The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 137: Battle of Hearts

"Lie?" Cordelia instinctively tried to look at him, but when his lips brushed her cheek, she turned away halfway, her heart pounding.

Louis had given her a chance to tell the truth, and she didn’t take it. He chuckled softly, masking his disappointment. "It’s a bit late for a stroll, don’t you think?" he whispered, his breath warm against her skin.

Cordelia’s heart raced, not just from fear of the height, but from the intoxicating closeness of Louis. She had longed for this, for the intimacy that now seemed so natural between them despite the circumstances.

"I wanted to see the stars," she said, her voice trembling yet trying to regain composure.

Louis’s smile vanished as she continued to lie. His gaze shifted behind him. He wanted to get angry at her for lying but restrained himself. Despite knowing she wasn’t being truthful, he couldn’t bring himself to doubt her completely.

She didn’t come here for a walk, and she certainly wasn’t here for a chance encounter with the Archduke. But...

"You said Lady Jessamyn saved you?" he asked, his tone probing.

It was strange for him to see Jerrick bringing a lady with him at night to such a place. He could assume that she was used as bait, but Jerrick wasn’t the type to use his woman as bait. He had a hundred other ways to achieve his goals.

"Yes," Cordelia bit her lip, desperately trying to find an answer. She hated herself for lying to him, but she knew she had to. She wasn’t betraying the Kingdom or the throne.

Except... his heart. It would break his heart if he knew the truth. But it wasn’t her secret to reveal.

"She noticed me first..." Cordelia said, keeping her lie curt.

Louis seemed to accept her lie, not questioning her further. His hold on her tightened, and Cordelia’s lips curved into a shy smile, delighted to be in his embrace.

As the horse continued to move through the forest, Cordelia allowed herself to lean into Louis’s embrace, trusting him to keep her safe. In that moment, she felt a flicker of bravery. Maybe she could reveal her true feelings to him, just as Jessamyn had advised.

How should I start?

She took a deep breath, feeling the warmth of Louis’s arm around her, the steady rhythm of the horse beneath them, and the cool night air on her face.

Louis clenched his jaw, anger and frustration boiling within him as Cordelia lied through her teeth. His hold on her tightened, a silent testament to the turmoil inside. In that moment, he could have squeezed the life out of her.

It’s not like he didn’t have the choice to choose another woman. And no one would have blamed him. Such was the reality of his existence.

No matter what he did, he was never held accountable. He had always been above reproach, a status that had both shielded and isolated him.

As a child, he thought it was the cruelest form of neglect. He had done countless reckless things just to be noticed, hoping that at least one person would care enough to stop him, to teach him right from wrong.

But no one ever did.

Once, he had committed a cruel act against a lady. Overwhelmed with guilt, he sought out the lady and her husband to apologize, hoping for some form of redemption.

But they rebuffed him, too fearful of his power to accept his remorse. Days later, the lady took her own life, driven to despair by her husband’s insistence that they could not stand against the Crown Prince.

The tragedy haunted Louis, a stark reminder of his unintended cruelty. Yet even then, no one came forward to guide him, to show him the right path.

As the Crown Prince, the heir to the throne—the sole heir—he was untouchable.

That was, until he crossed paths with Lady Jessamyn. The memory of that night was seared into his mind. Whether it was fate or her husband’s intervention, he wasn’t sure. But for the first time, he felt pain. He was certain he had been beaten, though his uncle insisted he was just drunk.

Ah, his uncle... The man had the audacity to speak to him as if he were nothing more than a worthless worm. Yet, paradoxically, Louis liked him for it. His uncle’s candor was refreshing, a stark contrast to the sycophants who surrounded him. He voiced what others only whispered, bringing harsh truths into the light.

Perhaps his uncle was the only other person who could be honest with him.

Next to...

Louis unconsciously dipped his face to inhale the scent of Cordelia’s hair. This girl—this woman—whom he had known for as long as he could remember, had been his fiancée from childhood.

They had played together before they even understood what the word meant. She had always been truthful with him, offering what he craved most: attention.

Until that day of the parade when she broke his heart by saying she liked a man like Jerrick.

Her words had cut him deeply, and in response, he had become the attention-seeking brat everyone whispered about.

His father had stifled his desires at every turn; he wasn’t even allowed to hold a sword, let alone join the war. Only his uncle, in secret, had taught him the art of combat.

When Louis had expressed his wish to fight on the frontlines, his father had locked him away. Desperate to break free, Louis had rebelled, causing chaos in the capital in hopes of being sent to the borders where he believed the real action was. But his wish had never been granted.

Now, with the unwanted presence of that woman beside his father, Louis had gained clarity. The duties he had once taken for granted—attending court, listening to ministers, reading missives, learning about finances and administration—now seemed like blessings.

And this woman, Cordelia... Louis’s hold on her tightened. Through all these years, the one thing he truly wanted was her heart. No matter how hard he tried to push her out of his heart, he couldn’t. He still clung to the hope that she would return his feelings, even though her heart seemed distant.

As they rode through the forest, Louis’s mind was a storm of conflicting emotions. His grip on Cordelia was both protective and possessive. He wanted to trust her, to believe that her heart might change, but the lies and the past betrayals gnawed at that trust.

The isolation of his position weighed heavily on him, making the rare moments of genuine connection—like the one he longed for with Cordelia—seem ever more elusive.

He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe, even from herself. Yet, he yearned for more—for her honesty, her trust, her love.

"Louis..." Cordelia started. She still couldn’t find the right words to say. But she needed to try.

"Mmm?"

"Nothing," Cordelia bowed her head. She couldn’t gather her courage.