The Princess Who Saw the Fall of Her Homeland Strives to Change Fate by Becoming the Cold Prince's Bride! - Chapter 27

The bells announcing the evening echoed throughout the royal palace of Ernstahl.

The bride candidates had already returned to the gathering place.

Some wore anxious expressions, while others stood proudly with full confidence.

It was truly a scene of mixed emotions—joy and sorrow alike.

“Now then, we shall begin the review by Count Lux. ”

“I will carefully observe the talents of those who will bear the future of Ernstahl. ”

Count Lux licked his lips with anticipation, as if he couldn’t wait to see the bride candidates’ creations.

Some of the candidates stepped back in disgust, but he didn’t seem to care at all.

(That obsessive passion for art… He seems to really enjoy life that way…)

Elze was impressed. Either way, being able to be so absorbed in something was enviable.

“Well then, first—”

“Won’t you take a look at my piece, Count Lux? ”

The one who boldly stepped forward was Amalia—the girl who always picked fights with Elze.

“Hmm, hmm… Ohh, this is! ”

Seeing Amalia’s painting, Count Lux let out a snort of amazement.

“Magnificent! This delicate touch! The vivid use of color! I can clearly feel the budding of young talent…!”

Elze only caught a glimpse of the painting, but it did look beautiful.

Still, something about it felt lacking. It didn’t have much impact.

It was pretty, yes, but it didn’t stir strong emotions.

However, Amalia smiled confidently.

(She’s one of Lady Gloria’s followers. Maybe she aimed for a ‘decently good’ evaluation on purpose.)

Which means, the real contender—Gloria—must be…

“Then, please take a look at my work next. ”

Right after Amalia’s review ended, Gloria—who had been standing right next to her—stepped forward with a smug air.

“Oh my, isn’t this the young lady of the Duke of Liebner! What an honor to view your work right away. Now, now… wha—what in the world…!”

The moment he saw Gloria’s painting, Count Lux’s eyes widened in shock.

Elze caught a glimpse of it too, and couldn’t help but gasp.

(A-Amazing…!)

On Gloria’s canvas was a vivid depiction of the Ernstahl royal palace, bathed in golden sunlight from the setting sun.

Compared to Amalia’s, the quality was overwhelming.

Even Elze, who didn’t consider herself artistically refined, found it moving.

The other bride candidates were also stunned by Gloria’s work.

But amid all this… Elze noticed something that felt clearly off.

(From the time when the sun was setting, like in the painting, to when the evening bell rang—there wasn’t much time at all… Was it even possible to finish a painting like that in such a short time? What was she doing until then?)

Once she noticed one odd detail, more doubts started to rise.

(Gloria and her group probably knew the contest’s theme in advance. That lady-in-waiting tampered with my supplies to sabotage me. …Bringing in a pre-made painting secretly wouldn’t be impossible.)

For a bride candidate who genuinely took on the challenge, painting the palace bathed in sunset within that short time frame was impossible.

They would’ve painted a more realistic daytime scene instead.

(Of course, there’s no proof. Without evidence, accusing her would be dangerous… But still…)

Clenching her fists tightly, Elze burned with frustration.

(Everyone’s taking this seriously… This is just unfair!)

Count Lux continued reviewing the rest of the candidates’ paintings, but all of them seemed dull compared to Gloria’s.

“Hmm, looks like you’re the last. You are—?”

“I’m Elze, the second princess of the Kingdom of Maglier. ”

“Ohh, Maglier! That land known for its beautiful scenery like precious gems. I’ve always wanted to visit someday…”

Whether he meant it or was just flattering, Elze didn’t feel bad hearing her homeland praised.

“Then, may I show you my painting?”

“The world as painted by a princess of Maglier… Just imagining it makes me drool…”

Glancing around, Elze saw Amalia and the rest of Gloria’s group smirking mockingly, clearly watching to see how badly she’d fail.

They had obviously been involved in sabotaging her, and now they were excited to watch her embarrass herself.

Turning away from their stares, Elze pulled the cloth off her canvas.

“This is my work!”

The people around her widened their eyes in shock at the sight of her painting.

Even though she hadn’t been able to use the provided paints, a proper picture had been completed on Elze’s canvas.

Unlike Gloria and the others, who followed Ernstahl’s traditional painting style—using heavy tones to accurately portray forms and scenery—Elze’s painting was completely different.

What she had painted was a beautiful flower garden located in one corner of the Ernstahl palace.

Instead of heavy colors, her painting had a soft, dreamlike tone… and yet it clearly captured the natural beauty of the scene.

And of course—it made sense.

When Elze realized the paints were unusable, she had asked Chiffon for help and used natural materials instead.

(I’m glad so many flowers were blooming around the palace… Thanks to that, I managed to create these colors.)

Elze had used an improvised technique—crushing and squeezing plants and flowers to produce color, instead of paint.

As a result, her painting didn’t match Ernstahl’s usual style, but she was proud of what she had created.

(The real question is… how will Count Lux take this…?)

Would he take it positively, or would he shout ‘This is an insult to art!’?

Elze swallowed hard and waited for Count Lux’s judgment.