CH:46
Kaon followed the attendant up to the second floor of the banquet hall. The silent attendant led him toward a balcony tucked beside the farthest column. As Kaon stepped into the space, the heavy curtains brushing against his shoulders, he saw a woman standing with her back turned.
“I’ve come as summoned, Your Highness,” he said quietly.
Only then did the princess slowly turn to face him. Her auburn hair, styled up in an elegant twist, bore a striking resemblance to the queen’s. A radiant smile lit up her face, well suited to her lightly sun-kissed skin and cool, confident demeanor.
“Sir Kaon Ferdinand. It must’ve been sudden, but thank you for coming. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, it has.”
“How long has it been… Seven years, at least?”
“Something like that,” he replied.
Since his father’s health began to decline, Leonidas had attended events alone. Even before that, Princess Odelya was rarely seen at social gatherings.
“You were the darling of the little ladies even back then. And now, you’ve become a man so fine, I feel shy just standing here.”
“You flatter me.”
Kaon offered a polite, measured response. He wasn’t one to bask in compliments—what truly piqued his curiosity was why he had been summoned in the first place. He had no particular connection to the princess, and he could wager his sword hand that she hadn’t called him here out of any personal interest.
Her words suggested otherwise, but the way she scrutinized him—thorough and devoid of the dreamy anticipation he was used to seeing from admirers—was enough to make her intent feel clinical. Dispassionate.
“Oh, and I heard the news of your engagement. Congratulations. Ferdinand and Ingelos—what a fascinating match! I had no idea such interesting things were happening while I was away from Gaios.”
“It was an unexpected connection, nothing more.”
“Indeed. Not even the gods watching from the heavens could have foreseen it, I’m sure. No wonder His Majesty flew into such a rage.”
At that, Kaon turned his gaze to her, his attention sharpening. The princess, annoyed by the cumbersome pearl pin in her hair, pulled it free and tossed it aside. Her now-loose bangs fluttered gently in the breeze as she let out a relieved sigh.
“I saw the young lady of Ingelos for the first time, and she’s truly beautiful. You must feel quite fortunate, having such a lovely woman as your future wife.”
“…She would be very embarrassed to hear that,” Kaon replied dryly.
Though, in truth, she might feign modesty while secretly agreeing. Why else would she bring up her face so often?
“You two seem to get along better than I thought.”
He wasn’t sure what gave her that impression, but her expression brimmed with intrigue. She seemed unusually invested in their engagement.
But why? he wondered.
Princess Odelya had only recently returned to Gaios. The extent of what she could know about his engagement was limited to: Ferdinand and Ingelos are now betrothed. She could likely infer each house’s motivations, but that wouldn’t change anything.
And it was hard to believe she had any political angle in mind—Odelya had never shown much interest in court society. If it were Prince Arno, perhaps… but not her.
“That’s surprising. I was under the impression it was a forced engagement.”
“I can understand why you might think that, Your Highness, but I don’t believe it’s your place to say so.”
Kaon’s shoulders tensed at her bluntness. Had she not been a princess, her words would have been called rude, and rightly so.
“Oh, don’t worry,” she said lightly. “I can promise, in my name, that no one is eavesdropping on us. I simply wanted to speak with you—openly.”
Not content to leave it at that, she gestured around them as if to prove her point. The curtains separating the balcony from the banquet hall were thick, and the surroundings were utterly still.
But Kaon didn’t much care for private heart-to-hearts with royalty, especially not this one. It was an unnecessary courtesy as far as he was concerned.
“And why should I entertain this conversation?”
“Because what I have to say can only benefit you—and your family.”
Her chin lifted slightly, brimming with quiet confidence. Kaon hesitated. If this were merely a matter concerning him, he would’ve walked away without a second thought. But the mention of his house gave him pause.
“…Then I’ll listen.”
“Wise decision,” she said, clapping once and beaming.
“As you know, I’ve just returned from studying in the Kingdom of Amper. A sun-drenched land, where the seas shimmer and life flows freely.”
Kaon remained silent. The Kingdom of Amper, in the southwestern part of the continent, was known for livestock and fruit exports—grapes especially. It was no cultural mecca, which is likely why the king had opposed her studying there. The rumors had made their rounds.
“I learned a great deal while living there. Things I never could have discovered in this stiflingly beautiful palace.”
“I wasn’t here to hear your memoirs.”
“Do you carry your sense of romance solely on your face, sir?”
Rolling her eyes at his bluntness, she continued, now with more fervor in her voice.
“What I mean is… Amper taught me what it means to be free. What it means to love. Values I never even noticed while in Gaios.”
“…When you say love…”
“Yes. I have a lover in Amper. He’s everything I ever dreamed of—passionate, sincere. I fell for him the moment I met him. Ah, just talking about him makes me miss him all over again…”
Kaon frowned. He had less than zero interest in other people’s love affairs. They could kiss, elope, or even dance naked for all he cared—as long as he didn’t have to hear about it.
Yet despite himself, a nagging unease began to creep in. Why was a princess—one he barely knew—confiding all this in him?
“He’ll be coming here soon.”
“…Officially?”
“Oh, heavens no,” she replied brightly, as if the absurdity of the idea amused her.
His headache deepened. He had asked out of caution, but hearing her response confirmed his suspicions.
To his knowledge, Amper’s royal family had no sons. Only two daughters. Since Odelya clearly referred to her lover as a man, it meant he wasn’t royalty.
Which meant: Princess Odelya had fallen for a commoner. And there was no way King Mahav II, who doted on his daughter like a jewel, would permit such a match.
That was when Kaon finally understood why she’d summoned him here.
“Marry me, Sir Kaon.”
And just like that, his suspicion was confirmed.
“Your engagement is still just that—an engagement. And you’ve got two years until you come of age. Unfortunate for you, but I’ll be of age next year. Fortunately for me, my father has already promised not to rush me into marriage.”
“……”
“So, what’s a little two-year wait? Maybe three, if he’s feeling generous. But I doubt that. Still, your age lines up quite perfectly with mine, doesn’t it?”
Kaon was speechless for a moment. She spoke of misfortune and luck so flippantly it was hard to keep up. One thing was certain—being dragged into this conversation was not lucky.
“…Didn’t you just congratulate me on my engagement?”
“I did! And I meant it. The two of you make a striking couple. If he had seen you, I’m sure he’d have called you a picture-perfect match.”
“……”
“I’m only asking you to marry me. That’s it. Nothing complicated. You can go on and find your own love afterward. Not that Father would ever approve of just anyone, but he’d welcome you.”
In short, she wanted him to become her shield—a decoy husband—so she could protect her forbidden love.
Kaon momentarily wondered whether her brain had been replaced with a bouquet of flowers.
“I know the king’s offer to Ferdinand was deeply unfair. It’s no surprise your house rejected it.”
Kaon was about to shut her down, but her next words stopped him cold.
“I do have some sources of my own, you know,” she said with a knowing smile.
“If you agree to marry me, I’ll make sure the royal mages are sent to support your house. I’m not saying I can send an entire battalion—but it’ll be far better than whatever the Mage Tower is willing to lend you. You don’t think my father would refuse me that much, do you?”
She was utterly confident—completely assured of her father’s willingness to bend to her whims. It was almost comical. And yet… not entirely impossible.
King Mahav II might never propose this match himself. But if Odelya begged him? He might relent. After all, Ferdinand was one of the old guard’s most loyal houses—a name that still commanded respect.
A mage he would never lend to a mere ally… he might grant to a son-in-law. Mahav II was that kind of king.
After a long, heavy silence, Kaon finally opened his mouth.
