Caught Between a Duke and the Crown Prince

“Eren, good morning.”

As Eren opened the greenhouse door and stepped inside, the gardener Jayden, holding pruning shears, greeted him cheerfully.

Jayden was the resident gardener dedicated solely to the greenhouse, one of the few men Eren’s age in the ducal residence and a colleague he got along with best.

“Good morning, Jayden.”

Despite his meticulous profession, he was characterized by a shaggy beard and a gentle appearance.
His personality was also amiable and cheerful, making him one of the rare people Eren genuinely liked.

“What brings you here so early? Do you need flowers?”

“I need to make a bouquet as a birthday gift for Lady Aila.”

“Thought so.”

Since it was an annual event around this time, Jayden, a long-time gardener at the residence, couldn’t not know.
He began taking out various flowers he had already prepared.

“I had some instructions from His Grace a few days ago, so I prepared the flowers.”

“Instructions?”

Eren had not expected any prior instructions, as Kazen had reacted as if he knew nothing about it.

“Yes, about a month or two ago, he specified the flowers to use for the bouquet in advance.
These are it.”

What Jayden proudly held out were delicate purple flowers.

“This flower…”

“Violets.
They symbolize eternal friendship.”

Sending a flower meaning ‘eternal friendship’ to his fiancée.
Eren found it both absurd and amusing, letting out a soft, scoffing laugh.

“You’ll handle the wrapping yourself, right?”

Jayden asked while placing enough violets into a basket to make a bouquet.

“Yes, I’ll do it.”

Eren had wrapped flowers hundreds of times and was confident he was better at it than most.

“I’ll give you some decorative accents too.”

As if expecting that, Jayden also gathered various decorative flowers and leaves.

“I have an appointment for lunch, so could you prepare them a bit quickly?”

“All ready.
You can just take this.”

“Thank you.”

To not be late for the appointment, Eren had to hurry.
He accepted the basket of flowers from Jayden and rushed back to the study.

‘I’ll roughly prepare the bouquet first and write the letter when I get back.’

He recalled Kazen’s warning to tell Aila not to come to the ducal residence this year.
That content absolutely had to go in the letter.

Rummaging through the desk drawer for wrapping paper and ribbons, Eren skillfully began crafting the bouquet.
The cut on his hand from the plate stung, but he ignored it, focusing on the task.

“This should do…”

Having quickly completed a pretty bouquet, he checked the time.
It was time for Kazen and the Crown Prince to leave the ducal residence.
Placing the wrapped bouquet on the desk for now, Eren hurriedly left the study.

* * * *

The nobles of the capital gathered in gentlemen’s clubs created for various purposes to dine, socialize, and pass the time.
Among them, the one Kazen belonged to was a gathering for soldiers who had participated in the war, unofficially called the ‘Heroes’ Club.’

The Heroes’ Club building, personally provided by the Imperial family, was located on the largest street, Bayrant Avenue, in the city center.
It was about a thirty-minute carriage ride from the upscale residential area where the ducal residence stood.

During that short ride, the inside of the carriage was eerily quiet.
Eren sat wide-eyed, just observing the mood.

This outing originally didn’t require Eren’s presence, but he happened to have some business in the city as well, so he had come along.

Harold sat with his legs crossed, reading a book, while Kazen sat with his arms folded, staring out the window.
They seemed rather awkward, as if they hadn’t talked much all morning.

The heavy silence was suffocating, but since Eren wasn’t the type to step in and lighten the mood, he also sat quietly, keeping his mouth shut.

“Ah, I just remembered something.”

However, Harold, looking up from his book, suddenly broke the silence.
For a moment, both men focused on him.

“The palace party next week.”

Harold held a private social party at the palace about once a month.
He invited only a select few with personal connections or notable recent figures.
Usually, eating and drinking were the main events, with additions like concerts, plays, or games.

Called the ‘Royal Party’ in social circles, it was a place where any scion of a noble family dreamed of attending to expand their high-class connections.

“I’d like to invite Eren too. What do you think?”

But inviting him to such a place?
Harold’s sudden proposal was not only not welcome to Eren but extremely bewildering.

“I am deeply grateful for the kind offer, Your Highness.
However, I understand that party is only open to nobility.
Would I be qualified to attend?”

Eren often accompanied Kazen on his schedule, but he had never once attended Harold’s Royal Party.
It was a social gathering for high-ranking noble scions trying to gain favor with the Crown Prince.
A commoner-born like Eren had no place there.

“Yeah, what for? A commoner-born would just be looked down upon if he went.
Why put him through such humiliation?”

Strictly speaking, Harold, as the Crown Prince, held a much higher status than Kazen, but in such private settings, Kazen also spoke freely.

These two weren’t exactly friends, nor were they like brothers, making their relationship very ambiguous.
Thus, Eren always felt uncomfortable being caught between them.

“I’m inviting him under my name, so status doesn’t matter.
I just want him to come, enjoy some good food, and have a good time.”

Harold offered with a rather affectionate smile.
Watching this, Kazen’s face twisted into a deep frown.

“Why go out of your way to do that?”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”

A somewhat hostile atmosphere began to flow.
Eren was perplexed, wondering why they were arguing over his attendance when he hadn’t even expressed an opinion.

“You keep interfering with Eren since earlier, and it’s suspicious.
What’s the reason you’ve taken such an interest in my aide?”

“I already explained that earlier.
I met him in the corridor, and he seemed unwell.”

Surely, the reason they’ve grown awkward isn’t because of me.
If that were truly the reason, it was most unwelcome.
Why did Harold have to say such unnecessary things and upset Kazen?
Eren was starting to resent him.

“Eren is my aide.
There’s absolutely no reason for you to be concerned.”

“Alright, fine.
So I didn’t say any more, did I?
The party invitation is just because I genuinely want to invite him.”

Eren narrowed his eyes, observing the two arguing.

Kazen seemed somewhat agitated, while Harold was relatively calm but appeared quite displeased.

If he stepped in to mediate now, he might only draw Kazen’s wrath.
In situations like this, staying quiet and doing nothing was actually safer for him.

“And since I’m the one inviting Eren, he should decide for himself.
What do you think?”

But of course, Harold had to ask for Eren’s opinion.
How could anyone be so oblivious?

They were arguing emotionally right now.
Whatever opinion Eren expressed here would be tantamount to taking sides.
Whose side was he supposed to take between his master, whom he had to deal with daily, and the Crown Prince, the pinnacle of imperial power?

Why was he being put through this ordeal?
At this point, he could only think Harold had some malicious intent.

“Your proposal is most considerate, Your Highness, and I am deeply honored.
However, I would feel out of place in such a setting…”

“What’s there to feel out of place?
I’m the one inviting you, and no one can question that.
Unless you intend to defy the Crown Prince.”

As he said this, Harold looked pointedly at Kazen.
His face seemed to be warning him, asking if he dared to defy him.

This was no longer a conversation.
It was closer to provoking each other to anger.
Eren was merely a shrimp caught in the battle of whales.

“But I…”

Grumbling inwardly, Eren tried to express his refusal again.
However, before he could finish, Kazen spoke up.

“Right, one shouldn’t dare think of refusing when His Highness the Crown Prince extends an invitation.
Though a duckling among swans will just look like a zoo monkey, it’s an insult graciously bestowed by His Highness, so one must accept it gratefully.”

Eren could understand that Kazen was angry at Harold.
After all, he had spoken in a threatening manner and acted disagreeably.

But why was that anger being directed at him?
Eren felt a slight sense of injustice.
He had only been trying to comply without any retort for Kazen’s sake.

“Yes, then I will attend.”

And so, without even realizing it, he answered that way.
Eren was not normally a person who acted emotionally.
On the contrary, he was usually quite reserved about showing his feelings.

But for some reason, in that moment, he found himself answering that way.
Kazen’s face contorted in a pleasing manner, but the water was already spilled.

“Is that truly so? I’m very glad.
I’ll prepare and send the invitation soon, so don’t worry.”

He couldn’t very well say it was a joke now.
Kazen’s face was already seething with anger, and if he tried to pour water on it now by canceling, it would only anger the Crown Prince.

“Right, I’m looking forward to it too.
Can’t wait to see the day you become a zoo monkey.”

Kazen muttered in a voice so low it was unclear if he was grinding his teeth.