chapter 14
“And no matter how desperately I tried to escape, no matter how much I wanted to refuse, I could never leave that place simply because I was a prince in the public eye. People call me the disgrace of the royal family, yet at the same time they demand that I uphold the dignity of a prince. I never once wished to be born like this.”
“……”
“Yes, I never wanted this life. I never wanted to live this way…”
His voice, reflecting on his life, was so soft it nearly disappeared into the passing wind, and it carried no emotion at all. There was no anger, no resentment—perhaps that was why it sounded even clearer.
He was smiling.
But Adora knew he was not in a good mood.
“To have your life decided from the moment you’re born—it’s a truly disgusting feeling. So now, I want to make my own choices. I want to leave the royal palace and create a place where I truly belong.”
His gaze, which had briefly lingered on the lake, returned to Adora.
The emptiness in his eyes vanished.
They now shone with life—eyes filled with determination.
“The commander of House Alfred, who had never once shown interest in romance, suddenly quit knighthood and decided to marry. There must be a reason for that. But I have no intention of asking what it is. I won’t pry, I won’t investigate, and I certainly don’t intend to use it against you.”
“……”
“There is only one thing I want. Make a place for me by your side.”
Adora listened quietly, then suddenly frowned.
At first, his words sounded desperate—almost considerate.
But to Adora, it felt no different from a threat.
In other words:
I’ll protect your secret, so grant my request.
There were few things more irritating than having someone see through her hidden motives.
And yet…
His words were tempting precisely because they were true.
Adora had no intention of revealing her illness right away.
At first, she had planned to tell whoever became her future husband about her condition. After all, that person would be spending what little remained of her life with her.
But her marriage had drawn far more attention than she expected.
And that changed her mind.
The weak are easily devoured.
The honest are simply exploited more easily.
That was the world Adora had come to know.
People could consume one another.
And sometimes they became greedier over the smallest things.
Even House Alfred—a family once honored as loyal contributors to the kingdom’s founding—had slowly been torn apart by political struggles once peace returned after the war.
Her family had suffered a mysterious attack.
Even after discovering the culprit was a spy from an enemy nation, they had been unable to reveal the truth.
Because her family had been weak.
And even if her family still held influence, if its head was destined to die soon, greedy vultures would gather all the same.
Adora knew her name held value.
Her house was small, but still useful enough to be exploited.
And unfortunately, there was no direct heir left to succeed her.
That was why she had decided to hide her condition as long as possible.
She stared at the prince, who was threatening her with kindness, before finally speaking.
“Well… perhaps it isn’t that I refuse to tell you the reason. It may simply be such an ordinary reason that it isn’t worth mentioning.”
She paused.
“For example… marrying to produce an heir.”
“Oh, that could be true.”
He responded as though he had just gained a profound realization.
But it didn’t seem like genuine surprise.
It felt more like he was simply humoring her.
Annoyance flickered across Adora’s face.
As if soothing her, Lionel spoke again.
“I’m not trying to threaten you. What I’m saying is simple—I want this marriage to happen.”
“I understand why you wish to marry, Your Highness. But based on what you’ve said, surely there were better options than me.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“And besides… don’t you dislike me?”
Marriage wasn’t always built on love.
But people certainly didn’t marry someone they hated.
They would have to see each other every day. Live together. Share a life.
Adora had no intention of forcing herself into a marriage with someone who disliked her.
“So why me?”
Lionel fell silent.
The smile disappeared from his face.
For the first time, he seemed hesitant.
Adora assumed she had caught him off guard.
Honestly, if he had simply admitted—
I dislike you, but you’re the most convenient marriage candidate—
she wouldn’t have questioned him further.
Faint shadows stretched across his face beneath the evergreen trees.
His long lashes trembled lightly.
Adora waited.
And after a long silence, he finally spoke.
“It feels strange to say this now…”
His voice sounded cautious.
As though he were carefully choosing his words.
“When I first met you, I was too young. Back then… I didn’t trust people very well. I know I treated you harshly.”
He hesitated again.
“It may sound like an excuse—no, making excuses now is wrong—but…”
Adora blinked in surprise.
Was he seriously trying to justify his past behavior?
“So what I’m trying to say is…”
What exactly was he trying to say?
“I don’t dislike you.”
Adora’s amber eyes widened.
“If I truly disliked you, I wouldn’t be proposing marriage to you right now.”
He added lightly,
“I’m not that kindhearted.”
Adora stared at him silently.
Her face remained expressionless, but her gaze clearly showed doubt.
Was he telling the truth?
“If I said I couldn’t believe you right now, what would you do?”
“You still can’t trust me?”
“To be honest… I can’t say no. Especially after the way you acted earlier.”
“Oh dear. I must have been quite rude.”
“Yes. Extremely rude.”
Bringing up someone else’s weakness was undeniably rude.
If he had been her fellow knight, she might have kicked him in the side for it.
He should be grateful he was a prince.
“Then what can I do to make you believe me?”
“Well…”
Adora trailed off.
Not because she was thinking—
but because she doubted anything he said would truly convince her.
Lionel seemed to think for a moment before suddenly saying—
“If you allow it, I could prove it with a kiss.”
“Like last time?”
“No.”
Not her hand, then?
…Where?
Adora parted her lips but couldn’t bring herself to ask.
She had a terrible feeling he would name a far more dangerous place.
And judging by his expression, he seemed fully prepared to prove himself immediately.
Panicking, she quickly gave in.
“F-Fine. Since you insist, I’ll believe you. But that still doesn’t explain why you chose me as a marriage partner. Honestly, I still don’t understand what made you decide that.”
“Because you’re beautiful.”
At those words, Adora’s rigid expression shattered.
Lionel’s gray eyes reflected her obvious shock.
Then a strong gust of wind blew through.
The ribbon tied beneath her chin came undone.
Her hat fell to the ground.
Startled, Adora looked down blankly.
She bent to pick it up—
but a pale hand reached it first.
Lionel picked up her hat and looked up.
Her red hair, now messy despite having been neatly brushed, was fully exposed before him.
The hair that once barely reached her ears had now grown enough to cover them halfway.
Whenever it got too long, she simply hacked it off herself.
The uneven lengths and jagged ends made it impossible to style properly.
It didn’t suit the elegant outfit she wore like a noble lady.
That was why she had hidden it beneath a hat.
And now that he had seen it—
she felt even more embarrassed.
He gently placed the hat back on her head.
He adjusted the brim so it wouldn’t block her vision.
Then his long fingers brushed against a lock of red hair peeking out from beneath it.
The touch lasted only a moment.
So brief that Adora barely registered it.
Then it vanished like an illusion.
His fingers moved to the loose ribbons fluttering at her sides.
He tied them securely beneath her chin.
Once.
Then twice.
Carefully making sure they wouldn’t come undone in the wind again.
When he finally stepped back, the ribbons no longer bothered her.
Instead—
his gaze lingered on his own hand.
As though he were chasing the sensation of touching her.
As though he were confirming whether that fleeting feeling had been real.
Just like the day they first met.
“How strange.”
He slowly lowered his hand.
A faint smile shimmered on his face like heat haze.
“You caught my eye from the very first moment I saw you.”
His gaze returned to her red hair peeking out from beneath the hat.
“It was so vividly red… like roses from a garden had melted down and become your hair.”
Adora had heard many things in her life.
But never that.
And certainly not from him.
“I like your hair color.”
His gaze remained fixed on her red hair.
For some reason, Adora felt deeply self-conscious.
She fidgeted with the brim of her hat and avoided his eyes.
Her shoulders stiffened.
The bouquet of red roses in her arms brushed against her chin.
What had they been talking about again?
How had the conversation ended up here?
Her thoughts became a tangled mess.
Thankfully, her mouth regained its composure before her mind did.
“…That still isn’t a proper reason.”
She forced the conversation back on track.
“Stop changing the subject and answer me properly.”
Her eyes locked onto his.
“Tell me why you truly want to marry me.”
Fortunately—
this time, Lionel seemed ready to give her a real answer.
