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Chapter 31
I wasn’t the only one surprised. Friedrich, holding a pair of scissors, widened his eyes at the same time he accidentally snipped off a whole lock of his own hair.
My gaze followed the soft thud of the severed hair falling helplessly onto the floor. That silky, glossy hair lay there limply.
“Uh…”
I blinked and murmured, stunned.
“What? You were cutting your hair?”
“Ah, um…”
Friedrich fidgeted with the scissors, unable to stay still, and lowered his head. I blinked in confusion.
“You suddenly felt like getting a haircut? I liked your long hair, you know.”
Feeling regretful, I bent down and picked up the cut lock. Friedrich spoke in a hesitant whisper.
“…I thought I might bring trouble to you, Your Highness.”
“Your long hair would?”
“I heard we’re getting married and having our wedding portraits painted.”
Friedrich continued, carefully choosing his words.
“It’s something that’ll remain forever… for future generations. If my hair is long, people might find it strange.”
“So you cut your hair because you were worried your descendants would think you look weird?”
I let out a small, incredulous laugh. Friedrich gave a tiny nod. The smile I had at first—thinking it was a cute worry—completely vanished at what he said next.
“Someone told me not to make it obvious that I came here as a slave…”
Friedrich flinched as soon as he said it and clamped his mouth shut.
But it was already too late. I narrowed my eyes.
“Who said that?”
“…”
“Friedrich Stade.”
“…Duke Rommel.”
Friedrich avoided my eyes as he answered.
“What? I thought you two were getting along better. Were you getting bullied?”
“The duke just… misspoke.”
“Of all things he could’ve ‘misspoken’ about.”
I frowned and cupped Friedrich’s cheeks with both hands.
“You’re my lawful spouse, Friedrich. Why did you just let him say that to you?”
“It wasn’t… entirely untrue…”
“Oh, enough. I’m going to confront Duke Rommel myself.”
I spun around to leave, but Friedrich suddenly grabbed my sleeve.
When I turned back, he was looking straight into my eyes.
“I made the decision. I’m the only one in the palace with long hair, and… I don’t like how people stare.”
“…You think they stare because of your hair?”
He tilted his head, as if wondering what other reason there could be.
I sighed at how completely unaware he was of how attractive he looked.
“Anyway, next time someone says something like that, you get angry at them. Promise me.”
“….”
Friedrich looked at me for a moment, then held out his pinky. It was cute enough to make me laugh.
I hooked my pinky with his and even pressed our thumbs together as a seal.
“You don’t have to cut it unless you want to.”
“I did want to.”
Friedrich replied softly.
“I never chose to grow it long. I just never had the chance to cut it while I was locked up.”
“…Okay, we’re cutting it properly.”
With that kind of backstory, everything changed. I quickly took the scissors from his hand.
“But it’s hard to cut your own hair, isn’t it? I’ll call a hairdresser.”
Then Friedrich said something unexpected.
“Could you cut it for me, Your Highness?”
“Me? I’ve never cut hair before.”
I grimaced.
“What if I ruin it? The wedding’s tomorrow. Let’s just call a professional.”
“It’s fine. I’d like it if you did it.”
“…You’re strangely stubborn in odd places.”
He smiled sweetly, completely unbothered by the remark. I squinted at him.
“If it turns out weird, don’t blame me.”
“It’s really fine.”
“Ugh, okay.”
I hesitated, then began snipping away at his hair.
I tried to imitate the hairdressers I’d seen, though I honestly wasn’t sure what I was doing.
“…I think it looks okay?”
After a bit, the result wasn’t… terrible.
…No, to be honest, if you covered his face, it was obviously botched.
But somehow, when you looked at it with his face, it kind of worked.
His face didn’t benefit from the hairstyle—
the hairstyle benefited from his face.
“You relied on your face and asked me to do this, didn’t you?”
Friedrich gave me a puzzled look as I sighed and handed him a mirror.
“Take a look. Well?”
“I like it.”
“…Seriously?”
Suspicious, I asked again. Friedrich nodded firmly. Well… if he liked it…
“But I don’t know if anyone else will think so.”
Immediately, I called for Elsa. The maid entered expressionlessly—but her face shook the moment she saw Friedrich.
“So? Elsa? What do you think?”
“…”
Elsa clearly had a lot to say but was visibly holding it in.
Why…? Do I already know the answer?
Hmm. Was it really that bad?
“You do remember the wedding is tomorrow, yes?”
Both of us nodded. Elsa fell silent again before asking:
“Forgive my boldness, but may I touch it up a little?”
She looked like she urgently wanted to. I nodded instantly.
Strangely, Friedrich looked… disappointed by that.
“I’m fine with it as it is.”
“…Truly, Your Highness?”
“Yes.”
Elsa stared at him as if he were a strange creature, then said:
“But if you wish for Her Highness to look good… it would be better if I handle it.”
“We’ll do it your way.”
Friedrich agreed immediately. Elsa picked up the scissors and began trimming with precise, practiced movements.
Her skill was so professional I held my breath watching her.
And a few minutes later—
“…Wow.”
It wasn’t even comparable to mine.
Elsa completely transformed his hair into something clean, balanced, and elegant. I inspected it from different angles, impressed.
“Do you like it?”
“Of course! You’re like a real hairdresser. You know how to do this?”
“It’s nothing. My family was poor, so… we often cut and sold our hair.”
“Oh…”
Learning that was unexpected enough to make me hesitate. So that’s why she wanted to stay in the René Palace…
‘René is pretty generous, I guess.’
“If I’d known, I could’ve just asked you from the start and sold Friedrich’s hair, too.”
I eyed the beautifully glossy hair scattered messily on the floor, feeling regret.
Throwing away such fine hair…!
“I can just grow it out again.”
Friedrich tried to comfort me, and I chuckled sadly.
But he had grown it long only because he’d been imprisoned. I couldn’t make him go through that again.
“You don’t need to ever grow it long again.”
I looked at his face.
“It suits you. You look good.”
“Which do you prefer? Long or short?”
“This. Didn’t I say? I’m never letting you grow it long again.”
I met his eyes.
“You’re free now, Friedrich.”
He was still tied to me for now—but someday, he’d truly be free.
Friedrich’s eyes curved into a crescent as he smiled, fresh and bright. And as I looked at that smile, a small thought passed through me.
Someday, I might miss that smile a little.
“Everyone will be shocked tomorrow. You’re even more handsome now.”
“I should go.”
Elsa left quickly with a face that looked oddly unwell. I laughed looking at her retreating back.
“She made you look this good and then ran away. I’m so excited for tomorrow.”
“So am I.”
“Really? You too?”
“Of course.”
Friedrich nodded.
“You only get one wedding in a lifetime.”
My smile stiffened.
I looked at him and asked carefully:
“Once in a lifetime?”
Friedrich nodded naturally.
“You only have one wedding.”
…That won’t do.
You’re supposed to remarry your first love.
