Iâm terribly sorry for the super super delay. I got caught up with the whirlwind of my RL job, and activities. Â I would like to thank and bow down to JetonS for being my editor and bearing with my horrifying, terrible grammar. No joke. I need to level up my english skills.
âŚâŚ..How did I even pass my english classes!? //shocked// OTL
At a lost for words, I continued to alternate my stare between Glenâs face and the portrait that was in my hands.
Without a doubt, the portrait in my hand was the woman I loved.
And the name written on the upper right corner wasăLidiana von Vivorieă
Her name meant that she was the first daughter of the royal family Duke Vivorie.
Our countryâs own Prime Ministerâs daughter, and also my fiance.
âŚâŚ Now, knowing my loveâs true identity. I, her very own fiance, was just now was trying to cancel our engagement.
After the feeling of shock left me, Glen slowly called out to me who was currently silent.
[âŚâŚ In other words, Freedâs beloved lady is actually your fiancee Princess Lidiana, is that how it is?]
Confirming, I nodded silently.
The fact that I never even met my fiancee was strangely weird.
Had to be the reason why I couldnât recall of her.
We hadnât met each other once, naturally I wouldnât remember her face.
â- She was my fiancee.
When the facts that threw me into confusion became clear to me, things slowly sank in.
A cold sweat began to trickle down my spine.
âŚâŚ That was close.
Just a little bit longer, I might have cancelled our engagement without even thinking about it.
I braced my chest to calm myself, before I realized I was this (hairâs length) close to cancel it.
I inhaled and exhaled, trying to get my breathing right.
If that was true, I would like to offer my prayers to God as I became overwhelmed with joy.
I never thought this kind of development would happen, my lips slackened into a smile.
With the way it was going, I thought that this kind of development was truly fated.
However, while I was thinking this, I asked myself.
I wondered why I couldnât meet up with her faster.
Up till now, I wonder how many times we could have devised with a plan to meet up but we still hadnât.
The Prime Minister must be at his witâs end, trying to let us meet each other, but the me that was not following along was just stupid.
Just meeting with her once, I would definitely fall in love with her right way.
After that we would be quickly engaged and at this moment, perhaps we would be enjoying our newly married life.
The more I thought about it, the more I just wanted to swear at my idiotic past self.
With her high class actions and noble behavior, as my fiancee, Â I was convinced that she was the Prime Ministerâs daughter.
Typical of the Prime Minister. He arranged quite a wide range of lessons for the Future Queen she was, that was for sure.
Even as a talented person, there was no female more suitable than her to be the Princess.
Everything seemed to be a godsent for me and her.
I was deeply satisfied that there was no obstacle between us.
Unconsciously letting out a smile, Glen shyly raised a question.
[âŚâŚ. Hate to burst your ever growing, enjoyable imagination, butâŚâŚ Freed, Was it truly Princess Lidiana whom you came across at last nightâs Masquerade Ball?]
[âŚâŚ Goho!! âŚâŚ. Glen!! What did you just-!!]
For a second there, I completely thought I heardădelusionănotăimaginationă. (TN: ăćłĺămeans Imagination; ăĺŚćłămeans Delusion)
Glen twisted his head, laughing, then he nodded his head staring at me with teary eyes.
[I got it right, huh? Excuse me. âŚâŚItâs just thought that I didnât understand why the likes of Princess Lidiana had participated in the Masquerade BallâŚâŚ To me, I donât believe this is the appropriate action for a young lady who has been engaged to the Crown Prince.]
Towards Glenâs doubt, I remembered her last night.
Certainly, if you think about it carefully, she should not appear in a place like that.
If she was wandering in a place like that, who knew who could have eaten her, I could tell just by thinking about it.
So careless.
Carefully, I remembered her situation last night.
Yes, that was right, she definitely hated her engagement.
At that time, I didnât know who was the fiancee and was pleased that she didnât like to marry him, that was whyâŚâŚ
My eyebrows scrunched up as I clearly understood.
I whispered the words, through my mouth.
[âŚâŚ She does not want to marry me âŚâŚ ]
With surprise written all over his face, Glen said.
[Is that so? Even though her father, the Prime Minister is super eager about itâŚâŚ ?]
[Yup. It was he who persistently recommended his daughterâŚâŚ but, I get it-]
I remembered her yesterdayâs behavior and speech, suddenly an unpleasant premonition crossed my heart.
[Glen, you said that she mostly does not participate in any evening parties.]
[Thatâs right. For that reason I thought that it was really weird. Even for an usual evening party, she would rarely participate, so why would the phantom princess appear at an evening party, such as the likes of yesterdayâs Masquerade BallâŚâŚ]
If I think about it, I remember she was obviously impatient to throw away her virginity.
I saw that she showed a rather relieved expression when I penetrated her.
[âŚâŚ Is it because she doesnât want to get married to royalty?]
Saying the words out loud, it sounded all the more credible.
[Eh?]
Glenâs jaw dropped.
[If I am not mistaken, you cannot be the crown princess when you are not a virgin. Of course, I donât believe the Prime Minister will really wouldnât forgive her either âŚâŚ To that extent, she would do anything to avoid the marriage with me?]
[No wayâŚâŚ No matter how muchâ âŚâŚ No, but that would explain everything then. I didnât think that phantom princess who doesnât really attend to evening parties, especially the likes of the Masquerade Ball would appear with that goal in mind.]
Definitely, I hesitatingly agreed to Glen while being disheartened as I nodded my head in return.
Naturally, I let out a sigh.
[âŚâŚWhen it comes to achieving her goals, certainly sheâs good at itâŚâŚ]
[Well done indeed, she is no longer a virgin anymoreâŚâŚ However, Freed you said you granted her theăKingâs Floweră]
[Aah.]
At that moment, I realized that I just wanted to praise myself I unhesitatingly gave her that.
Thanks to that, she will now be mine.
[If only at this time, I knew her faceâŚâŚ I wouldnât be going around in circles up till now. At any rate, I knew I couldnât allow her to run away.]
For that reason, I gave the Kingâs Flower. I happily said as Glen nodded.
[The ăKingâs Flowerăis the proof of the Crown Princess. However, as a matter of fact for your fiancee, although she was in that kind of place, you made quite a big decision.]
[No matter what, I thought I would not let her go. Was there any better way to tie her down to me?]
[âŚâŚ That is true. Still, wouldnât be the princess get angry at you since she was not aware that she had been made into the Crown Princess?]
[My fiancee hasnât realized, in that case, Iâm going to keep quiet until she realizes it. And besides, at the beginning she was the one who tried to run away. âŚâŚ If she was a good child and waited until our engagement meeting, I wouldnât have needed to resort to such method. Then I would have obediently waited for our first night] (T/N: Bridal night)
Probably, I added. To be honest, I didnât feel like I could wait for her, myself.
As a matter of fact, if it was not for yesterday night, I would have immediately left that place. After which, I would have gone back to castle to involuntarily accept the engagement given to me.
On the other hand, if I were to see her during our engagement meeting, I would absolutely fall in love with her. If that happened, then our engagement would positively proceed as planned. In the end, in the near future, she would be my crown princess.
In other words, either way the results wouldnât have changed.
This time, it seemed we only skipped a few steps.
It was better this way. Above all, I was so glad I didnât miss yesterdayâs masquerade ball.
Supposing, I wasnât there in that situation, I shivered at that thought.
If some other man held her, everything would be finished.
Before I knew it, to think that I would lose her forever, only terrified me.
[Well then, what is your next plan?]
[Nn?]
Suddenly, Glen asked me on what were my next plans with his questioning gaze.
[Iâm talking about Princess Lidina. At last, we finally discovered her true identity, after this, what are you going to do?]
[Because she used a mask to hide her identity, she prefers not to talk. I donât know myself, perhaps greeting âŚâŚ Nn?] (T/N: Kanjis areâ I am unsure what 䝎é˘čśă and ć¨ćśä˝ are. So I did what I could translate. MTL version is confusing too)
Incidentally, I remembered a problem.
She didnât know that she slept with me.
Probably, she didnât even want to know my identity.
The reason was because, her only purpose was to lose her virginity.
If so, with her wish that came true, what would be her next move?
By guessing her next move, I clicked my tongue.
[âŚâŚ This is bad. Glen, immediately arrange a meeting with me and the Prime Minister!]
[With the Prime Minister?]
Glen looked at me with a puzzled face.
[Yes, with the Prime Minister. At this rate, through her father, she will ask for me to break up the engagement.]
[What did you just say!?]
Glen exclaimed as I quickly explained.
[Her reason for breaking the engagement is that she is no longer a virgin. In any case, for that sake, she went as far as going to this kind of placeâŚâŚ Well, If I do say so myself, I think that there is definitely no more effective way than that.]
I expressed my thoughts on the matter with complicated feelings, as Glen obviously became confused.
[Even if you gave the ăKingâs Flowerăto your fiancee, yourself? Please stop with the nasty jokes. As long as the ăKingâs Flowerăis in her body, no one is going to listen to that kind of talk.]
[She doesnât know that.]
I calmly pointed out, as the color of Glenâs face changed.
[âŚâŚ I think it would be a little bit troublesome but I understand. I will quickly get the approval of the Prime Minister.]
Understanding what I was trying to say, Glen turned on his heel and hurriedly left the office.
I remained in the office, as I stared at the portrait I had in my hand.
Just in case, even if she did convince the Prime Minister to break up the engagement, of course, the meeting would not go through.
If it was not convincing enough, then I would show them evidence that her partner was me.
But, it didnât necessarily bother me.
In order not to raise any questions, everything should be settled skillfully well.
So, more than anything else, I had to see her.
By revealing my true identity to her, I would make her understand the current situation we were in.
If she understood that she was just fighting a meaningless battle, I expected she would probably not do anything further than that.
The main point was that I had already given her the ăKingâs Flower, and whatever she did the position of the crown princess couldnât be changed.
âŚâŚ However, I couldnât understand.
For what reason was she trying to refuse the marriage with me.
I didnât want to think that way but perhaps there was some another man she was fond of.
But from now on she wouldnât be able to go back nor did she have any plan to do so.
Whether she cried or shouted, at the end, I didnât have the slightest intention to let her go.
I ignored the small ache that appeared inside me, as I faced her murmuring,
[Iâm sorry, but I canât let you run away anymore.]
I was going to spare no effort to make her loving me, but even if that was no good, my love for her would remain.
After this, I swore that in this lifetime, I would only love her.