【 Chapter 3 】
‘….who was the person who made that promise?’
Yes, it’s me.
However, that commitment sank in a way I couldn’t have imagined to someone and in a way I couldn’t have imagined.
“I’m Esadien Roquette.”
The moment I first saw the prince, the sounds around me faded into another dimension. As someone who had grown up in the temple of the God of Love and Beauty, Flendena, and seen all kinds of beautiful men and women, I was used to it. But Esadien’s beauty was overwhelming, making all the other beauties feel like eggs in front of the sun.
‘My taste, it’s not supposed to be this!’
I used to think that brown hair with a foxy smile and tear ducts was the ultimate beauty. But now, yes, it’s not. From today on, my taste is Esadien Roquette.
His eyes were like the sea under gentle sunlight. His hair, a shimmering blonde that seemed to be sprinkled with jewel dust, was the proof of Roquette’s imperial family bloodline. Although everything was dazzling, nothing could overshadow his beauty.
‘Beautiful…’
The beauty of his face is so stunning that one might wonder if it is what the god of love and beauty, Flendena, would look like if she took on a male form.
I heard you don’t live by men’s faces, but with this face, it’s okay to live with just plain rice and soy sauce for the rest of your life!
“Young lady?”
Esadien looked at me with a puzzled expression, and I couldn’t help but let out an exclamation of admiration along with the breath I had unknowingly held.
“Wow.”
I could feel the heat of my cheeks.
‘Hey, does this mean you’re in love?’
I said dreamily, pressing down near my pounding heart.
“Prince… You’re very handsome.”
Esadien’s attire felt so neat that it could be perceived as ascetic. Even though he only showed his hands and face during the summer, his physique was tightly revealed. If one couldn’t guess the underlying muscles hidden beneath his clothing, then the name of Flendena would be in vain.
‘It can never be.’
Wide shoulders and big hands, legs stretching long under the jacket. Cream-flavored face and spicy-flavored body. How could you miss a person like this?
I couldn’t bear it anymore and finally covered my mouth, muttering
“I can’t believe this person is my fiancé. I’m glad I’m still alive….”
At that moment, the corners of Esadien’s mouth stiffened slightly. He blinked, wondering why, but whether it was either a mistake or an illusion because he had already returned to his stoic expression.
“Lady Karinen.”
Esadien extended his hand. Though it was covered by a glove, I could see his broad palm and long, straight fingers, which reminded me suddenly of Ramande.
‘Is it a little bigger than Ramande?’
At the same time, the voice that Ramande had asked before leaving.
“You can’t hug him as soon as you meet him because he’s handsome.”
“Oh, I don’t.”
“Greet him well.”
“Am I a kid?”
Oh no. I just realized that I didn’t introduce myself. Even if we already know each other’s information in advance, it’s polite to say each other’s names when we first meet.
“It’s Minuelle Karinen. Sorry for the late introduction.”
“No, It’s not.”
When Esadien replied, he turned his head straight ahead. His pretty pupils had a deep and serene atmosphere like the sea, and it felt somehow regretful.
How pretty it would be if those lively eyes sparkled and the soft lips drew a deep curve.
“Your Highness.”
Esadien’s gaze landed on me. It was an expression that didn’t contain any emotions.
At that moment, I had a goal to make this person smile. I smiled as much as I could.
“Please call me Minuelle!”
I hoped my laughter would seep into him.
💧
After falling in love with Esadien at first sight, I visited the Imperial Palace every day for over a month. As I kept showing up like clockwork, the palace guards became more familiar to me than the maids in my own house.
“Seems like you two are getting close. I’m glad.”
“I agree with you. I’m just grateful to Minuelle for liking a blunt guy like Esadien.”
“You are right.”
The Emperor and the Crown Princess liked me very much. They even invited me to join them during the family-only tea time. Especially the Crown Princess, she seemed to favor me a lot, to the point where it was obvious to Esadien. Maybe it was because she was a friend of my elder sister.
“But…. the Prince is a kind person.”
The Emperor’s eyes widened a little, and even Esadien, who had been silently drinking his tea, turned his head towards me. The Crown Princess forgot her composure and asked in disbelief, “What did you just say?” The girl with mysterious, sparkling hair brushed it back and looked at me as if it was ridiculous.
“That guy?”
“Yes, I come to see him every day and he greets me kindly without any complaints.”
Esadien, who had paused for a moment, placed his teacup quietly and spoke.
“There was no reason to send you away.”
“Hehe. Still, thank you.”
Despite my cheerful smile, Esadien didn’t even return a smile and looked away again. I thought we had become somewhat close by meeting frequently, but he still seemed distant.
“Yes.”
The Crown Princess spoke with a nasal voice.
“Now I understand why Elga is melting over her younger sibling like that. You are so cute.”
Well, that’s because Sister Elga is ten years older than me, so it’s natural for her to appear that way. The Crown Princess, who is the same age as Sister Elga, chuckled and asked me.
“Come on, call me an older sister too.”
“How could you do such a blasphemous thing…..”
“It’s okay.”
“Even if you say that…..”
The Princess urged, and the Emperor happily watched me turn around helped.
“I’ll allow you, so don’t hesitate to call her.”
“But….”
“Wouldn’t you feel more relieved if I had a written document that confirms the permission?”
Ugh, that far?
Unable to overcome the lingering glances, I finally shrugged my shoulders and put the Crown Princess’s name in my mouth.
“Sister, Lou, Lumiere…..?”
The Crown Princess seemed momentarily dazed, then she placed her hand on her chest and bent her upper body forward. A faint groan escaped her lips.
“Ugh…”
“Your Highness?”
The surprised Essadien sat up slightly, but I took a sip of the tea calmly. My sisters had shown such behavior so many times.
‘Whoa, another lamb has fallen for me.’
And as if nothing had happened, the Crown Princess returned to her usual dignified face and called for Esadien.
“Eddie.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“You probably know that Minuelle hasn’t had an adult ceremony yet, right? If you put a finger on this cute girl, I will not let you go.”
No, why were you speaking so seriously?
The coming-of-age ceremony may be held during the Flendena festival, but legally one was already an adult.
Esadien was also dumbfounded, but after a brief silence, the answer came out.
“….All right.”
“Oh, Sister, it’s okay.”
Sensing the seriousness of the situation, I quickly intervened and grabbed Esadien’s hand, giving him a bright smile. He flinched slightly, but did not pull away his hand.
“I’m the only one who needs to be careful.”
Whenever we were together, I would go into “beast” mode and admire Esadien’s insane good looks. And he would read books while avoiding my gaze, which was our daily routine. Conversations between us were very rare, but I simply enjoyed looking at Esadien.
“Alright, it has already been a while. I am concerned about whether it might be an interference in your affairs, so I will take my leave now.”
After glancing at his watch, Esadien spoke. I immediately chimed in agreement. It was hard to admire Essadien’s face when there were other people around.
“Oh, is that so? Please excuse us for leaving early, Your Majesty.”
“Haha. I still have something to say.”
The Emperor, who was smiling happily, caught us.
“Lady Karinen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“No, You can call me Father in the future.”
“Pardon?”
“Why are you so surprised? You will soon become part of the family anyway.”
Seeing me in trouble, the Emperor smiled again.
‘The cozy look is just like that of a local vegetable store uncle…’
I was a bit scared when I heard stories about how he shook the battlefield with his might during his prince days. But in the end, the emperor seemed satisfied with hearing the word “father” from me, and he allowed me access to the imperial garden, where only the emperor could enter.
“Apparently there is a decent lake to see. Go there with him and ride a boat or something.”
“Wow, thank you!”
I was nervous about the boat ride, not because it was my first time, but because of my guilty conscience.
‘Muscles! Tendon!’
It’s a fact that you need to row a boat to move it! Even someone as neat and tidy as Essadien would roll up his sleeves and start rowing at that time.
‘Finally, Esadien’s forearm wriggling while rowing….. Whoooo……’
Today, I was smiling more than usual and Essadien looked at me a little puzzled. Of course, he wouldn’t know that I was secretly laughing and feeling happy inside. As soon as I got home, I happily cleaned up the Flendena statue while pleading with a humming tune.
“Thank you, Miss Flendna. Please make sure it’s sunny tomorrow. I’ll go boating right away tomorrow, no, every day.”
I prayed sincerely and went to bed, but the next day, it started raining.
“……”
The next day, too.
“Miss Flendna……”
And the next day too.
“Tomorrow, please. Isn’t the clear sky beautiful?”
Continuously.
“Isn’t Flendna able to do anything about the weather?”
It seemed like I heard a clicking tongue sound somewhere, but it must have been my imagination. Well, even though I prayed so fervently, I couldn’t prevent myself from going to meet Esadien, whether the boat ride was delayed, it rained, or the wind blew.
“I’ll be back!”
I ran into Ramande and greeted him on the way out to dress up. He put down the letter he was reading and asked.
“It’s raining a lot. Are you going again today? You don’t like raindrops.”
“It’s okay. I’m not wet at all until I enter the Imperial Palace.”
It was purely by coincidence that I saw Flendena’s message in my eyes while I was answering with a smile.
“Wow. Did you get a letter from the temple? How’s the High Priest doing? What about the others?
I stopped walking out of joy and sat next to Ramande.
“It’s not from Sumender. It’s a telegraphic message.”
“Oh… Really? What is it about?”
I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t from the temple in our hometown of Sumander.
But it’s a telegraphic message!
A telegraphic message is a kind of notice sent to priests outside the temple using divine power. To receive such a thing made me realize once again that I had left the temple.
“Well, Minuelle, it’s not something you would like.”
“What is it?”
“It seems that a group of the ‘Church of Fire’ appeared in the southern part of the Empire.”
“Fire?”
My forehead furrowed reflexively. I wasn’t interested in Ramande’s words. Fire was an essential element of human life, but to me, it was a source of terror.
‘That’s because in my past life… I lost my life in a fire.’
“Look, you don’t like it.”
“….it’s all right.”
As I shook my head at Ramande, I sighed deeply.
‘It’s been 10 years, but I still remember it vividly.’
When will I be able to forget? The air was so hot that breathing felt like torture. I don’t even remember any common sense, like covering my mouth with a wet towel and lowering my body when I panicked. Amidst all, the round doorknob of the emergency exit that I grabbed without any discretion was so hot that it didn’t even make a sound.
‘It’s locked, so in the end…..’
After frantically turning the doorknob, I passed out, and when I opened my eyes again, I had become Minuelle. What was even more surprising was that there was a grotesque burn mark on the palm of my hand.
‘This is so weird, no matter how much I think about it.’
A scar that doesn’t disappear even after pouring it with divine power like a shower for ten years.
‘Besides, this strange aura.’
I put my hand on my chest, which was engulfed in heat.
💧
Thank you for reading!
