* * *
The day after her grandmother arrived, Leona was dozing off on a long chair by the window, only to be woken by the gentle patter of raindrops.
‘It’s raining…’
Outside, light raindrops were falling while the sun was still faintly shining.
She had never really liked the rain. It made everything damp—the bedding would get soggy, her hair would become unruly, and the hems of her dresses would grow heavy with moisture, making it all the more troublesome. But recently, she’d come to appreciate rain for a different reason. The first time she gained Aslan’s trust in the barracks had been thanks to the weather.
‘It’ll rain this afternoon. And it’ll keep raining for another two days. Heavily.’
‘And what makes you so sure of that?’
‘Ever since I was little, I’ve been incredibly good at predicting the weather. It was amazing. I mean, I was like a walking weather station.’
Of course, Aslan did not readily believe Leona’s nonsense. Leona kept talking, suppressing her seething anger, while Aslan continued eating in silence…
‘That’s why we should move the camp by the river a bit further in, just in case—!’
‘Take these dishes back.’
The last thing that came to mind was Aslan, unable to bear her words any longer, shoving a half-eaten buttered bread into her mouth and sending her out.
It was a memory that came to mind, but it didn’t make her feel any better. She clenched her fist, feeling a flash of anger. For the past three months, she’d had to wait on others—something she’d never done in her life as a princess. It was also the first time she’d ever felt like ripping someone’s hair out so frequently.
“Still, that buttered bread was delicious.”
After all the hardships she’d been through, how could it not be? Leona muttered with her chin resting on her hand. The bedding was hard, she was uncomfortable in men’s clothes, and on top of being berated by the general above her, Julius below her seemed ready to drag her back any moment. The only respite had been the final few weeks, after her disguise was uncovered.
Thinking she should at least find out where to get that buttered bread if she had the chance, Leona soon sighed with a hardened expression. Reflecting on the bread was all well and good, but it wasn’t a way to escape reality. She’d had more than enough time to escape reality over the months she was away. She was done with that now.
After sitting motionless for a while, she suddenly rose to her feet. A maid entering with tea looked up in surprise.
“Y-Your Highness? Where are you going?”
“I’m going to see Brother Millard.”
Leona walked briskly down the palace corridor. The maid hastily set her tray down on the floor and hurried to catch up.
“Right now? But it’s raining…”
Leona paid no mind. She grabbed the umbrella of a knight guarding the palace entrance and began to walk. The maid made a makeshift umbrella with her hands and hurried after her.
“Your Highness, Your Highness!”
“You stay inside. It’s raining, after all.”
“B-But how can I let Your Highness go alone? And, Your Highness, it would be better not to go…”
“There’s an umbrella, and I’m already outside.”
“That’s not it… Lord Millard has been injured, and he’s not receiving visitors for a while.”
Leona suddenly stopped in her tracks. With the rain pouring down in the outdoor corridor, the maid spoke urgently.
“So please, Your Highness, go back. The weather’s bad, and you might fall ill again…”
“Brother is injured? I didn’t hear anything about that.”
“Th-that’s…”
The maid looked pained. Leona pressed her, but the maid only appeared more distraught. At that moment, someone else arrived as the maid’s savior. A royal servant sent by the king hurried toward Leona.
“Your Highness, it’s raining. Please come inside.”
“What brings you here?”
“His Majesty the King is looking for you. He has asked you to have dinner with him. Please change your clothes first…”
Leona bit her lip. She couldn’t refuse her parents’, especially the king’s, summons just to see a cousin, especially when it would have been unannounced. Reluctantly, she told Derek to send medicine to Millard and turned back. She could feel the servants sigh in relief.
* * *
Aslan would soon return to the capital, and everyone was busy decorating the palace to prepare for the victory ball. The light rain didn’t bother anyone. Maids carrying bundles greeted her with bows as they passed, chatting and laughing among themselves, then greeting her again as they moved on. The entire palace felt lively and bustling.
She was so distracted by all sorts of thoughts that she couldn’t do anything about at the moment, but for a brief instance, she felt refreshed. What would Aslan say when he met her again? Would he be surprised? Would he recognize her, even though her hair color and voice were different? Would he be angry if he did? Or would he be happy? Maybe he would pretend not to know.
As she walked, she found herself in a dining hall. Inside, a modest meal was set on a small table. Her parents, the king and queen, always preferred to dine close to their daughter.
The gentle clinking of silverware and soft music filled the air as dinner began. But the initially gentle conversation soon grew intense.
“How can a young lady, soon to be married, keep wandering outside like this?”
“Father, I deeply regret my actions~!”
“Is that a tone of regret? During the war, you said you’d gone to the seaside villa, so despite the rumors, I felt at ease. But you weren’t even there, and you returned to the palace, tearing my heart apart!”
“I was wrong…”
“What’s the use in returning if you immediately fall ill and fall asleep! Did you think I’d scold you any less?”
“It was thoughtless of me…”
The king’s booming reprimand continued, though he was repeating himself so much that the queen continued eating calmly, unbothered. Leona nodded seriously with a grave expression, but her mind drifted.
‘Soggy croissants… lukewarm pudding…’
“…Aslan… General… In the works…”
“Yes.”
“And about the marriage arrangements…”
“Yes.”
“So, regarding Duke… marriage…”
“Yes.”
“Are you even listening?!”
“Yes?!”
She was calculating how much herbal medicine she’d be able to skip if she drank a ton of wine after dinner.
In an instant, Leona snapped to attention, her head shooting up. The king, with a flushed face, was looking at her with a fierce expression. If she were to say that she had been thinking about something else and hadn’t been listening, she might have to drink five bowls of bitter medicine. Leona quickly pieced together the last few words she’d heard.
‘Duke? Duke Nautilus? Are they giving him a dukedom? Not a marquisate, but a dukedom? And marriage? OMG!’
“I-I heard you! Such wonderful news!”
Aslan was getting married? It was surprising that he’d be made a duke, though his accomplishments in the war made it understandable. But his marriage was something she hadn’t expected at all.
A pang of emotion hit her, she felt moved.
‘After everything I went through to save him, he’s even getting married now…’
Was this what parents felt when a difficult child finally grew up and announced their engagement? There was a strange mix of sentimental pride and melancholy.
In fact, she had not developed a close relationship with Aslan Nautilus during the three months she spent on the battlefield. Aslan was a general who had been on the battlefield since he was young, protecting his country, and his temperament reflected that. He was so stiff and harsh that he often made her feel the chill of midwinter in this warm spring. On top of that, she was a new squire who had come with a fake family crest, so it took a long time for him to believe her words.
‘Though we did become a bit closer before I left.’
Though she hadn’t grown close him, she must have formed some attachment. Hearing about his marriage brought a faint ache to her heart.
“Well… then, for the wedding, since he’s the general who brought victory, I think the royal family should send a grand gift.”
Even though Leona said that she would like to have the best lace dress made for the bride, give the general a famous sword, and make rings suitable for the newlyweds, the king and queen remained silent.
Leona swallowed hard as the king sighed deeply.
“She hasn’t been listening again, has she? Oh, my queen, what should we do with her?”
Leona opened and closed her mouth in confusion.
“…Did I go overboard?”
“It’s not that…”
The queen looked at the king, then at her daughter with a gentle smile.
“If it were just a gift, it would be fine, but don’t you think that’s too little for a dowry and wedding gift the royal family would provide?”
“…What?”
Leona blinked, and the smile gradually faded from her face.
‘Dowry?’
Isn’t a dowry what the bride’s family sends to the groom’s family at a wedding?
A royal dowry? Wait—weren’t they talking about Aslan’s marriage? Was he marrying a royal family member? Who? Among the royals, was there any unmarried woman? As far as she knew, the only unmarried royals were her brother Aiden, herself, and her cousin Millard. It was unlikely Aiden or Millard would marry Aslan, so that left… her…
“Whaaaaat?!”
