Chapter 51
First Date
“Today… you’re meeting the princess again?”
“Yes. But today, you don’t need to come along. We’ll just be around the city center.”
The next day.
After spending the night at a hotel in the capital and finishing a simple breakfast in her room, Kylian prepared for the outing early in front of the mirror.
He spent the morning sipping tea and skimming the newspaper while waiting for noon, but for some reason, his mind was too restless to focus on the words, and time seemed to crawl.
Meanwhile, Whale’s brows furrowed with persistent curiosity as she watched him.
The whole way back from Carapedon to the capital last night, Kylian had leaned against the carriage wall with his eyes closed. Whale had wanted to ask him questions, but seeing him seemingly asleep from fatigue, she hadn’t dared.
Yet, even then, her master would occasionally smile faintly, his lips twitching as if he were having a pleasant dream, leaving Whale increasingly confused.
If the Silvester family had changed as he once said and kept their distance from the royal family, there would be no reason to oppose him getting close to the princess—even marrying her.
On the contrary, leveraging the dukedom’s wealth and military might could even accelerate the plans he had long prepared to strike Emperor Xenos, making it something to welcome wholeheartedly.
But… that didn’t change the fact that her master might ultimately have to part from the one he loved for the first time in his life.
“Is the captain trying to suppress his feelings for Hermes? So that personal attachments don’t ruin the larger mission? I understand his intentions, but… it’s still so unfortunate.”
“Um… Captain. Did you still have some important matters to discuss with Princess Silvester? You were together for quite a while yesterday, so why continue even today…?”
“Whale. The informant we sent to the capital was correct. The princess and the crown prince had a duel over the marriage proposal, and the princess won.”
“The princess did? Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“So that means the crown prince withdrew his proposal?”
“That’s right. But… he doesn’t seem to give up easily. I think he has other plans.”
“Other… plans?”
“Even if it means enduring rumors surrounding the princess, he’s persistently focused on the Silvester family… He might be scheming something else. Perhaps he even eyes Felix’s position as crown prince.”
“That… that’s!”
Whale was shocked, then asked again with a face full of questions.
“Then, Captain, I still don’t understand.”
“What don’t you understand?”
“Trying to check Felix, the crown prince, ultimately means aiming for the throne. Then why does Princess Silvester reject the crown prince’s proposal so fiercely? If she married Prince Diego… wouldn’t she eventually become empress?”
For a moment, Kylian’s hand, adjusting his attire, froze.
“…I see.”
He hadn’t thought that far either.
The empress of the Kedem Empire.
For any noblewoman, that was the highest position one could dream of.
Yet Himena deliberately spreads rumors, duels dangerously with the crown prince, and stubbornly refuses his proposal.
Why?
“Captain, does the princess know the crown prince’s intentions?”
“…To some extent.”
“This is utterly incomprehensible. Since the palace stairs incident, the princess seems to have changed, but whether that change is trustworthy remains to be seen. So, respectfully, don’t trust her too much, Captain.”
At those words, Kylian’s excitement over his first date with Himena sank instantly, leaving him uneasy.
“Right… I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Sophia, how do I look? Am I okay? Do I look arrogant, unkind, or anything like that?”
On the carriage to the capital, Himena kept adjusting her lavender dress with frills and ribbons and the hat on her head, asking Sophia again and again.
“Oh, miss, just trust me! Thanks to me, you successfully seduced the marquis yesterday! Today, unlike yesterday, I made you look completely innocent and pure, so don’t worry.”
“Innocent? Pure… is that really a word that suits me?”
“Not pitiable… right? Pure and pitiable!”
Hearing the word “pitiable,” Sophia narrowed her eyes and gave Himena a sharp look.
“Miss, with a chest like yours, expecting ‘pitiable’ might be pushing it. Even I can’t help with that.”
“Right? I didn’t mean I wanted that; it just feels a bit over the top. Ahem! This proud chest is my pride! There!”
Himena proudly puffed out her chest.
“Hohoho! You really can’t be helped!”
“Hehehe…”
While laughing and chatting, the carriage eventually entered the city center.
“Miss, over there. That’s the central square. See that large fountain in the middle?”
“Yes, I see it. I wonder if the marquis is already here?”
“Let’s get down here and cross the street.”
The two alighted near the fountain and walked toward the center of the square.
The early autumn sky was clear without a single cloud. People bustling through the streets radiated energy, and the shops lining the square were all busy cooking, arranging goods, and attending customers.
Himena, looking around the square, was excited like a child, her gaze constantly wandering.
Around the fountain, adorned with three-tiered elaborate statues spouting water from their mouths, there were not only children running about but also young couples enjoying themselves.
Yet, among the crowd, Himena quickly spotted the one person she was looking for.
One man stood out sharply, while the rest of the crowd blurred into the background.
Tall, wearing a deep teal coat, his dark hair shimmering with a hint of blue in the sunlight, swaying gently in the wind…
Squinting one eye, perhaps to confirm her approach, he then smiled gently and extended his hand warmly.
As they approached each other, people stepped aside, their gazes fixed on them.
“You’re here, Himena.”
“Yes… Kyl.”
She nervously extended her hand, and Kylian bent slightly, kissing it with the utmost courtesy as if they were at a royal banquet, then smiled warmly.
“A perfect day for a first date.”
“Miss, I’ll be waiting on the first floor of the hotel where the marquis is staying, so take your time and enjoy yourselves.”
“Alright, Sophia. See you later.”
The two, meeting at the fountain amidst the crowd’s attention, slowly walked toward the shopping street.
“Is there anything… special you want to do today?”
Kylian took Himena’s right hand and held it against the inside of his left arm, asking.
“Something… special?”
Himena felt the thickness and strength of his arm, yet she turned her gaze away, trying to act casual.
“Yes. It’s our first date, after all.”
“Well… I’m not sure.”
Her heart raced at the word “date,” yet nothing came to mind, leaving her deep in thought.
‘I wouldn’t know what to do on a date. I’ve never dated anyone in my previous life either. Usually, dates mean movies, meals, tea… maybe in some order. But here, we can’t even watch a movie. What should we do?’
After counting on her fingers, Himena sighed and shook her head.
“I… don’t know.”
“Then… what did you do before? I assume you have more experience than I do.”
“Me? No, this is my first time too. Dating a man.”
“Really?”
Kylian stopped walking, looking down at her in disbelief.
“Yes.”
‘At fifteen, after my parents died, I lived with my father’s friend. Dating a man was inconceivable. My only goal was to graduate and become independent as soon as possible. Himena… what about her?’
In the novel, Himena, the only daughter of the powerful Silvester Duke family, was so proud that most nobles didn’t even catch her interest.
Not because she was beautiful, but because suitors sought her for her status. Himena, lost in self-admiration, chose purely based on appearances and never experienced proper romance.
Then, one day, she suddenly fell for Kylian at a royal banquet. Though offended by his cold indifference, she tried to catch his gaze, frequently visiting the balcony with other men, and rumors about her steadily grew.
‘I haven’t read the novel carefully, and my memories aren’t perfect… Even if I want to act, I know nothing.’
Seeing Himena pout in thought, Kylian felt puzzled as well.
‘She’s never received jewelry from a man, never dated anyone… Do women often lie about such things? Perhaps I should just pretend I don’t know.’
“I see. Then, let’s walk around here first. If you see anything you want or feel like doing, just let me know.”
“Yes, I will. But there are so many shops and people around, I feel like we could spend all our time just here in the square. And we’ll achieve the purpose of our date too.”
The two slowly walked toward the shops again.
However, walking arm-in-arm in a showy display of affection gradually became impossible.
“Wow, what’s that? Amazing!”
Himena, distracted by handcrafted goods, food, and decorations, kept letting go of his arm and darting around. Kylian quietly followed behind her, hands behind his back.
‘Haha, apart from the clothes, she’s no different from Hermes running around the Acticos Castle market. Curious about everything, yet she ignores the jewelry shops or fashion stores women like. She’s a peculiar girl.’
“Oh? What’s that?”
Himena, forgetting the main purpose of the staged date, disappeared into the crowd again, carrying something in both hands, running like a child.
