She hesitated for a while, trying to find the right words to say. Eventually she said nothing and bowed her head. āā¦Iāll take my leave now.ā
As soon as Marie left the Crown Princeās office, she leaned against the door and closed her eyes, sighing heavily.
The Crown Princeās words echoed in her mind, further complicating her emotions.
Meanwhile, The Crown Prince took a sip of the tea Marie had brewed. A clear and soothing taste spread through his chest, bringing a momentary sense of relief.
Suddenly, Rael recalled the words he had heard from the Eastern envoy.Ā āBrewing tea is a work of art. If you donāt brew it with all your heart, you will never bring out the rich flavor of the tea.ā
Then, did that mean she poured all her heart into the tea? Just for him? Rael couldnāt help but chuckle inwardly at such whimsical thoughts. How silly his mind had become.
He settled deeper into his chair, feeling the warm aroma of the tea gently caressing his senses.
Was it because she brewed it herself?
He felt a slightly warmer and more comfortable sensation, as if the tea had enveloped him in a gentle embrace.
āPerhapsā¦ I might be able to get some sleep tonight.ā With that thought in mind, he gently closed his eyes.
After drinking Marieās tea that night, the Crown Prince experienced a surprising change. Not only was he able to fall asleep, but he also slept uninterrupted for a staggering 3 hours. It may seem like a mere nap for others, but for someone who had chronic insomniac, it was an amazing feat.
āI was able to sleep that much?ā
He didnāt even have any recurring nightmares. Thanks to that, his body felt refreshed more than he ever did before.
āWas it really due to that tea?ā
From that day forward, Marie began brewing tea for the Crown Prince every night. But she did not stop at only brewing tea, she played relaxing music for him as well.
The impact of her efforts where undeniable, as the Crown Prince began experiencing noticeable improvements in his sleep. As a result, visiting his bedchamber late at night to treat his insomnia became a regular routine for Marie.
āIt should be fine. After all, I am the Crown Princeās maid,ā Marie thought to herself.
The Crown Prince was not a bad master. So, until she left his side, Marie felt that things would be fine. However, as she continued to visit the Crown Princeās bedchamber every night, an unexpected development occurred.
The maids around Marie started to regard her in a more significant light.
āAs expected, His Highness didnāt summon her for no reason.ā
āRight. She comes to His Highnessā bedchamber every night.ā
The maids of the Lion Palace whispered among themselves as they looked at Marie.
Of course, everyone knew that Marie went to the Crown Princeās bedchamber for his insomnia. Even so, visiting it every night was out of the ordinary.
āThe Crown Princeās favored maid.ā
The Crown Princeās most trusted maid.ā
Everyone regarded Marie in that way. Regardless of the fact that she was attending to the Crown Princeās insomnia, the frequency of her visits to his bedchamber implied a level of favor and trust that wasnāt bestowed lightly.
Unbeknownst to Marie, she became known as the Crown Princeās most cherished maid.
As those mundane days passed, a significant change occurred in the palace.
Finally, the Crown Princess candidates had entered the palace. It marked the beginning of the long-awaited Crown Princess selection, something Marie had been anticipating for a long time.
āThe candidates have finally entered the palace,ā Prime Minister Oren remarked to the Crown Prince in his office. Seeing the Crown Prince nod without much enthusiasm, Prime Minister Oren pursed his lips. āWhy arenāt you interested? One of them will be your future Crown Princess, you know.ā
As a matter of fact, Prime Minister Oren was the key figure behind the selection process.
āAll men in the empire are envious of you, Your Highness, considering both candidates are regarded as the most beautiful women in the empire.ā
Rael couldnāt help but laugh sardonically at those words. What difference did a womanās appearance make? Those in high positions like him saw marriage as nothing more than a political tool. As the ruler of the empire, he had an obligation to marry the woman whoād benefit the empire the most.
āWhich of the two candidates do you have in mind?ā
āNone so far. I need to assess Lady Schulian and Lady Istvan first and determine which one would be more beneficial to the empire.ā
The Crown Princeās response made Prime Minister Oren click his tongue.
He asked which of the two women appealed more to him, but the Crown Prince seemed completely uninterested except for political strategies. Rael seemed to firmly believed that his own marriage was merely a tool for the empireās interests.
āStill, heās choosing someone heād spend a lifetime with, so it would be nice if he would also consider his own preferences.ā
The Crown Prince was solely focused on the empire and its people, with little interest in his sake. While itās a great quality for a ruler, itās far too excessive in his case.
āI hope the selection process can soften that rigid aspect of him.ā
Although the Crown Prince was perfect in every way, his interpersonal skills were lacking. Thus, Prime Minister Oren hoped that one of the candidates would melt the Crown Princeās heart.
āSince they would spend time together during the selection period, surely he would develop feelings for at least one of them. After all, the Crown Prince is still a man.ā
Since the political advantages from both noble houses were roughly equal, Prime Minister Oren thought it would be nice if the woman who captured the Crown Princeās heart would become the Crown Princess.
Suddenly, the Crown Prince brought up another topic. āHave you still not found Princess Morinaās whereabouts?ā
āI apologize, Your Highness. Iāve been tirelessly searching for her, butā¦ā
āWhat a shame. Princess Morina, the last descendant of the Cloyan bloodline, would be a lot more advantageous than the Lady of Schulian and the Lady of Istvan.ā
The Crown Prince was right. If Princess Morina were officially crowned as the Crown Princess, it would completely bring the unstable region of Cloyan under the empireās control, which was immeasurably advantageous.
āHowever, we canāt delay the Crown Princess selection for Princess Morina any longer, Your Highness. In fact, you should have married her a long time ago, but itās too late now.ā
The Crown Prince nodded in agreement. He was well aware of that. Thatās why he had reluctantly started the selection, even though he didnāt feel inclined towards marriage.
āI know. Since itās come to this, thereās no other choice. I have to give up on Princess Morina.ā
āYes, it appears so.ā
Prime Minister Oren asked, āBut what if we find Princess Morina later on? What would you do then?ā
The Crown Prince remained silent for a moment. He couldnāt have two Crown Princess.
Since Princess Morina was the last descendant of the Cloyan bloodline, if he couldnāt marry her, then there was only one option.
āOf course, I will have to kill her,ā Crown Prince Rael said emotionlessly.
With a melodious sound of horsesā neighing, two ornate carriages entered the palace. They were the royal carriages carrying the Crown Princess candidates. Soon, the candidates stepped out from their respective carriages, accompanied by their knights.
āGreetings, Lady Ariel, and Lady Rachel. I am Ashlyn, the chief head maid.ā
The first to bow her head was Countess Ashlyn, the chief head maid. The palace maids whoād been waiting on the side followed suit, bowing as they welcomed them.
āHere are the palace maids of the Lion Palace who will accompany both of you, Delphinas.ā
Delphina. It was a word derived from the Latin word āDelphinatu,ā which meant Crown Princess.*
out of curiosity, i looked it up and delphinatu, does not, in fact, mean crown princess. it just means dolphin & had no other meaning as the author claims. the closest thing i got is dauphin. while the latter also means dolphin, it used to be a title for the heir apparent of the french throne, after charles v bought a land named dauphinĆ© in 1384 for his eldest son (cause u know, nobles get their title from the land they own (e.g. prince harry, duke of sussex)). so to put it simply, dauphine āthe dauphin (crown prince)ās wifeāmay or may not be what the author based their concept of delphina.
Among the two women, the one with a dignified air and beautiful appearance said, āYes, Iām counting on you.ā
Meanwhile, Marie, who was standing at the back, looked surprised when she saw the woman. āSo, thatās Lady Ariel. She truly is as beautiful as the rumors sayā¦ā
The maids in the Lion Palace may be beautiful, but they were no match to Lady Ariel. With her jet-black hair, large captivating blue eyes, porcelain skin, and rosy red lips, she was a sight to behold. Her features, finely sculpted like celestial jewels, were reminiscent of a rare gem that cannot be touched by everyone. Coupled with her voluptuous figure, she possessed an alluring charm that could make any manās heart skip a beat at the mere sight of her.
āI look forward to it as well,ā a delicate-looking woman followed, bowing her head.
When Marie caught sight of her, she exclaimed inwardly in admiration, āSo thatās Lady Rachel of Istvan County. Sheās really beautiful too.ā
She appeared to be the same age as Marie, around 17 or 18 years old. With her radiant golden hair and ocean blue eyes, her doll-like appearance were reminiscent of flowers. If Lady Ariel exuded a highly seductive air, Lady Rachel emanated a delicate and innocent charm that stirred oneās protective instincts.
Indeed, both candidates lived up to their reputation of being the empireās finest beauties.
āIt feels likeā¦ theyāre the main characters of a novel,ā Marie thought to herself.
With those two women by their side, the beautiful maids of the Lionās Palace seemed to fade into background. Even more so for Marie, who looked plain and unremarkable.
āDelphinas, allow me to guide you to His Highness. Please proceed this way,ā said Countess Ashlyn, the head maid, as she guided them.
Lady Ariel, true to her appearance, followed with a graceful stride, while Lady Rachel trailed demurely. Once they disappeared, the palace maid buzzed with excitement. āWow, did you see that? They really live up to the rumors.ā
āRight? Iāve seen Lady Ariel multiple times in social functions. But still, Lady Rachel is no less impressive, isnāt she?ā
The maids whispered among themselves, as if theyāre reading a romance novel, their eyes sparkling with romantic fancies.
They then speculated on who would be chosen by the Crown Prince. āI wonder which of the two will be chosen by His Highness?ā
āCould it be Lady Ariel? After all, His Highness is a man, so wouldnāt he appreciate such seductive beauty?ā
āNo, I think Lady Rachel has the upper hand. Men tend to prefer the delicate type.ā
āOh, I think Lady Ariel of the Schulian Duchy will be chosen, considering sheās from one of the most prestigious noble houses in the empire.ā
āWell, if weāre basing on that, then Count of Istvanās power is also quite formidable. Well, if the beautiful Lady Rachel captures the princeās heart, it would take a different turn, wouldnāt it?ā
In this manner, they debated back and forth. Meanwhile, Marie nodded as she listened to their conversation. āTheir speculations werenāt entirely wrong. Surprisingly, thereās a high chance that the person who captures the Crown Princeās heart will be chosen, since both families offer comparable political advantages.ā
Of course, it was hard to imagine the Crown Prince being captivated by a woman, but after seeing those two candidates, Marie had changed her mind. No matter how rigid the Crown Prince was, with such beautiful women, his heart could be swayed.