The Princess Who Saw the Fall of Her Homeland Strives to Change Fate by Becoming the Cold Prince's Bride! - Chapter 14

“Oh my, you don’t know about Maglier!? Not knowing about Maglier means you’ve lost half—no, eighty percent of your life!”

“…Huh?”

“Maglier’s natural beauty is the ultimate gem, a paradise on earth! Lush green valleys, beautiful lakes, pure air, and deep blue forests… You will surely be breathless at the sight of such a magnificent landscape!”

“Wait, what are you—”

“In spring, colorful flowers bloom everywhere. In summer, refreshing breezes flow through. In autumn, the mountains are painted with red and gold leaves. And in winter, a silver wonderland welcomes you! Wouldn’t you like to spend time in such a beautiful, lively place?”

“Ugh, stop rambling, country girl…! I don’t care about any of that!”

“By the way, Maglier and Ernstahl have been allies for over thirty years. As a noble lady of Ernstahl, I assumed you would at least know basic facts about a friendly nation… Was I mistaken? Perhaps I overestimated you.”

After passionately advertising Maglier, Elze grinned and provoked the noble lady.

The girl turned bright red and trembled with rage.

If she insisted, “I don’t know about it!” she would only expose her ignorance. But if she admitted, “I do know!” then she would fall right into Elze’s trap.

(Well, I suppose I should stop here.)

If people saw her as “a princess who picks fights with everyone,” it might make things difficult in the selection process.

Besides—

(I might actually make friends here. It would be sad if they avoided me over something this silly!)

Elze came here to become Prince Richard’s bride.

But that didn’t mean she saw everyone else as enemies.

There were probably some girls here, like her older sister Ulrika, who thought, “I’m just here to make up the numbers. I’ll treat this like a study abroad trip and have fun.”

More than anything, she wanted friends in a similar position.

“Oh dear, I was being a bit rude. I know very well that Maglier isn’t famous. That’s exactly why I wanted everyone to learn about it.”

Elze looked around at the gathered candidates and smiled brightly.

“If not for this event, we would have never had the chance to meet. Of course, I will compete fairly, but… I also want to be friends. I hope we can all enjoy this time together!”

The other candidates had two different reactions to Elze’s words.

Some looked relieved and relaxed their expressions, while others glared coldly at her.

Well, this was expected.

Actually, she was surprised that more of them were friendly than she had anticipated.

“Wha—What nonsense! A mere country princess like you—”

“Amalia.”

The noble girl who had turned red and was about to snap at Elze suddenly gasped at the sound of her name.

The one who called her was another noble girl who had remained silent until now, standing behind her.

“Let’s go.”

With just those words, the girl turned and left.

“Lady Gloria!”

Amalia and several other noble ladies hurried after her in a panic.

(I see. That girl, ‘Gloria,’ must be their leader.)

Her dress was as luxurious as those of Ernstahl’s royal family.

She was probably one of Ernstahl’s high-ranking nobles—the strongest candidate in the selection process.

(She seems formidable… But I can’t afford to lose!)

As Elze silently declared war in her heart, the other candidates also started to leave the hall.

However, a few of them hesitantly approached her.

“Um, Princess Elze…”

“Your words earlier… They were so inspiring!”

“I felt completely out of place here, but you gave me courage…!”

They were the lower-ranking noble ladies and princesses from small kingdoms who had looked anxious before.

Elze’s words must have encouraged them at least a little.

Realizing that, she felt warmth spread in her heart.

(Yes, instead of overthinking everything, maybe it’s better for me to just charge ahead with confidence!)

Her personality wasn’t suited for overanalyzing things.

Her family and the people of Maglier had sent her off, saying, “Elze, your biggest strength is your bright smile.”

Feeling like a new path had opened before her, Elze beamed with a radiant smile.