They immediately entered the castle, sat in the drawing room connected to her room, and continued their conversation.
“Her Majesty the Empress responded that she would soon send her a letter of marriage proposal. “The formal marriage proposal will probably arrive soon.”
“I’m so glad that Her Majesty the Empress stepped forward.”
She said as Velia took a sip of her properly brewed tea.
“To be honest, I thought it would be impossible. “Not only was there no way that His Majesty would grant unfavorable terms to Her Royal Highness the 1st Prince, but she also had no confidence that Her Majesty the Empress would make the move herself.”
Khalid asked as if he was puzzled by those words.
“What do you mean?”
The empress was Khalid’s mother.
It’s only natural that she helps him. But it was a little strange that she wasn’t sure about that part. Velia was embarrassed by Khalid’s suspicious gaze and made an excuse.
“ah. I just thought it might be a little difficult to help Her Majesty the Empress since she doesn’t come out of her palace… … .”
Before Velia finished speaking, Khalid asked.
“Has that rumor spread to Ronica as well?”
“yes?”
There was confusion as past and future information were mixed.
In an instant, Velia’s expression darkened as if she was in despair.
It was an open secret that when Velia lived in her empire, she lived as if the empress was secluded in her palace. Since she was like that, she naturally thought that she would also know what Velia is now.
As she spoke, I remembered that neither Velia nor she knew about the empress’s circumstances before she went to the empire.
‘… … ‘It’s a mistake.’
Velia naturally put down her teacup and adjusted her expression. She had to think about how to make her patch up.
Then Khalid very slowly took a sip of tea and opened her mouth.
“Your Majesty the Emperor is a person who is greedy and likes to show off. So, no matter how infatuated she was with another woman, she would not have let the news spread to other countries that Her Majesty was living like a dead person in her palace. “That would be like spitting in my face.”
His fingers slowly swept the teacup.
“But again, I won’t pry. So she doesn’t have to think about how to make excuses.”
As Velia looks at Khalid with a bit of confusion, he continues his conversation with her nonchalant expression.
“Back to the topic. She would have accepted her marriage proposal from Her Majesty, on the condition that she hand over something of hers to Her Majesty. “You must have given up quite a bit.”
“… … is that so.”
“Anyway, you just need to know that an official marriage proposal will arrive soon.”
Velia nodded slightly.
“Thank you for letting me know in advance.”
“We decided to cooperate, so we should do our best.”
Khalid pulled the corner of his mouth excitedly.
“Do you have any plans for lunch tomorrow? “Let’s have a meal together.”
“sorry. It was time for horseback riding… … .”
Velia scratched her cheek as if she was embarrassed.
She had offered it to me, but I was embarrassed to refuse it.
“I’m just starting to learn, so I don’t feel like jumping into it right away. “It’s okay in the evening.”
It would be a good idea to learn it when you have some spare time, like now. Velia didn’t want to waste as much time as she could.
At that time, Khalid asked with a sullen expression.
“Will that article from earlier teach you tomorrow as well?”
“Sir Ben? Ah yes. that’s right. “I personally asked for it.”
“You’re very close to your escort, aren’t you?”
There was a lot of disapproval in his voice.
The posture of crossing one’s arms was also somewhat crooked.
“Sure. “They are like family to me.”
She answered calmly, as if Velia was asking an obvious question.
Khalid remembered a conversation between Velia and Ben at the horseback riding club, saying that they were lucky to have met you. His mood sank a little.
When Khalid kept his mouth shut, as if he didn’t like something, Velia cautiously called out to him.
“majesty?”
“… … “Isn’t it time to call my name?”
His brow furrowed.
Velia let out a sigh and parted her lips.
“Khalid.”
As expected, when I call his name, I feel like the letters are floating around in my mouth. But I didn’t want to let him notice.
“Velia.”
also.
The atmosphere changes in an instant.
At that time, Khalid approached Velia across the table.
“I’ve been thinking about it, and I think you and I need to spend more time together to show people that our relationship is strong.”
Khalid said with a slow smile.
“How about I teach you how to ride a horse?”
“Your Majesty?”
Flustered by the unexpected question, when Velia habitually called him to convey, Khalid moved his eyebrows.
But soon he spoke in a soft voice.
“Besides, it seems like you want to learn swordsmanship.”
It seemed like he heard the conversation with Ben earlier.
“Even though general swordsmanship is difficult, I can at least teach you how to handle a dagger.”
“Is that true?”
Velia smiled happily.
“okay. So, learn horseback riding from me. “It’s easier if there’s no one else to teach you dagger techniques.”
She can learn horseback riding from him and even learn daggers at the same time. If it were a dagger, you could carry it in your pocket so it wouldn’t be noticed and use it when you’re in a hurry.
It was a proposal I liked.
Velia immediately gave her words of acceptance.
“I’ll look for a dagger you can use, so let me watch you ride the horse for now.”
“thank you.”
Khalid stood up after hearing Velia’s thank you. He had a neat demeanor, as if all his business had been completed.
“After horseback riding, let’s have a meal together. As I said before, it would be good for us to spend as much time together as possible.”
“all right. “We don’t have any plans, so we’ll be together all day tomorrow.”
Velia also said as she got up to see Khalid off. Khalid, who was leaving the room with a satisfied expression, suddenly stopped as if he remembered something.
“Velia. “You’d better leave him behind when you come tomorrow.”
Then, with a swish, he left the room.
“… … ah?”
This, really?
‘It must be an illusion.’
Velia soon burst into laughter and shook her head. Then she slowly lay down on the sofa.
It was afternoon, so the sunset sunlight came deep into the room. Velia lifted both her hands and covered her eyes.
Khalid must bring me a marriage proposal as soon as possible.
“Whoa… … .”
Even though things seemed to be going well, I felt like I was missing something.
Velia calmly summarized what had happened so far.
First of all, I succeeded in attracting the second prince to my side. She also maintains a pretty good relationship with him. If he sends a marriage proposal, she can choose him and neatly reject Raul’s marriage proposal.
After that, she becomes the second prince’s concubine and plans to make Khalid emperor.
Since we know the future, it would not be impossible to take away all the things that Raul would succeed based on that information. It was a bit annoying that the emperor favored the first prince, but the emperor would die soon anyway.
‘Less than 3 years left.’
In the meantime, her game had to change.
As she did so, realizing that she had less time than she thought, Velia removed her hand from covering her eyes and stared blankly at her ceiling. She shouldn’t hesitate. She has to move on.
This side has nothing compared to the other side. So she had to sharpen herself even more sharply than now and bite off his neck in an instant. This was not the time for her to be playing with her emotions like she was now.
Velia quickly got up from her seat.
I don’t know what he wants from me.
‘… … ‘I mean it.’
Those words, clearly a joke that Khalid had said at the party, passed by.
But then she shook her head.
“… … “It’s a useless idea.”
He can’t do that, right?
“Velia.”
At this moment, why does the voice of Khalid calling my name come to mind?
His blue eyes that I couldn’t take my eyes off of, his graceful face that approached me as if he was about to kiss me, even the cool wind and chilly air that day.
It felt as vivid as if I was still standing there.
“stop.”
Velia slapped his cheek hard enough to make a sound and pressed it with both hands.
My cheeks felt hot.
“You need to come to your senses. “What are you thinking?”
Somehow I feel guilty.
Whenever I vowed to get revenge, the thought of me being so carefree kept lingering in my mind. The despair I felt is still deeply embedded in my heart like a scratch.
Velia’s eyes hardened and darkened again.
* * *
After going horseback riding with Khalid in the morning, I got used to having lunch together and taking a walk in the afternoon. That sight has now become a natural sight for others as well.
Today, as usual, after Velia finished her horseback riding and changed her clothes, she was having lunch with Khalid.
“It’s delicious.”
After finishing her meal, Velia wiped her mouth and spoke in a voice without any emotion.
And Khalid, who had his chin resting on the table and had a crooked posture, looked at her like he was disapproving.
“Are you really not going to tell me what happened?”
“Because nothing really happened.”
Even though her concerns were clearly asked, all she got back was a cold answer.
Khalid’s brow furrowed again.
“He doesn’t smile much these days, and he’s acting cold to me. “But it’s not a big deal?”
“That’s too much meddling.”
His face hardened at those words.
“… … “What on earth are you so scared of?”
Velia’s hand stiffened at the question he suddenly brought up.
He was also quick to notice her.
My heart pounded as my true feelings were revealed.
… … You should also keep your distance from him.
It was so close now. So, isn’t this revealing your true feelings?
Finally, Velia, who was smiling bitterly, opened her mouth with a faint sigh.
“Khalid. I will learn horseback riding from Sir Ben again. Even though you were busy, I was grateful that you took the time to do so.”
Khalid laughed and asked at her sudden words.
“Why did you suddenly think like that?”
“I heard a lot of people around me say that we seem like a good couple. The purpose has been achieved. So that’s enough for me to learn from you.”
I haven’t started the dagger technique he was supposed to teach me yet.
Because her existing daggers were too heavy for her, she decided to use a new one that Velia had made with a weight suitable for her use.
However, the dagger had not yet been produced, so I could not learn dagger skills right away.
In that case, there is no reason to continue spending time together like this when the original purpose of going horseback riding together has been achieved. Being together for no reason was something only true lovers did. And they weren’t real lovers.
Khalid also knew that well. Therefore, everything she said was fully understandable.
‘okay. We are just helpers who signed a contract. however… … .’
Khalid gritted his teeth.
If she just says that she will understand, it will become her and I will want to keep holding on to her.
“Still, I thought we had become quite close.”
Khalid’s voice subsided a little.
Velia noticed that he was upset, but she did her best to pretend not to notice.
The moment she realized that she had become lax, she told herself that she would never get as emotionally close to him as she did now.
Since the relationship is bound by contract anyway, there is no reason to become more intimate than necessary.
“… … You’re saying it’s obvious. “We have a lot of things to do together in the future, but it would be difficult if we don’t get along.”
Velia grinned.
“So, bring me the marriage proposal as soon as possible, Khalid.”
After urging him once more, Velia stood up from her seat. She then briefly says hello and leaves the restaurant.
Khalid looked at her back with an unknown expression for a very long time and did not take his eyes off her.
Thank you for the translation!