Unlike me, who was frozen stiffly along with the atmosphere, Callius was leisurely, as if he were alone in a different space.
It was as if he had no eyes or ears.
'Do you want to provoke my father?'
If that's the case, then it was a success.
Because the color in my father's normally calm face rose.
‘Besides, the expressions on his subordinates’ faces were so bad that it was hard to believe his words at face value...’
Even considering that the culture and temperament of northerners may differ greatly from those of southerners, that was clearly not a welcoming expression.
'I feel like my face is going to burst.'
Does Callius really not know what kind of faces his subordinates have behind his back?
The Arrental nobles frowned and whispered at Callius's words and actions, and the menacing expressions on his subordinates.
“You are incredibly arrogant.”
“Don’t you think those people are looking at someone?”
“In a situation where I can’t even bow down to this slanted marriage...!”
I was amazed.
'Even if the Princess is a clown they laugh at, it seems like a waste to give her to the people of Ronheim.'
At that moment, before my father could show any sign of displeasure, Kavala quickly changed the mood.
“Marquis Rodrian, I am glad that your people seem to be showing favor to our lovely Princess Chloe.”
Her shamelessness rivaled Callius's.
Knowing that Kavala was pushing for this marriage to eliminate Callius, her fake smile reminded me of a viper preparing to devour its prey.
“Yes, now that everyone’s here, shall we get down to business?”
She shouted loudly towards the nobles as if trying to get rid of them quickly.
“I would like you all gathered here to witness the engagement between Princess Chloe and Marquis Rodrian.”
Then she looked at me.
"Chloe, declare before the witnesses. Do you consent, of your own free will, to the engagement with Marquis Rodrian?"
I glanced at Callius and nodded.
“Yes, I agree.”
I spoke confidently, but my voice sounded like a mumble, lacking confidence.
The space was too large and there were too many people, so the sound control failed.
When Callius's subordinates heard my answer, they were strangely excited.
'What?'
But Kavala immediately asked the same question to Callius, so I had no time to pay attention to his subordinates.
“Marquis Rodrian, if you consent to this engagement freely and of your own free will, declare it before the witnesses.”
One word of agreement would have been enough.
At las.
I was getting impatient, so I winked at Callius.
But Callius' movements were leisurely.
He turned towards me.
Then he got down on one knee in front of me.
“...?”
He took my hand politely and gently.
The enchanting golden gaze seemed to capture every cell of my being.
He kept his gaze fixed on me and slowly brought the back of my hand to his lips.
Soft lips pressed against my skin, and a small sound tickled my ears, making the hairs on my body stand on end.
It was clearly just a soft lump of flesh that touched and fell for a moment, but for some reason, the back of my hand felt hot as if it had been stamped with a hot iron plate.
The feeling was so unfamiliar that I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them.
He spoke forcefully, step by step.
"Chloe Idelian. I offer my last breath to you."
The enchanting golden eyes with long eyelashes and delicate eyes stared straight at me.
Somehow, I felt out of breath.
I couldn't meet his gaze at all.
'Why are you talking so grandly about something like a contract marriage?'
A single word of agreement would be enough.
Even if it was just a meaningless statement made in front of people, it was difficult to accept such a confession.
But since I couldn't refuse, I avoided eye contact and pushed his confession away from my conscience.
'I wonder if that's the kind of person who usually talks like that.'
I remembered the contents of a letter he had sent me a while ago.
Sentences that felt so exaggerated and light that they just felt ridiculous.
But his firm gaze, his hot body temperature, and his deep voice looking up at me added layers and layers to those grandiose sentences.
Then they were no longer a string of ridiculous words, but transformed into a heartfelt confession.
Thump.
My chest felt tighter than ever before.
I was startled and pulled my hand away from his grasp and pressed it against my chest.
'Hurry up... I need to go back to my place and rest quickly.'
Maybe it was because I was nervous. My breathing was rapid and my face was hot, so I thought I was sick.
As I pulled my hand away from him, he raised his body from where he had been bending down, and his huge shadow trapped me.
I thought he would turn around soon.
But he didn't move from his seat, but reached out and touched my cheek.
'What, what is it...?'
At that moment, when I was bewildered by the incomprehensible action, I felt the scab on my cheek, covered with thick makeup, brush against his hand.
The scab that formed on the wound from when the vase broke a few days ago has not yet fallen off.
He was touching the tiny wound, wondering how he had found it.
This time, he whispered in a small voice that only I could hear.
“No matter how fierce the snowstorm is, it will eventually stop.”
“...!”
I opened my eyes wide and looked at him.
“The snowstorm is bound to stop.”
It was the congratulatory words that Karl would often say when he was cheering me on or comforting me.
Callius's appearance overlapped with that of the sword.
As if they were one person.
'It's really... really weird.'
Is it right to say that it is amazing?
I thought we only looked alike, but even the way they talk is similar.
Callius was trying to seem overly friendly.
I shook my head, wary of that thought.
'It must be a coincidence. It's a bit strange. That person isn't Karl, Chloe. Come to your senses.'
I looked at Kavala, thinking nothing of it, hoping she would quickly conclude the engagement ceremony.
But for some reason, Kavala stood still, looking at the two of us.
Looking back, it wasn't just Kavala, but almost everyone in the room was like that. I was puzzled.
'Why are they all like that?'
Kavala belatedly became aware of my gaze and naturally led the atmosphere in the room like flowing water.
“His Majesty the Emperor and I, in the presence of our witnesses, gladly consent to the marriage of Princess Chloe and Marquis Rodrian.”
Ceremonial applause erupted here and there.
At the same time, in a corner of the audience room, young noble girls gathered with their peers, biting their lips in silence.
They were the ones who reacted greatly to Chloe and Callius' every gesture, constantly chattering with their cherry-colored lips.
They constantly evaluated Chloe's dress, quipped about her hair, and jeered at Callius's tacky manners.
But at some point, everyone fell silent.
It was from the time when Callius knelt before Chloe.
In fact, they weren't the only ones who remained silent at that moment. Kavala and the other nobles were also momentarily dumbfounded by Callius's actions.
However, among them, the emotional changes of these girls were faster and more distinct.
'What...?'
Although they didn't share their thoughts with each other, they all had similar thoughts.
'Could it be that I'm in love with that savage?'
When Callius politely kissed the back of Chloe's hand, the girls were involuntarily impressed.
From then on, Callius was no longer seen as a 'bad-looking, beastly savage', but as a 'person'.
And when they recognized him like that, their vision, which had been clouded by fog, cleared up.
In the brightened vision, Callius' handsome face, his well-proportioned and handsome body, and his restrained and polite demeanor were all clearly visible.
All the background surrounding him no longer seemed relevant.
The girls who were watching him kiss Chloe's hand swallowed several times without realizing it.
It was just a simple hand kiss, but there was a certain intensity to his act that made them feel excited just by watching it.
Just before, they were giggling, betting that Chloe would not collapse because she was so scared of Callius.
But now they had completely forgotten that they were even making that bet.
'Why... does it look cool?'
The girls' hearts swayed like reeds.
It was the moment when a new idol was born in their hearts that they could not tell anyone about.
Callius, completely unaware that he had set the hearts of many girls on fire, left the audience room a moment later and mounted his horse.
His expression had been hard since he left Chloe.
“...”
He stared at the tips of his fingers that had stroked her cheek.
It was a very sharp and cold gaze.
'What was it?'
At first, he noticed the wound on her cheek and unconsciously put his hand there.
This fragile body, which looks like it could break if he hit it, is bleeding.
'Why on earth, who, and how?'
Callius had also heard that Chloe had broken the vase he had sent.
But he couldn't connect it with her wounds.
Instead, he suspected that Chloe had suffered some untold ordeal at the palace.
There must have been some reason why the vase was broken.
'We need to get her out of this awful place as soon as possible.'
Impatience arose.
In the midst of all this, the moment his hand touched her wound, he felt an eerie aura of unknown origin.
That wasn't Chloe's natural aura.
There was something unpleasant lurking inside her, slowly gnawing away at her life force.
The blood of a living organism contains a lot of information related to its vitality.
Even if it had hardened into a scab, there was still something to be understood.
Callius possessed a keen ability to discern information contained in blood, an ability he inherited from his mother.
'I don't know what it is, but it feels ominous.'
Was that a curse?
Did someone put a curse on her?
He thought it would be best to take him to Ronheim and have her examined by a competent sorcerer.
At first, he was worried that the harsh cold of Ronheim would be poisonous to Chloe, but now he thinks differently.
The dampness of the South was undoubtedly a more fatal poison to her than the cold of the North.
It was as if he had no eyes or ears.
'Do you want to provoke my father?'
If that's the case, then it was a success.
Because the color in my father's normally calm face rose.
‘Besides, the expressions on his subordinates’ faces were so bad that it was hard to believe his words at face value...’
Even considering that the culture and temperament of northerners may differ greatly from those of southerners, that was clearly not a welcoming expression.
'I feel like my face is going to burst.'
Does Callius really not know what kind of faces his subordinates have behind his back?
The Arrental nobles frowned and whispered at Callius's words and actions, and the menacing expressions on his subordinates.
“You are incredibly arrogant.”
“Don’t you think those people are looking at someone?”
“In a situation where I can’t even bow down to this slanted marriage...!”
I was amazed.
'Even if the Princess is a clown they laugh at, it seems like a waste to give her to the people of Ronheim.'
At that moment, before my father could show any sign of displeasure, Kavala quickly changed the mood.
“Marquis Rodrian, I am glad that your people seem to be showing favor to our lovely Princess Chloe.”
Her shamelessness rivaled Callius's.
Knowing that Kavala was pushing for this marriage to eliminate Callius, her fake smile reminded me of a viper preparing to devour its prey.
“Yes, now that everyone’s here, shall we get down to business?”
She shouted loudly towards the nobles as if trying to get rid of them quickly.
“I would like you all gathered here to witness the engagement between Princess Chloe and Marquis Rodrian.”
Then she looked at me.
"Chloe, declare before the witnesses. Do you consent, of your own free will, to the engagement with Marquis Rodrian?"
I glanced at Callius and nodded.
“Yes, I agree.”
I spoke confidently, but my voice sounded like a mumble, lacking confidence.
The space was too large and there were too many people, so the sound control failed.
When Callius's subordinates heard my answer, they were strangely excited.
'What?'
But Kavala immediately asked the same question to Callius, so I had no time to pay attention to his subordinates.
“Marquis Rodrian, if you consent to this engagement freely and of your own free will, declare it before the witnesses.”
One word of agreement would have been enough.
At las.
I was getting impatient, so I winked at Callius.
But Callius' movements were leisurely.
He turned towards me.
Then he got down on one knee in front of me.
“...?”
He took my hand politely and gently.
The enchanting golden gaze seemed to capture every cell of my being.
He kept his gaze fixed on me and slowly brought the back of my hand to his lips.
Soft lips pressed against my skin, and a small sound tickled my ears, making the hairs on my body stand on end.
It was clearly just a soft lump of flesh that touched and fell for a moment, but for some reason, the back of my hand felt hot as if it had been stamped with a hot iron plate.
The feeling was so unfamiliar that I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them.
He spoke forcefully, step by step.
"Chloe Idelian. I offer my last breath to you."
The enchanting golden eyes with long eyelashes and delicate eyes stared straight at me.
Somehow, I felt out of breath.
I couldn't meet his gaze at all.
'Why are you talking so grandly about something like a contract marriage?'
A single word of agreement would be enough.
Even if it was just a meaningless statement made in front of people, it was difficult to accept such a confession.
But since I couldn't refuse, I avoided eye contact and pushed his confession away from my conscience.
'I wonder if that's the kind of person who usually talks like that.'
I remembered the contents of a letter he had sent me a while ago.
Sentences that felt so exaggerated and light that they just felt ridiculous.
But his firm gaze, his hot body temperature, and his deep voice looking up at me added layers and layers to those grandiose sentences.
Then they were no longer a string of ridiculous words, but transformed into a heartfelt confession.
Thump.
My chest felt tighter than ever before.
I was startled and pulled my hand away from his grasp and pressed it against my chest.
'Hurry up... I need to go back to my place and rest quickly.'
Maybe it was because I was nervous. My breathing was rapid and my face was hot, so I thought I was sick.
As I pulled my hand away from him, he raised his body from where he had been bending down, and his huge shadow trapped me.
I thought he would turn around soon.
But he didn't move from his seat, but reached out and touched my cheek.
'What, what is it...?'
At that moment, when I was bewildered by the incomprehensible action, I felt the scab on my cheek, covered with thick makeup, brush against his hand.
The scab that formed on the wound from when the vase broke a few days ago has not yet fallen off.
He was touching the tiny wound, wondering how he had found it.
This time, he whispered in a small voice that only I could hear.
“No matter how fierce the snowstorm is, it will eventually stop.”
“...!”
I opened my eyes wide and looked at him.
“The snowstorm is bound to stop.”
It was the congratulatory words that Karl would often say when he was cheering me on or comforting me.
Callius's appearance overlapped with that of the sword.
As if they were one person.
'It's really... really weird.'
Is it right to say that it is amazing?
I thought we only looked alike, but even the way they talk is similar.
Callius was trying to seem overly friendly.
I shook my head, wary of that thought.
'It must be a coincidence. It's a bit strange. That person isn't Karl, Chloe. Come to your senses.'
I looked at Kavala, thinking nothing of it, hoping she would quickly conclude the engagement ceremony.
But for some reason, Kavala stood still, looking at the two of us.
Looking back, it wasn't just Kavala, but almost everyone in the room was like that. I was puzzled.
'Why are they all like that?'
Kavala belatedly became aware of my gaze and naturally led the atmosphere in the room like flowing water.
“His Majesty the Emperor and I, in the presence of our witnesses, gladly consent to the marriage of Princess Chloe and Marquis Rodrian.”
Ceremonial applause erupted here and there.
***
At the same time, in a corner of the audience room, young noble girls gathered with their peers, biting their lips in silence.
They were the ones who reacted greatly to Chloe and Callius' every gesture, constantly chattering with their cherry-colored lips.
They constantly evaluated Chloe's dress, quipped about her hair, and jeered at Callius's tacky manners.
But at some point, everyone fell silent.
It was from the time when Callius knelt before Chloe.
In fact, they weren't the only ones who remained silent at that moment. Kavala and the other nobles were also momentarily dumbfounded by Callius's actions.
However, among them, the emotional changes of these girls were faster and more distinct.
'What...?'
Although they didn't share their thoughts with each other, they all had similar thoughts.
'Could it be that I'm in love with that savage?'
When Callius politely kissed the back of Chloe's hand, the girls were involuntarily impressed.
From then on, Callius was no longer seen as a 'bad-looking, beastly savage', but as a 'person'.
And when they recognized him like that, their vision, which had been clouded by fog, cleared up.
In the brightened vision, Callius' handsome face, his well-proportioned and handsome body, and his restrained and polite demeanor were all clearly visible.
All the background surrounding him no longer seemed relevant.
The girls who were watching him kiss Chloe's hand swallowed several times without realizing it.
It was just a simple hand kiss, but there was a certain intensity to his act that made them feel excited just by watching it.
Just before, they were giggling, betting that Chloe would not collapse because she was so scared of Callius.
But now they had completely forgotten that they were even making that bet.
'Why... does it look cool?'
The girls' hearts swayed like reeds.
It was the moment when a new idol was born in their hearts that they could not tell anyone about.
***
Callius, completely unaware that he had set the hearts of many girls on fire, left the audience room a moment later and mounted his horse.
His expression had been hard since he left Chloe.
“...”
He stared at the tips of his fingers that had stroked her cheek.
It was a very sharp and cold gaze.
'What was it?'
At first, he noticed the wound on her cheek and unconsciously put his hand there.
This fragile body, which looks like it could break if he hit it, is bleeding.
'Why on earth, who, and how?'
Callius had also heard that Chloe had broken the vase he had sent.
But he couldn't connect it with her wounds.
Instead, he suspected that Chloe had suffered some untold ordeal at the palace.
There must have been some reason why the vase was broken.
'We need to get her out of this awful place as soon as possible.'
Impatience arose.
In the midst of all this, the moment his hand touched her wound, he felt an eerie aura of unknown origin.
That wasn't Chloe's natural aura.
There was something unpleasant lurking inside her, slowly gnawing away at her life force.
The blood of a living organism contains a lot of information related to its vitality.
Even if it had hardened into a scab, there was still something to be understood.
Callius possessed a keen ability to discern information contained in blood, an ability he inherited from his mother.
'I don't know what it is, but it feels ominous.'
Was that a curse?
Did someone put a curse on her?
He thought it would be best to take him to Ronheim and have her examined by a competent sorcerer.
At first, he was worried that the harsh cold of Ronheim would be poisonous to Chloe, but now he thinks differently.
The dampness of the South was undoubtedly a more fatal poison to her than the cold of the North.
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