🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 6:
Lionel disliked Adora.
That was something she had realized immediately during their first meeting. Afterward, when she had come to serve as his temporary guard, he had bluntly declared that he had no need for protection and had openly kept his distance from her.
The Fourth Prince that Adora knew was honest about his feelings and never bothered hiding his displeasure toward her. Yet now that same man had concealed his true thoughts and come to propose marriage.
Adora could not believe this proposal was without a purpose.
“And you dislike me as well.”
“…”
Adora lowered her eyes.
She did not deny it.
The Half-Blood Prince.
He had many nicknames, but that was the one most commonly used. Officially, the title referred to his frail health and the belief that he lacked the qualities expected of royalty.
In truth, however, it stemmed from his bloodline.
His biological mother, Anais, had originally been a princess of an enemy nation.
Back when relations between the two kingdoms were still peaceful, the young king had visited the neighboring country and fallen in love with the princess at first sight.
For a man whose life had been dictated by duty as a king, it was the first springtime to bloom within his heart.
But she was a foreign princess, and the king already had a queen.
Naturally, their love could not be fulfilled.
Sensing the king’s feelings, the King of Winternight offered several local specialties—and Princess Anais herself—as a gesture of friendship between the nations.
A princess was treated as though she were merely another gift.
The king was furious, but his position left him no choice but to endure it.
Nor could he turn away from Anais, who silently endured the humiliation.
In the end, he accepted the proposal and brought her back to his kingdom.
That was how Anais came to live in Glorious.
Since the king already had a queen, she was effectively treated as his mistress.
Not long afterward, it became known that Anais was actually the late king’s illegitimate daughter.
Worse, her mother had been of common birth, and Anais herself had never truly been recognized as royalty even in her homeland.
In other words, Winternight had simply dressed up an unwanted burden and sent her away as a “gift.”
As a result, Anais’s treatment did not improve in Glorious.
She arrived alone, without even a single maid to accompany her.
The king was her only ally.
Though he could not make her queen, he did everything in his power to ensure her comfort.
Soon, favored by the king, she became pregnant.
That only fueled further resentment.
If the child she carried were born and later sought the throne, it could create serious complications.
Many nobles had long been uneasy about the unstable relationship with the neighboring kingdom.
They resented the presence of a woman who was not truly one of their own and feared that someday she—or the child she carried—might become the source of conflict.
But the king married Anais to Count Leonic, one of his most trusted retainers.
The child still in her womb was thereby recognized as a citizen of Glorious.
The king then firmly declared that no one was ever to question their bloodline again.
He warned that anyone who did so, regardless of status, would face severe punishment personally delivered by him.
With that, he rejected all objections.
Soon afterward, Anais gave birth to a son.
A son who looked exactly like her.
Prince Lionel.
Thus, Anais Winternight became Anais Leonic.
And according to the law that illegitimate royal children carried both parents’ family names, the boy was named Lionel Leonic Glorious from the moment he was born.
Yet despite being the king’s son, he was still treated as only half a prince.
Officially, he possessed the blood of Glorious royalty.
But no one could completely ignore the fact that the other half of his blood came from the Winternight royal family.
Combined with his fragile health, it pushed him to the edge of society.
Then, when Prince Lionel was nine years old, Anais died from complications that had weakened her health after childbirth.
With her death, matters seemed to settle down somewhat.
The Fourth Prince remained a thorn in many people’s sides, but however “half-blooded” he was considered, no one could openly harm the emperor’s son.
Of course, that did not mean Lionel’s treatment improved.
Adora, who had lost her loved ones to enemy spies, had naturally disliked Prince Lionel as well.
“If I were aiming for the throne,” Lionel asked, “what would you do?”
“My family has no intention of becoming involved in the succession struggle.”
“A wise decision. Those who get involved often end up dying pointless deaths.”
Adora couldn’t tell whether he was trying to ease the tension or issuing a warning.
As he watched her complexion grow worse, Lionel spoke again.
“Don’t worry. Even I am not foolish enough to chase impossible dreams.”
Then why propose to me?
Adora grew even more frustrated.
He had eased one of her concerns while completely avoiding the question she wanted answered most.
Just as she was about to speak again, Lionel interrupted her first.
Looking genuinely puzzled, he asked:
“Am I truly that unsuitable as a marriage partner?”
Had Adora been drinking tea, she would have sprayed it directly into his face.
She stared at him in disbelief.
Did she find him unsuitable?
The truth was that she had never once imagined marriage between herself and him in the first place.
Ever since deciding to marry, many unexpected things had happened.
But among them all, the Fourth Prince’s proposal was unquestionably the most unexpected.
Does this situation really make sense to Your Highness?
Were we really that close?
The urge to ask those questions tickled the edge of her tongue.
Before she could speak, however, Lionel gave a self-deprecating laugh.
“Then again… perhaps there’s nothing about me that would appeal to you.”
His beautiful face darkened with bitterness, causing Adora to frown.
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“You don’t have to worry about sparing my feelings. I know my reputation well enough.”
He smiled faintly.
“Who would want to marry someone like me? I’d be fortunate if they didn’t consider receiving my proposal an insult.”
“An insult? Of course not!”
Oh, heavens.
Had this prince come here specifically to ruin her family?
Otherwise, how could he possibly fail to realize how dangerous those words were?
Most rumors about Prince Lionel were insulting in nature, but few people dared express them openly.
No matter how poorly he had been treated, he was still royalty in the eyes of the law.
Insulting him was tantamount to insulting the royal family.
If this conversation went wrong, someone might misunderstand and believe Adora was mocking him.
The two of them were alone in the room, but his attendant was waiting outside.
If that attendant reported the conversation to the king, her family could suffer serious consequences.
Adora desperately needed to stop this train of thought.
“Your Highness, I have never thought such a thing. Not before, and certainly not now. Please do not misunderstand.”
“You needn’t lie. I said I understand.”
Lionel lowered his gaze.
“I know exactly how shocking this situation must be for you. I know how greedy I am being.”
His voice gradually lost strength.
“If you reject my proposal, it would be perfectly natural. From the beginning, I was never on equal footing with the other suitors.”
His shoulders slumped.
Long eyelashes lowered over sorrowful eyes.
“Perhaps I wasn’t even qualified to compete with them at all…”
The more he spoke, the more miserable he sounded.
Adora felt as if the room were spinning.
Why is this conversation heading in that direction?!
“Still,” Lionel continued with a brave smile, “at least I wasn’t thrown out at the door. That’s enough for me.”
He looked like a young man determined to endure a life filled with misfortune.
Adora felt a headache coming on and hurriedly waved her hands.
“Your Highness, please listen to me. I have never thought you were unsuitable as a marriage partner, nor have I ever considered your proposal humiliating. Absolutely not.”
She spoke firmly.
“Whatever your reasons, you viewed me favorably enough to choose me as a marriage candidate and even came personally to propose. Naturally, I am honored and grateful.”
“Then will you give me a chance?”
“Of course I intend to consider it seriously.”
Adora answered immediately before he could say anything even stranger.
At once, Lionel’s face lit up.
All traces of melancholy vanished.
The transformation was so sudden that Adora realized he had deliberately steered the conversation this way to get the answer he wanted.
She nearly laughed in disbelief.
What exactly are you doing?
Then she remembered something she had almost forgotten.
The Fourth Prince she remembered…
did not exactly have the best personality.
His reputation wasn’t the problem.
His character might be.
“I am delighted to hear that you’re considering my proposal favorably.”
The prince’s smile shone brilliantly, as though sunlight itself were pouring down upon him.
Adora stared at him with growing exasperation and took another drink of water.
Then she realized something.
When exactly did I say I was considering his proposal favorably?
“What do you value most in a marriage partner?”
Lionel smoothly changed the subject.
Unfortunately, it was a question she had heard not long ago.
And it reminded her of the answer she had given then.
“…Why do you ask?”
“Because I want to make a good impression on you. If there’s something I’m lacking, I’ll try to improve.”
Improve with whom exactly?
For a brief moment, a ridiculous thought crossed Adora’s mind.
Naturally, there was no way she could say it aloud.
“Well… first of all, I have a duty to lead the Alfred family. Anyone who marries me would need to come live with the Alfred household.”
“That’s hardly a difficult problem.”
His answer came without hesitation.
Adora paused before continuing.
“I don’t intend to spend a great deal on the wedding. As I said earlier, our family is only moderately wealthy. We can’t accommodate excessive demands.”
She spoke seriously.
“I’d also prefer that any exchange of benefits between our families be kept to the bare minimum. Beyond that, I’d rather build our life together gradually.”
“Understood.”
“And I should mention this in advance: I have no intention of following every formal tradition perfectly. I’d prefer a modest wedding.”
“That’s fine.”
“I’d also like the wedding to happen as quickly as possible. Very quickly.”
“That’s reasonable.”
“You think so?”
“Of course.”
Lionel nodded.
“If it’s going to be a simple ceremony anyway, there’s no need to drag things out.”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll do as you wish.”
“…”
“If you’d like, we could even hold it tomorrow.”
Adora’s eyes widened.
No, that’s far too fast.
