A Happy Life in the Empire - The Princess Once Called a “Failure” Becomes the “Most Important Person” as a Hostage in the Empire - Chapter 24

Alto was about to propose to me.

I had sensed it midway through our conversation.

Still, the moment I actually heard his words, my heart trembled with emotion.

Alto knelt on one knee in front of me, holding out a ring.

With the moonlight shining down and the night wind blowing, he looked like a painting.

“Sophia, please give me your answer.”

Alto gazed straight at me.

His deep navy-blue eyes clearly reflected my image.

“O-Of course! If you’re okay with me, I’d be happy to!”

I reached out my left hand.

Tears of joy streamed down my cheeks.

“Thank you.”

Alto smiled with relief and gently slipped the ring onto my finger.

“I was worried for a moment that you might refuse.”

“Refuse? There’s no way I would! This is the happiest moment of my life!”

The ring on my finger sparkled even brighter.

“By the way, Alto, when did you prepare this ring—”

Gong! Gong! Gong!

As I spoke, the bell at the top of the tower began to chime.

Its loud sound echoed throughout the entire city, making it nearly unbearable for us standing so close.

I instinctively shrank back, almost covering my ears.

“It’s the signal for 9 PM, but… what an incredibly noisy blessing.”

“It really is.”

We both chuckled.

As the powerful chimes faded, silence returned.

“Sophia, what were you about to ask earlier?”

“I wanted to ask when you got the ring, but I decided not to! I thought it might be rude to ask about such things!”

Alto laughed. “I see.”

“More importantly, Alto, are you really sure about choosing me?”

“Of course. I have no interest in anyone else.”

“Hearing you say that makes me so happy, and I love you too, Alto, but…”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

Alto frowned slightly.

“Well, realistically speaking, there are many issues. Like my family—the royal family of Luminar—being involved in an assassination plot against you. And the fact that I’m from a subordinate kingdom. There are a lot of political problems, aren’t there?”

“Ah, that.”

Alto stood up.

“To put it simply, those two things are not an issue.”

“Really?”

“First, about you being from a subordinate kingdom—our imperial family has never practiced political marriages. Because of that, my mother—the Empress—was an orphan. By conventional standards, she ranked much lower than a princess from a vassal state.”

“That’s true…”

Alto gently stroked my left hand.

The ring on my finger felt even warmer than before.

“As for the Luminar royal family, I’ve already taken care of it.”

“Taken care of it? But I thought there was no evidence, so nothing could be done?”

“That’s right. There’s no proof, so we couldn’t accuse them of the assassination plot. That’s why we sent them a message in the same way.”

“You mean you warned them about stopping the plot without leaving any evidence?”

“Something like that. It was actually a bit more… threatening. But it seems to have worked. I received reports that Luminar has scrapped all of its hidden military plans.”

“Wait, they had such plans? And you knew about them?!”

“Our empire dominates this vast continent. We excel in intelligence warfare.”

“That’s amazing…!”

Even though we had spent so much time together on our journey, I had never known about Alto’s information network.

“So, you don’t need to worry about anything. You can stay by my side without hesitation. That’s what matters most to me.”

Alto smiled gently.

“Yes! I want to stay by your side forever!”

I nodded with a bright smile.

“Sophia, can I ask you one last thing?”

Alto brushed his fingers through my hair.

His touch felt hesitant, as if he was nervous.

His face seemed a little tense, too.

“Yes? What is it?”

Alto took a deep breath as if gathering courage.

Then, he made up his mind and spoke softly.

“Can I… kiss you?”

“Eh…?”

For a moment, I forgot to breathe.

My cheeks burned hot, and my heartbeat raced even faster.

I could feel my breath becoming unsteady.

“I-I understand!”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

I decided to leave everything to the moment.

“Sophia…”

Alto’s hands gently rested on my shoulders.

He supported me lightly, tilting my face upward just a little.

And then, in the next instant, his lips touched mine.

The cold night wind brushed against my skin, yet his warmth was unmistakable.

For a brief moment, the world belonged to just the two of us.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds.

But to me, those seconds felt like an eternity.

“Thank you, Sophia.”

As he pulled away, Alto smiled and embraced me.

I wrapped my arms around his back.

“No… Thank you.”

I whispered as I buried my face in his chest.

Tears welled up again, overflowing with joy.

(It’s like a dream…!)

Coming to the empire, I had found happiness.

I had experienced so many wonderful moments.

But I could say it with absolute certainty—

This moment, right now, was the happiest of my life.