Chapter 107 – I Love You, Your Majesty
Petronilla followed Rothesay out of the banquet hall. She wondered what was causing him to be more nervous than usual and her heart fluttered in her chest. He held her hand tightly as he led her to the palace’s back lawn.
‘Is taking a walk through the lawn so important?’ Petronilla wondered. They wouldn’t just take a walk around the lawn at any time, so it must be for a purpose… She tilted her head in confusion.
“Nil,” Rothesay said.
“Yes, Ro?”
“Could you close your eyes here for a moment?”
“My eyes?”
“Yes. It will only take a minute, Nil.”
“Alright.”
Petronilla wondered what was going on, but she obeyed and closed her eyes. After a few seconds of waiting she became impatient.
“Ro, can I open my eyes now?” she asked.
“Ah, wait! Wait!”
What is he doing? At this point, Petronilla was starting to feel anxious, but she held on faithfully and followed Rothesay’s words. But what was he trying to do?
“Nil.”
After a while, a soft voice broke the silence. “You can open your eyes now.”
Petronilla opened her eyes, then gave a gasp at the sight. “Ah…!”
“This is awkward.”
Rothesay stood in front of Petronilla with a bouquet of roses—one hundred roses to be exact. Candles were lined around them in the outline of a heart. Petronilla stared in amazement into Rothesay’s eyes.
“What is…”
“I wanted to do it romantically during the day,” he said with a shy blush. “But I don’t think I can do it properly then. If I look into your eyes and whisper my love straightforwardly, I think my heart would explode.”
“Ah…” So, this was…‘A proposal?’
This cute man! Petronilla stared at Rothesay, overwhelmed with so much emotion that she didn’t know what to do. Although he was mostly shadowed in the night, his shyness was palpable. She lifted her hand to her mouth and gasped in excitement.
“Ah, Ro—”
“Lady Petronilla.”
Petronilla nodded and took a step forward.
“My family is not as great as yours, and I’m not a very capable nor affectionate man.”
Nonsense. Petronilla was impressed, but she inwardly tutted. If this man ‘didn’t have a great family’, was ‘not a capable man’, and was ‘not affectionate’, then all the affectionate men in the world had to die. She had known this for a long time, but this man was too humble for her.
“Nevertheless, I will do my best to make you happy,” Rothesay vowed.
“…”
“I want to be with you forever as a man who shares all your pain, happiness and sadness, who comforts you when you face any difficulties, and who congratulates you when you are happy.”
After that, Rossi placed a ring on the bouquet of roses.
“So…will you marry me?”
Petronilla answered without any hesitation. “Of course.” She rushed towards him and accepted the bouquet of flowers, then slipped the ring on her finger. She launched herself at him joyfully, and her voice rang through Rothesay’s ears like a clear bell.
“There will never be something as important and blessed in my life as meeting someone like you.”
“Thank you for saying that to a man like me, Nil.”
“You don’t have to be so humble and modest. Because you’re the greatest man in this Empire, no, in this world.”
In Petronilla’s experience, one only cried when they were sad, but now tears flowed down her cheeks with sheer joy. She cried her eyes out and confessed to him.
“I love you, Ro. Thank you so much for proposing.”
“Thank you for accepting, and I love you more, Nil,” Rothesay said passionately, and he looked at Petronilla with stunned eyes. Her face was glowing, and she beamed at him and kissed Rothesay first. Obviously, he did not turn away from her.
“Are you crying?” he asked.
Patrizia answered with a simple nod. “I suppose people also cry when they’re happy.”
*
“Sir Bradington is a good man. The ladies from Grochester are blessed with their husbands.”
“My sister is also a good woman.”
“Of course. She’s an excellent potential bride.”
“They will live happily ever after.”
Patrizia had been watching from the terrace, and she casually turned the conversation.
“If she marries Lord Bradington, she will still be able to hold her position as my lady-in-waiting,” Patrizia noted.
“You must have been worried that she might marry a noble from the countryside,” Lucio said.
“Because she’s my one and only precious twin sister.” Patrizia held still in Lucio’s arms, then spoke quietly. “Would it be difficult to attend her wedding?”
“It would be difficult officially.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, it’s possible unofficially, my Rizi.” Lucio whispered affectionately and kissed her hair one by one. “If there’s anything you want, whatever it is, I have to listen to it.”
“That’s a dangerous thing to say.”
“Even so, I can’t help it. Because I swore to do so.”
Even though Patrizia couldn’t see his face, she could imagine the gentle smile on his lips. While Patrizia was about to drop her head, suddenly there was a loud noise. She gave a start and shrank back, but Lucio was holding her tight.
“It’s okay, Rizi. They’re fireworks,” he reassured her in a low voice.
“Ah…” Patrizia raised her head and looked up at the sky. Colorful fireworks exploded over the sky. They looked as beautiful as real flowers.
“They’re pretty,” Patrizia smiled.
“You are more so.”
“Please…don’t say that.”
He buried his face in his shoulder and tightened his embrace around her. “It’s true. In my eyes, you’re the prettiest in the world.”
“…”
Patrizia once again blushed at the straightforwardness of his compliments.
“—you,” she whispered.
“Hmm?”
“…ove you, Your Majesty.”
“Ah…” Only then did Lucio understand what she meant, and he pleaded to her with a touched voice. “Tell me one more time, Rizi. Yeah?”
“Did I say something?”
“The one just now… Huh? Tell me one more time.”
“…No.”
She already told him twice, that was already too much. When Patrizia shook her head slightly in refusal, Lucio grumbled at her like a child.
“Just one more time. Alright?”
“…Your Majesty.”
“Yes, Rizi.”
“No.” After that, she burst out laughing. “I won’t say it again.”
“You’re too much.”
“I can’t help it. The one who loves more is the weaker one.”
Instead, she slipped out of his arms and turned around to face him. Lucio’s slightly sulky expression caught her eyes. A faint smile spread on her lips and she raised her heel slightly.
“I love you.”
After that, Patrizia quickly gave a kiss on Lucio’s lips. He gave a startled look at the unexpected gesture, then smiled brightly.
“Me too,” he said. He hugged her from behind once again, confessing and confessing as if he was dying of joy. “I love you, Rizi. I really love you.”
Even if this world ends, even if my life ends, I will love you and kiss you only.
“…The fireworks are pretty,” Patrizia said in embarrassment. Nevertheless, Lucio was so happy that he buried his face on her shoulder and let her scent fill his lungs. Patrizia smiled.
When she looked up again, the sky was still lit up with color. It was probably going to shine so brilliantly for quite a while.
*
The news that Rothesay had proposed to Petronilla spread quickly. He went to greet the Marquis Grochester and his wife the day after the banquet. They already knew that their eldest daughter was seeing Count Bradington’s son, but they were still surprised to hear of their engagement. With the permission of Marquis Grochester and his wife, and the permission of Count Bradington and his wife, their marriage was almost completed.
“Welcome, bride-to-be,” Mirya greeted Petronilla when the latter entered the Queen’s palace. Petronilla blushed shyly and stepped inside the room with her favorite yellow dress.
“Welcome, Sister. Congratulations on your marriage,” Patrizia said happily.
“Thank you, Rizi.” Petronilla could not hide the happiness on her face. Rothesay was said to be a sweet man, and the rumors did not seem to be a lie. Patrizia was so proud to know that her sister would be getting married to a good man.
“I suppose brother-in-law was good to you. You look much better.”
“We’re still not married, Your Majesty,” protested Petronilla.
“Anyway, is the wedding next week? You must be at the height of business now.”
“Yes, I am busy.” Petronilla awkwardly smiled. “Ah, I will still be your lady-in-waiting even after I’m married. I won’t get to visit you as often as I used to though…”
“That’s more than often compared to if you were to marry a noble from the countryside. Then I would only see you twice a year.” Patrizia smiled and offered Petronilla a cup of warm tea. Meanwhile, Petronilla looked at Raphaella and looked at her with a knowing smile.
“Now that we are married, is it Raphaella’s turn now?” Petronilla joked.
“She said she is the only one who’s alone now, so she’s going to officially look for a husband.”
“For Ella’s level, she’s going to get a husband any minute.”
“Well, that’s obvious in terms of ability and appearance, but that’s not how it’s decided, right?” Patrizia gave a laugh.
“More importantly, how do you feel about getting married, Nil?”
“Feel…” Petronilla murmured.
At that one word, her expression became wistful.