Chapter 60.

Blind date (5)

“Alright, one, two, three…”

The rhythmic voice of the instructor accompanied Retina’s movements. Despite not understanding why she was doing this, Retina, with the list of tests in hand, followed the instructor’s commands, sitting and standing with a pole on her back.

Retina was gradually completing the listed tests one by one. Although she was unsure of her purpose, her pride didn’t allow her to give up after coming this far.

“Nine, ten. You can put it down now.”

The instructor counted all the numbers, drew a line on the paper, and checked. At the same time, Retina, ignoring the surrounding gazes, lay down on the ground. Breathing heavily, her chest rose and fell as if her heart was about to jump out of her mouth.

“You’ve done them all. Congratulations.”

Norden, who had been watching Retina complete the tasks from start to finish, handed her a towel. Wiping her sweaty face, Retina muttered, “If I don’t do it like this, I won’t be recognized as an adult. I’m fed up with these things now.”

Retina, who had already delayed her debutante ball, was determined to pass this test no matter what. She wanted to avoid any future gossip.

“Honestly, I thought you wouldn’t make it.”

“Are you expressing your contempt for me, whom you’ve been ignoring until now?”

“Haha, no. Actually, I thought those who haven’t experienced something difficult wouldn’t be able to handle it. Even young people in the North practice for this test for six months before their adult ceremony.”

“What? Are you telling me that even Northerners are practicing for a test I’m taking on the spot?”

Retina raised an eyebrow, glaring at Norden. He casually mentioned that the Northerners practiced for months, and now he was making her take the test on the spot?

Norden had decided not to accept any challenges from young ladies who failed the test he provided.

“Marriage is not on your mind, is it?”

“Why do you think that way?”

“Who would make a young lady, who just appeared, go through physical training right away?”

Retina retorted boldly. Norden burst into a silent laugh, amused by her spirited response.

He expected her to express annoyance or give up in the middle of the tests, but she completed them all and then asked if she had no intention of getting married. It was a completely unexpected reaction.

“My marriage has already been decided by my homeland. Whether I like it or not, I have to follow it if it helps the development of the North. Don’t glare at me like that. If your actual physical condition can’t meet these requirements, it’ll be difficult to live in the North. You should check it out. If you, the lady, can’t endure the northern cold and get sick, it wouldn’t be good.”

Norden, with a plausible explanation, smiled gently and reached out his hand to Retina. She, accepting his support, rose from the ground.

“If other young ladies refuse to do it, you could become Retina, the lady who did it all.”

To his following words, Retina released his hand, her eyebrows raised. She squinted at Norden. He had decided not to accept challenges from young women who couldn’t pass his test.

“Why do you think I’d marry a lady who can’t even do what other young ladies can do?”

Norden laughed and shook his head.

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

However, contrary to Retina’s expectations, Norden did not get any closer. Instead, a cool metallic sensation touched Retina’s wrist.

“You have someone you like.”

Norden, who put a bracelet on Retina’s wrist, murmured. Having achieved his goal, he cleanly distanced himself from her.

“Oh, just in case you misunderstand. This is not an item with personal feelings, but a bracelet that men give to women who have passed the test.”

He explained this to Retina as she examined the bracelet hanging on her slender wrist. His blue eyes that gazed at Retina intensified slightly.

“Instead of barren soil, the goddess has given us underground resources as a gift. Currently, the North relies on natural resources. This bracelet is made from precious ore found among various natural resources in the North. It signifies congratulations for overcoming the especially harsh cold as children and becoming adults.”

Worried that Retina might refuse the bracelet, Norden added further explanation and observed her reaction. Retina, whom he thought would immediately reject it, was closely examining the pendant attached to the bracelet.

“This engraving…”

Curious, Retina followed Norden’s gaze. Due to the size of the pendant, it was drawn succinctly, but Retina immediately recognized the inscription inside.

“It’s similar to the picture on my mom’s pendant.”

On the pendant Norden gave her, there was an inscription similar to the one on her mom’s heirloom.

* * *

Lying on the bed, Retina raised the pendant she had worn and stored during the imperial ball. On her left hand, which held the pendant, was the bracelet she received from Norden.

“This is the emblem of the Raglaras royal family.”

There was a reason she couldn’t find information about the imperial family crest in the books that compiled the emblems of various noble families. Trying to find information about the North in the records erased by Rudenheim was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

“Why did my mom have a pendant similar to the royal family’s emblem?”

To think of it, Norden had mentioned before that in Raglaras, silver hair was a symbol of royalty. It was a mark that only appeared on those who inherited the blood of the goddess.

Retina looked at her own hair, which inherited her mother’s hair color. She had considered the possibility that her mom inherited the blood of the people from the North because of her hair, but she never thought to ask about the pendant.

“At a glance, it looks similar, but it’s different.”

Retina gently touched the bracelet, which contained a blue diamond known as the Ice Ore. Though it was the same type of gemstone as the one on the pendant, it was several times larger.

The Blue Diamond was a precious ore found only in the North. Considering these clues, it seemed that her bloodline was indeed connected to the royal family of Raglaras.

“Do I really have to go to the North?”

Even though she was born and raised in the Empire, it was more complicated for her to be related to the North, a place she had never visited. The complexity of her emotions surpassed the moment when she heard about the strategic marriage with Norden.

“Maybe my mom missed the snow-covered mountain range that she only heard about from Grandma.”

Retina’s face, which had been gently caressing the pendant, became clouded with thoughts. She still remembered her mom staring out of the window for a long time, silently gazing at something she couldn’t see.

Even when called from behind, her mom didn’t turn around or respond. One day, she suddenly grabbed the hem of her clothes, as if she were about to fly out of the window, and cried.

“Don’t leave me and go alone,” she had said.

But her mom left her behind and went alone. As memories that hadn’t surfaced in a while came back, Retina closed her eyes for a moment and gently placed the pendant back on the table.

“Ugh.”

Retina, trying to get up from the bed, pressed her belly and finally moved her body. The muscle pain that lingered in her abdomen for a few days after unexpectedly taking the physical test made it difficult for her to move.

Still feeling the pull inside her abdomen every time she exerted force, Retina, who had barely descended from the bed, touched her belly and opened the lid of the jewelry box. The persistent pain, coupled with the incessant teasing from her brothers, made it difficult for her to rest properly.

“Later, when I meet Norden, I should show him the pendant.”

Since it was still just her speculation, she wanted to confirm it precisely when the time came. At that point, she would have to show him her hair. It didn’t feel as intimidating to reveal it to others as it had the same color as hers.

“Norden will surely welcome it.”

She might even suggest going together to find her mother’s family in the North.

“It’s not a problem to go, but…”

There was someone on her mind, thinking about leaving for almost a month.