The Princess Who Saw the Fall of Her Homeland Strives to Change Fate by Becoming the Cold Prince's Bride! - Chapter 30

“And you know, the examiner seemed like a really serious person—”

“He’s the total opposite of you, Elze.”

“Hey!”

“Eek!”

Elze tickled Chiffon’s belly for saying something cheeky, and Chiffon rolled over, laughing happily.

Just then, there was a knock at the door—knock knock—and Elze jumped in surprise.

“Y-Yes!”

When she quickly answered, the person standing there was none other than Abel, the man they had just been talking about.

“D-Did something happen?”

She asked, surprised, and Abel calmly responded.

“I came to inform you about the next selection. Tomorrow at noon, there will be a test on musical ability in the ‘Sky Room’ of the Ametrine Palace. I will come to escort you, so please prepare the following things—”

Abel was giving instructions in a businesslike tone, when suddenly his eyes moved to Elze’s feet.

Wondering what he saw, Elze looked down—and froze.

“Ahh! Chiffon!?”

Chiffon had come all the way to Elze’s feet and was now staring up at Abel with great interest.

Those big round eyes were incredibly cute—but Elze wasn’t in the mood to admire them.

(Wh-What do I do…? Am I going to get scolded for bringing a rabbit without permission? Or worse, what if they find out Chiffon is a spirit!?)

As Elze panicked, Abel asked her with a very serious expression:

“Is that rabbit your pet, Princess Elze?”

“Um… something like that.”

She mumbled her answer vaguely. Abel then turned his eyes toward her again.

“…I apologize for bringing a rabbit without permission. But he doesn’t bark or make loud noises. He’s clean, so he doesn’t smell, and I share my food with him. I promise he’ll never cause any trouble, so please don’t take Chiffon away from me…!”

This little friend always gave Elze courage, even while she struggled alone in an unfamiliar land.

Just imagining being separated from him was enough to make her heart ache.

Abel looked at Elze, who was bowing her head in desperation, and finally spoke.

“I don’t mind.”

“Eh… what!?”

“I’ve memorized all the rules for this bride selection, and there is no clause that says ‘rabbits are not allowed.’ However, if someone Elze sees him, they might complain. It would be best to keep him hidden as much as possible.”

“Y-Yes…”

“Then, I’ll come pick you up again tomorrow.”

With that, Abel bowed deeply and left.

Elze stood there, staring blankly at his back as he walked away.

“He was kind of a strange guy, huh?”

Chiffon, unaware of the crisis they had just escaped, said that casually.

Elze let out a sigh of relief as she picked Chiffon up.

“I said he seemed really serious before, but I take it back. He’s more flexible than I thought.”

“Elze, you look happy.”

“Of course I am! Since he’s the examiner assigned to me, we’ll probably work together until the end. I’d rather get along with him, right?”

She was relieved that Abel turned out to be easier to talk to than she expected.

(First is tomorrow’s test. I have to do my best—I don’t want to let Abel down!)

Still holding Chiffon in her arms, Elze happily stepped around the room, full of energy.

◇◇◇

“So, each of us was assigned a personal examiner! The one assigned to me looks strict at first, but he’s actually someone you can talk to—”

“…………”

Elze had come to the abandoned church again today and happened to run into Richard.

As soon as she started talking about Abel, Richard looked annoyed, but for some reason, he didn’t chase her away.

“There’s going to be a music-related test tomorrow! Will you be there, Prince Richard?”

“I have no interest in that.”

“Aww, I was hoping to show off my beautiful voice to you. Oh! I can sing for you now, if you’d like?”

“Don’t.”

Richard was clearly cold, but Elze still felt happy.

Right now, even though they were in the same space, Richard wasn’t trying to kill her. He wasn’t trying to push her away either.

Maybe he was just in a better mood today—even if it didn’t show on his face—but compared to before, this felt like real progress.

“Surely as the selection continues, you’ll attend something like a garden party again, right, Prince Richard? I’ll make sure everyone knows the name ‘Elze’ by then—so be ready for me!”

When she boldly declared that, Richard suddenly turned to her.

“You… why do you want to become the Empress of Ernstahl so badly?”

His gaze felt like it could see straight through her, and Elze’s heart skipped a beat.

(The reason I want to become the Empress of Ernstahl…)

The first thing that came to mind was the terrible future she saw through her power of foresight, where her homeland was destroyed.

She had come here to avoid that future.

But—

(It’s not just that anymore)

She lifted her head and looked straight at Richard.

At first, she had only been afraid of him.

But after she saw the deep sadness hidden in his heart, she couldn’t think of him that way anymore.

(I… I want to know more about you)

It wasn’t just for her homeland anymore. Now, she truly felt that way.

“…I don’t want to be the ‘Empress of Ernstahl.’ I want to be your bride.”

She said it without thinking—and then froze in shock.

(W-What did I just say…? How embarrassing…!)

Even though she had read romance stories and squealed over them with her sister, Elze had never been in love before.

Even with Richard, up until now, she had been desperate to win because she believed there was no future unless she became his bride.

So maybe—just maybe—this was the first time she saw him as her partner.

“Um, that thing I said just now, I mean…”

“…Hmph.”

Before she could explain herself, Richard turned his back and quickly walked away.

(Was I too forward? Does he think I’m shallow…?)

Elze hung her head sadly, not realizing something important—

That Richard, with his back turned, had a very complicated look on his face.

He hadn’t walked away because he was annoyed with her.

He simply didn’t know how to respond.

And Elze had no way of knowing that.