The Princess Who Saw the Fall of Her Homeland Strives to Change Fate by Becoming the Cold Prince's Bride! - Chapter 15

The day of the garden party that marked the beginning of the bride selection.

Elze’s eyes sparkled at the beautiful sight of the venue.

“Wow…!”

Beyond the arch of roses, colorful flowers swayed in the wind, and the air was filled with a sweet scent.

A marble fountain splashed water, and statues modeled after ancient gods watched over the bride candidates arriving one after another.

Tables and chairs with beautiful decorations were arranged around the venue, with sparkling crystal glasses and piles of sweets so eye-catching that it was hard to look away.

(Amazing! A party in a big country really does feel like a dream world…!)

Compared to this elegant and dazzling scene, she couldn’t help but realize just how countryside her hometown was.

Trying not to lose herself in excitement and make a mistake, Elze quietly took a deep breath.

“My, my, country princess. What’s with that silly look on your face? Are you scared of the scene here? If you’re going to run back home with your tail between your legs, now’s the time.”

The one who spoke quietly to her was the same lady-in-waiting from yesterday.

“Um… Miss Almond Macaron, was it?”

“It’s Amalia! How much has your brain been taken over by sweets?!”

Oops. The delicious-looking sweets in front of her must have dragged her thoughts in that direction without her noticing.

“Hehe… This is the first time I’ve seen such a beautiful and tasty-looking mountain of sweets! It would be a waste to leave now.”

Elze smiled as she said that, and Almond Macaron—no, Amalia—twisted her face like she wanted to say “grr…”

“Hmph! A country princess like you, who doesn’t even know basic manners, could never be chosen as Prince Richard’s bride, even if you stood on your head! You’d better just stay quiet and avoid embarrassing yourself!”

With that, Amalia stormed off in a huff.

The place she headed to… there stood a young lady hiding her mouth behind a fan.

Just from her queen-like posture, Elze felt a little overwhelmed.

(If I remember right, her name was Gloria…)

She looked like she would be a tough rival.

But Elze had no intention of running away.

When Gloria glanced in her direction, Elze gave her a polite smile and nodded.

Right away, Gloria narrowed her eyes in displeasure.

(Oops, did that feel like a declaration of war? Oh well, too late now. We’re bound to face off eventually, so I need to show her right now that I won’t back down.)

As Elze was thinking that, a lady-in-waiting gave the instruction to take their seats.

It seemed they would be sitting in small groups at separate tables.

“During today’s garden party, Prince Richard will visit each table in turn. The time at each table will be short, but we would like each of you to show off your charm during that time.”

Elze couldn’t help but exchange glances with the other bride candidates at her table.

(So, the girls at this table are my rivals… but also my teammates.)

She needed to promote herself in the limited time they had, but if everyone tried to outshine each other too much, it might leave a bad impression on Richard.

(It’s not just about personal appeal. Cooperation will also be tested.)

Luckily—or maybe unluckily—Elze was placed at a different table from Gloria and Amalia.

She glanced around at the other girls at her table. Thankfully, none of them seemed overly assertive.

(Alright, I’ll work with everyone and still make a strong impression on Richard!)

While she was getting herself pumped up, a lady-in-waiting at the venue spoke in a formal tone.

“Prince Richard has arrived. We will now begin the selection event.”

At those words, all the bride candidates straightened their backs and fixed their expressions.

Soon, the man they had been waiting for appeared from the other side of the rose arch.

(Richard…!)

His platinum blonde hair sparkled in the sunlight like crystal.

His eyes still held a cool, mysterious light.

Dressed in the formal attire of the royal family of Ernstahl, he looked just like a prince who had stepped out of a storybook.

Many of the bride candidates watched him with dreamy expressions.

Even Elze had to admit that she couldn’t take her eyes off him when he appeared.

That’s how perfect the sight was.