Chapter 4: 3

Chapter 3

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There was no doubt in his mind that Diana would be his wife. That’s why he was doing his best just to accept his circumstances. But he could still feel his head spinning with the words repeating in his head. 

Marry Diana and unite the kingdom. Those words made Iandrus dizzy.

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“A black dress?” Iandrus muttered the absurd words to himself.

Now that he was fifteen years old, he thought it would be better for him to start acting like an adult, so he showed up early in order to escort Diana.

Even like this, Diana was pretty.

When her bright blonde hair glistened in the sun, it looked as though someone powdered fairy dust on her, reflecting bright lights. But she was wearing a black dress today, which didn’t suit her. 

Diana glanced at Iandrus.

“Is there any reason why I shouldn’t wear black?”

Iandrus’ comment was enough to make Diana’s heart sink in her chest. For his part, he was wearing a white suit. Diana didn’t know whether he was doing it just to keep up appearances or what, but it still felt very unpleasant to her. Iandrus should be mourning the daughter he’d pushed to death.

He should be on his knees, crawling on the floor while drowning in sorrow, but instead, he had a face of pure ignorance. Diana turned away from him, the anger and disgust rising from deep inside her from having escaped that hell.

Having come here with excitement, Diana’s curt question made Iandrus a little irritated. After saying words made to antagonize, Diana avoided Iandrus, stepping out of the carriage on her own.

“Kya!”

Diana, who stubbornly tried to get out of the carriage herself, slipping while twisting her ankle. Instinctively, Iandrus pulled Diana into his arms.

“Hah, please don’t be so stubborn. It’s good to see you, Your Highness,” The Grand Duchess said from inside the carriage, being helped out by the coachman. 

But Iandrus didn’t hear a word she said. He was still holding onto Diana, who couldn’t stand properly on her own because of her injured ankle. For some reason, he smelled something he’d never smelled before.

A soft and sweet scent.

Do all girls smell like this?

For some reason, his heart was pounding and his cheeks were turning red. It felt like he was running out of air. Like when a lily of the valley blooms and its petals open up. Or when the sea parts or the sky bursts open, brand new. A feeling best described by not describing it at all. By not understanding it in the first place. Like a bell was being rung from inside his head.

As Iandrus held onto her in a daze, Diana pushed him aside.

“Let me go. I can stand fine by myself.” Diana took a deep breath. She couldn’t believe she was making mistakes already.

Diana started fanning herself with her hand. Standing upright, she glanced at Iandrus. Then, pretending nothing happened, she walked past Iandrus, straight into the dressing room. Coming back to his senses, Iandrus followed after her.

“Ahem.”

The boy’s ears were red as he coughed for no reason.

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Diana tried on the dress as she promised the Grand Duchess. She simply wore the dress and allowed them to measure her size accurately. She wore all the designs chosen by the Grand Duchess and didn’t make any more comments.

She smiled like a doll and did as she was told. Meanwhile, Iandrus didn’t make any eye contact with Diana, even for a single moment. It was the same as before. Iandrus didn’t make any comments about the bride’s dress for the wedding. He was just doing what he could to avoid looking at her entirely. Diana chuckled.

Of course it’s the same.

Iandrus never made proper eye contact with Diana. It had been so long since the first time, so she couldn’t remember the specifics, but she could still remember things like this before her life changed. Up until the moment Iandrus’ misfortune ended her life, along with her child and all those who lived in Philadelphia. 

“Diana is still young, so I think a bell cut would suit her best. What do you think, Your Highness?” The Grand Duchess asked kindly.

Truthfully, the children hardly got any say in what happened. The imperial family was busy, so they entrusted the wedding preparations to the Grand Duchess. They were preparing for both a war and a wedding, so it was necessary.

Philadelphia hoped the imperial family wouldn’t cast them aside after the war’s end, and the imperial family desired Philadelphia’s wealth and military strength. That was why the wedding was happening now.

So the dress was hardly any concern for Iandrus.

“………It doesn’t matter.”

See?

“This is good enough, right Mother?”

Diana nodded at the store clerks. Receiving her signal, the seamstress led Diana back into the dressing room and closed the curtain. Beyond that cover, The Grand Duchess quietly clicked her tongue and turned to Iandrus.

“Your clothing should match as well, Your Highness. Is there anything that catches your eye?”

“……..It doesn’t matter.”

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The same answer as before. Why would Iandrus, who cares so little for this wedding already, care about what clothes they wear? Diana was so sick and tired of this situation that was unfolding exactly the way the future told her it would. In the past, despite his indifference, Diana had been so excited before their eventual marriage.

Diana blinked, staring at herself in the dressing room mirror.

I look like a clown in a circus. Not a bride.

Watching herself, a cold look washed over her.

“What do you mean, pretty?” She muttered. “It looks awful.”

Diana sighed for a long time, eventually pulling the curtain over the mirror with a weary hand. Flustered, the clerks followed after her. The last time she’d come here, she’d been a young girl, excited over her upcoming marriage. Now it felt like she was putting on an act for the world. It was a busy and detailed change in Diana.

By the time Diana finished changing back into her old clothing, only Iandrus was still around. She called out to him, who still seemed unwilling to look at her.

“Stand up.”

“…..Your words are too short, Princess.” (1)

“As are you, Prince. So stand up.”

Hearing her cold tone, Iandrus frowned and stared at Diana. But he was actually staring straight past her. Diana shrugged her shoulders and gestured outside. The black lace glove wrapped around Diana’s fingertips seemed to flutter like a noble butterfly. Iandrus watched her without responding. Diana pulled at the hem of Iandrus’ clothes with only two fingers.

“Wake up. I need something I need to tell you.”

Defeated, Iandrus stood up. As soon as he stood up, he ran after Diana, who coyly turned away from him.

“……..You look pretty,” Iandrus mumbled, hiding his words behind a cough. Luckily, his expression went unheard. He followed after Diana, who still wore a black dress, hiding his face until the very end.

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Diana sipped her tea.

According to noble etiquette, she would not open her mouth to speak until her cup had been completely emptied. Iandrus glanced at Diana and, as if he were following her lead, he took a sip of his tea. Does tea taste different if you drink it with a dignified expression?

Strangely enough, Iandrus looked more noble than before. Or maybe more ‘mature’ was the better way to put it?

Shortly after Diana set down her teacup, Iandrus did the same.

“What did you want to tell me?” He asked.

Diana stared at Iandrus. The Grand Duchess, who had left the two of them alone because she was ‘busy’ , would’ve wanted them to be more friendly together. Back then, Diana was such a shy girl she couldn’t even speak because she was so excited to be with Iandrus.

But things were different now.

Diana straightened out her posture. No matter how crazy her words sounded, she was truly normal. She would always keep her pride, no matter what. Holding her breath for a moment, Diana opened her mouth.

“Let’s not get married, Iandrus.”

Blankly, Iandrus asked back, “……….What?”

From Iandrus’ perspective, she never once expressed displeasure with the arrangement. Wasn’t she the one who’d sent him a letter expressing her elation about picking a dress today? Why, all of the sudden?

“I know you don’t really like me either. Well, the feeling’s mutual. So I think it would be best if we just called this whole engagement off.”

“……Diana.”

“Even if our engagement were to fall through, the alliance between our families is still strong. They need each other. But if you’re still concerned about it, we can officially break it off in about three months.”

“Diana!”

Iandrus frowned, shouting out at Diana with irritation in his voice. Meanwhile, Diana’s eyelashes fluttered, and Iandrus clicked his tongue seeing how unbothered she was.

“Are you entering puberty late?” He asked.

“Puberty……?”

“Yeah! There’s no other explanation why you’d bring this up so suddenly. Fifteen years old and you’re acting like a child! All without any good reason.”

Diana gave a brief smile.

This was also expected. Iandrus was nothing if not prideful. She considered it very likely he wouldn’t accept this break up immediately. He wouldn’t like that Diana was the first one to bring it up and not a noble prince such as himself.

“A reason? Of course there’s a reason.”

“Oh really? Well, let’s hear it then.”

Diana stopped breathing, her next words coming out as if she were spitting them.

“……….I know the future, Iandrus.”

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T/N: (1) He calls her ‘princess’ due to the fact that she is a princess of the duchy territory (and the daughter of a duke) as well as the fact that she is his fiancee, thus making her a princess by proxy.

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