It was really shocking.
Eden was actually saying what I had written.
The very development in which the treason fails, and the Darkus Empire loses the war, so Eden Darkus sends Estelle, the Princess, as a pawn to Calix!
I had written that she was sent because they had lost the war, but why was he talking as if there had been a plan to send her all along?
That’s his own sister?
Was I staring too wide-eyed?
Eden laughed again and said.
“Lyn, what are you so surprised about? I have a sister named Estelle. She’s the perfect girl to send over to Everetian as a pawn.”
Good heavens!
There are actually people who talk about sending their younger sister as a hostage so casually…
Moreover, he seemed to enjoy talking about it.
Eden continued speaking to me, who was still reeling from shock.
“Lyn, you will be protected, of course, if you become my Princess; and my sister, no…, And my younger sister, well… if you accept my proposal and come to my country, I will tell you the secret about her, later. Hahaha.”
Eden said that and turned around to descend the stairs again.
I was stunned.
As I watched him go, I thought back to the many things he had said to me.
‘I don’t want to see you die.’
‘It’s hard to demand the Princess be handed over. After all, she’s the Princess of Darkus Empire.’
‘I’ll tell you a secret about my sister.’
And the most shocking thing to say:
‘If it comes to giving up the Princess, I’d send the Imperial Princess instead.’
My mind felt like it had been swept by a storm.
The secret of the Princess…
What could that possibly be?
Did Estelle even have a secret?
Well, I died before I could even write the scene where she appears in the novel, so I don’t have all the details about Estelle.
Still, there wasn’t a specific setting that I wrote, for the heroine’s secret.
‘What?’
I’ve been watching the back of his head as he makes it all the way down the stairs, thinking about what Eden said, when suddenly-he stops walking and looks up at me.
He was probably aware of my eyes on him the whole time.
But somehow, in that moment, when our eyes met, I felt something close to certainty.
That even if he didn’t love me, he wasn’t going to let me die.
I wanted to marry a man who loves me, but isn’t the man who lets me live the best person for me now?
And that was all I could afford for now.
Of course, going to the Darkus Empire didn’t guarantee everything would work out, and that my safety would be guaranteed, but the future in this Everetian Empire was a sure-guaranteed death.
If so, I had to choose one that had the slightest chance of surviving.
Even by relying on that man’s unknown favor…
At that moment I decided the answer I needed to give.
I didn’t have to wait until tomorrow.
“Lord Eden!”
I called his name, with him still staring at me at the end of the stairs on the second floor.
Eden didn’t say anything, he just stared at me. Like someone waiting for something.
Yes, I’ll give you the answer you’re waiting for now.
I said it plainly.
“I want to marry you, Lord Eden!”
Eden laughed contentedly at my words.
It was the smile of someone who already knew the answer.
*****
The next day, I decided to start walking again, and I was planning to visit the capital’s famous cafe alley.
Then Eden followed me, wanting to invite himself to go with me.
I didn’t want him to, but I decided to marry him; and I also decided to see him, who was doing me a favor, more positively so I eventually left the house with him.
Eden’s expression and tone of voice were casual as he said this and that.
But for some reason, I found it difficult to behave so casually with him.
Eventually, we found a seat at a cafe and as soon as we sat down, I asked him.
“Lord Eden, how long are you going to stay at my house?”
I knew that if I married Eden, I would be living with him for the rest of my life, or at least for a while, but even if I did, I wanted him to go back now.
“That’s a very unbecoming question for your fiancé. Do you want to send me away so quickly?”
Oh my God… Fiancé?
We just decided to marry yesterday, and now he speaks of it so easily?
“But Lord Eden, you’re the Crown Prince, right? In the Darkus Empire, can a Crown Prince be away for such a long time? You should go back.”
I’m sure he was walking around like that because he can afford to be away, but still, wouldn’t it be better if he left soon?
Well, what he’s doing in Everetian may be the most important thing for the Darkus Empire.
“Indeed. I’m already getting a bit late. You made it so, Lyn.”
“I did?”
I had a feeling he was going to say something weird again.
“You keep looking pretty, being so charming; and you keep saying no to Grand Duke Leon, telling me that you want to come to my country as an exile. You want to marry me, don’t you? I guess I’ve been a bit late because I was pondering whether or not to get married to you.”
“Ha!”
I scoffed; I was so dumbfounded that I was speechless.
I should have avoided asking him that when I had a bad feeling.
My ears are going to rot.
“I’d like us to stop by the Everetian Imperial Palace together soon, Lyn.”
Eden said even more absurd things to me, who was already at a loss for words.
What do you mean- the Imperial Palace? Why are you and I going there?
“Why should I go with you to the Imperial Palace?”
“I’ll tell Grand Duke Leon that you and I are getting married. While the Empress only needs to make Grand Duke Leon the Emperor, the Grand Duke seems to like you quite a bit… so we should let him know.”
“Oh…”
I felt a wave of sadness.
I’ve been forced to turn a blind eye because of my goal of surviving, but I felt a sense of debt to Leon’s feelings of loving Kailyn.
From Leon’s point of view, he would have been hurt by my one-sided and sudden change of mind…
Now I’m going to marry a prince from another country.
And I’ve gone so far as to marry the Crown Prince of another country.
I’ve already said goodbye, but isn’t it like digging up a wound to talk about getting married to another person with Leon?
When I remained silent with a sullen expression, Eden looked me straight in the eyes and spoke, his expression exuding pressure.
“Even though I came here as a tourist, once I’m in the Everetian Empire, I have to visit the Imperial Palace at least once. I want to take my fiancée with me; do you dislike that?”
I do dislike it.
I dislike it, but…
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
Eden said it like he was asking a question, but somehow it sounded like I had to go with him, so I couldn’t resist and answered the affirmative.
It was clear to me that I didn’t have the upper hand in the dynamic between him and me right now.
I don’t know if my expression revealed my feelings, but despite my answer, Eden gave me a glance sideways.
“That look in your eyes, you don’t mean to say that you regret it, do you?”
Regret, what was that worth?
I’m just feeling sorry and uncomfortable.
Seeing Leon again.
Going to the Imperial Palace…
“No, it’s just that I feel a little sorry for Grand Duke Leon.”
“Hmph. Well, that’s what love does. It comes and goes. Isn’t it?”
Yeah, I guess so.
But in my case, it wasn’t back and forth.
My love didn’t go to anyone or leave to someone else in the first place.
And the way I see it, neither did yours.
It’s not love for you or me after all.
I was in conflict for a while and eventually asked him again.
“Lord Eden, why do you really want to marry me? I don’t think you love me that much.”
“I don’t love you, I just think you’re my kind of girl, and that’s enough for me to marry you.”
“…Yes, I see.”
“You don’t like me? But there aren’t many women like that…?”
It’s not enough that I’m your type, do you have to be my type too?
Even if you’re supposed to be my kindred spirit, you’re not.
“I have firm tastes.”
Eden’s eyes glistened at my statement.
He asked with a smile on his face.
“Really? What’s your preference?”
“Hans.”
I wasn’t sure he understood, but I was referring to “Hans,” the male lead in ‘The Endless Days and Nights of Mary the Florist and Hans the Baker’.
Hans was my dream man.
I was going to marry him.
“Hans?”
“Hans, the good guy, the all-around flexible guy, the one who never stops trying.”
Would he recognize my “Hans”?
He wouldn’t understand anyway, so I said whatever I wanted.
“Hahaha, from what I hear right now, he’s not a real person. Is he a creature of fantasy?”
Goodness!
How does he have such intuition?
Seeing me momentarily flustered by Eden’s sharpness, he laughed even harder and said,
“I think you should consider me, who will take you out of Everetian, as Hans.”
“Yes, I think so too.”
I replied somberly.
Yes, even if love is difficult, I should at least try not to hate you.
But no matter how hard I try, the idea of marrying a man who speaks like that makes me a bit, no, a lot, depressed.
Still, it’s better than dying.
I made an effort to compose myself.
*****
A few days later Eden and I went to the Imperial Palace.
But unexpectedly, Eden and I were being guided toward the main palace, the Emperor’s Palace, rather than the palace of the Empress or Grand Duke Leon.
“Where are we going now, Lord Eden?”
No, please tell me I’m wrong! We’re not going to the Main Palace, are we?
“Emperor Klaus Everetian has invited us to tea. Oh! I didn’t mention that. I’m sorry. It’s for the Emperor and Empress, the Crown Prince and the Grand Duke;they’re all in attendance. It’s efficient to tell them all at once when they’re all here.”
I stopped right there.
No! It’s not okay at all!
Why are you telling me this now?
Oh, come on!
I don’t feel comfortable with any of them, especially with Calix.
We don’t even need to tell Calix in the first place!
It was something he was going to find out once I made my marriage to Eden official, but I didn’t need to tell him face-to-face like this.
The last conversation I had with Calix made me want to faint, and then I told him I was in a relationship with Eden at the café, and today he’s going to hear that we’re getting married?
I didn’t want to think about how much of an ultra-weirdo he must think I was.
Although, it seems like, the last time I told Calix I was dating Eden was a less weird situation.
“Lyn, what’s wrong? Let’s go, we’re going to be late.”
Eden urged me to hurry.
I had no choice. I couldn’t run away from this.
So what if I looked like a crazy bitch.
Calix was to blame for turning into some weird character that the author herself didn’t recognize.
I’m just trying to survive in a changed setting.
After all, if I marry Eden and go to the Darkus Empire, I’ll never see him again.
Of course, the Everetian Empire and the Darkus Empire would later become entangled again in a borderland war surrounding Aelyrium, but it would be a localized war, and with the way things were going, it would end with a reinforcement treaty that would send Princess Estelle away just as I had written, so this would be the last time I would ever have to deal with him.
It has to be the last one!
Male lead Calix, let’s see each other for the last time and say goodbye forever.
“Oh, yes. Let’s go!”
Consoled by the fact that it would be my last meeting with Calix, I decided to put off my discomfort and take a step back.
