Soon she stopped crying.
She had finally calmed down.
'I have to leave now.'
As I was trying to get up, I heard a small voice.
"They expect too much from me."
I looked back without thinking.
She was staring at me with her red eyes.
'Hah, I'm a Princess of this country, yet she's speaking informally to me... she reminds me of Max.'
I had a sudden sense of deja vu, but decided to let it go because it would be annoying if I caused a scene.
She continued, thinking my silence was a sign to keep going.
"I want to put everything down sometimes because the pressure is too much, but I'm afraid I'll lose my value if I do."
Is it because I've never had expectations from anyone in my life?
To be honest, I couldn't relate to what she was saying.
However, her scared image overlapped mine during my childhood.
When I constantly tried to not be hated by my father.
'Does she not have any friends? With the way she was talking to me earlier...'
Then I saw something under her feet.
I pointed my finger towards the coin.
"Hey, can you pick up that coin?"
Her eyelashes twisted.
"No."
I answered back in a very nonchalant way.
"If you don't want to..."
I took a silver coin out of my pocket, and threw it in the fountain.
Unfortunately, it didn't land in the center like I was hoping for.
"Oh, that's a shame."
"What are you doing now?" She asked, glaring at me.
Somehow someone's expression overlapped with her own, but I paid it no mind and answered gravely. [1]
"If you throw a coin in the middle of this fountain, your wish will come true. That's why that coin under your feet is also meant to be yours."
At my words she picked up the coin.
Soon the coin in her hand passed by me.
Small ripples rose near the center of the fountain with a splash.
Then a faint smile rose around her mouth.
Staring at her, I spoke calmly.
"Now your wish will surely come true."
She replied with a blush at my words.
"That's just a superstition! Don't you know that this won't solve the problem?"
'You have such a sensitive voice.'
"Yes, it's just a superstition."
I threw the coin back into the fountain.
Unlike before, the coin landed near the center this time.
"But sometimes a man gets strength from nothing."
She stared at the fountain, frowning, as she spoke to me.
"What a strange thing to say."
As I was about to speak up...
"Miss Juvellian! Where are you!"
I sighed at the sound of Veronica's voice from the entrance.
"I'll leave you alone. I hope things go well."
After I finished speaking, I quickly stepped towards the entrance.
_
The woman frowned as she watched Juvellian's back get smaller and smaller.
'I dared discuss my future to you. Not to mention I was arrogant and talked down to you.'
The woman murmured calmly.
"I should have asked her for her name."
Then, someone came up to her.
It was a knight of the Imperial Household, whose imperial sentences were engraved on his chest.
"Your Imperial Highness, we should head back now."
At the words, Imperial Highness, Beatrice nodded and covered her face with the black veil.
Then, she realized what she was holding in her hand and frowned.
Originally it was a clean handkerchief, but now it was stained with her tears and snot.
'It's dirty.'
Beatrice stunned herself when she tried to throw away the handkerchief with a straight face.
< I'll leave you alone. I hope things go well. >
For a moment, Beatrice hesitated as she remembered the girls selfless smile.
< If only she were born a male, I wouldn't have to suffer like this. >
'You only pretended to be comfortable in front of me, didn't you?'
It was a coming-of-age ceremony that was supposed to be perfect.
If she had safely held her coming-of-age ceremony in front of many important people and had been recognized by her father, her mother surely would have been happy.
However, the role of the lead changed due to the brutality of her brother.
When she recalled that fact, her stomach boiled.
'On a subject you know nothing about!' [2]
Beatrice stomped on the pink handkerchief angrily.
Then she stopped, her mood changing, as she looked down at the handkerchief with trembling eyes.
< Liche, don't be so weak. You have to be perfect for your mother. > [3]
Beatrice adjusted the veil around her face and spoke.
"Let's go."
_
It was well past dinner time, but no one had touched the food on the table of the Floyen Duchy.
Regis was walking back and forth in a fit of nervousness.
"Why hasn't Juvellian returned? She's never been this late."
"She'll be here any minute. Don't fret My Lord, we had guards accompany her."
It was safe to say that no one would touch Juvellian as long as he was still in good health.
But he couldn't help but worry.
'Should I have followed?'
Suddenly, he felt a carriage approach the mansion
Regis took a quick step to the front door.
Soon after he opened the door and checked his daughter's appearance, the stiff tension escaped his body.
He was relieved, but he was also strangely agitated and angry.
'Why are you coming back so late? Do you know how worried I was about you? What if something happened to you?'
He wanted to show exactly how he felt.
But what came out of his mouth instead was a voice that controlled his emotions like always.
"You're late."
"I was enjoying my time at the temple."
Unlike her words, there was a shadow on her face. [4]
In fact, it was nonsense because his daughter is someone who hates crowded places.
But Regis didn't want any more grudges held against him.
He was afraid that his barely surviving relationship with his daughter could get more damaged.
"Go change your clothes, I'll be waiting for you."
His daughter replied with a weak nod.
"Yes, Father."
Looking at his daughter's back, Regis clenched his fist.
'You said she's your weakness, so why did you leave my daughter alone.'
He couldn't say that his daughter was active, but she's very lively whenever she's with his disciple.
But after his student went to war, Juvellian was in a slump.
Regis wanted to live with his daughter for a long time.
But now, he knows that his wishes are useless.
'Yes, I must admit it now.'
Before all of this happened, he had denied it.
Even if he isn't confident, he needs someone to protect his daughter and soothe her loneliness.
And that someone, who she needs now, is his disciple.
_
Meals were quiet as usual.
He's not usually talkative.
My father is a man of few words, and when I think about it, I'm on a similar level.
'I don't have anything to say but...'
It was strange that I couldn't speak up around him.
Marilyn spoke to me all the time and I often met with the tea tasting members, but there was a gap between us that I couldn't reach.
I sighed as I looked at the steak on the table.
'I'm sure you're eating well, right?'
Although the time I spent with Max was short, I was very comfortable being myself around him.
Laughing and joking.
My time with him made me discover something new about myself.
'If I had known you'd be away for this long, I should have asked you to write me a letter.'
Half of my mind was full of those regrets, on the other hand I was also afraid.
'Will you come back safely?'
I didn't want to think about that, but I also wanted to ask my father.
Maybe he knows the whereabouts of his only student.
'Shall I get my hopes up?'
I thought about it for a moment, but then I laughed in vain.
Maybe he'll think it's strange that I haven't gotten a letter from my lover.
As I was lamenting my situation, I heard my father's voice.
"In a month, the Crown Prince's victory banquet will be held."
I replied in a stiff voice.
"Yes, I heard."
What the hell is his intention by bringing this up?
I put my guard up once again.
"You must be looking forward to it."
'Why would I be looking forward to it? I'm not expecting anything.'
I was freaking out.
I felt like my back was sweating.
But I forced myself to smile.
"I heard there will also be a feast at the banquet."
My father then asked, with a smile on his face, "The banquet is just around the corner. Have you gotten a dress yet?"
"No, not yet."
I was just going to dress plainly.
Once again, my father spoke with a serious expression on his face.
"Don't mind the price of the dress. Make and wear whatever dress you want."
In a way, it felt like the Crown Prince didn't care much about colors.
I felt suffocated and choked by his words.
Max's face came up in my mind, but I hadn't gotten any news about him.
It was a bit too much to refuse my father's words under the pretext that I was already in a relationship with him.
I clenched my fist tightly.
'Yes, I can't rely on his help forever. I'll have to take care of this on my own from now on.'
_
< Maybe there is a way. Victor can disguise himself as you while you return. >
For this reason, the Crown Prince and his knights were minimized to a smaller group and were sent on their way back to the empire.
"Your Highness, slow down! You'll lose control of your horse!"
Dennis, the captain of Max's imperial knights, raised his voice, but he was ignored.
Dennis murmured with frown.
"What treasure do you have hidden in the empire? Why are you in such a hurry?"
This journey would take about a day or two.
What the hell is he thinking?
'Are you doing this to check the status of the system in advance?'
Contrary to Dennis' idea, the reason why Max is in such a hurry was very simple.
'I can finally see her.'
Thanks to the victory of this war, the stigma of the Crown Prince who is known to be a crazy murderer, and a cold-blooded man who does not spare his subordinates has been removed.
< Your Highness the Crown Prince is so great! >
Max smiled as he recalled the image of Juvellian.
"Your Highness, I think we'll have to take a break!"
At the words that came from behind him, Max pulled his horse to a stop and looked back.
The men's words portrayed their appearances; exhausted and motionless.
_
[1] she's talking about how she reminds her of max
[2] she's saying how max wouldn't understand how important this is for her
[3] 'Liche' is a nickname given to her by her mother
[4] her words weren't matching her expression
[ note : i feel like using footnotes is easier lol anywayzzz thanks for 1k reads!!!! nsiefybew ]