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CHAPTER 07
The Inn, First-Floor Hall
The knights were whispering as they looked accusingly at Kaiden, who was crouched in a corner.
“…I heard she was crazy.”
“D-Didn’t you also say she was incredibly ugly?”
“And that her personality was terrible?”
But the princess was completely different from the woman Kaiden had been talking about all this time.
And more importantly…
“She seemed to… have a favorable impression of our Grand Duke, didn’t she?”
She had been friendly toward them.
In truth, Kaiden had simply been the most obvious about his hostility. The others were also quite unhappy about this marriage.
But seeing that the princess was completely different from the rumors and even respected the Grand Duchy, they could not help but feel their opinions beginning to change.
“What do you think, Your Grace?”
Brian asked with an expectant look.
“…Stop talking nonsense and drink your beer.”
Axid awkwardly changed the subject.
Whether she seemed interested in him or not.
It was embarrassing even to think about, let alone answer.
Besides, Brian was the only person who knew that Axid intended to let the princess go when the time came.
He was the man who had watched Axid for years, including the day when he became filthy and uncontrollable like a beast in heat.
Why was someone who had seen his suffering more closely than anyone else suddenly getting his hopes up now?
At that moment, Kaiden, who had been unusually quiet, spoke anxiously.
“…Shouldn’t we station some people around the building?”
“What for?”
At Brian’s question, Kaiden glanced toward the stairs and said,
“The princess might secretly run away tonight.”
“What nonsense…”
Everyone looked at him as if they were sick of his ridiculous suspicion.
“No, think about it. We’re going on a long journey. Forget that she has barely any luggage. Does it make sense that she doesn’t have a single personal attendant?”
It was obvious that she had deliberately left behind anything troublesome so she could move more easily.
And what about that bright expression, even though she was about to enter a marriage everyone else was desperately trying to avoid?
“This won’t do. We should station some people nearby just in case…”
Brian smacked Kaiden sharply on the back of the head.
Smack!
“Enough. Just drink your beer.”
“Damn…”
Kaiden rubbed his stinging head and grumbled unfairly.
Then he suddenly felt someone watching him and turned around.
The princess was standing halfway down the stairs, covering her lips as she smiled.
“P-Princess!”
The startled knights quickly jumped to their feet.
Axid also stood up and looked at her with an embarrassed expression.
“I’m sorry. I only came down because I wanted a drink of water. I had no intention of eavesdropping on you.”
“That… well…”
“It’s fine. Honestly, if I were you, I would have had the same suspicion.”
Kaiden stood awkwardly, cold sweat trickling down his face.
No matter how much he disliked the princess, treating her like a criminal had been extremely rude.
“Princess, please take a seat for now…”
“It’s all right. I don’t intend to stay long anyway.”
She gently declined.
She had no desire to awkwardly intrude on a gathering of men.
But she should clear up the misunderstanding before leaving.
“The reason I have so little luggage is because there’s no point in bringing clothes I can’t wear in the North.”
There was no use carrying clothes she would not even be able to wear in such a cold place.
Even if she packed them all, they would only become baggage.
“…And I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I couldn’t bring any attendants because I don’t have anyone I can trust.”
Her only attendants were the maids from the Imperial Princess’s Palace.
She was already sick of them. Why would she take them all the way to the North?
“I couldn’t live like a human being here even for a single day. So you can stop worrying that I might run away.”
She deliberately gave a bitter smile.
Kaiden flushed awkwardly and avoided her gaze.
“Anyway, I’m sorry for interrupting your time together.”
“N-No, Your Highness! You weren’t interrupting us!”
Brian nudged Kaiden in the side.
Kaiden hesitated for a moment before lowering his head.
“…I apologize for being rude to you, Your Highness.”
Lumiere nodded, telling him it was all right, then turned away.
Axid was watching her with unsettled eyes.
“Grand Duke, then I’ll go back upstairs.”
She felt that if she stayed any longer, the atmosphere would become painfully awkward.
She went upstairs toward her room, but suddenly turned around when she heard heavy footsteps behind her.
Axid was standing there with a stiff expression.
“I won’t make excuses.”
“……”
“But something like today will never happen again.”
At his firmly closed lips, Lumiere gave a faint smile.
“Don’t worry about it too much. I actually think it’s fortunate that I was able to learn what my companions really think of me so early.”
They would have needed to speak honestly at least once anyway.
Kaiden had simply given them that opportunity.
She was neither hurt nor angry.
If anything, she was grateful.
Besides, Kaiden was known as a mad dog in the Grand Duchy because of his reckless and blunt behavior.
He had a fiery temper and a sharp tongue, but deep down, he was surprisingly affectionate and soft-hearted.
Since she now owed him a favor, perhaps he would be useful someday.
“Then I’ll go to bed now. Don’t drink too much, and get some rest early.”
She lightly ran her hand down his arm before entering her room.
Click.
“……”
Axid stared at the firmly closed door.
Downstairs, he had only listened in silence.
She certainly did not look like someone planning to run away, but he could not understand her either.
She had smiled even though the situation should have offended her.
She had casually touched his arm.
And above all…
“…I’ve actually been waiting for it.”
She had said that she had been waiting for a marriage everyone else was desperately trying to avoid.
Nothing about her was turning out the way he had expected.
With a complicated expression, he continued rubbing the spot on his arm where her hand had touched him.
The Next Day
Before leaving the capital, they went out into the busy shopping district because there were some things Lumiere wanted to buy.
“Please wait here for a little while. I’ll be back soon.”
Lumiere politely asked Axid for his understanding with a bright expression.
The boutique was filled with various cosmetics and beautiful things to look at.
There was no reason a man could not enter, but she felt that if she took him inside with her, his already stiff face might become even stiffer.
“Take your time looking around. I’ll wait here.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he looked around the area.
Seeing him naturally keeping watch over his surroundings made her feel strangely reassured.
Why had she been so afraid of this man in her previous life?
“…Is there something you want to say?”
Had she been staring at him too much?
His black eyes were slightly unsettled despite his stiffly set lips.
His awkward expression made her smile for no reason.
Well.
He had spent his entire life receiving looks of either fear or respect.
She was probably the first person to stare at him so openly.
“No, it’s nothing. I’ll be back.”
She turned lightly and entered the boutique.
Jingle!
The clear sound of the doorbell rang.
As the door slowly closed behind her, she faintly heard the knights’ voices.
“…Vice Captain, aren’t you going after her?”
“Shut up!”
“Why? Yesterday you said we had to keep an eye on the princess.”
“Should we go instead?”
“Enough, you idiots…!”
A small laugh escaped her.
Just moments ago, they had been standing guard around the area with perfect discipline.
It was nice seeing them teasing and bickering with each other.
In her previous life, she had been so afraid of them that she had fainted, and even after getting into the carriage, she had trembled in fear.
But they were ordinary people too.
The thought that her behavior in her previous life might have hurt them in its own way left her feeling bitter.
“Welcome. It is an honor to have Your Highness visit our boutique. How may we assist you?”
The employee’s polite greeting brought her back to reality.
“I’d like to purchase some moisturizer suitable for use in cold weather. I’d like to buy the entire stock. How much do you have?”
Most moisturizers in the North were made from animal fat, so they had a strong unpleasant smell.
Imperial products, on the other hand, smelled pleasant and were much smoother to apply.
Since they were difficult to obtain in the North, they would be useful in many ways.
She intended to take as much as possible.
“Fortunately, a new shipment arrived this morning, so I believe we can provide you with as much as you want. Please come and take a look.”
She followed the shop assistant to a small storage room.
“This is more than enough.”
Wooden crates filled with the products she wanted were stacked all over the floor.
She handed over her money pouch.
“I’ll buy all of it. Will this be enough to cover the cost?”
“Yes. Where would you like us to send the goods?”
“I’ll load them into the carriage, so just bring them out…”
At that moment, a woman who had been glancing at her uncertainly approached.
“My goodness. I wondered if it was you, but you really are Princess Lumiere.”
“…Is there something you want?”
Lumiere immediately became wary.
There was no reason for anyone here to approach her with good intentions.
More importantly, that arrogant face looked strangely familiar.
“I don’t know why the princess who was supposedly leaving for the Grand Duchy is here alone, but surely you didn’t follow Lady Clora Edberg here, did you?”
The woman stepped aside with a smile, as though she had found something entertaining to watch.
Someone standing behind her was revealed.
“……”
Hair that seemed to sparkle as though gold dust had been scattered through it.
Blue eyes like a clear lake.
It was Clora Edberg, her rival from her previous life.
If you’d like, I can continue translating the next chapter in exactly the same style and preserve the names, relationships, and story continuity.
