Chapter 6 The Princess Has Change
“With Sir Killion’s popularity soaring, didn’t you say this would be a good time to announce the marriage?”
Veronica clamped her mouth shut and made no reply.
She didn’t feel the slightest inclination to get into an argument.
‘What’s wrong with her? When did she start sticking her head up so high?’
Sandra was dissatisfied with Veronia’s attitude of not acting like her tongue was in her mouth today.
Normally, she would have been quick to make excuses or apologise, but Veronica’s mouth was clamped shut and her eyes were fixed straight ahead.
‘What makes you so confident?’
Sandra’s face began to flush red.
“At this time, the Duke of Drea is already showing a lukewarm response to your marriage! I wonder if you can take the initiative and win Sir Killion’s heart! what? Innocent?”
The reason the Empress was so angry was not because Veronia was showing off her innocence.
‘You must be angry because you disobeyed my orders, right? Even though it’s just the shape of the head, they definitely don’t want to give up even that.’
Veronia suppressed the sigh that was about to burst out and lowered her eyebrows forcefully.
And she made a plaintive voice.
“I was short-thinking, mother. I thought a knight as upright as Sir Killion would naturally like this style.”
“what?”
“I thought it would be better to reveal my charms little by little rather than showing them too blatantly.”
Did Veronia’s words sound quite plausible? Sandra’s eyes trembled slightly.
“But now that you mention it, I think you make more sense, and I’ll have to send the maid back to change it as soon as possible.”
“…that’s not necessary.”
Sandra said, chin up, trying to sound firm.
But her eyes had lost some of their conviction and were trembling slightly.
“It’s already late, so I think I’ll call it a day. I can’t be late just to straighten your hair, can I?”
How rude of her, how short-sighted of her, how irritating. Sandra stretched out her fan and fanned herself, trying to keep a straight face.
“Yes, I’ll do as you say, mother.”
Veronia’s polite reply seemed to satisfy her, and Sandra’s expression lightened.
She took Veronia’s hand in hers and said in a voice that could not have been gentler.
“Veronia.”
“Yes, mother.”
“Now is the time to prove your worth. Do you understand?”
“…”
She doesn’t know that.
She have no idea.
‘Bullshit! I have value just by existing. I don’t need to seduce anyone to prove my worth!’
She wanted to scream it in the Empress’s ear right now, so loudly that it would make a dent in her stifling feeling.
But she couldn’t.
‘You have to endure it, you have to endure it until we get out of here safely. You have to endure it…’
Veronia’s hands tightened on the hem of her dress.
***
“Your Excellency, it’s time to go and fetch the Empress.”
“Yes.”
At his aide Windler’s words, Killion turned and started walking. Windler, who had been following Killion, whispered under his breath.
“I’m a little surprised, to be honest.”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought the moment Princess saw you, she’d jump up and hug you, but instead she just held your hand.”
“….”
“I thought she’d ask for a kiss, of course, but she didn’t ask for anything, nothing at all!”
Killion was inwardly relieved that he wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
As Killion listened in silence, Windler whispered in a more private voice.
“Do you think he’s having a change of heart… or something?”
“A change of heart?”
“Well… out of sight, out of mind, don’t they say, and two years is not a short time.”
“I suppose that could be true.”
Killion nodded slowly.
It was common, wasn’t it?
The same thing happened to things he used often.
You forget you put it in a drawer, lament its loss, and then quickly move on to something else.
I’d accidentally open the drawer and find it again, and it would become a possession that he couldn’t use again or throw away.
‘But why do I feel so depressed?’
It was a strange feeling.
He felt like a disappointed child who didn’t get the gift they were expecting.
Like a child who can’t find a toy where it’s supposed to be.
He felt childish.
‘No way… disappoint me? Did I disappoint?’
Killion’s body trembled with chills, as if the thought that occurred to her at that moment was terrifying.
‘Because I didn’t get a hug from Veronia? Because I didn’t get a kiss? No way… That can’t be happening.’
It couldn’t be.
It shouldn’t have happened.
‘You’ve never liked her, you’ve never liked her, you’ve hated her hugs and kisses to the point where your skin crawls.’
Suddenly disappointed, it didn’t make sense.
Killion’s dark eyebrows knitted together.
‘It’s so unfamiliar… that it’s weird and… that it’s awkward again, yes, that’s right, not disappointment.’
Finally reaching the door to the Princess chambers, Killion skidded to a halt.
Knock, knock, knock, Windler knocked, and the door opened immediately, revealing Veronia.
For a moment, Killion couldn’t let out the breath he’d been holding and just stood there, his whole body rigid.
‘This… what…!’
The off-the-shoulder turquoise gown was trimmed with light blue embroidery, making it both gorgeous and classy.
And Veronia wearing those clothes, was sparkling in it.
Her sparkle wasn’t just from the numerous crystals embedded in the skirt of her dress.
It wasn’t the diamonds in the tiara on her head, or the rubies in her dangling earrings.
Her sparkle came from the corners of her mouth, just slightly upturned, and the corners of her eyes, just slightly down.
It came from her red eyes, which held a kindness that wasn’t overwhelming.
‘…Veronia has changed.’
It hasn’t changed in the slightest.
She was the same as she was two years ago.
But she was still the same woman, and yet she seemed like a completely different person.
The smile on her lips, the twinkle in her eyes.
‘What happened? That can’t be right, can it?’
Killion didn’t understand the change at all.
It even occurred to him that maybe it wasn’t Veronia who had changed, but him.
‘Yes, perhaps it is.’
Killion shook the thought from his mind and held out his hand to Veronia.
“I’m here to escort Your Highness, are you ready?”
“Yes, sir. I’m just finishing getting ready, thank you, Sir Killion.”
Windler’s eyes widened at the sight of her crossing her arms somewhat sheepishly.
If this was the Veronica Windler remembered, she would have shouted ‘Sir Killion’ and thrown herself into his arms as soon as she saw him, but not now.
Killion and Windler’s gazes met in the air.
They could see right into each other’s minds.
***
The banquet began with a majestic rendition of music.
As befits a celebration of victory, the first order of business was a toast to the leadership of the United Knights.
There were a dozen members of the command, including Killion, and many nobles who wanted to add a word or two to the toast.
Naturally, the toast was long.
Veronia, who had been excited to attend her first imperial banquet, was beginning to grow bored.
‘When will I get to see the Female Lead!’
Ahem, Veronia stifled a yawn that threatened to burst forth and dabbed at the corners of her mouth with her fan.
She would have slipped away already if she hadn’t been invited to meet the Saint Evangeline.
“The last of the toasts is a difficult one.”
The Emperor raised his voice and gestured towards the doorway.
‘At last!’
Veronia squinted at the doorway.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
Finally, the door opened, revealing a saint in a pure white gown with a simple, plain design.
“Oh my!”
“Wow!”
Exclamations erupted from all around.
“That must be the saint from the Plummer area!”
“A saint who hasn’t appeared in over a hundred years! That’s amazing!”
“They say her holy power is incredible, and a week ago, she travelled through the villages of the Melid region, curing endemic diseases in one go!”
“Divine power is divine power, but you’re also incredibly beautiful!”
“Yes, she is, she’s like a snowflake!”
Here and there, excited voices could be heard praising Evangeline.
Veronia was tempted to join in and add her voice to the chorus, but for the sake of her dignity, she held her tongue.
‘I am an Princess, and I should not be rude.’
Instead, she looked up and examined Killion’s complexion.
Since they were two people reuniting after a long time, wondering if there would be any sparks between them after all these years.
She wanted to capture the sparks as their gazes met in the air.
It was the way the possessed and the reader enjoyed the original.
Killion, who had been looking straight ahead, looked down and saw Veronia.
Their gazes tangled in the air.
‘Ugh! I can’t stand looking at this! I have to get back to my Female Lead, to Evangelina!’
Veronia’s head pounded with the words she would never get to say.
Killion, meanwhile, was caught off guard by the unexpected glance, and an awkward smile soon formed on his lips.
‘What, what… is cute!’
Veronica was surprised to see the cold-faced Male Lead, who was always stoic and didn’t show his emotions easily, smiling awkwardly in embarrassment.
Veronia couldn’t help but giggle.
Her shoulders shook slightly as she laughed, causing Killion to blush in embarrassment.
Veronia’s face flushed red as she tried to hold back her laughter.
Veronia and Killion’s blushing faces at each other were noticed by a few sharp-eyed nobles.
Soon, smirks formed on their lips.
