ICOF 13

Chapter 13

On a lazy, boring afternoon, I sat with my back turned to a group of noble ladies who were famous in many ways throughout Lewelln.

“Doesn’t today’s ball feel a bit different?”

“It does. There are more couples.”

The ladies had gathered in small groups, chatting away after a long time.

Compared to the ball a month ago, there were noticeably more couples now, and with even news of engagements spreading, their main topic of interest was how those couples had come together.

“I heard Princess Giselle even has a waiting list now?”

I let out a quiet scoff.

These people really do spread information at lightning speed.

Wow, their information network is insane.

Well… It was a bit exaggerated, but not entirely wrong either.

At this point, the rumors might as well be walking around on their own.

“Then are all the couples getting married this time matched by the princess?”

Hmm… saying seventy percent of them are thanks to me wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

But it’s not like I wanted to do it.

Honestly, the whole process was pretty annoying, and it cost me quite a bit too.

“I heard Princess Giselle even predicted that widow Charlotte would remarry.”

“What? How absurd. Isn’t Charlotte already over sixty? Remarrying at that age…”

“Exactly. The princess must have seriously injured her head.”

Tsk.

I snapped my fan shut.

I didn’t like that prediction either, but what could I do? I just said what came out.

I didn’t even know that elegant Lady Charlotte was already over sixty.

How does she take care of herself so well in a world without fillers?

These days, I get my divine power purified by a priest, so I don’t blurt things out like before—but back then, I really couldn’t control it.

“Y-Your Highness!”

At the sound of someone calling me nearby, I looked up and saw two familiar faces.

“Your Highness, how did you know? That Sir Tristan and I would meet? Are you really a disciple of the great mage Melvin?”

Miss Sophie, who had just bowed to greet me, immediately started chattering, while beside her stood Sir Tristan—Adrian’s junior and my brother Lucas’s chief knight—looking at her with affection.

I scratched my ear.

“I’d like to meet Melvin too. I’d ask him to make me disappear. Then no one would bother me anymore.”

“Haha, Your Highness, you’re so funny.”

“I’m not joking…”

Tristan bowed respectfully.

“Your Highness, thank you. If I hadn’t gone to the parade that day, I wouldn’t have met Miss Sophie.”

I waved my hand awkwardly.

“Oh, it’s nothing. You two would’ve met anyway—I just sped things up a little.”

“May I tell the story?”

Sophie slipped into the seat beside me and gestured for Tristan to sit as well.

I tried to decline.

“That’s okay—”

“No, listen! I went to see the parade with Maria, and it was so amazing that I completely forgot what you said. Then I suddenly realized my bag was gone, and I ran around desperately looking for it…”

She took a breath and continued.

“It had important things and money in it! But then Sir Tristan and his friends caught the pickpocket! Just like you said, he was wearing blue that day!”

“Oh, I see.”

Even though my lukewarm reaction might’ve been disappointing, the two of them kept talking endlessly—about that day and how quickly they fell in love.

After finishing the story, Sophie clasped her hands together, looking blissful.

“Just like you said, I really met my destined partner.”

At that moment, I felt strange gazes and turned around.

The noble ladies who had been gossiping about me earlier had gathered behind us, listening to Sophie like they were enchanted.

“Oh my, Your Highness, you’re truly remarkable. How did you know?”

“Can you really see the future?”

“Your Highness, my daughter is ten—could you take a look at her future too?”

See? This is exactly why it’s exhausting.

I stood up immediately and smiled at Sophie and Tristan.

“Congratulations on becoming a couple.”

Then I smiled at one of the ladies who had just been badmouthing me.

“Madam, weren’t you just worried that I injured my head badly? And yet you’re asking someone like me to predict your ten-year-old daughter’s future? What if I say something wrong?”

The woman was left speechless, her mouth slightly open.

I gave a polite bow to those pleading with me and quickly left.

“Your Highness! Your Highness!”

They called after me, but I didn’t look back.

I just hurried down the hallway, muttering to myself.

Damn it. Side job suspended for now!

At this rate, I’ll become a famous matchmaker in this world.

I could already guess who was spreading the rumors, so I decided to ignore their letters for a while.

“Where are you going?”

A man’s voice echoed through the empty corridor like it was coming from a cave.

I squinted and saw a man walking toward me, backlit by bright lights.

Adrian.

He was walking down the corridor in a sharp tailcoat.

His golden hair shimmered, and his slightly downturned blue eyes looked clear and bright.

And… was that a smile?

…Am I imagining things?

I rubbed my eyes briefly.

I thought he didn’t usually attend balls.

As he approached, I answered,

“I’m heading back to my quarters. It’s boring, and it’s just troublesome here.”

“I was on my way to see you. Are you leaving already?”

“Me? Why?”

“I wanted to talk.”

I scoffed internally.

Given all the gossip inside, being seen together would only fuel more rumors.

“You know what will happen if we’re seen together. They’ll say Princess Giselle is still clinging to Sir Adrian. That she can’t move on.”

“…”

Seeing his expression, I realized I had unintentionally touched his guilt.

The atmosphere turned awkward, so I cleared my throat.

“Ahem. You should dance with other ladies and enjoy yourself. We can’t keep being treated as a set forever.”

As I turned to leave, Adrian grabbed my wrist.

“Giselle, I’m sorry.”

His pale blue eyes seemed to pull me in.

Whoa—what’s with that expression?

I blinked, confused.

…Pity?

Rosa once told me that after my mother passed away, Adrian had treated me very kindly.

He taught me how to ride horses, comforted me when I was lonely—sometimes even more like a brother than Lucas.

But after I hit puberty and started liking him too much, he felt burdened and slowly distanced himself.

Upset, I cried to Rosa one day, begging her to arrange a meeting with him.

At the ball, I asked him to marry me.

After being rejected, I begged Father to arrange the marriage.

Eventually, the king intervened, forcing Adrian into an engagement, with a promise to marry me after the war.

But as soon as he returned, he said he couldn’t go through with it.

And when I calmly agreed to cancel the engagement, he said I had changed.

Hearing all this from Rosa, I could understand him a little.

No one likes a forced marriage.

And even if I had clung to him desperately, I would’ve had to accept that he’d never truly be mine.

I pulled my wrist away.

“You already apologized before. That’s enough.”

After hearing everything, I felt like the one who should apologize—well, the past me.

But that wasn’t me, so what could I do?

Either way, things would probably stay awkward between us.

Adrian hesitated, then asked,

“There’s something I want to ask. Back then, you chased after me so persistently—why did you suddenly change?”

Why does he keep bringing this up …?

I frowned, looking down.

“I told you—I fell off a horse—”

“How long are you going to keep using that excuse?”

“Excuse me? You saw me collapse! I hurt my leg and head badly, and then I fell again in my brother’s office—honestly, why do I even have to explain this?”

Flustered, I started walking—then realized I had taken the wrong direction and quickly turned around.

And—

Thud!

I ran straight into Adrian’s chest.

Startled, he pulled back slightly and grabbed my arms.

“Giselle… just be honest. You still like me, don’t you?”

…What?

How did he reach that conclusion?

“Oh my, how shameless. Why are you doing this to someone you rejected? Do you want me to confess again?”

He looked away briefly.

“That’s not it. I just don’t understand. Then… why did you send Prince Lucas to me?”

“I already explained that. Human decency. I’m a compassionate princess. Unlike someone who treated me like baggage because he didn’t want to marry me, I just couldn’t ignore the fact that you’d get hurt—even if things are over.”

He stared at me blankly, then quickly let go of my arms.

What’s with that expression? Did something just click for him?

He looked stunned.

“Ugh, clingy men are so exhausting.”

I snapped open my fan and waved it hard.

“Sir Adrian, I didn’t think you’d be this hung up. But the train has already left!”

With that, I briskly walked down the corridor.

After a few steps, I wondered if I’d gone too far and glanced back.

Adrian was still standing there.

For some reason, his face looked unusually shadowed.