Little Prince Hale’s mood lifted as he looked at her adorably dazed expression. "Okay, I give up. You don’t like to smile, and I won’t force you. I just hope you can be happy after I’m gone."

Claire Sinclair frowned slightly. The melancholy in her eyes didn’t lessen in the slightest; instead, it only deepened her sorrow.

"His Highness Prince Hale, you’ve given me such an expensive gift, but I don’t know what I could possibly give you in return. In our country, Aridia, reciprocating gifts is a virtue. It feels very rude of me not to."

"If you feel it’s rude, then find some time, bring a gift, and come visit me in Country K. I will await your arrival anytime," Little Prince Hale invited generously, making no attempt to hide his affection for her.

Claire Sinclair let out a barely audible sigh. "All I can do is promise you for now that I’ll definitely come visit when I have time."

"Then can you give me a smile now?"

Claire Sinclair paused, trying to curve her lips into a smile, but she felt no genuine happiness and just couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Little Prince Hale looked a bit helpless. Finally giving up completely, he offered a gentle smile. "Can you tell me why you’re unhappy? I want to hear the truth."

Claire Sinclair was silent for a moment before saying softly, "I don’t want to deceive you. The truth is, I already have someone I like."

"So that’s how it is," Little Prince Hale said, seeming to have expected it all along. But hearing her say it herself still left him feeling deeply disappointed.

"In my eyes, he’s a superhero."

"Now that you say that, I think I might know who he is. He’s your sister’s superhero, too."

Claire Sinclair was utterly astonished, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask him about it in front of so many people.

Little Prince Hale smiled, elegantly took her small hand, and placed a farewell kiss on its back. "It doesn’t matter. Until you announce your engagement, I will remain single just for you."

Claire Sinclair: "..."

’Can I just pretend this is an international joke?’

Little Prince Hale said no more. He slowly lowered her hand, then abruptly turned and boarded the private jet that would take him back to his country.

Claire Sinclair took a few steps back, watching as he walked through the cabin door.

Little Prince Hale suddenly looked back and gave her a wave.

Claire Sinclair mustered her courage and called out loudly, "Goodbye, Mr. Hale!"

A gratified smile appeared on Little Prince Hale’s face, and he nodded.

Claire Sinclair felt a great weight lift from her shoulders. She let out a long sigh of relief. It was finally over.

...

「The next day」 The incident made headlines across all media outlets. Even the Astoria Daily published a related article: "Little Prince Hale’s Wondrous Journey."

The article only briefly mentioned the car, because Claire Sinclair was the lead author, and she didn’t want to be thrust into the headlines over something like that.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t escape the exaggerations of her media rivals.

Vying for headline traffic, other media outlets blew the story completely out of proportion.

On every street corner and across all social media platforms, everyone was buzzing about it.

Some sighed with emotion, lamenting how Little Prince Hale had boldly pursued love only to be tragically rejected by the beauty. How pitiful.

Others cursed Claire Sinclair for not knowing what was good for her. Daring to reject the prince of Country K—who the hell did she think she was?

Still others sent their blessings, hoping Little Prince Hale and Claire Sinclair would get together. That way, the friendship between Country K and Aridia would reach a new level. What a sacred and legendary romance it would be...

Faced with the overwhelming flood of comments online, Claire Sinclair appeared remarkably calm. Perhaps it was because she was used to it, or perhaps because she had grown stronger inside. In any case, she didn’t feel much of anything this time.

After taking possession of the car, she arranged for someone to have it delivered to the garage at Evergreen Garden.