CHAPTER 475: ’TRANQUILIS KINGDOM’

’Did Athena really call Hendrix... cousin?’ Florian thought, unsure if he had heard correctly, a faint pulse of disbelief tightening in his chest.

"P–Prince Hendrix... what are you doing here?" Lucius asked, bowing quickly, his eyes darting between Hendrix and Florian as if unsure which of the two he should be watching more.

Hendrix’s lips curved into a smooth smile, the kind that seemed practiced yet effortless.

"I heard my dear cousin was having tea with some friends in the garden," he said, his voice warm but carrying an undercurrent Florian couldn’t place. "And I thought I’d take the chance to introduce myself." His gaze slid past Lucius—calm, deliberate—landing squarely on Florian.

Florian’s breath caught for a fraction of a second, his eyes widening.

Lucius noticed. "Oh... right, uh—Prince Florian, this is... Prince Hendrix Obsidian, he’s—"

"His Majesty’s brother. I know," Florian interrupted, schooling his expression into polite composure. He inclined his head and offered a respectful bow. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."

Hendrix stepped forward, ignoring the space Lucius occupied, and extended his hand.

Florian hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty passing over his face, before placing his own hand atop Hendrix’s.

The other prince leaned down, his lips brushing lightly over Florian’s knuckles—a fleeting contact, but enough to send a faint heat to Florian’s cheeks.

’Don’t think about the dream now. Not the right time.’

"The pleasure’s all mine," Hendrix murmured, holding Florian’s gaze just a beat too long. "I’ve heard you were a good friend to Athena. Thank you for taking care of her."

When he released Florian’s hand, his attention shifted seamlessly to Athena, who was waiting nearby.

’So they really are cousins...’ The thought lingered, tugging at Florian’s curiosity.

Lucius made a subtle movement, as if to intercept him, but Florian ignored it.

As much as he wanted to press Lucius for answers about Heinz, the sudden revelation—and Hendrix’s presence—was too intriguing to let go.

Lucius’s jaw tightened faintly, but he didn’t follow. As the second prince of Concordia, Hendrix stood beyond his reach, and pulling Florian away would have been stepping into dangerous territory.

Of course, Lucius didn’t know there was a history—however unspoken—between Hendrix and Florian. His only concern was Heinz’s deep, unmasked loathing for his younger brother.

’I’ll think about Heinz’s whereabouts later.’

Florian followed Hendrix toward the table where Athena and Scarlett sat. Athena’s face lit up with genuine happiness at the sight of him.

"Hello, Athena... and you must be Princess Scarlett," Hendrix greeted smoothly, his voice dipped in charm. Scarlett, still caught off guard by his sudden appearance, gave a graceful curtsy.

"Prince Hendrix, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I didn’t expect to see you here," Scarlett said, straightening with practiced poise, her eyes briefly flicking over him in quiet assessment.

"Well," Hendrix replied with a faint, almost knowing smile, "I didn’t really announce my arrival. And the moment I did, I went straight to visit my cousin." He gestured toward Athena with an easy, familiar motion.

"I was just as surprised," Athena admitted warmly. "It’s been far too long since I last saw him." She turned to Florian. "Please, join us. Uh... Prince Florian, would it be alright if he did?"

Every pair of eyes shifted toward Florian. Hendrix’s gaze lingered the longest—steady, deliberate, and far too knowing.

Florian’s chest tightened under the weight of it before he gave a small, awkward nod. "O-Of course... the more the merrier."

Athena’s expression brightened immediately.

Naturally, Hendrix chose the empty seat beside Florian. As he settled in, his arm brushed against Florian’s for just an instant—light enough to seem accidental, but impossible to ignore.

Florian shifted in his seat, his posture suddenly rigid. Athena and Scarlett sat down as well, though Florian could still sense Hendrix’s quiet presence at his side.

"I hope you don’t mind me asking this so suddenly," Scarlett began, her voice polite but edged with curiosity, "but I’m not one to ignore the elephant in the room." Her gaze moved between Hendrix and Athena. "So the two of you are... cousins?"

’Good job, Scarlett,’ Florian thought with silent relief. He’d been wondering the same thing, but had no idea how to phrase it without sounding intrusive.

And really, who wouldn’t be curious?

No one knew Athena had ties to anyone from Concordia—much less to Heinz’s half-brother, the Second Prince himself.

"Ah, well... yes," Hendrix said easily. "It’s not widely known, but it’s also no secret. My mother is a princess from the Tranquilis Kingdom. Athena’s father—the king of Tranquilis—and my mother are siblings."

Florian blinked.

’So that’s it... cousins by blood. Makes perfect sense. But still... Athena, connected to Concordia through family? That’s a thread no one could have guessed.’

Wait...

That would also mean the very kingdom Heinz was actively trying to ruin...

...was Athena’s kingdom.

Florian’s breath caught, his eyes widening before he could mask his reaction.

Across the table, Hendrix’s gaze flicked toward him, sharp and perceptive.

A faint smirk tugged at the prince’s lips as he propped his chin atop his hand, studying Florian for the briefest moment before turning his attention back to Athena.

"I wasn’t able to ask you, Athena," Hendrix began casually, though there was a weight beneath his tone, "how has Tranquilis been?"

The change in Athena was immediate. Her smile faltered, color draining from her face as if the very question had stolen the warmth from her. Her lips parted, but no words came.

"Uh..." Her voice wavered, barely a whisper.

Scarlett’s eyes narrowed slightly, reading the shift in the atmosphere. Without hesitation, she spoke up, her tone smooth but not unkind.

"I heard Tranquilis hasn’t been... doing too well," Scarlett said, lifting her teacup with graceful precision. She took a slow sip before continuing, as though the delay might soften the truth. "My father mentioned, before I came here, that the kingdom has been struggling—financially, economically... though there was no clear explanation as to why."

Florian’s frown deepened. His gaze lingered on Athena, who now sat with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, shoulders drawn in ever so slightly.

The sadness in her eyes wasn’t just mild concern—it was the heavy, quiet kind that carried years of helplessness.

’So it’s true...’

He remembered reading it in the novel—how Athena’s kingdom had been destitute, its decline a quiet tragedy.

And how she, as its princess, had been mocked relentlessly for it... most often by Scarlett and Camilla.

But now, Florian knew exactly why.

It was because of Heinz.

The truth sat in his mind like a rotting stone—Heinz had been tightening the noose around Athena’s kingdom, deliberately making it suffer.

Not out of political necessity, not even for strategic advantage, but because of his personal vendetta toward Monica—Hendrix’s mother and Athena’s aunt.

"I have not spoken to my mother and father... since coming here," Athena said quietly, her hands folding in her lap as though to keep them from trembling. "But before leaving, Father’s health was already declining from the stress. Our people... our people weren’t doing any better."

Her gaze dropped to the tablecloth, voice softening further. "I try not to think about it much. Father said... he’ll find ways, that he’ll contact other kingdoms for help. I have faith in him."

The silence that followed was heavy, pressing in from all sides.

Hendrix’s eyes slid toward Florian again, sharp and knowing, like a man confirming a suspicion. Of course he did—because they both knew the truth.

They both knew the Tranquilis Kingdom was teetering on the edge of collapse.

And months from now, the crisis would reach a breaking point. Monica would be forced to her knees, begging Heinz for forgiveness, pleading with him to stop tormenting the land of her birth.

’God. I feel like throwing up.’

Florian’s stomach twisted painfully, his fingers curling into tight fists beneath the table. The image made his skin crawl—Athena sitting here, completely unaware that the very man holding her here in this palace was the same one orchestrating her people’s suffering.

The same king she was meant to serve as part of his harem.

It was vile.

Florian’s chest ached with the weight of it.

And the worst part? Now that he knew—now that the puzzle pieces had clicked into place—he couldn’t tell her.

’That’s what makes it worse. I have to sit here and pretend I don’t know.’

A cold, steely resolve began to take root beneath his unease.

’I have... to do something.’

He’d promised himself that before he left this place, he’d help everyone who deserved saving—not just the original Florian whose life he now occupied.

Letting this slide would be a betrayal of that promise.

He couldn’t let this go on.

"Are you alright, Prince Florian? You suddenly look pale."

Florian flinched at the unexpected touch—a cold hand against his cheek.

He turned slightly and found Hendrix’s eyes on him, calm but searching, his palm lingering against Florian’s skin.

"O-Oh, uhm... I’m fine. Just..." Florian’s voice trailed off. He had no idea what to say without giving himself away.

Hendrix’s lips curved into a small, almost knowing smile. "Prince Florian must have a great deal of empathy, to look that somber upon hearing of Tranquilis Kingdom’s state."

Florian felt his cheeks warm instantly. ’Why now...?’

Memories from his dream—no, the memory—with Hendrix flickered in his mind, unbidden, making his pulse quicken.

"Anyone... would get upset upon hearing such sad things happening to someone," he muttered, turning his head away—only to realize too late that it was a mistake.

Across the table, Scarlett’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, her gaze flicking between Hendrix and Florian.

’Oh no.’

He knew that look.