CHAPTER 374: CHAPTER 374 DISAPPOINTED

She turned, and her mouth fell open in wonder.

Behind them, the mirrored maze they had just walked through was perfectly visible from this height. Its walls of glass reflected the dying sun, and when the light hit at the right angle, every panel lit up at once, forming a single glowing pattern across the palace grounds.

It wasn’t random at all. It was a golden heart, shining faintly in the sunset, carved by the reflection of the maze itself.

Bella’s eyes widened, her breath catching. "It’s a heart?"

Leo nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the light. "The maze was designed to reveal this shape only when two people walk through it together. Alone, you’d never find the right path. Only when both complete it side by side does the heart take form."

In truth, there was a hidden mechanism inside the maze that traced every step, recording their movement to form the shape at the end. He had been careful about every detail.

Her throat tightened, emotion swelling like a wave. "So all this, the bath, the maze, everything..."

He smiled faintly, reaching out to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Was a promise," he said softly. "Every path we walk together creates something beautiful, even if we can’t see it until the end."

Bella blinked, her lashes trembling, her heart unsteady under the weight of the moment. The golden light of sunset played across Leo’s face, softening the sharpness of his jaw, but there was something different in his eyes now.

"I really didn’t know how to arrange a date," he said at last, his voice low and calm, though a trace of unease slipped through it. "I heard about the history of this place from one of my VVIP partners a week ago, and I thought..." He paused, glancing away for a moment as though searching for the right words. "I thought it would be perfect to experience it with you."

Bella’s heart thudded softly. "Leo?" she said gently, tilting her head. "To be honest, I really thought..." She stopped herself mid-sentence, but the small hesitation was enough.

Disappointment flickered in his eyes before she could take it back. His expression didn’t change much, but she saw the faint shift, the dimming light in his gray eyes, the tight line of his mouth.

For someone like Leo, who was always composed and unreadable, that tiny change was enough to make her chest ache.

He looked toward the fiery horizon, pretending to watch the sunset, but she knew better.

He had done all this, the bath, the maze, the golden palace, thinking it would make her happy. And now he was realizing it might not have been what she expected. Maybe, in trying to give her something meaningful, he had forgotten what girls usually dreamed of.

Flowers, candlelight dinners, soft music, laughter under fairy lights. He wasn’t good at any of that. He never had been.

A faint, almost rueful smile touched his lips. "Don’t worry," he said quietly, still not looking at her. "I’ve arranged another date too."

He hoped she would like this one. He had already asked his team to decorate the entire place overnight, planning every detail for a romantic evening she would never forget.

The words were calm, but his tone betrayed him, too even, too carefully controlled, as if he were trying not to sound hurt.

The sky burned orange now, reflecting off the maze below and turning the golden carvings into flickering fire. The air was warm, yet Bella felt a strange chill in her chest.

She took a step closer, her voice soft and rushed. "I thought about what kind of date you were planning, but I wasn’t disappointed," she said quickly. "Really! I enjoyed everything, the bath, the maze, the whole day. I didn’t expect something so thoughtful. It felt like..." she hesitated, her throat tightening, "like I was walking through a story you made just for us."

Leo finally looked at her. The dying sunlight caught in his eyes, reflecting both pride and something deeper.

Her words reached him, soft and real, like a gentle hand on a bruise he hadn’t meant to show. His lips curved faintly again, not in amusement or control, but in quiet relief.

"Then I’m glad," he murmured.

The maze below glowed brighter, the carved heart shining in the last ray of sunlight. For a moment, Bella couldn’t tell which was warmer, the evening sky or the way Leo’s eyes softened when he looked at her again.

Leo hadn’t lied when he said he had prepared another date.

As the palace lights dimmed and the sun sank completely behind the hills, he guided Bella down a narrow path lined with swaying lanterns. The air outside was cool and smelled faintly of night-blooming jasmine. Crickets sang softly from somewhere beyond the garden walls, and the sound of rippling water grew clearer with each step.

Bella clutched his arm, her eyes wide. "Where are we going now?"

"You’ll see," he said simply, his voice carrying that quiet certainty that always made her heart steady.

And when they reached the end of the path, the sight that greeted her made her breath stop.

A vast lake stretched before them, calm and glimmering like a mirror of the night sky. On its surface, hundreds of pink lotuses floated gently, each holding a tiny glowing light in its heart. The reflections of those lights danced across the water like scattered stars, and the entire lake seemed alive, a field of blooming light surrounded by stillness.

By the edge of the lake, under a canopy of soft golden drapes, a dinner table had been set for two. Candles flickered along the table’s edge, their flames swaying in the faint breeze, and beside the chairs stood a small crystal vase with white roses, simple, pure, and beautiful.

Bella froze, her lips parting as her eyes shimmered. "Leo," she breathed, her voice trembling in disbelief.

He didn’t say anything for a moment, only watched her reaction with quiet satisfaction. The light from the lake reflected in her eyes, turning them into molten honey.