Chapter 02
It was a clear spring day without a single cloud in the sky.
Like South Korea, Sinkester had four distinct seasons. The difference, however, was that its spring and autumn lasted much longer.
A warm breeze drifted across the terrace. I looked past the spread of refreshments laid out before me and gazed at Erdan.
He’s really handsome… my brother.
His shimmering pink hair looked as though it might carry the fragrance of freshly bloomed flowers, and his green eyes, scanning through documents, were as beautiful as blades of grass dancing in the wind.
“Charlotte?”
Noticing my gaze, Erdan lifted his head.
“Yes?”
“Your nineteenth birthday banquet is coming up soon, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. There’s about a week left.”
“Distinguished guests will be arriving shortly, so we should begin preparations to receive them.”
As I continued popping macarons into my mouth, I mentally went over the names of the invited guests.
Then I heard something strange.
“I hear the representative of Blake’s delegation is the Sixth Prince.”
My hand, which had been reaching for another macaron, froze midair.
“What did you just say?”
“I said the one attending your birthday banquet is Prince Leonard Blake.”
Did I invite him?
A frown crept onto my face, and Erdan leaned slightly toward me.
“What is it? Don’t tell me he’s been rude to you.”
Though Erdan was usually gentle, he showed no mercy to those who treated me poorly.
Seeing his expression begin to harden, I lightly tapped the back of his hand.
“No, not at all. I’ve never even met him.”
“Then is it because of the rumors? I’ve heard the Sixth Prince has quite a reputation for cruelty.”
“That’s not it either.”
“Then what is it?”
“I’m pretty sure I invited His Highness Prince Alex, the Third Prince.”
“What I meant earlier is that the Sixth Prince will be coming instead of the Third.”
“Why?”
“It seems he wants to establish ties with Sinkester. From what I hear, he has ambitions to become emperor.”
Come to think of it, I had briefly learned about this in my diplomacy class.
The Blake Empire was infamous for its brutal succession battles, and among them, the struggle between the First and Sixth Princes was said to be the fiercest.
Back then, I had been too preoccupied with changing the original story to pay much attention. But now that I thought about it, something felt off.
There was no Sixth Prince in the original novel.
Moreover, in the story, the Third Prince eventually became emperor. The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt, and I clenched my fist.
Erdan chuckled and set down his documents.
“What’s with your sudden interest in the Blake Empire?”
He gently stroked my hair as he spoke.
“Don’t concern yourself with that empire. It’s a very dangerous place. Besides, it’s so far away that we barely have any interaction with them.”
He was right.
The Blake Empire lay far beyond the Kingdom of Serbi, a distant land that took quite some time to reach.
By comparison, it was about as far as the distance between South Korea and the United States.
Unlike our ever-peaceful Kingdom of Sinkester, that place was plagued with constant wars, big and small.
An icy sea lay to the north, barren rocky wastelands to the south, rugged mountain ranges to the west, and a dark forest filled with monsters to the east.
Each of these four regions was governed by a different member of the imperial family, all competing for power.
“They are fundamentally different from us, the sacred people, Charlotte. Unlike us, who possess divine power, they do not have even a drop of it.”
“I’ve heard they inherited the blood of dragons instead. That’s why they have bodies beyond human limits and immense magical power.”
“Perhaps. But they also inherited a cruel disposition from it. They won’t suit you.”
Erdan leaned closer and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“I will never let you go to a place like that.”
“Your Majesty…”
“Don’t call me that. I’ve told you—I prefer ‘brother.’”
“Oh, honestly.”
In the end, I couldn’t help but smile just like he did, warmed by his gentle touch.
Right. There was such a thing as the butterfly effect. Since I had transmigrated into this world, even a distant empire could have changed.
“Brother, these macarons are really delicious.”
I popped the macaron I had been reaching for into my mouth. Its sweetness spread across my tongue, sweeping away my lingering thoughts.
“Princess! Princess! Look at this!”
The moment I returned to the princess’s palace, I was greeted by more than ten marriage proposals waiting for me.
“They’re sending them directly to your residence now?”
“Well, if they send them to the royal palace, His Majesty filters them all out.”
“Honestly, His Majesty loves you far too much, Princess.”
Nineteen years old.
In South Korea, that would be an age spent buried in books at the library—but here, it was different.
It was the age to enter high society, pretend to dance elegant triple-time waltzes, and search for a suitable husband.
“Princess! Even Marquis Orpheus—famous for his looks—has sent you a letter!”
“My goodness.”
Orpheus was so handsome it felt as though the author had deliberately crafted him to perfection.
Whenever he appeared at a ball, countless women would blush.
Of course, I was no exception. There had even been times I drooled, so I always had to carry a fan.
For a man like that to send me a proposal… Being pretty and rich really is the best.
With a serious expression, I stroked my chin.
“Since I can only choose one man, I’ll need to think carefully.”
“Indeed. Especially since your birthday banquet is approaching—princes and imperial heirs from great nations will all be attending.”
Abigail, a maid who had just brought in refreshments, spoke gracefully.
“It would have been wonderful if His Grace the Duke had proposed as well.”
“Just wait a little longer! I’m sure the Myers Ducal House will send one too!”
No, Dorothy. That’s absolutely impossible.
The only connection I had with Cedric was saving him from the Bellusium slave market right after I transmigrated.
If you’re going to fall in love with a slave male lead, shouldn’t you at least rescue him, clean him up, feed him, dress him, and give him a name?
But I had simply taken Cedric straight to the Myers household after saving him and focused on securing my own future.
Besides, once he regained his physical and mental stability, Cedric immediately enrolled in the Elysium Academy.
About three years later, he returned as the continent’s greatest holy knight—his emotions and desires completely under control.
Of course, in the original story, he later met Aurora and experienced regret before finding true love.
But I absolutely did not have the personality to endure being coldly treated by an indifferent man.
“Don’t worry about the Duke. More importantly, who else is there besides Marquis Orpheus…?”
I smiled contentedly as I flipped through the proposals.
Then I noticed a particular emblem, and my expression stiffened.
“This is…”
“Oh my! That’s the Blake emblem! And it belongs to the First Prince!”
The design suited him perfectly—the Ice Mage.
A deep blue background, a snowflake at the center, snow leopards wearing crowns on either side, and his middle name inscribed at the top.
“They say the Sixth Prince is coming from Blake, yet it’s the First Prince who sent a proposal?”
“The power struggle must really be intense.”
Then again… did the Sixth Prince simply have no interest in marrying me?
Curious, I sifted through the proposals again. As expected, there was no letter from the Sixth Prince.
“Hm. No letters from the other princes either?”
“…Princess.”
Dorothy’s eyes narrowed.
“Don’t even dream of marrying into Blake!”
She raised her voice before shivering as if frightened.
“Getting married there is practically the same as being sold off! They say thirty people die in the imperial palace every single day!”
“Why are you raising your voice? When did I say I’d marry into Blake? I was just curious—there’s one from the First Prince, but none from the Sixth.”
“He might propose in person.”
Abigail calmly stepped between us.
“You can prepare to refuse him when that happens.”
“Alright.”
Still… the Sixth Prince.
No matter how much Erdan told me not to worry, the sudden appearance of a prince who hadn’t existed before felt far too strange.
Why has even the distant Blake Empire changed from the original story…?
