier and the noble only nodded his head as he thrust the box of cookies into Asher's hands again.

"Yeah, sure, here, receive this. I made them for you!" Pier spoke with excitement in his voice as he disregarded Asher's continuous reminder of him to address Elena with her proper title.

Asher scoffed as he pushed the box away.

"I can't. His Majesty had told me to limit my consumption of sweets," He spoke as he turned his back on the young master and started to train with his sword again.

"Oh... is that so?" Pier had a pout on his lips as he retracted the box back.

"Well, I guess I'll just eat these myself," He nodded his head as if agreeing to the decision he made himself.

He also turned his body back as he started to walk away.

"Your highness, are you okay?" Elena worriedly asked as the Crown Prince did not respond to her former question.

Asher spaced out as he recalled the memory of Pier giving him cookies while he trained.

He did not accept the gift but he snuck with the lady he likes at the royal chef's kitchen.

Sigh

He sighed as they both headed towards the pavilion in the center of the royal garden.

"I think my head is slightly hurting. Can we rest for a short moment at the pavilion, my lady?" He asked and Elena nodded her head.

"Of course, your highness!" She exclaimed as they started to walk again after the short pause.

When they reached the place, Asher sat on one of the chairs and servants immediately tended to the Crown Prince.

They served him tea, pastry, and other necessities.

The same went for the Lady of Marquis Scotch.

"Drink this tea, your highness. I heard it soothes the body of the person who intakes this," Elena suggested as she pointed at a certain tea variety served by the maids.

Asher nodded his head and the servant standing at a distance from them immediately followed suit to the lady's suggestion.

Asher sipped on the tea served by the maid.

Indeed, it was calming.

"Hurry! Hurry!" Asher's head immediately turned to the direction of the voice that he heard.

"Nicholas?" He called as he saw the small prince walk around the garden. He placed his teacup down as his eyes widened from seeing Nicholas.

"Brother!" Nicholas smiled as he saw his beloved older brother.

"What are you doing here outside?" He asked as he stood up from his seat and immediately went to carry Nicholas in his arms.

The child had been very sick over the past weeks that he was not able to attend Asher's birthday celebration and other important events.

Nicholas was a very fragile child.

"Am looking for someone!" Nicholas spoke as his face reddened.

"Someone?" He asked and the servants tending to the second prince sweatdropped.

"Pardon us, your highness, but Prince Nicholas had been wanting to go outside since he recovered from his illness and look for someone but he won't tell us," the head maid responded and Asher looked back at the younger prince again.

"Who are you looking for?" He asked and Nicholas blushed.

"I'm looking for my wife," He gently spoke as his eyes sparkled when he mentioned the word wife.

"Wife?" Asher asked in confusion and Elena giggled.

"Who is the lucky lady who you will be marrying soon, your highness?" She asked the second prince but Nicholas did not spare her a glance.

Though, he did respond.

"It is the young master!" He said with a huge smile on his face. His caramel-like brown hair swayed lightly when he also jumped at the mention of Pier.

"H-Huh?"

Baffled, Asher had a surprised and confused look on his face.

"The... young master?" Asher asked and Nicholas nodded his head eagerly.

"Yes! I promised the young master I will marry him when I grow up!" He spoke in such a cute voice but the two could not focus as their eyes widened.

"Y-You will marry Pier?" Asher asked and Nicholas responded.

"Mhm! The young master played a very very bwuotiful performance when I first met him but it was very very sad! So I said I will marry him and make him happy!" The second prince said.

He cannot even pronounce the words properly when he was excited but he was already talking about marriage and making someone else happy.

"B-But you're too young for the young master, your highness," Elena gently spoke.

"But I promised!" He had a pout on his face as he made a small tantrum while being carried by Asher.

"Is that why you are looking through the garden?" The Crown Prince asked and Nicholas nodded his head.

"Correct!"

"But why are you looking for the young master in the garden?" He asked.

"Because the young master was very beautiful, like a fairy! Fairies live in gardens with bwuotiful flowers!" Asher chuckled at his younger brother's antics.

"The young master does not live in our garden, Nicholas," Asher spoke as he sat on the chair once more with his younger brother on his lap.

"Really?" The child asked and he nodded his head.

"The young master lives in a very very nice place like our palace!" He told the child and Nicholas had huge eyes as he imagined the place where Pier had lived.

It was true. Pier lived in a very luxurious mansion that was comparable to the royal palace.

The House of Masters had a mansion that is currently being renovated into something more grand and luxurious that Asher did not doubt would confuse visitors as to where the palace would be.

It was because of the House of Masters taking over the Cornell Earldom that they were able to venture inside the textile industry and increase their wealth multiple times.

Pier's suit designs that were exclusive to the Morata Countdom were also very popular not just in the Taron Kingdom, but they had started to spread to other places. Of course, the Morata Countdom had formed their partnership with the House of Masters.

But their support for the young master still remained a secret because the latter had requested them to keep quiet about it first.

"Then can you take me to the young master's place?" Nicholas asked as he looked up at his brother with hopeful eyes.

However, Asher was unsure.

"We can go there, but not now. You need to become healthier first before we can go and meet the young master," He explained and Nicholas pouted again.

"But I hope the young master is not sad anymore! I still have not married him so he might be sad but I want the young master to be happy!" He spoke in gibberish but understandable manner.

"It will still take you more than ten years before you can marry the young master, your highness," Elena spoke.

Nicholas scoffed and did a little 'hmp' as he hated the sentence.

"But if he is happy then I will be happy for the young master too even if I cannot marry him!" He explained and Asher nodded his head in agreement.

"That is correct, you cannot marry the young master so you should just be happy for him," He spoke in a gentle voice and Nicholas liked the tone his brother was using.

"Okay!" He said as he grabbed a cookie from the pastries served by the servants.

"A-Ah, please only eat a small amount, your highness. It will be bad for your health if you consume too much," Nicholas' head maid reminded him and the small prince nodded his head while maintaining a pout on his lips.

"I understa- oh wow!" Elena, Asher, and the head maid all looked at the second prince who gasped in amazement.

"What is it?" Asher asked.

"This cookie tastes different from the one I always eat in my room!" He spoke in amazement and Asher eyed the cookie Nicholas was holding.

He took one for himself and ate it.

Indeed, the cookies tasted different than the usual ones they have at the palace.

It was much softer but tastier and had more texture to it.

"Who made these?" He asked the servants who accompanied him.

They all looked at each other until a servant who had a higher position than the others spoke in response to the Crown Prince's inquiry.

"It was sent by the House of Masters, your highness," She spoke while bowing her head and avoiding meeting Asher's eyes.

The Crown Prince had a surprised expression on his face as he looked at the cookie.

"Really?"

"Yes, your highness. It was said that the young master had given the House of Masters' head chef a recipe for the cookie that he wanted and the others who tasted it also loved the baked goods," She started to report all the things she knew about the origin of the cookie.

"Even the headmaster had said that the cookies prescribed by the young master were good so Headmaster Ronnovian had sent some samples to the palace for his highness and his majesty to taste," She continued.

Asher had an amazed expression on his face as he bit into the cookie that was on his hand again.

"These are good," He told them and the servant nodded her head.

"I will relay the feedback, your highness," She bowed as she stepped back and onto the line of the servants that were at a distance from the nobles and royalties.

'Pier made the recipe for this?' he asked as he grabbed another cookie from the plate and ate it.

The cookies were very good. It suited his taste.

All that Pier had requested was the head chef specifically make the cookies just for him because it suited his taste and was to his preferences. However, the head chef had accidentally sent some of the cookies that Pier had requested him to make to the Headmaster.

As a result, the Headmaster liked the cookies and was now recommending them to the Royal Palace.

Of course, no one knew since Pier was gone.

"Can you ask for the recipe of the cookies?" Elena asked the servant as she ate the cookie as well.

"Ah about that, my lady, the Headmaster had instructed everyone that the recipe will not be given to anyone regardless of status unless the person who recommended it to their head chef allows it to be spread," She explained.

Elena had a frown on her face as she heard the response.

"Do I need to ask for the young master for permission then?" Nicholas asked and the servant nodded her head without hesitations.

"That is correct, your highness,"

'I want to eat more of these' Asher thought as he savored the delicious cookies that were made from Pier's recipe.

'Is this what his baked cookies tasted before?' He had another set of regrets starting to course his veins.

'I should have accepted the gifts of cookies he had presented for me back then'

It was a new regret that Asher had on his head.

Everyone was busy talking about how good the cookie was but the Crown Prince was silent as he lamented on his thoughts.

He wanted to go back to the day when he refused to accept the delicious cookies Pier had made.

'If I have known your gifts would be this good I would have not refused it'

He sighed because he knew,

He knew that what he wished will never happen again.

"Pier these cookies are delicious!" The prince spoke as he sat on a stool on the corner of the training grounds with Pier.

The young master smiled. His beautiful pale face and his dark ebony hair were so nice to look at that Asher found himself staring for a second.

"I'm glad you liked it. I can make more if you want to," He suggested as his feet swayed back and forth. He was shorter compared to Asher so his feet did not reach the ground while they sat on the high stool.

"That will be great!" Asher said and the two enjoyed the cookies together.

"That would have been better," He spoke lowly and good thing no one heard him.

It was his silent wish. It was only his imagination and the things he thought about only happened in his mind.