Chapter 37
The Prince Dies and Starts Over!
Count and Countess Lurupel tried belatedly to block our path—
but it was too late. The guests had already seen us.
“Oh my goodness…”
“Heavens…”
Their reactions were as enthusiastic as expected.
They rubbed their eyes hard, as if they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
“…Are you all right?”
The Third Prince whispered softly in my ear.
He could only do that now that he was taller than me.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
I kept my face as shamelessly calm as possible and kept walking.
Halfway down the aisle, I even waved to the guests. The nobles began murmuring again.
The Third Prince looked quite anxious, but I truly felt nothing at all.
Honestly, I had been a bit nervous before entering the hall—
but once I was in, it turned out to be nothing much.
As a modern person, I just couldn’t take seriously the way everyone fussed about a dress that barely reached above my knees.
And besides, they were all just background characters.
That person might be Sam, the one next to him Michael, and the one beside her Olivia.
Or maybe John, James, and Marie.
Who cared? I’d see them once and never again anyway.
The Third Prince and I walked firmly up to the stage.
Then we calmly recited the vows we had prepared.
Though he paused a few times to catch his breath, he managed to finish without any major mistake.
After that, the priest gave his blessing,
and then came the exchange of jewelry.
I pinned an emerald brooch to the left side of the Third Prince’s chest,
and he placed a sapphire necklace around my neck.
The necklace was so heavy that my shoulders twitched.
The gems were enormous.
Without thinking, I ran my fingers over it.
I wonder how much I could sell this for…
After that, time blurred.
We greeted every guest one by one, received gifts, handed out thank-you favors—
so many formalities for what was basically an engagement between children.
Even for a full-fledged adult like me, it was exhausting.
For the sickly Third Prince, it must have been far worse.
He staggered a few times, nearly collapsing.
I was so busy subtly supporting him that I barely had a moment to breathe.
Of course, he did his best too—
holding his breath to suppress coughing,
leaning casually on chair backs when his legs gave out.
Thanks to both our efforts, the engagement ceremony ended without incident.
By the time we had finished saying goodbye to all the guests, I was completely spent.
Even Count and Countess Lurupel—who had glared at me with dagger eyes all day—left for the night, saying they’d see us tomorrow.
“Are you tired?”
“As you can see.”
“I’ll escort you to your room.”
“Mm.”
As soon as the Lurupels left, Sir Peter approached.
I released the Third Prince’s arm, which I had been holding the whole time,
and took Sir Peter’s hand instead.
The Third Prince looked at me wistfully, his lips moving slightly.
“…What is it?”
It seemed like he wanted to say something, but after hesitating a while,
he just shook his head.
He turned away with his attendant.
“Shall we go back too?”
“Let’s.”
I leaned heavily against Sir Peter as we walked.
He slowed his pace to match mine.
“Not that way.”
Once we entered the corridor, something odd happened—
Sir Peter seemed to lose his way in a palace he knew like the back of his hand.
“This way, my lady.”
He led me in a completely different direction from my room.
“What? No, that’s not—”
I realized he was going the wrong way,
but I didn’t have the energy to stop him.
All I could do was stumble along behind him.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Eventually, Sir Peter simply scooped me up into his arms.
Being carried at my age was embarrassing,
but I didn’t want to ask him to put me down.
I was too tired to care about pride.
He carried me effortlessly for quite a while,
then finally stopped in front of a large door and set me down.
“We’ve arrived.”
“…Are you serious?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“You’re not mistaken?”
“No. The order came directly from the Court Count, so there’s no doubt.”
He called Count Lurupel the Court Count rather than Master,
which meant the order had been given in his capacity as a court official, not as head of a household.
“But still, this is too much…”
This was way too serious.
I couldn’t help doubting Count Lurupel’s sanity.
No matter the engagement,
what kind of lunatic gives children the marital chambers?
“It’s fine. There are separate bedrooms.”
“I know that…”
Of course, “the marital chambers” weren’t a single room anyway.
There were two completely separate bedrooms, two sitting rooms, two doors—
just an extra connecting door between the two bedrooms.
And it’s a symbolic gesture too…
The Ludbekia Palace’s marital chambers were originally designed for the Emperor and Empress.
Since the Emperor now stayed mostly at Asphodel Palace,
the other palaces’ bedrooms had fallen out of use.
The Third Prince was here as the Emperor’s representative.
Moving into the marital chambers right after the engagement
was essentially a declaration that I would be managing this palace as its mistress.
That seemed far too ambitious to be Count Lurupel’s idea—
but too hasty to be the Countess’s either.
It was exactly the kind of halfway scheme they’d come up with together.
Well, two heads aren’t always better than one.
“Ugh, my head…”
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah. Go ahead and rest. You’ve done enough for today.”
“As you wish. Have a good night, my lady!”
Sir Peter gave a proper bow and left.
I sighed and pushed open the door.
The marital chambers were dazzling, as befitted the palace’s main suite.
Compared to the guest rooms I’d stayed in—or even the Third Prince’s own quarters—this was on another level.
There was so much luxury I didn’t know where to look.
“Young lady! You’re finally here!”
Anna came running as soon as she heard the door open.
“I’m back, Anna.”
“Welcome!”
“How did I look today?”
“You were stunning! The guests couldn’t take their eyes off you—I could see it from here!”
She hugged me tightly, her cheeks flushed.
“What were you doing?”
“Unpacking! Both your things and mine!”
“By yourself? You must be tired—you should’ve asked for help.”
“Well, I could have, but I feel better doing it myself. Ah! Right, I should show you the rooms!”
Anna, who almost never ran, hurried ahead like an excited girl.
She must’ve been thrilled.
The new suite had many adjoining rooms,
and she showed them to me one by one like a maze.
“Is this my bedroom?” I asked midway through.
“No! This one’s mine! Yours is the one at the very end!”
“Wow, it’s huge.”
“Isn’t it? All thanks to you, my lady!”
Anna beamed with delight.
The maid’s room in the guest wing had been fine,
but this one was far superior.
At least Anna had a nice place to stay—that was one good thing.
“But there’s one thing I’m worried about,” she said.
“Hm? What is it?”
“My room’s too far from yours. Before, I was right next door—
how am I supposed to check on you at night now?”
“Ah…”
“Why did they design it this way? Because it’s old?”
“Well…”
I had a pretty good idea why—
but I certainly couldn’t say it out loud.
“Ah, Anna! Let’s look at the other rooms!”
I quickly changed the subject.
After the tour, it was time for bed.
Anna scrubbed me down like she was washing cabbage,
then dried my hair and helped me change into nightclothes.
“If you wake up in the middle of the night, please call me.
No—maybe I should put a bell by your bed?”
She looked worried as she tucked me in.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry so much. Go get some rest.”
I smiled reassuringly.
After hesitating a while longer, Anna finally left.
At last, I was alone.
It had been an exhausting day.
My eyelids felt heavy, and I could fall asleep any second.
Honestly, I just wanted to drift off quietly—
but I couldn’t.
Because there was a faint rustling sound coming from the wooden door at the side of the bedroom.
Beyond that door was another room—
and it wasn’t hard to guess who was using that bedroom.
Will he come in on his own if I just wait?
My body felt like lead.
Still lying in bed, I stared at the door.
But no matter how long I waited, it didn’t open.
Well, of course. That kid doesn’t have the nerve for that.
Sighing, I got up.
I was older—someone had to show some generosity.
I trudged toward the wooden door carved with the elegant motif of the Ludbekia flower,
and turned the handle.
“…Huh?”
But strangely enough,
there was no one on the other side.
“…Your Highness?”
