Chapter 7
White breath came out of the boy’s mouth and then disappeared.
The cold winter wind messed up his dark hair.
“Sir, it is said that the princess has passed through the gates.”
As Kale nodded his head, his dark hair shook.
“…I still don’t know if this is the right choice.”
The man who announced their arrival bit his lip.
“The princess will definitely shackle our ankles.”
The bride sent by the emperor will surely hamper Kale in everything.
Then if she gets hurt and dies, all the sins and blame will fall on Kale.
They couldn’t handle it, they couldn’t even send it away, and they were like a white elephant that would steadily drive them to ruin if left next to them.
That was the princess reflected in the eyes of Kale the Duke Bertrand.
“Sir, if we find out what they are preparing for…”
“Quiet.”
Kale looked back.
His pale eyes, resembling snowflakes that had just begun to fall, were bitter.
“Are you ignoring my orders now?”
Wearing the cloak of his dead mother, he looked infinitely small.
However, the sense of intimidation that crushed people was no less than that of the previous Grand Duke.
“No!”
The knights answered.
“I know what you are worried about. But there is no benefit in rejecting this marriage now.”
If he refused, the emperor would only lead the knights and advance in the future and lead to the decline of the Grand Duchy.
“After all, she will not be able to adapt to this land as a princess.”
The blessed capital, and the cursed province of Bertrand.
There was a big difference to such an extreme extent.
Even the winter in the capital was mild. A thin coat was enough to survive the winter, and the warm climate provided great crop yields.
But that wasn’t the case for Bertrand. Rivers often freeze, let alone crops survive, making it also difficult to catch fish.
In such a situation, even monsters appear.
There was no way a child from the blessed capital could stand on this abandoned land.
“The noble emperor seems to be planning to use the princess to grab our tails.”
Kale’s eyes narrowed.
“I should let you know that the reverse is also possible.”
“I was short in thought.”
Without a word, Kale shook his head. Meanwhile, the party arrived in front of the castle.
The group was shaky.
One luxurious carriage and one old carriage.
A man who saw the maids getting off the old wagon exclaimed a little.
“Wow.”
A young vassal, he muttered playfully, stabbing another man in the waist.
“The Princess and His Majesty. I don’t think their personalities are a joke.”
The man chuckled.
“How can they make the maids ride such a carriage?”
People’s faces frowned.
Because it was a wagon that came behind a very luxurious carriage that you would only see in a capital city.
It was quite new, but it was still a wagon. There was absolutely no carriage that could be ridden for a long time.
“It shows the character of the princess very well.”
“I was expecting it because she was from the common people, but the royal family is no different.”
“Where did that rudeness go so far as her wedding day went?”
Relentless, sharp words poured out.
Click.
Finally, when the door of the carriage on which the princess was in opened, attention was drawn.
“Let’s see what kind of princess she is.”
They were sure she would be an arrogant and conceited person.
No matter how she was adopted, she was a child chosen by the emperor himself.
It was clear that they would’ve brought a child with a similar personality to him because they played together.
Everyone’s eyes were sharp.
However, as soon as they saw the princess coming down, they relaxed.
“Huh?”
Their eyes got bigger.
Small body, pink hair that doesn’t come to mind like blonde in the imperial family, and round eyes.
People’s heads went to the side automatically with a gentle face that seemed to be unable to get angry at once.
‘Even if you are different from the emperor, isn’t it too different?’
For a moment, people’s heads that were filled with the image of an arrogant princess broke.
And that hair! That hair!
“It’s pink.”
“Pink.”
It’s a color that is like spring.
People focused their attention on Daphne as if they were possessed.
“It’s the color of spring.”
People nodded at what someone inadvertently said.
In fact, one of the most preferred colors of Bertrand’s people buried in winter was pink.
Spring comes only after winter.
It was a precious color that marked the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
In addition, the eyes were also the color of stars floating in the clear night sky.
People looked at Daphne as if possessed.
“I guess the royal family don’t feed their children.”
Although she was covered by fur, she was skinny enough to be noticeable.
“Her cheeks were sunk and her eyes looked blank. Did she starve for a few days? She’s a princess.
“Did they tell her to lose weight? I heard that’s popular in the capital these days.”
“She looks like she’s about to starve to death. I can’t. I’m going in first. I need to make some digestible food.”
“Oh, yeah. No. Why did the capitalists dress her up with such a big thing? She can fall down.”
“Is it a new style?”
What people said was true.
The fur worn by Daphne was borrowed from the maid personally.
The fur, which was for adults and sewn enough to wear on top of a rich dress, was too big and heavy for Daphne.
Thanks to this, each step she took was dangerous.
People fidgeted their fingers without realizing it.
Those who had been grinding their teeth a while ago at her were now watching the princess with anxiety thinking that Daphne would fall.
“…”
Kale stared at Daphne as if he didn’t like something.
“Your Highness?”
Soon, he took his foot off and walked to Daphne. One of the knights called Kale in surprise, but it was already after he arrived in front of Daphne.
“Your Highness.”
He stretched out his arms and held hands.
Even in this weather, the small fingertips without gloves were frozen red.
As if surprised by his sudden hand, her eyes, which were already round, became even more round.
Kale looked into her eyes and greeted first.
“I’m Kale Bertrund, who will serve Her Majesty in the future.”
It was rude.
Saying hello like this without being polite.
Holding hands even though he didn’t ask for permission.
‘But it would be better than getting hurt by the princess.’
Kale kicked his tongue inside as he looked at the hem of the fur that was dragging.
The roads laid in the village as well as here were covered with bumpy stones to avoid slipping even when it snowed.
If she fell in such a place, she would seriously get hurt.
From the beginning, I didn’t want the emperor to find fault.
It was just that. by the way
“What are you doing…!”
“It’s Daphne Blake.”
A quiet voice stopped a maid from trying to shout.
At the same time, Kale’s eyes became thinner.
On the contrary, Daphne’s eyes bent with a smile, and a soft curve was drawn around her mouth.
Is it because of her red cheeks from the cold?
The smile was even more colorful.
It was neither a laugh made out of tension nor a fake laugh.
“It’s really nice to meet His Majesty Bertrand.”
She meant it.
The princess was sincerely pleased to meet him.
‘Why are you so happy to see me?’
Isn’t she the princess who came to keep an eye on him?
Then she should be wary of him.
‘There must be some ulterior motive.’
Kale quickly cleared up the embarrassment of raising his head for a while.
The people who first saw Kale usually showed two aspects.
Disgust or overly pleased.
The first was always better. Since it reveals their intentions.
But the second was the knife and poison hidden behind the laughter.
In addition, the princess was an enemy.
She was also sent by the emperor whom he hated the most.
The corners of Kale’s mouth became twisted.
Kael, who let go of Daphne’s arm roughly, stepped back.
“Well.”
“We have prepared a room for your Majesty to rest. You must be tired from traveling far away, so go in and rest.”
Daphne said something, but before that, Kale turned around and entered the castle.
It was an obvious rejection.
~*~
To be honest, Daphne was excited from the moment she got off the carriage.
‘There are a lot of familiar faces.’
There was only Count Corman who was welcome in the Imperial Palace.
She won’t be alone here.
‘Although I became attached to him after meeting and fighting him as an enemy in my previous life.’
There, even the black castle, which was scary when she first saw it, looked cozy.
Without realizing it, she was itching with joy.
And the excitement peaked when she met Kale.
‘Oh, so you looked like this when you were young.’
She remembered him from her previous life.
A monster on the battlefield that wields a sword like a storm.
Now she was the only one who remembered that.
‘And I’m the only one who can raise Kale up even more.’
Alan wouldn’t even be able to put his feet in.
Thinking about it like that, her heart raced and became impatient.
So she tried to talk to him, but he shook his hand and walked away with a disgusted look on his face.
He looked so cold that she might have been hurt if she were someone else.
But that was not the case for Daphne.
If it was Kale in her previous life, he wouldn’t have finished it like this.
Sending an assassin before reaching Bertrand Castle, or breaking the bridge before crossing it.
‘If it were Kale, he would, well, choose the latter.’
For the emperor, it would be an unfortunate accident caused by an old bridge.
So, it was enough for him to take out his hand, but it was not gentle enough to be kind.
‘Still, it seems difficult to put into words.’
Daphne sighed heavily.
But he had something to say.
‘They said you just left the castle.’
That’s what the maid who guided her to her room told her.
“The Archduke went to a nearby village to hunt monsters. It’s close by, so he’ll be back tomorrow night.”
Recalling the maid’s words, Daphne hugged the pillow and rolled around.
She loved the soft bed.
‘Tomorrow night.’
There would be plenty of time to prepare something else.
When she rolled around again, she finally arrived at the edge of the bed.
Daphne waved the bell on the side table.
“Did you call?”
Mariel, who was in the maid’s room, came right away.
“Bring the bracelet you bought before the sun rises tomorrow.”
“Are you talking about early in the morning?”
Daphne nodded and continued.
“And you know…”
Whisper.
The longer the whisper, the more shocked Mariel’s eyes became.
“Are you already talking about it? Isn’t it too early?”
It seemed very nice to see her mouth twitch while talking like that.
“Seeds should be sprinkled in advance.”
Daphne laughed, half burying her face in the pillow.
“Shall we prepare a gift for the Duke tomorrow?”