#039. What a Princess Should Possess Is the Attitude That She Herself Is the Gift
I spent the remaining time without giving the Grand Duke’s proposal any thought.
I took care of Cheollima to ensure his condition didn’t worsen, received the dress from Lady Martina, matched the dress code with the Grand Duke, smiled and told the Empress to look forward to the gift, and coordinated the schedule with the Empress Dowager down to the minute.
For the Empress Dowager—who wanted to maintain her power without clashing with the Empress—this event was the perfect opportunity to peacefully assert her superiority. Naturally, it was important to her.
“What a princess should possess is the mindset that she herself is the gift. Everyone knows how much Riana adores the princess and how close Melchizedek is to her. Just showing that such a princess is under my care is enough to remind everyone that I am the elder of the imperial family.”
True to her moderate nature, the Empress Dowager didn’t seem to expect much. But even just standing beside the Emperor and Empress at an event like the Founding Festival would make her presence widely known.
Still, I intended to leave her with a better impression than that. After all, she had been very good to me over the past three years.
And it’s obviously better if the Grand Duke’s companion is someone useful, rather than just someone under the Dowager’s wing as a mere playmate.
“Please don’t worry, Your Majesty. I’ll fulfill my duty.”
Smiling sweetly with the minute-by-minute schedule in front of me, I reassured her. The Dowager looked like she wanted to say something, but perhaps realizing I wouldn’t listen, she just sighed deeply and changed the subject.
“Is your gift prepared?”
“Yes, it’s perfect.”
Though I couldn’t practice riding, Cheollima was in peak condition. It had all paid off—three years of feeding him rice gruel made with sesame and polished white rice, and tearing up half the garden so he could roam freely.
If the Grand Duke found out the back garden of the Jasper Palace had turned into a horse paddock, he might clutch his neck in dismay again. But it’s not like he’d suddenly go out there after not setting foot in it for three years anyway. If he cared, he should’ve asked for the grounds usage chart along with the palace operation report.
While I was pettily justifying myself to an 8-year-old in my mind, the Empress Dowager reviewed the Grand Duke’s matching outfit and added a few notes.
“Tell him to wear a bow tie. The handkerchief and the tie should be the same color. If you’re worried it might look tacky, add some jeweled embellishment. That’ll keep it coordinated while softening any garishness.”
I had chosen a light lavender dress. Usually, partners match the main color, but pairing the suit with that color made things tricky—especially with the Grand Duke’s already striking red hair.
So we decided on an ivory suit base, with lavender accents for the tie and handkerchief—light lavender for the tie and deep purple for the handkerchief.
But the Empress Dowager wanted to revise that.
I didn’t really know whether ivory and purple matched or not, so I just nodded mechanically.
“Yes, I’ll pass that along.”
“I’m curious about this gift you’ve been preparing so meticulously for Riana… but I suppose you won’t show me?”
At her playful probing, I just smiled sweetly.
“It’ll be much more fun to see it on the day.”
And I truly meant it. Of course, peace was preferable to war, but if some great conflict were to happen, and Riana became a hero and had a biography written, I was certain that what would happen tomorrow would be recorded in every book.
Since I was giving a horse as a gift, I had asked the Empress Dowager to hold the birthday celebration outdoors. Because I had made the request, I was prepared to take the blame if it rained—but thankfully, the day was clear.
“Isn’t that a relief?”
Normally, I would’ve had to be at the banquet hall from the beginning, but since the Grand Duke was escorting me in, we entered together. He leaned in to whisper.
Following the Dowager’s suggestion, he wore a matching bow tie and handkerchief in the same color, with a brooch of black onyx wrapped in platinum on both his left bow and his pocket square.
I wore a short-sleeved, short-hemmed lavender dress with layered lace to cover the exposure, and a matching brooch with black onyx set in platinum on the collar.
It wasn’t the deep purple that His Majesty often wore, which was a bit disappointing, but with the cut of this dress, using such a vivid color would’ve just looked tacky.
To me, we looked quite good together.
“Yes, it really is,” I replied calmly, suppressing my racing heart. It had been a long time since I had introduced myself to strangers like this. My heart thudded at the unfamiliarity.
After all, for the last 20 years before I died, there wasn’t a soul who didn’t know me. Back then, I was the one sitting inside, evaluating others as they were introduced.
“Presenting Grand Duke Randolph and Her Highness, Princess of the Kingdom of Lamore!”
At the attendant’s announcement, I placed my hand on the Grand Duke’s arm and began walking slowly. He adjusted his pace to match mine.
“Just act like you normally do—you’re shamelessly good at this.”
With his lighthearted encouragement, I barely managed to raise the corners of my lips. That’s right. It’s just been a while—not something I’ve never done. I ignored the scrutinizing gazes and walked ahead confidently.
“Happy birthday, Your Majesty.”
“Happy birthday, Your Highness.”
After what felt like an eternity, we finally stood before Riana and offered our greetings.
“Thank you.”
Riana greeted us with a slightly more formal tone than usual, and a graceful smile on her lips.
Thinking back, even at our first meeting, Riana had convincingly acted like a composed and elegant empress.
“Princess Blanche has prepared a gift for Your Highness. I hope you’ll receive it with joy.”
“Oh my. What could the princess have prepared? I’m so curious.”
The Grand Duke gently hinted at the gift. Riana seemed more touched that I had prepared something for her than by the gift itself.
“A horse.”
“A horse?”
Riana’s eyes widened. Around us, stifled laughter broke out.
“Ah, the Lamore princess must not know yet.”
“Still, what a sweet gesture.”
They all assumed I had picked the gift without knowing that animals trembled before Riana.
But I didn’t care. The way they looked at me—as an ignorant, innocent child—would soon disappear anyway. I raised my hand calmly.
“A horse.”
Until I, Blanche, shyly revealed the gift, the nobles filling the banquet were prepared to view me favorably—completely unlike the children at the tea party three years ago.
That tea party had been full of kids Riana’s age—potential rivals for the Grand Duke’s friendship. But the people here today were all adults. They had no reason to compete with me and instead saw befriending me as a strategic way to get closer to the Grand Duke.
They had fully prepared to coo and fawn over me.
“Bring it in!”
And in front of those people, I declared confidently.
“What… what is that?”
The nobles blinked in disbelief.
Responding to my call, the horse was led in by a man—fierce in appearance.
The horse snorted and stomped its feet, shaking its shoulders like it wanted to destroy everything around it. The man holding the reins tried to stand tall, but couldn’t hide his trembling shoulders.
The nobles had expected a docile creature, like the ones that would obediently kneel at Riana’s gesture. Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
“I-Isn’t it dangerous?”
“It looks like it could break free at any moment…!”
“Hey, someone should call for—”
While the nobles murmured anxiously, Riana remained calm. No—she looked even more vibrant than earlier, when she’d been delighting in my cuteness.
“What a fine horse. Where did you find such a good one?”
Looking closely, she was right. The horse had a sturdy back, strong legs, bright eyes, and a thick mane. But it was hard to appreciate those qualities calmly when its leg muscles were bulging, ready to kick someone.
“His Highness offered to gift me a horse, and I found this one while we were out together. The moment I saw it, I thought of Your Majesty.”
I smiled sweetly, as if I couldn’t even see the snorting beast beside me. The horse, furious that there were two humans unafraid of it, raised its front legs and neighed loudly. Riana casually reached for the reins.
“Riana, that’s dangerous…!”
Berken shouted in alarm. He was usually so formal, but his panic made him call her by name without a title.
But apart from a few, no one was truly worried about Riana. Half believed the horse would soon yield to her presence, and the other half thought she would overpower it.
Yet Riana defied everyone’s expectations. She took the reins and simply turned the horse slowly—so it couldn’t see its own shadow.
