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Chapter 15
At that banquet, Friedrich was like a single blooming flower.
That meant he was beautiful, yes—but also quiet.
As if perfectly aware of his position, he stayed by my side like a decorative ornament.
“You seem to have no sense of courtesy or respect for a lady, do you?”
I hadn’t expected him to speak out here—of all places, in front of dozens, no, hundreds of people watching.
I was so taken aback that I couldn’t even react. Joachim, too, was clearly caught off guard by Friedrich stepping forward to criticize him in public.
But soon his face twisted in displeasure as he stood up.
“This isn’t a place for a prince to speak.”
Joachim glared at Friedrich and added sharply,
“Actually, can you even call yourself a prince anymore? There’s no king in a fallen kingdom.”
I was about to scold Joachim for his insolence, but Friedrich was quicker.
“Then please call me by my name—Friedrich Kiel.”
“Fine, but the Kiel royal family no longer exists.”
“Duke Rommel.”
“What?”
Again, Friedrich spoke before I could.
“Then perhaps call me Friedrich Stade in advance.”
“…What?”
“His Majesty the Emperor has just granted permission for our wedding to take place one month from now.”
As Joachim stood there speechless, Friedrich continued in his calm, even tone,
“A month isn’t such a long time, so it might be better to start calling me by my soon-to-be title, don’t you think, Duke Rommel?”
Then he lifted the corner of his mouth in a small, composed smile—
the very smile I’d told him to wear when someone said something nasty.
And as I’d predicted, Joachim was left speechless.
Honestly, I was just as stunned. But Joachim’s dazed stare snapped me back to my senses.
I stepped past Friedrich and faced him directly.
—Smack!
The sharp crack echoed through the vast hall. My hand, strengthened by years of swimming and riding, had plenty of force even without magic.
Joachim’s head snapped to the side from the blow. I took the ring he had been holding, placed it neatly back into its box, and pressed it into his hand.
“So the reason you didn’t answer my proposal right away wasn’t because you were being careful—it was because you thought I was beneath you. Didn’t I make myself clear yesterday?”
Joachim looked at me as if he’d been falsely accused, his eyes glassy, mouth trembling to deny it.
But I gave him no chance.
“How insolent. How dare you propose to me so publicly? Are you mocking me?”
“No, Your Highness, I—”
“I can’t stand the sight of you. Get out.”
But Joachim didn’t move an inch.
He just stared at me, devastated, like his world had collapsed.
I gave him one last, cold glare, then took Friedrich’s arm and left the hall.
…I swear, there wasn’t a shred of personal emotion behind what I’d just done.
But if I hadn’t gone that far, people would have whispered that it was out of character for René.
Still, those thoughts didn’t last long.
What truly occupied my mind was Friedrich’s unexpected outburst.
I stopped in a quiet corridor and turned to face him—
the man still offering me his arm.
When I smiled brightly at him, Friedrich just blinked, dazed.
“Well done, Friedrich.”
“…I thought you brought me here to scold me.”
He sounded confused, almost wary.
“What? Why would I do that? You said everything I wanted to say—and even announced our engagement perfectly.”
As I spoke, I got a little excited and, without thinking, rose on my toes to pat his head.
He bent slightly, awkwardly accommodating the gesture.
“You deserve praise, not scolding. Where did you suddenly get the courage for that, hmm?”
“…I merely said what I wanted to say.”
Aw. So earnest. So adorable.
I couldn’t help smiling as I took his arm again.
“Come on, let’s go back to my palace. After that ridiculous proposal from Duke Rommel, I’m sure everyone will understand if I leave early.”
But Friedrich didn’t look pleased. His calm tone carried a strange weight.
“You don’t want to go back?”
“No, we should. Of course.”
Something about his voice felt off, but I let it go and returned to the palace.
I told him to rest well and went to my own chambers.
“Ugh, I’m exhausted…”
A hot bath helped a little. Honestly, how do people stand around those banquets for hours?
After soaking and dressing, I asked Elsa, who was helping me into my robe:
“How’s the atmosphere in the ballroom now?”
“Duke Rommel has gone home, but everyone is still talking about the three of you.”
“As expected. Nothing entertains people like a love scandal.”
“Are you really going to make an enemy of Duke Rommel? If he sides with Prince Anton, it could be dangerous.”
“Dangerous for my succession?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I already told you—I’m not interested in the throne.”
This time Elsa didn’t drop her perfume vial.
“Do you believe me now?”
“If you don’t send him a letter tomorrow, then yes.”
“It’s really hard to earn your trust, you know that?”
“You flatter me, Your Highness.”
Whatever she found so impressive, Elsa looked quite satisfied.
“Still, it’s a pity you didn’t get to dance tonight.”
“You and the maids did go through all that trouble to dress me up.”
“That too—but I meant the prince. He practiced so hard.”
“He practiced?”
I frowned at the sudden comment.
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t know? After supper with you yesterday, he was in the palace garden practicing dances—for quite a while.”
“What?”
“When I caught him, I thought he’d stop, but instead he asked me to teach him. He said the court dances of Kiel and Stade were different, and he didn’t want to embarrass you.”
“He said that? And you taught him?”
“Just the basic steps. But he learned them quickly, just from watching once.”
Well, he is a genius who can copy any sword form after seeing it once.
…I just never thought he’d use that talent to learn dancing for me.
“You look touched, Your Highness.”
“He’s cute. Don’t you think he’s cute?”
“If I said yes, you’d probably kill me.”
I laughed and walked straight out toward Friedrich’s room.
Fortunately, it wasn’t midnight yet.
René doesn’t knock in her own palace. I turned the handle and pushed the door open—
And to my surprise, it wasn’t locked.
“Ah!”
I slid inside, startled, and found Friedrich standing abruptly, meeting my eyes.
“…Your Highness?”
There was a notebook and pen on his desk—was he writing in a journal?
He stepped toward me, visibly flustered.
“What brings you here…?”
“You didn’t lock your door.”
Still a little flushed from hurrying over, I said lightly,
“I told you to lock it.”
“…If Your Highness came, I couldn’t very well refuse to open it.”
“That’s exactly why I told you to lock it.”
“There shouldn’t be anywhere in the princess’s palace that she can’t enter.”
In less than two months, he had perfectly understood my character.
I clapped my hands in delight.
“Excellent attitude. You’re not asleep yet? Were you waiting for me?”
“Excuse me?”
“You still have something to do with me, remember?”
I gave him a knowing look. His eyes trembled—moved, it seemed.
He must not have expected me to come myself.
His gaze flicked to the clock on the wall.
I followed it—midnight was still thirty minutes away.
I reassured him,
“Thirty minutes is more than enough time.”
“…Is it?”
“Of course.”
A waltz doesn’t even last ten minutes. We could dance twice if we wanted.
“Any longer and we’d run out of stamina anyway.”
I said confidently, and Friedrich blinked twice—then suddenly nodded, his expression turning solemn and determined.
“…Understood.”
