Louise Rose

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I was lucky. I was right in time.

I had already planned my morning, but a call from Aunt Rosy's clinic made me panic. She had a fall. Luckily, it wasn't bad. I ran to check on her first before coming here. I don't want to have a conversation with Hendrix, and my mind is out of nowhere thinking of Rosy. This matchmaking is crucial to me, and I don't want to commit any mistakes.

I cleared my throat, smiled, and glanced at him silently while sipping my water, having finished half of it.

His brows waggle as he quickly turns over the pages from next to another. He was serious as hell, and it started to scare the living daylight of me.

Don't tell me there's none of it on the list. None of them caught his interest. Oh, God!

I did not do the research. It would have taken me ages to do it myself! I was only using the list that was still active from Rosy's last service. They're all good. Those ladies are still young, and some are much younger than me.

Finally, after a minute, he is done! Wow, that was quick!

"So, did any of them catch your attention?" I blinked fast, but my heart beat faster than my eyes.

He looked at me cutthroat with expression. He sighed.

"Are you certain these candidates are legitimate?" He appeared irritated, his pupils dilating as he gazed intently at me.

I felt my goosebumps, and I swear they were crawling inside my veins straight into my chest!

"Yes. . . They are real, Hendrix. They existed. Why?" I twisted my lips a little bit in dismay.

"They're all perfect, Rosy. There's no such thing as a perfect woman in this world," his jaw tightened. He slightly let go of a chuckle and rested his back on the chair.

"Why do all of them have the same hobbies? That's strange. They have the same taste, too, when it comes to food, luxury brands, items, and many more. It seems like those women in your list were all twins." He crossed his arms and grimaced at me.

My mouth fell open. I had never considered that. If it were Rosy, she would have surely noticed and found a more suitable candidate. But I'm not Rosy. I'm just me, with my own limitations and areas where I need to grow.

"Uhm, I, uhm, oh well, I just chose the ones that are based on your liking," I proudly responded. Despite a moment of stammering, I gathered myself afterward.

"You are a Prince, Hendrix, from the Findlaech-Crinain royalty," I continued.

"Ex-Prince, for your information," he corrected. His brows slightly creased.

"Okay, ex-prince charming," I cleared my throat, blinking my eyes fast as that 'charming' word slipped out accidentally.

I didn't mean it!

He chuckled at that and shook his head.

"But still, you are a prince! You were born with it, and it doesn't matter if you let go of your title eight years ago because you are still a part of the Findlaech-Crinain household."

"I'm no longer part of the Findlaech-Crinain household, Rosy." His jaw tightened, and we stared. There was a gap of silence for seconds, and that split of seconds changed something in me.

Saxe Hendrix Mondragon, once the nation's prince, now shunned the fame that once embraced him. Twelve years ago, he was a vibrant working royal of Castleburgh, adored for his charm and zest for life. His love for Polo, horse riding, golf, and swimming was well-known, and his victory in an auto racing competition at the tender age of nineteen was a testament to his adventurous spirit.

I admit it. I was one of his avid fans, and I admired him for his loving and kind personality in all his works.

But everything changed after a scandal. The public was quick to judge and turned on him. Reporters swarmed like bees, eager to unearth every detail, tarnishing the reputation of the Prince who was next in line. His mother, the Queen, Her Majesty Madam Violet, became the subject of negative headlines.  And because of that, Hendrix made a move that shocked the people of Dalton and Castleburgh, he made a drastic announcement. . . He renounced his title.

It was sad. Half the nation was crying, and that included me at that time. I was only sixteen, and I couldn't understand that. I wish he could have fought to protect his name, but now I realize why he had to do that. . . It's to protect his mother.

After that, Hendrix disappeared. No one knew where he was. The public attention was shifted to his two brothers, Prince Nikolai and Felix, who were next in line.

After seven years, Hendrix returned in a different shape. He is no longer a Finlaech-Crinain because he has become a Mondragon.

My eyes softened, and I smiled weakly at him. I don't want to be rough with him. He may look like a cold heartbreaker, a ruthless bastard who treated all his ex-fiancée badly... well, that's what I heard, but I doubt it. I don't think he is capable of breaking their hearts. There must be a reason for all of that.

"I choose the ones who have the same hobbies as you," I said, breaking the silence between us.

Then, a knock on the door gave an air to what I felt. Our food has arrived. Thank goodness for that!

He waited until everything was served and the staff exited. I smiled, trying to shake off the tension, and looked at the food on the table. They looked delicious. My stomach made a funny noise as I couldn't wait to try them.

"Help yourself, Rosy," he said and cleared his throat.

"Thank you for the food. They all look delicious!" I probably have the widest smile now while looking at the lobster sandwich. That food is my favorite.

We ate silently, and I smiled every time I chewed my food.

The lobster reminded me of Singapore. It was cheap there compared to the price here.

I looked at Hendrix, and he also had the same—a lobster sandwich.

"They're yummy, right? It's my favorite," I started a conversation, and he just slightly nodded.

"I always ate seafood when I was in Singapore. It was cheap, and the food was great. I kinda miss it," I mumbled with my mouth full.

I took another bite after another, eventually eating too much, and the food got stuck in my throat. I reached for my water, but Hendrix quickly passed his glass of water to me. I accepted and drank it.

"Oh, that was good. Sorry." I laughed a little bit and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

Hendrix's gaze was fixed on the tissue just a few inches from my hand. I lost my smile and realized that I had no etiquette with me. I twisted my lips a little bit.

"I want to meet them."

My eyebrows slightly furrowed as I looked at him with a serious expression.

"Meet who?" I look at him, and he gently wipes his mouth with a tissue.

"I want to meet all the women on your list, one by one, with you," he said seriously, and my mouth fell open.

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c.m. louden