*˖:✧ ⑅•.⋅༻♔༺•⑅ ✧:˖*
Prince Curtis brought me to my mother’s room. There was no dust on the floor, indicating that it had been cleaned everyday.
The color of the room was a light pink. It was a very feminine room. It was completely different from my mother’s room back in the ducal mansion. I walked towards the bed inside and gently touched its cold sheets.
Was this where my mother once lived?
“Mother, I am sorry that I could not send you back to your homeland.”
The words came out of my mouth unintentionally. As if in response to my words, tears spilled from my eyes.
Prince Curtis gently embraced me as I cried quietly. The warmth and gentleness of his arms gave me a sense of security that I had never experienced before. That made me cry even more.
Prince Curtis held me until I stopped crying.
“This was my mother.”
When I finally calmed down, Prince Curtis showed me a family portrait.
My mother was seated on a chair beside his mother. His father, King Othniel was in the center.
My mother, who had the same fiery red hair and jade eyes as me, looked fragile, and at the same time, beautiful.
“Your mother was told once that she wouldn’t be able to live for long. That’s why her marriage, and even having you, were both miracles for her.”
We were inside my mother’s room. Prince Curtis gently caressed my head as we sat on the sofa. I looked at my mother’s picture as I pondered about my parents’ marriage. It was a marriage of convenience to merge two countries, and it was regrettable that my mother married a person like my father.
“I’m happy to see this portrait. I could hardly remember her face. If only I could remember it forever.”
But memories fade over time. I’m not sure if I’d be able to remember this as much as I do now in ten years.
Prince Curtis pulled out a hand mirror from a drawer in the room. It was simple yet still looked stylish. It had a lily flower on the lid and small diamonds in the shape of droplets.
“Look, Dahlia.”
“You and your mother look very much alike. You can tell just by looking at the portrait. So Dahlia, when you grow up, look at this mirror. You’ll be able to see a beautiful lady that looks exactly like Aunt.”
I looked at the image of my mother in the portrait then at myself in the mirror. Then I stared at Prince Curtis as if to confirm my thoughts. He smiled and nodded as if to assuage my fears.
“I see.”
That was all I could say.
“I’ll give you this mirror and this portrait. I’m sure my Aunt won’t mind. And I’ve already asked my father’s permission so you don’t have to worry.”
“Thank you so much.”
As I hugged the mirror and the portrait close to my chest, I felt warm surging inside. Without realizing it, I began to smile. Prince Curtis looked at me with a happy expression. That made me happy, too.
I was happy to know that there were people who were pleased by my smile.
*˖:✧ ⑅•.⋅༻♔༺•⑅ ✧:˖*