The Unattractive Princess' Marriage - Episode 2

After waving to the people lining the streets, regretting and cursing various things in between, seven days passed traveling south by carriage.

Captain Carlan of the Kazak Kingdom Knights, riding alongside Sophina’s carriage, drew his horse abreast. When Anna opened the carriage window, he calmly said, “Your Highness, we will soon enter Cazarena.”

Sophina widened her eyes at the warm-for-winter air that streamed through the window. Beyond the open window lay Cazarena, the royal capital of Kazak. Even at its outskirts, the streets were seamlessly paved with cobblestones, without gaps or bumps, and the alleys were beautifully maintained. The surrounding residential areas were neatly laid out, and in the pleasant, compact front gardens of the detached houses, parents were hanging laundry or chatting. Children were happily playing in the parks here and there, and elderly people were seen strolling leisurely.

“Oh, it’s a knight!” “Hey, are you working? Good luck!” Children called out to the knights surrounding Sophina’s carriage. The stern-faced knights momentarily broke into smiles and waved. “It’s vast, and so lively…” Anna murmured.

The carriage turned a few corners and finally entered the main thoroughfare leading to the royal castle. On both sides of the street, an astonishing number of people had gathered, looking at Sophina and speaking in hushed tones. Those monitoring and controlling the crowd were people clad in black, just like Carlan and his men. (This is the Kazak Royal Knights… It wasn’t just Carlan and his group. They’re all like this.) Their movements were orderly and graceful. However, contrary to the overall impression of the military, their individual physiques, demeanors, and weapons were all mismatched, giving them a somewhat brutal appearance. There was no splendor whatsoever, only a sense of practicality.

Since its founding, the Kazak Kingdom’s driving force, though having suffered defeats in regional battles, has always achieved complete victory in the end—that force is this Royal Knights. It was said that after being selected based purely on merit, regardless of nationality, age, or origin, they were trained rigorously to gain strength, and educated by specialized instructors to acquire refinement and dignity. Those who couldn’t keep up were ruthlessly weeded out. Not only were they individually strong, but they were also excellent officers, maintaining hundreds of individuals equivalent to generals in other nations. (Perhaps Al-do-Zaruanac, the founder, was an exceptionally gifted individual.) Compared to the knights of her homeland, which had practically become a playground for noble sons, their abilities seemed fundamentally different. (The very nature of this knighthood is the essence of this country…) Sophina gazed at them and sighed again. There was no way this country and Hydeland could stand against each other.

(But…) Sophina’s gaze lingered on the crowd gathered behind the knights, and a smile appeared on her face. The people were well-dressed, and their physiques were noticeably plumper compared to those in her homeland, Hydeland. As befits the main street of a wealthy nation, the shops lining the street displayed expensive glass windows, through which an abundance of goods could be seen from a distance. The expressions of the people were generally bright, full of spirit and vitality.

“Eh, she’s kind of a plain princess.” (…Still being talked about like that, but well, it’s fine.) Sophina gave a wry smile. “A king who is bothered by his people speaking freely should not be a king.” Recalling her mother’s teaching, Sophina waved and smiled at a straightforward girl, thinking that a country where people could speak their minds was a good country.

Then, she gazed at the castle, which loomed before her, looking more like a fortress with its scarred exterior than a typical castle. “…It’s okay.” She whispered softly, curving the corners of her lips upwards. (It’s not as bad as I feared before leaving. I’m sure I can come to like this country.)

“So you actually came. It would’ve been interesting if you had cried to Celsius disgracefully, saying you hated this marriage.” —If only this man weren’t here.

The moment Sophina saw Feldric, who had purposely come out to greet her in the plaza beyond the castle’s main gate, she had a bad feeling. As he approached, his already prominent golden hair gleaming in the afternoon sun, Sophina winced in the carriage and looked at him twice. When he extended a hand to her, exiting the carriage, with a radiant smile and said, “Sophina, I truly wanted to see you,” she desperately sealed her lips to prevent herself from asking, “Which mouth is saying that?” Still, when he said worriedly, “You must be tired,” and gently touched her cheek, her spirits lifted a little, thinking it might not be so bad after all. As the knights who had escorted her gave wry smiles, and Anna and the other ladies-in-waiting watched the exchange between Feldric and Sophina with admiring eyes, it was embarrassing but also pleasant. Thinking of the animosity and tension that only Feldric and Sophina knew when they parted in Hydeland, she wanted to believe that it was just a war of words, and that Feldric’s true nature was this. “I’ll show you the way,” Feldric said, intertwining his arm with Sophina’s and accompanying her to her prepared room, explaining various things about the castle along the way. He was gentle, gentlemanly, sometimes cracking jokes, and amicable.

Until she was introduced to new ladies-in-waiting in her new room, served tea, and, with a wry smile, told, “Your Highness, please go easy, as Sophina-sama must be tired,” and left alone—

“I thought you’d surely run away, but you actually came.” “Of course not. Besides, Your Highness knows that I can’t refuse.” As soon as the door closed, Feldric gave a cold laugh, plunging her deeper into despair after her brief uplift. Sophina hid the pain in her heart, dropped the smile she had worn moments before in response to Feldric, and coolly picked up her tea. She earnestly prayed to her mother that Feldric wouldn’t notice the unsightly ripples on the tea’s surface.

“For the sake of the country, for the sake of duty—what admirable fortitude. Well, in your case, that’s probably your only redeeming quality.” “As you say. If you’re dissatisfied, did I not recommend my elder sister? My sister has held affection for you since meeting you at Crown Prince Chaiza’s wedding in Aurelin, and she would be delighted herself. Above all, she is well-matched with your splendid appearance, Your Highness.” “So you still don’t like me, then.” Ignoring the thorns pricking her heart, Sophina replied nonchalantly, and Feldric chuckled, picking up the cup in front of him.

“Well, knowing that such a conversation would arise, I sent an envoy to your father. With an envelope that clearly indicated a proposal of marriage.” “…No way.” “No way about it. As expected, your father mistakenly thought it was for your elder sister and gave his informal consent on the spot, didn’t he?” Sophina’s eyes widened, and she stared at Feldric in astonishment.

Her father, King Urim II of Hydeland, detested state affairs and tried to avoid them as much as possible. Even with personal letters addressed to him, he would only glance at the envelope at most, and unless something particularly interested him, he would leave it to his elder brother to open. If the proposal from Kazak had arrived as a dispatch through foreign embassies, like many other official letters, there was a high probability that her brother would have opened it. In that case, he would never have given informal consent to the envoy, and would have likely sounded out Kazak about her elder sister, Aurelia, instead of Sophina.

“Then, you purposely came all the way to Hydeland…” “That way, Celsius would have no choice but to send you to Kazak, not your elder sister. He seemed to dote on you endlessly—a good elder brother. You, as his indispensable aide, both exceptionally capable as a king and a person of integrity, are also his weakness.” Feldric smiled at the astonished Sophina, clearly enjoying himself immensely.

While everyone thought it was a case of mistaken identity with her sister, if Feldric himself, with the already given informal consent in hand, denied it and proposed to Sophina… Sophina would have no choice but to accept, while her father and others’ dissatisfaction would turn not towards Feldric, who would soon leave, but towards Sophina. In fact, that’s why Sophina, disfavored by the king, no longer had a place in Hydeland…

“Don’t glare at me like that. It was unexpected that you figured out so much at that stage, but oh well—in the end, you’re here now.” “…” Sophina held her breath as Feldric continued to gaze at her, smiling blissfully.

“Your elder sister would only be a hindrance to work.” “…And it wouldn’t diminish my brother’s influence, would it?” “…” Feldric returned a silent, meaningful smile, and Sophina couldn’t bear it any longer, averting her gaze from him. She felt so pathetic for having thought, even for a moment, that he might have wanted her.

Still, they managed to speak normally for a while after that. “Kazak must be warmer than Hydeland.” “Yes. And it’s more humid than I imagined. After passing the northern parts of Kazak, near the border, it immediately became winter wheat fields. Are the summer crops oil-producing plants?” “There are many legumes as well. And with that, the proportion of livestock farming has increased.” “Is the four-field system working well in Kazak? In Hydeland, the focus on valuable wool has increased, and some are enclosing land.” These unromantic topics—the differences in climate between Kazak and Hydeland, crop types, industrial structures—were Sophina’s forte. It was also a relief not to have to be conscious of the fact that her conversational partner was Feldric.

When their tea refills were exhausted, Feldric stood up. Sophina stood with him to see him off, and as they walked towards the door, she spoke to him.

“By the way, regarding future arrangements…” “The chamberlain should explain it.” “I’m not referring to the upcoming ceremonies, but matters concerning Your Highness personally.” “?” Feldric, a head taller than Sophina, stopped and looked down at her with a puzzled expression. The fact that she had managed to make him, who had orchestrated everything, wear such a face brought her a small measure of satisfaction.

“Would you please stop that blatant act?” “That’s a nasty thing to say. No one but you would think it’s blatant.” (So he’s not denying that it’s an act after all…) Sophina turned a cold gaze towards him, trying to hide the sadness and misery spreading in her heart, but Feldric, unrepentant, merely shrugged.

“It bothers me to deceive everyone, and it must be troublesome for Your Highness as well.” “It’s easier for vassals if the lord and lady are on good terms, even if superficially, rather than at odds. That much is no trouble for me at all.” (Superficially… Truly, how foolish I am…) These were words born of desperation, words she couldn’t say—that she herself was hurt each time she received his seemingly caring act. His reply wounded her further. And so, she disliked herself even more.

“Everyone will eventually notice anyway. Until then, we can use it. What they perceive about us, and how they act.” Feldric said, “Information about people is particularly useful,” and gazed coldly at Sophina with his green and gold eyes.

“You are capable of that.” Smiling only with his lips, he deliberately placed a long index finger on Sophina’s forehead and moved it downwards. “…” Sophina froze as he traced her brow, the bridge of her nose, at a distance almost touching, and stopped at her lips. At that sensation and the indescribable light in his eyes, Sophina trembled all over.

“And soon you’ll think of a way to escape from me, and you’ll try to do it—but I won’t let you.”