The Prince Is Actually a Princess?! Chapter 12

[Scene: The Garden – A Dangerous Realization]

Isla landed on the grass with an unceremonious thud.

Silence.

Then—

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

…That absolute— [deep breath] —IMBECILE.

She shot up to her feet, fuming, brushing dirt off her dress like it had personally offended her.

Meanwhile, Adrian was already retreating.

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

[muttering] I swear, he’s insufferable. If I didn’t already dislike him, I would start today.

But something felt off.

She wasn’t just mad.

She was… annoyed.

Not because he dropped her. But because—

Her mind betrayed her, flashing back to a second earlier—when she had almost fallen, and Adrian had caught her without thinking.

Warmth. Steady hands. A brief moment of stillness.

Then, the unthinkable.

He had thrown her away.

Like touching her had been the real problem.

Her anger doubled.

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

[sharp] Adrian!

No response.

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

ADRIAN.

Adrian stopped.

Slowly—reluctantly—he turned. Face blank. Too blank.

Isla stormed up to him, hands on her hips.

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

Explain.

Adrian Elivara ( Crown prince/mc)

Explain what?

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

You caught me. Then you dropped me. What kind of—[gestures wildly] barbaric warlord behavior is that?!

Adrian Elivara ( Crown prince/mc)

[crossing arms] You landed just fine.

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

[mock gasp] Oh, I’m sorry—do you like being thrown to the ground?

Adrian Elivara ( Crown prince/mc)

[gritted teeth] I didn’t throw you—

Then Isla paused.

Because something was… different.

Adrian was standing too stiffly. His expression—normally unreadable—was just a little too forced.

And then—she saw it.

His ears.

Flushed.

Bright red.

Oh.

Oh, this was interesting.

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

[slow smirk] Oh dear.

Adrian Elivara ( Crown prince/mc)

[warning] Don’t.

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

Adrian. [tilts head] Are you flustered?

Adrian Elivara ( Crown prince/mc)

[immediately] No.

That was too fast. Too defensive.

Isla grinned.

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

I knew it.

Adrian Elivara ( Crown prince/mc)

You’re imagining things.

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

Am I?

She took a step closer.

Adrian didn’t move back.

But his jaw tensed.

And—ohhh.

This was fun.

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

For a warlord, you’re awfully bad at hiding your emotions.

Adrian Elivara ( Crown prince/mc)

I have no emotions.

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

[soft laugh] Oh, Adrian. You have plenty. You just don’t like when I notice them.

Adrian knew he needed to shut this down. Now.

But for some insane reason—he didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

Didn’t stop her from stepping just close enough that he could smell the faintest hint of jasmine from her hair.

And for the first time in his life—

He felt unsteady.

Isla Rosewood (princess/fl)

[low voice] You’re hiding definitely something.

And then—just as quickly as she had cornered him—she stepped away, brushing past him like nothing had happened.

Leaving Adrian standing there. Stunned.

His pulse? A mess.

His thoughts? Dangerous.

His downfall? Inevitable.

End of the chapter