“It’s been a while, Your Majesty.”
Gran’s voice, as he greeted my father, was pleasant to the ear.
“I would be truly grateful if you could be understanding about my face being covered due to the injury.”
It was hard to guess what kind of injury marred his undeniably handsome face, even with just half of it visible.
“Oh dear, an injury? I understand completely. You must have had a hard time getting here.”
My father, who only cared about lineage, didn’t give a second thought to Gran’s injury.
“No, I’m the one who should be thanking you for allowing my visit.”
“Haha, you haven’t changed a bit. Your eloquence is truly remarkable.”
“Thank you.”
While my father was in the middle of chatting with Gran, he glanced at me.
With a look that seemed to ask what I was waiting for to greet him, I finally slowly parted my lips.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Gran.”
“It’s an honor to meet the beautiful Princess Riley as well.”
I stared at Gran intently, as if observing him. It seemed I had unwittingly created a misunderstanding.
“Princess, if you stare too hard, it might lead to a misunderstanding.”
“……”
“That you fell for me at first sight.”
I responded a beat late.
“That’s not it. It’s just that…”
I was curious about Gran’s true intentions in wanting to marry me.
Gran was the second prince, and I was also the youngest princess, far removed from the line of succession.
It was well known that my brother Francis would inherit our empire’s throne, making it impossible for Gran to aspire to the imperial seat. So, had he decided to marry me simply under the pretense of an alliance?
“I may be imposing with my question, but I’d like to ask why you personally visited us, Prince Gran.”
“It’s natural for a butterfly to approach a beautiful flower.”
“……”
“Flowers are deeply rooted in the ground, so I believe that the free-flying butterfly should move, not the flower.”
The flower must refer to me, while the butterfly likely refers to him. He had a rather amusing way of speaking. If he set his mind to it, he could probably steal the hearts of many women.
A naive noble lady, dreaming of a fanciful romance might have fallen for him. However, I was someone who had weathered the harsh storms of life.
My heart was too broken to flutter foolishly at his words.
Yet, I forced a smile for the sake of using Gran.
“Then, let’s cut to the chase. Can I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
I stepped down from the raised platform and stood directly in front of Gran.
“Will you marry me tomorrow?”
Despite the sudden proposal, Gran didn’t appear flustered.
“Are you proposing to me?”
There was a certain spirit in his voice, suggesting that he would not be easily swayed.
“So what’s your answer?”
“I…”
Gran wore a meaningful smile as I waited for his response.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
That evening, our family sat down together for dinner at the same table. It had been a long time since I’d seen my brother Francis, who was often busy with state affairs.
“Riley, you’ve grown more refined,” he said.
My brother, seated opposite me, looked much younger than I remembered. I felt the reality of having returned to the past.
“It’s been a while, brother.”
Father carved into a juicy steak with his knife and turned to me.
“Riley, was what you said earlier sincere?”
I didn’t touch the steak in front of me and replied.
“Yes, it was sincere. Meeting him in person, I thought he seemed alright.”
“……”
“And he’s the groom my father enthusiastically recommended.”
Father’s face brightened at my words. He was genuinely pleased with my decision.
In contrast, I felt nauseous.
Knowing that he was involved in Eddie’s death made it difficult to face him.
I gulped down the glass of plain water brought to me by one of the maids.
“I really meant it when I said I wanted to marry him quickly. I’m tired of rejecting proposals.”
At that, Father set down the knife he was holding.
There was a strange glint in his green eyes as he looked directly at me.
It seemed he was pleased that I had decided to marry the man I desired.
The greater the joy, the greater the disappointment.
As I thought about the plans I would soon set in motion, my father’s happiness felt bittersweet.
“Since Prince Gran has agreed to my proposal, how about sending a messenger to the Ramsey Empire right away?”
I recalled my earlier encounter with Prince Gran.
His response to my question about marrying him immediately.
“I came to find you with that intention already.”
What was Gran thinking?
His answer was one I could only understand if I assumed he had fallen for me at first sight.
But his thoughts didn’t matter. All I needed from him was to help with my plan.
“My daughter, Riley. I am truly pleased that you’ve made such a wise choice. And the messenger has already been sent.”
He had already sent a messenger…?
That meant Father was likely planning to proceed with the marriage regardless of my decision, even if I chose not to marry Gran.
“I’m glad my choice can support you, Father.”
Francis and Mother looked at me with late confusion.
“Riley, are you speaking sincerely?”
I smiled innocently.
“Yes, I’m sincere. I found him quite appealing.”
“…If that’s your decision, then we have no intention of stopping you.”
Mother, who was always indifferent, didn’t seem to care what choice I made. Ever since I was young, she had prioritized Francis above all else.
The only thing that mattered to her was having a suitable man to carry on the line, a sentiment she had often expressed over the years.
“I’m looking forward to marrying him.”
Of course, that was a lie. I had no intention of marrying Gran at all.
I was planning to run away on the day of our wedding.
Given that this was a marriage between allied nations, the wedding would undoubtedly be grand.
A significant budget would be allocated, and many eyes would be on the event.
What would happen if the bride disappeared on the day of the prepared wedding?
Father would be ridiculed by the ministers of the Lopez Empire, and the Ramsey Empire would find itself in a difficult position.
My father, who hated bowing to others more than anything else in the world, would be forced to lower his head. I genuinely wanted to create that situation for him.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
The next day, Gran left for the Ramsey Empire right away.
It seemed he returned after achieving his goal of gaining my acceptance for marriage.
According to what Matilda heard, Gran was scheduled to return to the Lopez Empire just before the wedding.
I pushed the thoughts of Gran aside and finished my preparations to leave.
“Matilda, I owe you a lot, so is there anything you would like?”
Matilda was the maid I was closest to. Once I left this place, it was unlikely I would ever see her again.
So, I wanted to give her a farewell gift.
But Matilda was perceptive.
She seemed to read the tone of finality in my voice.
“Is it because of the wedding? But even if you marry, won’t you still live in the Lopez Empire? I will continue to serve you, Your Highness.”
Gran had planned to settle in the Lopez Empire after marrying me as a son-in-law.
However, that was only a possibility if our marriage actually came to fruition.
“It’s not because of the wedding; I just wanted to give you a gift. You’ve helped me a lot during this time.”
Matilda slowly shook her head.
“I don’t want anything. And I’ve already received so much from you, Your Highness.”
How could she be so kind?
I had anticipated her response and had already prepared something for her.
“I’ve hidden some expensive jewelry deep in the wardrobe. It’s yours.”
“Your Highness….”
Matilda’s voice was filled with emotion.
It wasn’t just her voice that was sorrowful; her eyes had become cloudy.
‘It’s not like I’ve done anything particularly special for you…’
Why are you getting emotional? It’s just a piece of jewelry.
“I’m sorry. And thank you. I’ll collect myself and come back.”
Matilda tried to hide her tearful face from me.
“It’s alright; you can take your time to rest.”
She lowered her head and left the room.
As I sent her away, I felt heat rising in my eyes.
