Announcement

"Marry me."

'Has this man possibly gone insane? Like, I know that he's eccentric and he's done things out of norms but this is out of the novel! This isn't even in the novel! Why me? This didn't happen to Jerome, so why is it happening to me?!' Jerome's mind was running and it was probably obvious that he was shocked, flustered and confused since Rowan could only chuckle.

"Only for the sole purpose of image, of course." Rowan clarified, though it only seems as if he's not making the latter run away from the idea.

The nobleman cleared his throat and composed himself, "What is your idea this time? To garner some attention? To anger your father again?"

"Precisely." The crown prince chuckled which made Jerome sighed.

"And what makes you think I'll agree?"

"My name is powerful which you already knew, of course. Why else were you launching some new products from your shop after I danced with you? It was because you became known as the man who had the first dance with the crown prince."

The black haired man sighed again, because he knew that Rowan was right. However, he also knew could do without the crown prince's name.

"I could do without your name, I'm just using the current opportunity since it'll be waste."

"Yes, yes... I knew you'll be stubborn."

Jerome could only huff at the idea that the red haired man was acting as if he knew him already.

"What about a diamond mine?" The crown prince asked that made the latter's eyes widened.

"What. You're giving me a diamond mine as if it was a mere item? Like one of the litter of puppies?" The nobleman asked, obviously in doubt.

"Not giving... I'm offering it as an exchange for indulging with my request." The blackhaired man knew that this was too good to be declined. His business was only blooming now that he became a noble but he knew that it won't be for long.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, he did need Rowan.

Jerome sighed once again after much thinking, he eventually agreed, "Alright."

The red haired man smirked and approached the nobleman to kneel in front of him making the the said man blush.

"I-Is this necessary?"

"I don't do things with half a heart." Rowan pulled out a box of a diamond ring he prepared after the Welcoming Ball, as he had been planning to do this since then.

The crown prince then, took the latter's hand and placed the ring on him.

"I'll announce our engagement as soon as I get home." The red haired man stated as he stood up making Jerome sigh again, for who knows how many times already.

"Oh, don't act as if you're entirely against it, Princess." Rowan chuckled making the nobleman just smile.

Sarcastically.

The crown prince chuckled again, "Adorable." He said and turned to leave, "Well then Sweetheart, I'll be on my way." He opened the door and walked ahead, Wystan followed after.

Henry who was waiting outside with the knight went inside to check on his lord and saw how the young man was left to rest on his hands while leaning on his knees, obviously exhausted.

"What happened, my lord?" The old butler asked in worry.

"I'm engaged."

This made the old man shocked and confused, "P-Pardon?"

Once Rowan came back to the palace, he had someone inform the Royal Papers and announced his engagement with Jerome. Now everyone in Rosaria Kingdom were just as shocked and confused.

It became a very controversial news. The crown prince engaged to a born commoner much less a man?

Everyone were thinking about the future of the kingdom, "What will happen now? A man can't bear a child?!"

"He's crazy! Who will resume the legacy?!"

Of course not all responses were positive and Jerome expected that but he also knew that everyone, especially the nobles will have nothing to do or say against it especially if it's Rowan's decision.

The King immediately came rushing to Rowan's office, obviously furious.

"What is this?!" He threw the Royal Papers on his son's desk.

Rowan just smirked, "A paper?"

"Don't test my patience! Engaged?! To that commoner?!"

The young man looked at his father innocently, "Commoner? You blessed him with nobility, correct?"

"He's a commoner through his flesh and blood." The old man scowled.

"But not his soul. He's more noble than your so-called society." The crown prince scowled as well, he was not liking how his father's first action was to insult Jerome.

Even if the engagement was fake, it was making the crown prince angry that his father chose to throw such hurtful words against the nobleman.

Rowan's words weren't empty or biased. Based from his investigations about the black haired man, he found out that one of the small shops in the discreet of streets in the kingdom was own by Jerome and that he was the one responsible why some commoners are protected by magical stone rings.

Even some of Jerome's profits were donated in most orphanages and were provided to help the victims of Hardwicke's abuse.

It were all written in the documents Jerome gave while he was buying a title to be a noble and yet the King never bothered to read it.

"Cancel the engagement." Roysce looked down at his son sternly and with a frown, he was obviously asserting dominance over his son.

But Rowan was unfazed, he kept his glare, "No. I am in love with that man and will not change my mind. I will be engaged with him, whether you like it or not. I am risking the crown for him and this will never change."

The old man was shocked, disappointed and also defeated. Rowan knew that his father needs him, he knew that his father needs a descendant for the crown and it is no other than Rowan.

"You will need an heir and a man is not going to bear it for you." The King still tried to convince the prince to stop this nonsence but he was replied with a smirk.

"Magic is existent in this realm, how can you tell that a man bearing a child wouldn't be possible?"

Roysce took a deep breath at that, his fist clenching in annoyance, "Be stubborn as you want. Queen Liana of Ivrecoven was the most suited for you and yet you refuse to hear my reasons."

Rowan stood up, frowning at his father's words, "Have you tried to listen to me without me doing anything to gain your attention? Have you not yet realized why I'm doing everything I can to... to make you see me?"

The King kept his stern gaze at his son who looked away, feeling ashamed that he was asking for his father's affection.

"Are all these only for my affection? Stop being childish! Are these all just games to you?!"

The crown prince sighed, feeling disappointed and looked at his father again, 'Yeah... Why would he even see me...? I'm his heir... not his son."

"No." Rowan answered, "And let me correct myself, I'm not doing all of these only for your approval. I need you to open your eyes from high up your mountain, your majesty. Your people needs help and yet you're disgusted by them."

"They will ask if they need help."

"Yet you can't even hear them." The young man scoffed, but he took a deep breath and sighed, "Please leave. I need some time alone."

Roysce glared at him before turning around to leave.

Rowan on the other hand looked outside his balcony window, looking back at the door where his father just left before going out through the balcony.

Later that evening, Jerome went walking down his garden to think. He was getting overwhelmed by all that was happening again and he needed some moment to think.

His garden was beautifully tended by his gardener, who planted lilacs and white roses together. Their beauties could still be appreaciated even in the dark of the night with the help of the lamps around the garden and also because of the fireflies.

Jerome sat down the bench beside one of the flower arcs near his fountain, silently listening to the stream of water down from it as well as the crickets singing their usual melodies at night.

The black haired man was being bombarded by some of his noble customers since the announcement of his engagement and even though they're helpful for his profit, he was becoming exhausted of having to repeat himself, and the announcement was only just recently.

'How did the two of you meet? I assume the dance at the Welcoming Ball wasn't the first time, was it?'

Jerome only smiled politely at the old lady who came to buy some jewelry and to also get some gossips from the main source.

'That is a secret between me and the prince.' He doesn't know anymore how many times he repeated those words.

'I bet he was only able to buy a title with the help of the prince, he probably seduced him...'

'I didn't know that commoners really are harlots.' He heard some women gossip literally behind his back.

The owner of the shop turned to the ladies with a smile and accomodated them as if he heard nothing. It was better than igniting more issue by responding.

"The profits are better and I'm actually working on the diamond collection for Georgia's outfits and my jewelries... But rumors became too widespread to be controlled unlike the one about my jewelries being a fraud..." The nobleman sighed, leaning his head back on the bench.

It was rare for him to act normally since he's now a noble where he had to keep his composed appearance up since he didn't want his commoner blood to be criticize as always.

With him just smiling politely and successfully rising up the marketplace always puts the ones who looks down on him to their places.

"What I really need to look out for now are the dangers..."

He knew that tied with Rowan are the assassins sent by his enemies and now that the engagement was announced, he knew that he'll be targeted as well.

Jerome stared at nothingness and relished in the silence not until he heard rustling behind the bushes near him.

He knew that there were knights around his manor but there might be some skilled assassins that could probably invade them.

The black haired man held on his rose pendant tight while staring at the bush, hoping that it'll protect him like last time.

He kept staring at it until suddenly, someone jumped out of it almost making him scream.