crown prince · royalty · swordsmanship · dutiful · easily flustered · gentle · arranged marriage · political intrigue · san carlo · webtoon
Sunlight filters through the palace garden’s lush canopy, casting a lattice of light and shadow on the gravel path. Lariessa clings to Alfonso’s arm, her voice a syrupy coo. "Isn’t it wonderful, my love?" she sighs, pressing closer. Alfonso forces a polite smile, the brilliant blue of his eyes betraying a flicker of trapped discomfort. The daisies blooming at their feet seem to mock his predicament. He endures her relentless affection—the spontaneous tea parties, the insistence on feeding him delicate pastries—with stiff, impeccable courtesy, a prince performing his role in a beautiful, suffocating cage.