I’m Supposed to Be the Neglected Princess in the Future, but Something Seems Strange... - Epilogue

It was true that Lea had a cute face when she was a child.

But it’s not unusual for someone’s face to change as they grow up. As Lea got older, she began to dislike her own face and started covering it with makeup. She never showed her bare face, not even to her family. She always hid behind thick layers of makeup like a mask.

This story came from Raphael, who made Surin, Lea’s former maid, confess the truth.

And there was more to the story.

Apparently, Lea’s real face looked exactly like the Queen’s.

“I always thought it was strange how much the Queen disliked you. They said it was because baby Rose wasn’t very cute when she was born, so they kept you away. But even if King Gridor suspected you weren’t his child, would the Queen really hate her own daughter so much? I thought something must be behind it and started digging. That’s when I found out about the Queen’s real face.”

That’s what Raphael said, shrugging, before the Princess Lea ship reached Lohan Port.

When he got suspicious, Raphael asked Mira, whose mother served as the Queen’s maid, if she knew what the Queen really looked like. At first, Mira hesitated, but in the end, she admitted that the Queen wasn’t very pretty.

“I’ve never seen the Queen’s real face myself, but my mother said… well… she’s below average. Please don’t tell anyone I said that. If it gets out, I’ll be jailed for disrespect.”

According to Mira, the Queen had been hiding her face even before her engagement to the King. And once the King started calling her a goddess, she couldn’t turn back and kept hiding it all this time. In a way, it’s impressive.

“Your mother feared more than anything that people would find out what she really looked like. So when she saw your face, she panicked. Maybe she thought that her long-hidden secret would be exposed because of you. That’s why she hated you so much and ordered you to always hide your face. Ridiculous and selfish, really.”

Raphael smiled as he gently touched Rose’s cheek.

“It’s impossible that you’re an illegitimate child. After all, you look just like King Gridor.”

As soon as she heard those words, Rose couldn’t stop her tears.

She had always believed she wasn’t the King’s daughter. That was why she was hated. That her existence had ruined her parents’ relationship. She had lived her whole life wondering why she was even born.

If what Raphael said was true, then her mother was selfish… but more importantly, she now knew for sure:

She was the King’s daughter.
She was not an illegitimate child.

Of course, even though she knew the truth, Rose didn’t think she would suddenly be accepted. She had always been rejected, and she didn’t expect that to change. Even if they tried to treat her warmly now, she would only feel awkward.

But knowing the truth lifted a heavy weight from her shoulders.

“Now, let’s get to the main point. After the ship reaches Gridor, I plan to take you back with me to the Great Nation of Martin. You won’t say no, right?”

Even if you do, I’ll just kidnap you—Raphael added with a wink.

Rose couldn’t help but laugh, then nodded strongly.

☆彡

In the courtyard of Gridor Castle, which she was allowed to enter for the first time, Rose sat with Raphael and looked up at the sky.

The sun was setting, and night was beginning.

The sky turned a tanzanite color—just like her eyes.

Maybe it was the first time she thought the color was beautiful.

“I’ll be returning in three days. Sorry it’s so sudden, but please pack before then. …If this takes too long, I have a bad feeling it’ll get complicated.”

Raphael looked tired, and it made sense. He had defended Rose by pushing back the King and her two older brothers in her place.

For some reason, right after Rose came back, her father, the King, came to visit her room. She had been moved to a sunny and spacious room, three times bigger than the one she had before—Raphael must have arranged it somehow.

When the King arrived and asked to talk, Raphael happened to be in the room. Smiling, he turned the King away—and kept doing the same ever since.

Later, Rose’s brothers also began visiting, but Raphael firmly turned them away too.

Rose didn’t know how to deal with her father or brothers, whom she had barely spoken to, so she was honestly grateful that Raphael kept them away.

“I really want to go home right away, but there’s still one unresolved issue.”

Raphael was still negotiating who was to blame for Lea’s attempted elopement.

Of course, things couldn’t be settled in a single day.

So far, all the stalled trade conditions had been accepted in favor of Martin, and in place of compensation for the broken engagement, Raphael had taken the Princess Lea ship. But for some reason, the agreement to betroth Rose instead of Lea was still being delayed. Her father and brothers were hesitating.

Rose couldn’t understand why. She had been treated as if she didn’t exist, so she thought this would be the easiest part.

“I finally got them to agree to the engagement. But now they’re saying they won’t let you leave during the engagement period. Total nonsense. If they keep dragging this out, they’ll just keep adding conditions. If it’s not settled in three days, I’ll take you by force. Okay?”

Hearing that, Rose thought the King’s stance did make some sense.

Even with Lea, it was agreed she would only move to Martin after the wedding.

So maybe it was odd for Rose to move in before she even got engaged.

(But… I don’t want to stay here anymore…)

Most of all, Rose wanted to be with Raphael.

If they said no, she honestly hoped he would take her away anyway, just as he said.

But… would that damage relations between the countries?

“Unbelievable. Now they suddenly want to spend time with you? Shameless—oh, it’s the perfect time.”

Raphael had been grumbling, but then looked up at the sky and smiled.

He stood from the bench.

“Look, Rose. Right now, the sky looks just like your eyes.”

She didn’t have a mirror, so she couldn’t compare the color of her eyes to the sky. But the sky was beautiful. For the first time, Rose thought maybe she could start to like the eyes she had always hidden behind her bangs.

As she stared at the sky, she suddenly realized Raphael had knelt down on one knee in front of her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“I haven’t said this yet…”

Raphael smiled shyly, took the red rose from his chest, and offered it to Rose.

“Rose. I love you. Will you marry me?”

Rose gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.

His deep red eyes looked at her kindly.

This future… this scene… even the journey on the ship—none of it matched the future she once remembered.

She didn’t know if the dreams she had of the future were real or not,

but she was sure—this moment had changed her future.

Because the cold, distant Raphael in her memories was nowhere to be found.

(But… it doesn’t matter anymore.)

Even if she became a “cold and ignored princess,” it didn’t matter.
Rose just wanted to be with Raphael. That was all.

She accepted the rose and threw her arms around him.
He hugged her tightly in return.

“Rose, you haven’t answered yet. What’s your answer?”

His whisper in her ear made her giggle—it tickled.

“Of course… it’s ‘yes’!”

Ahh, I’m so happy—Rose laughed in Raphael’s arms.