Meanwhile, the fifteen or so men who had rushed to the palace to see the Princess's face mounted their horses with stern faces.
The subordinates' minds were complex in a different way than their masters.
From the moment they entered the audience room, they were seething with anger.
'You dare insult our lord?'
But the moment they saw Chloe up close, the subordinates stopped.
What is that delicate and cute creature that looks like a pure white snow cat?
The silver hair with a bluish tint looked like the snow on a snowy field at dawn.
When the blue sky, just beginning to rise, reflects on the clean snow that has accumulated overnight, it becomes that mysterious color.
Although it was clearly the same color as the Emperor's, it seemed more special on the Princess, who somehow exuded a dreamy aura untainted by the world.
It was really strange.
'I heard that the royal family of Arrental is steeped in luxury and hedonism.'
Why don't they feel that way about that princess?
The Emperor, the Empress, and the Prince all had greed on their faces.
But Chloe showed no signs of that.
'Are you good at hiding your true nature?'
That might be the case.
The Arrentals that the subordinates encountered were usually people who cleverly hid their dark intentions and enjoyed insulting others with their snake-like tongues.
Don't be fooled by appearances.
They opened their eyes wide.
But every time Chloe blinked her large, glassy eyes with an innocent face, the subordinates' guards gradually dropped.
'Is it witchcraft?'
They thought only the Empress used sorcery, but is the Princess also using sorcery to deceive them and make us let our guard down?
If it weren't for that, people wouldn't be able to look that cute and pretty.
'Is it true that the lord fell in love with the Princess at first sight...?'
Because Callius likes cute things.
Callius had a soft spot for cute little animals, to the point where he had already picked up and treated several dying snow cats in the snowfield.
No, actually, most of the Ronheim people did.
No matter how hungry they were, the Ronheim people never hunted small animals with fluffy white fur, such as snow hares or snow cats.
There are historical and environmental reasons for this, related to Ronheim's special ecosystem, but the point is that they have a custom of protecting small and vulnerable life.
For that reason, the hearts of the subordinates, which had been gradually loosening, froze again at the mocking whispers of the Arrental nobles.
Words like primitive people, slash-and-burn farmers, and bandits were heard here and there.
'Those damn Arrental bastards.'
'What's different about being a Princess? She's just a lynx wearing a rabbit skin.'
Once again, the Princess did not look pretty.
Come to think of it, from the moment they appeared, the Princess didn't even look at them directly, but rather unpleasantly glanced at them.
Their feelings had already been hurt by the Arrental nobles, so even such trivial actions of hers were seen as unpleasant by the subordinates.
'Are you saying you don't even want to look at it?'
Then, when Chloe answered Kavala's question of whether she agreed to the engagement, the discontent of her subordinates reached its peak.
“Yes, I agree.”
It was a small voice, barely audible.
What does that half-hearted answer mean?
'We don't really feel like it either?'
They wanted to scream like that right now.
But, seeing the back of Callius's head, who was honestly enduring this insult, they barely managed to calm their anger.
If they hate it this much, how much more displeased must Callius, the person getting married, be?
Yet he risked everything for the good of Ronheim.
At least that's what it seemed to his subordinates.
So their hearts ached as they watched Callius kneel before Chloe.
'Why must you bow down so servilely to the Princess of Arrental, my lord!'
They screamed silently.
In the process, they did not see her bare, grass-root-like hand resting on Callius's.
If they had calmed down a bit and noticed Chloe's arms, visible through the slightly lifted sleeves of her dress, were strangely thin, they might have guessed that Chloe, like Callius, was being treated badly.
However, the subordinates, who had become hypersensitive due to the prejudice of the Arrentals, were so wary that they could not even look into such things.
They glared at Chloe, who had suddenly shaken off Callius's hand as if she were about to start a fight. They continued until the engagement ceremony ended, and they left the audience room.
And now, one by one, they mounted their horses, following Callius with cold, hard faces.
Is there any way to stop this ridiculous marriage?
With that in mind, everyone started talking.
"I...!"
A faint voice, as soft as a mosquito's, was heard from somewhere.
Callius and Brentian had already disappeared, and Alex, who was at the end of the group, was about to leave last when he noticed the small sound.
An unwelcome face appeared beneath the words.
It was Chloe.
“Princess? ...Aren’t you Your Highness the Princess?”
Alex, who was flustered and not expecting to see Chloe again, addressed Chloe without a title and then hurriedly added a title.
He frowned slightly, internally berating himself for his stupid slip of the tongue.
'I wonder if I'll get caught.'
Alex had been nitpicked by the Arrentals over trivial matters and suffered losses, so he knew Chloe wouldn't let his mistakes slide.
It was a shame that she, the most reserved person, was left dealing with Chloe when the resourceful Callius and Brentian weren't around.
Alex fidgeted and rolled his eyes.
But Chloe wasn't upset at all.
She took a deep breath, her face slightly raised as if she had been running, and then suddenly reached out her hand to Alex.
“...?”
Alex stared blankly at the small, white fist, like a child's.
'Are you telling me to just bang my head against the wall if I know I'm wrong?'
Luckily, she spoke before he could slam his head into Chloe's fist.
“You dropped this.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
It wasn't that he didn't understand what she was saying, but he was momentarily unable to assess the situation and so hr asked back.
But Chloe must have thought her voice was too small to be heard, so she spoke again, louder and clearer.
“This is it. I saw you accidentally drop it in the hallway a little while ago.”
Only then did Alex notice the bracelet in her hand, made of twisted, multi-colored threads.
It was very old, worn, and dirty, but it was definitely his bracelet.
"Ah...!"
He dismounted in a hurry and politely accepted what Chloe offered him.
He felt a bit dizzy.
“Did you come all the way here to tell me this...?”
Then, surprisingly, Chloe smiled.
It was a very bright smile.
"It's a precious item. I know because my friend has something similar."
Alex's mouth fell open.
He was surprised once by the beauty of Chloe's smile, and then twice by realizing that it was not a smile of mockery or ridicule, but a smile of pure kindness.
Plus, he was surprised three or four times that Chloe seemed to know the meaning of this bracelet.
“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!”
“Don’t mention it.”
Chloe smiled, as if she was very happy that she could find its owner.
It was truly a heart-flutteringly beautiful smile.
Alex parted ways with Chloe without saying goodbye, as the maids soon came running and dragged Chloe away in terror.
Alex tilted his head belatedly as he remounted his horse and spurred on.
'Friend? Do you have a friend from Ronheim?'
The bracelet he dropped was an object named Platus.
Platus means 'a prayer to a precious person'.
In Ronheim, there was a culture of weaving bracelets with various colored threads as gifts, carrying prayers for the happiness, safety, and good fortune of a loved one.
It was an independent culture that started from the superstition that if you wear it on your wrist when leaving home and keep it with you when you return, you will return safely next time.
Alex's Platus bracelet was a gift from his mother.
"Hey, there's no way Princess Arrental would have friends from Ronheim. Still, it's fascinating that a Princess from a people we call barbarians knows about our culture."
She even came to deliver it in person.
Chloe's bright smile still lingered in Alex's mind.
"What? If you can speak so clearly, why did you mumble so much in the audience room? You know how to smile, yet you didn't even smile once when you saw your lord."
Did something suddenly change her mind in the meantime?
'Ha, I don't know, really.'
Alex scratched his head.
'There must be some dark scheme going on, right?'
He was worried that Chloe might make an issue of this later.
'Still, anyway...I was grateful.'
Even though he tried to keep his suspicions to himself, a small hope rose in his heart that Chloe might be a good person.
Alex looked down at the Platus bracelet in his hand, his expression one of puzzlement.
The subordinates' minds were complex in a different way than their masters.
From the moment they entered the audience room, they were seething with anger.
'You dare insult our lord?'
But the moment they saw Chloe up close, the subordinates stopped.
What is that delicate and cute creature that looks like a pure white snow cat?
The silver hair with a bluish tint looked like the snow on a snowy field at dawn.
When the blue sky, just beginning to rise, reflects on the clean snow that has accumulated overnight, it becomes that mysterious color.
Although it was clearly the same color as the Emperor's, it seemed more special on the Princess, who somehow exuded a dreamy aura untainted by the world.
It was really strange.
'I heard that the royal family of Arrental is steeped in luxury and hedonism.'
Why don't they feel that way about that princess?
The Emperor, the Empress, and the Prince all had greed on their faces.
But Chloe showed no signs of that.
'Are you good at hiding your true nature?'
That might be the case.
The Arrentals that the subordinates encountered were usually people who cleverly hid their dark intentions and enjoyed insulting others with their snake-like tongues.
Don't be fooled by appearances.
They opened their eyes wide.
But every time Chloe blinked her large, glassy eyes with an innocent face, the subordinates' guards gradually dropped.
'Is it witchcraft?'
They thought only the Empress used sorcery, but is the Princess also using sorcery to deceive them and make us let our guard down?
If it weren't for that, people wouldn't be able to look that cute and pretty.
'Is it true that the lord fell in love with the Princess at first sight...?'
Because Callius likes cute things.
Callius had a soft spot for cute little animals, to the point where he had already picked up and treated several dying snow cats in the snowfield.
No, actually, most of the Ronheim people did.
No matter how hungry they were, the Ronheim people never hunted small animals with fluffy white fur, such as snow hares or snow cats.
There are historical and environmental reasons for this, related to Ronheim's special ecosystem, but the point is that they have a custom of protecting small and vulnerable life.
For that reason, the hearts of the subordinates, which had been gradually loosening, froze again at the mocking whispers of the Arrental nobles.
Words like primitive people, slash-and-burn farmers, and bandits were heard here and there.
'Those damn Arrental bastards.'
'What's different about being a Princess? She's just a lynx wearing a rabbit skin.'
Once again, the Princess did not look pretty.
Come to think of it, from the moment they appeared, the Princess didn't even look at them directly, but rather unpleasantly glanced at them.
Their feelings had already been hurt by the Arrental nobles, so even such trivial actions of hers were seen as unpleasant by the subordinates.
'Are you saying you don't even want to look at it?'
Then, when Chloe answered Kavala's question of whether she agreed to the engagement, the discontent of her subordinates reached its peak.
“Yes, I agree.”
It was a small voice, barely audible.
What does that half-hearted answer mean?
'We don't really feel like it either?'
They wanted to scream like that right now.
But, seeing the back of Callius's head, who was honestly enduring this insult, they barely managed to calm their anger.
If they hate it this much, how much more displeased must Callius, the person getting married, be?
Yet he risked everything for the good of Ronheim.
At least that's what it seemed to his subordinates.
So their hearts ached as they watched Callius kneel before Chloe.
'Why must you bow down so servilely to the Princess of Arrental, my lord!'
They screamed silently.
In the process, they did not see her bare, grass-root-like hand resting on Callius's.
If they had calmed down a bit and noticed Chloe's arms, visible through the slightly lifted sleeves of her dress, were strangely thin, they might have guessed that Chloe, like Callius, was being treated badly.
However, the subordinates, who had become hypersensitive due to the prejudice of the Arrentals, were so wary that they could not even look into such things.
They glared at Chloe, who had suddenly shaken off Callius's hand as if she were about to start a fight. They continued until the engagement ceremony ended, and they left the audience room.
And now, one by one, they mounted their horses, following Callius with cold, hard faces.
Is there any way to stop this ridiculous marriage?
With that in mind, everyone started talking.
"I...!"
A faint voice, as soft as a mosquito's, was heard from somewhere.
Callius and Brentian had already disappeared, and Alex, who was at the end of the group, was about to leave last when he noticed the small sound.
An unwelcome face appeared beneath the words.
It was Chloe.
“Princess? ...Aren’t you Your Highness the Princess?”
Alex, who was flustered and not expecting to see Chloe again, addressed Chloe without a title and then hurriedly added a title.
He frowned slightly, internally berating himself for his stupid slip of the tongue.
'I wonder if I'll get caught.'
Alex had been nitpicked by the Arrentals over trivial matters and suffered losses, so he knew Chloe wouldn't let his mistakes slide.
It was a shame that she, the most reserved person, was left dealing with Chloe when the resourceful Callius and Brentian weren't around.
Alex fidgeted and rolled his eyes.
But Chloe wasn't upset at all.
She took a deep breath, her face slightly raised as if she had been running, and then suddenly reached out her hand to Alex.
“...?”
Alex stared blankly at the small, white fist, like a child's.
'Are you telling me to just bang my head against the wall if I know I'm wrong?'
Luckily, she spoke before he could slam his head into Chloe's fist.
“You dropped this.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
It wasn't that he didn't understand what she was saying, but he was momentarily unable to assess the situation and so hr asked back.
But Chloe must have thought her voice was too small to be heard, so she spoke again, louder and clearer.
“This is it. I saw you accidentally drop it in the hallway a little while ago.”
Only then did Alex notice the bracelet in her hand, made of twisted, multi-colored threads.
It was very old, worn, and dirty, but it was definitely his bracelet.
"Ah...!"
He dismounted in a hurry and politely accepted what Chloe offered him.
He felt a bit dizzy.
“Did you come all the way here to tell me this...?”
Then, surprisingly, Chloe smiled.
It was a very bright smile.
"It's a precious item. I know because my friend has something similar."
Alex's mouth fell open.
He was surprised once by the beauty of Chloe's smile, and then twice by realizing that it was not a smile of mockery or ridicule, but a smile of pure kindness.
Plus, he was surprised three or four times that Chloe seemed to know the meaning of this bracelet.
“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!”
“Don’t mention it.”
Chloe smiled, as if she was very happy that she could find its owner.
It was truly a heart-flutteringly beautiful smile.
Alex parted ways with Chloe without saying goodbye, as the maids soon came running and dragged Chloe away in terror.
Alex tilted his head belatedly as he remounted his horse and spurred on.
'Friend? Do you have a friend from Ronheim?'
The bracelet he dropped was an object named Platus.
Platus means 'a prayer to a precious person'.
In Ronheim, there was a culture of weaving bracelets with various colored threads as gifts, carrying prayers for the happiness, safety, and good fortune of a loved one.
It was an independent culture that started from the superstition that if you wear it on your wrist when leaving home and keep it with you when you return, you will return safely next time.
Alex's Platus bracelet was a gift from his mother.
"Hey, there's no way Princess Arrental would have friends from Ronheim. Still, it's fascinating that a Princess from a people we call barbarians knows about our culture."
She even came to deliver it in person.
Chloe's bright smile still lingered in Alex's mind.
"What? If you can speak so clearly, why did you mumble so much in the audience room? You know how to smile, yet you didn't even smile once when you saw your lord."
Did something suddenly change her mind in the meantime?
'Ha, I don't know, really.'
Alex scratched his head.
'There must be some dark scheme going on, right?'
He was worried that Chloe might make an issue of this later.
'Still, anyway...I was grateful.'
Even though he tried to keep his suspicions to himself, a small hope rose in his heart that Chloe might be a good person.
Alex looked down at the Platus bracelet in his hand, his expression one of puzzlement.
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