Chapter: 08
First, I needed evidence that I had spent the night with him. Until now, I had been taught that a lady was supposed to maintain a pure and virtuous body and mind. If anything, I imagined the atmosphere in the Kingdom of Buendovska was probably similar.
But I had been abandoned by the duke and had immediately found myself following a prince from another country. So there was no need to discuss the virtues expected of a lady.
I knew that he did not consider me his type, but that was irrelevant as well. I intended to offer him an appropriate price, make a deal with him, and persuade him to comply with my request.
Second, according to the customs of the Kingdom of Francia, whenever a member of the royal family went to another country and took up residence there, a delegation was generally sent.
And it was only natural for the crown princess to receive a delegation from her homeland—I disliked using that word, but there was no other way to put it.
How should I arrange such an event? Somehow, I thought it would be satisfying to give the delegation a proper blow. I considered various possibilities.
Creak.
Before I knew it, the carriage had come to a stop. Only then did I look out the window. Someone called out to Henrik.
“We have arrived, Your Highness.”
He had been quiet, perhaps lost in his own thoughts, but he soon stepped out of the carriage. Then he held out his hand to me.
“Madam. Let us get down.”
I glanced outside and saw that many people were watching the carriage.
I put on a practiced smile and took his hand. His hand was firm and somewhat warm. Holding the hand of someone I barely knew felt awkward, but I did not let it show.
Everything is for my purpose, Atilenta.
I did not forget to repeat those words to myself once again, words I had already reminded myself of hundreds of times.
“Miss. Please keep this in mind.”
I quietly stared at the head maid reflected in the mirror as she brushed my hair.
“Do not dare speak to His Highness first. And do not remove the blindfold without His Highness’s permission. That would be extremely vulgar behavior.”
“I understand.”
I answered obediently. Unlike her gentle hands as she prepared me, the head maid’s expression was stern.
In fact, it was not only her. All the maids helping me dress maintained the same cold attitude.
“You know how to put this on, don’t you?”
The maid who carelessly handed me a negligee with a revealing neckline had an expression that was equally unpleasant.
I simply followed their instructions without complaint. The blindfold and the unfamiliar undergarments felt strange, but I understood that this was the proper attitude expected of a foreign bride with little influence.
To be honest, I was accustomed to this kind of contemptuous treatment. In fact, it was almost amusing. Part of me wanted to coldly tell them that they were not the enemies I needed to deal with.
For their disrespectful attitude toward me to change, my husband, Henrik, would first have to help me. That was precisely what I had to accomplish tonight.
It was not as though I had no thought of, What if things do not go according to my plan? It would be a lie to say I was not afraid, but this was a choice I had made.
“You just need to wear this.”
The head maid abruptly turned me around as though I were a child and held out a blindfold. She pointed toward the sofa. Reddish-orange candles flickered around it. In the strange atmosphere, the head maid emphasized one last thing.
“Do not forget what I told you, Princess.”
For a moment, I barely managed to suppress the laugh that threatened to escape.
That title certainly sounded convincing. Even though they were not treating me like a princess at all.
Once I put on the blindfold, I could see only the faint glow of the lights. I carefully walked straight ahead and sat down on the sofa.
I heard the head maid and the other maids quietly leave. The faint glow of the lamps visible through the blindfold seemed strangely similar to my own situation.
Perhaps it was because I was in an unfamiliar place, or perhaps because of what was about to happen. I had experienced nights with men before, but I could not completely rid myself of the tension.
After a brief silence, the door opened.
“Atilenta.”
“You have arrived, Your Highness.”
I could sense only Henrik’s cold voice and his presence, yet somehow it felt as though a rush of warm air had blown over me.
“You. What is the meaning of this troublesome arrangement? Remove the blindfold.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
I took one deep breath and removed the blindfold. Soon, Henrik came clearly into view amid the reddish candlelight. His slightly damp hair fell naturally around his face, and he was wearing a thick robe.
Henrik approached with graceful steps. Acting as though he had no interest whatsoever in the blindfold that seemed to be some kind of tradition in this kingdom, he sat across from me. He poured himself some wine from the bottle on the table and naturally offered me a glass.
“Will you have some wine?”
I accepted the glass and gave a slight nod. I did not particularly enjoy alcohol, but having a glass to mark my escape from the Kingdom of Francia did not seem like such a bad idea.
Besides, I was about to undertake something important.
Though I had no idea what he was thinking.
Henrik was remarkably calm, hardly resembling a newlywed groom on his wedding night.
“The wedding ceremony will be held later. Apparently, it will take several days to prepare.”
Under the candlelight, the wine in Henrik’s glass looked deep red. As I looked into his eyes, which were even darker than that color, I swallowed nervously.
I was a little more nervous than when I had first faced him. I forced myself to appear calm and parted my lips.
“I don’t mind either way. However, Your Highness, there is something I would like to ask of you.”
Henrik reacted without changing so much as his composed brows or smooth expression.
“A request from my bride on our first night together? I suppose I should grant it.”
Even at my sudden request, he remained relaxed. That composure seemed to be part of his natural disposition. It suited a legitimate prince who had been born and raised in this royal family.
There was a genuine dignity about him that even a princess like me would find difficult to imitate.
My throat grew slightly dry as I prepared to make a request that was obviously something a man like him would have no interest in.
“I know very well that I am not your type at all. But tonight, I would like you to at least leave some evidence that you spent the night with me.”
Henrik did not deny my assumption in the slightest. Instead, he tilted his wineglass and swirled it once or twice.
“That was not part of the deal we made. What will you offer in return for making such a request now?”
Henrik’s attitude remained unchanged. His calm expression and cold voice made it clear that he had already understood exactly why I was making such a request.
He might have seemed frightening at a glance, but for me, it was easier to deal with him when he behaved this way. Thanks to that, the strange tension inside me gradually began to subside.
I did not bother putting on a sweet smile and making my request like some affectionate bride, either.
“I will make sure that no information from this place ever leaks to another country.”
In other words, I was promising to uncover all the spies.
Using too much magic over a short period of time would put some strain on my body, but if I wanted to establish myself here, it was something I had to do.
“You really are audacious.”
Henrik’s words were difficult to take as a simple compliment.
Holding his wineglass and leaning deeply against the sofa, he gave off the impression of a leisurely predator.
“You know that I am already doing such a thing. A surveillance agent sent from Francia even followed you, did they not?”
“You are right, Your Highness. But allow me to say this. Are they really the only ones? Besides, even if Your Highness ordered them to leave, there is no way they would obediently withdraw. Do they not have a justification? The justification that they are acting for my sake.”
I brought up one of the points I had prepared.
Henrik’s eyebrow twitched slightly. I could not tell exactly what it meant, but it did not seem as though I had offended him.
He did not frown or attempt to leave. There was merely a slight crack in his otherwise composed expression.
“Then how do you intend to deal with them?”
Before I knew it, I smiled faintly.
Judging by his reaction, my assessment had been correct. I had undoubtedly succeeded in arousing his curiosity.
“If you grant my request now, I will show you tomorrow.”
“Haha…”
Henrik laughed like a quiet breeze. It was different from the cold laugh he had given when I first met him and made a deal with him.
Meanwhile, I continued thinking rapidly in the silence.
Perhaps my proposal was not appealing enough after all. If this did not work, what should I bring up next?
Just then, Henrik spoke in a very low voice.
“You. There is one thing I should point out.”
“Please, go ahead, Your Highness.”
Henrik’s amethyst-colored eyes locked directly onto mine. I flinched slightly beneath his unabashed gaze.
“I do not know why you misunderstood it that way, but…”
Henrik set his wineglass down on the table with a soft thud and stood up.
“I never said that you were not my type.”
