When I heard the sounds of familiar laughter, I nearly missed my step on the ladder.
I looked down in surprise and saw two figures outside in the royal palace’s inner garden through the window that had been opened for ventilation. I know one of them well.
He is His Highness Christopher, the first heir to the throne of the Southlynd Kingdom.
He is 21. The wise and great Crown Prince who is entrusted with the future of this kingdom.
His Highness makes the most of his outstanding features and attracts young girls to ladies of marriageable age. Cunning nobles with clear judgement and foresight also follow him. He is also famous for carrying himself with the majesty of a king even though he is young.
I can’t believe that the Crown Prince, who carries himself as the Crown Prince and doesn’t let his guard down, would laugh lightly like this.
He’s defenceless ―――.
I’m stunned by this sight because I have stayed by his side and served him for four years, so I know his personality well.
Even His Highness is the son of man. Sometimes he would laugh, and he also joked and looked his age. But that is only when he is with his inner circle.
The royal palace is a place where people scheme against others, and although this was the inner garden, he was acting defenceless in a place where others could see him, and seeing this made my heart pierce with a sharp pain.
I sighed quietly.
The time has come.
◊♦◊♦◊♦◊
My name is Elianna Bernstein.
The daughter of a noble house which was granted the title of Marquis, but I have a title that the other ladies don’t.
That title is ‘fiancée of His Highness Christopher, first heir to the throne of Southlynd Kingdom’.
Four years ago at the age of 14, I stepped out of our remote fief and came to the glamorous royal capital for my high society debut. For some reason, Prince Christopher proposed that I stay by his side as his fiancée while I was overwhelmed by the dazzling ladies.
The Bernstein House is a Marquis House, but they were the lowest and even more inferior than Earls who hold power. Why was a daughter from such a House chosen as the fiancée of the Crown Prince―――?
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the type of romance that would make women around the world happy. It also wasn’t because he wanted me by his side because I was gorgeous ――― nor did he fall in love with his dream girl.
I have light wavy blonde hair, and faint grey eyes. Even if my family and relatives tell me that my appearance is cute, my appearance isn’t generally liked by people because they give me shameful nicknames.
Prince Christopher has dazzling blonde hair, eyes like the clear blue sky and handsome features. He is the exact opposite of me, and the room lights up just from him being there.
The reason why such a girl had been chosen as the fiancée for the Crown Prince who marriageable ladies long for… is simply because I was convenient.
My family doesn’t belong to any factions in the palace, so there are no nasty power struggles within my family. And neither my father nor brother are interested in political power (――― in a sense, they might fail as nobles in court).
And, because I didn’t have a special someone who reciprocated my love, my house was singled out as a way to alter the recent faction power struggles in court.
When we had first met, Prince Christopher said with his dazzling appearance, “… Miss Elianna, all you have to do is stay by my side and read books.”
For generations, my family has been famous for our love of books. The regional library at our fief, which was built by my ancestors, is opened to the public. Our library contains books of various topics and treasured rare books collected by the generations of Marquises, and is said to rival the royal palace library.
People of the Bernstein family are said to be eccentric people who prefer books over three meals a day, and I am no exception. I grew up being buried in books even before I could read or write.
The nickname which was given to me, who loves unknown books more than the dresses and jewellery that women like, is… not bookworm, but 『Princess Bibliophile』. Usually, it is a nickname that would make people grieve in shame.
But, even though I am 『Princess Bibliophile』, I knew that Prince Christopher’s proposal was bizarre.
For a moment, I had an absurd thought, had I been chosen to read to him?
While my head was down, His Highness mentioned the faction problems, the power dispute and the advantages of the Bernstein House. He spoke of his request as if he was making a deal.
――― Tell the truth.
My mother, the Queen, and the others around me would be annoying if I don’t quickly find a fiancée.
“How about it, Miss Elianna? As long as you’re around the age to make your social debut, you cannot escape from your duties as a noble. Don’t you want to spend your life reading books by my side instead of a future where you have to marry into some house, manage their household and attend social events between ladies?”
“… Hah.”
It was easier to imagine the hardships I would face as the fiancée of the Crown Prince than those I would face as some noble’s wife.
By the way ―――.
My reactions towards our handsome Crown Prince might have been disrespectful. People of the Bernstein family were equally uninterested in things other than what we love (books), so this is how I usually interact with people.
Prince Christopher had a smile on his face.
“If you become my fiancée, you can refuse invitations to tea parties and balls that are intended for people who are looking for partners. That way, you’ll have more time to read… Well, you will only have to accompany me to official events and events sponsored by the royal family.”
In any case, a weak and puny noble can’t refuse an offer made by a member of the royal family. Even I, who is ignorant of the world, knew that the Prince’s offer was extraordinary.
In other words, His Highness had offered me a deal without any romantic feelings involved.
… It is full of hardships. I was depressed by the impending troubles that were headed my way, and about how my reading time will probably be snatched away. His Highness smiled and whispered like the devil, “And if you have the title as my fiancée, you can freely read and borrow books… from the royal palace archive.”
――― The blood of the Bernstein House was made of ink.
Yes, if his whisper is real then I, as a daughter of this house, cannot help but jump at the offer.
The royal palace archive, as the name suggests, is a sacred place for book lovers. Unlike the royal library, which was opened to the public, is it the royal family’s cherished book collection and only a limited number of people in the royal palace have access to it.
My father and brother actually want to be surrounded by books day and night while acting as the head librarians in our fief, but they reluctantly come to work at the royal palace because of this archive.
The rare, treasured books in the royal family’s possession made me jealous of my father and brother whenever they talk about them.
I can see them first hand, touch them and experience unknown worlds. Is there anything more blissful than this for book lovers?
I smiled with joy, and my eyes were twinkling, and Prince Christopher responded with a dazzling smile.
“Then, the engagement has been established. I am free from the hassle of finding a fiancée, and you are free from the shackles of a noble lady. As… as compensation for you agreeing to be my fiancée, I will protect your free time. I promise.”
At that time, my heart throbbed just like when I touch books I’ve never seen before.
As Prince Christopher had stated, after announcing me as his fiancée, he let me read freely without abusing his position.
At first, I had been sceptical about whether this would be possible. Since in the beginning, the Queen and her followers would continuously invite me to tea parties, the ladies in waiting would barrage me with questions, and high-ranking nobles expected a lot from me. However, His Highness and close aides tactfully settled everything for me.
For four years since then, I rarely appeared in front of others and spent my life well as a Crown Prince’s fiancée, only in name.
And then finally, I think I have also come to understand Prince Christopher’s true intentions. They even collide with the recent whispers recently.
――― The rumours seem to be accurate and the reason why His Highness won’t hold his wedding ceremony with 『Princess Bibliophile』, even though she’s an adult now, is because she’s only his fiancée in name. Now that the power struggles have settled down, His Highness can finally receive the Princess who he actually loves. ―――