The Unattractive Princess' Marriage - Episode 3

Considering all biases and flattery, and evaluating herself with the utmost positivity, Sophina knew that her face was average – a face among ten thousand.

She simply didn’t voice it. Not for pride, of course, but because if she were to foolishly speak it aloud, the kind Anna and her mother, the wet nurse, would desperately deny it with sad faces. While she was grateful for their feelings, it only made her feel more uncomfortable.

Nevertheless, looking objectively in the mirror, she couldn’t help but realize her own mediocrity. What reflected back was loosely wavy brown hair, dull grey-blue eyes, a round face still retaining childishness, and a nose appropriately low for that face. While not entirely unbalanced, it was a plain face with no particularly striking features. Her fair complexion was the only saving grace, but even that couldn’t be described as strikingly pale. Average height, average weight, a body that wasn’t particularly prominent nor concave, but with some moderate curves—there was no word for it other than average, ordinary.

Of course, if she were a commoner, her appearance would likely be treated reasonably well, if not as “cherished as a butterfly or flower.” However, Sophina was born the Second Princess of the Hydeland Kingdom. As a result, she faced the daily reality that the ladies-in-waiting working in the palace were more beautiful than she.

Furthermore, the fact that her half-sister, First Princess Aurelia, born three months earlier to a concubine, was a beauty straight out of a fairy tale, contributed to Sophina’s resigned evaluation of her own appearance. Her sister’s platinum-blonde hair shimmered like high-quality silk, her large, deep-sea blue eyes were veiled by long, hazy lashes, her small oval face was translucent like snow, and her perfectly formed lips shone like pink deep-sea coral. Her slender physique was fragile and evoked a desire to protect.

From childhood, Sophina had always been compared to such a sister. Her father had explicitly told her, “You can’t expect a good match. If you have time to dress up, devote yourself to your studies.” Her sister had said with wonder, “There’s not a single resemblance between us.” Among the nobles, it was rumored, “That they are sisters, fate is cruel.” Her brother’s friends, who would stiffen up in her sister’s presence, saying, “I always get nervous,” would relax and behave freely around Sophina, saying, “Princess Sophina is approachable.” As she came of age, she started attending evening parties, but Sophina was fundamentally a wallflower. Even when she wasn’t, only her brother’s considerate friends or older individuals with petitions or consultations would approach her, while her sister was always at the center of the party, surrounded by glamorous people. Marriage proposals were the same. While proposals poured in for her sister, Sophina’s brother’s attempts to approach his friends for her were met with polite refusals.

Sophina believed she hadn’t become twisted by such an environment thanks to her mother and brother.

Hydeland, which had once been on the verge of becoming the continental leader, was, 300 years after its founding, steadily declining in recent years. Sophina’s mother, Marybell, was the one who barely managed to keep it from collapsing. A marquis’ daughter, she took over from her husband, Urim II, to restore the finances, implemented agricultural policies resistant to cold damage to stabilize the lives of the citizens, and activated trade by signing numerous treaties with foreign countries. At the same time, she redeveloped mines, revised mining methods and transactions to make them profitable.

Her brother, as the heir, received intensive gifted education from their mother. At the same time, he was dearly loved by his mother, to the point where it was mutually acknowledged that he was “no different from her own child.” Although it didn’t happen for Aurelia, who was born next, due to the opposition of Urim II and his concubine, Sophina was treated similarly to her brother, resulting in a very close bond with him despite being half-siblings.

When their mother’s education became too strict and Sophina grew tired of it, she would always flee to her brother, who would always welcome her with a smile. He would serve tea and sweets, listen to her chatter, and finally, place Sophina on his lap, telling her various stories—tales of brave knights using their wits to defeat evil dragons or witches who succumbed to temptation and became demons. He would always conclude with, “Sophina, become wise and strong. And then, along with the people around you, make yourself happy too, Sophina.”

Indeed, the more Sophina strived to be a good princess, the more her mother and brother praised and rejoiced. Her mother and brother said that if she became wise, she could make the people of Hydeland, who entrusted their future to them, happy, and that she herself would also be happy. Therefore, Sophina, even as a child, resolved that this was what she should do.

Thirty more years. Their mother, gently aging, would restore Hydeland’s national strength, and her brother would succeed her. Her beautiful sister, having been sought after, would marry into another country, and by then, the lives of the citizens would have greatly improved. And Sophina, assisting her brother, would find a gentle partner with whom she could smile warmly, like the bride she once saw at a village wedding, and quietly grow old.

—That was supposed to be the plan. She had worked so hard for it.

When Sophina was 14, her mother died of illness. Her funeral, though simple as per her will and unbefitting royalty, was deeply mourned by the common people of Hydeland, who adored her as the “Wise Queen.” Sophina found comfort in this and was proud of her mother. However, her brother was given no such respite. With their father having no interest or sense of crisis in state affairs, duties inevitably concentrated on the Crown Prince after their mother’s death. Worried about her brother, who was barely an adult yet grew thinner day by day, Sophina began to help him with simpler tasks.

For the next four years, the workload gradually increased, and her brother finally had some breathing room. That was just half a year ago.

A marriage proposal arrived from Crown Prince Feldric of the Kazak Kingdom, which bordered Hydeland to the south.

Everyone, including Sophina, thought it was a mistake, but a month later, Crown Prince Feldric of Kazak specifically came to Hydeland. And then, Sophina and the others learned that the letter was not a mistake after all.

“I wish to welcome Princess Sophina as my wife. Embarrassingly, I fell in love at first sight at the previous conference.”

Sophina, foolishly, was overjoyed by him, who said such words even after seeing her sister. She should have realized—Feldric had met Sophina many times long before the last conference. It was impossible for him, unlike others, to forget the face of a foreign royal he had met even once. So what did “love at first sight” mean?

“Zelde, Anna, it really was me! He said he came to Hydeland because he wanted to hear my answer directly…” “See?! Because Princess Sophina is truly wonderful! I told you all along it wasn’t strange at all!” “It’s like a dream… I’ve admired him since I was 12. I can’t believe my first love came true…” “Congratulations, Princess Sophina. Truly, truly, how wonderful…”

She forgot to calmly analyze the situation and the other person, simply rejoiced, and took his outstretched hand.

(And the result is this farce, isn’t it…)

An old, old temple that had not been burned down even in the civil war some 60 years ago. Sophina’s face clouded beneath the building, which was topped with a spire in reverence to the Sun God Soleigus. Light pouring from the high windows shimmered on Sophina’s white, silver, and gold wedding dress. Beside her, Feldric stood silently, clad in a similarly styled outfit. The ancient words of marriage blessing from the temple’s elder scattered, leaving echoes.

“I, Sophina Foille de Hydeland, pledge to take Feldric Silnia Kazak as my only husband and love him for life.” As the ceremony neared its end, Sophina promised the Sun God to spend her life with Feldric. All she could see was the lower half of the elder, her left arm, and Feldric’s right arm supporting it from below. She hated meeting his gaze or having him see her face, and was grateful for the white veil that covered most of her vision.

“I, Feldric Silnia Kazak, here pledge to take Sophina Foille de Hydeland as my wife and love her throughout my life.” A restrained cheer rose from the audience at Feldric’s voice that followed. Sophina let out a dry laugh under her veil. What kind of face was he making as he uttered those lines?

“Then, the proof.” Feldric’s hand rested on her shoulder, urging her to face him. Another hand cupped her chin, lifting her face. The white veil that had concealed Sophina’s face flowed to either side, and Sophina, as a last resort, cast her gaze down. A warm sensation descended upon her lips. At that moment, shamefully, she trembled. He was not a man to miss that. As his face pulled away and entered her vision, she saw the corners of his perfectly formed lips curl upwards in mockery, and she wanted to cry. This very moment was the embodiment of her failure.

Prompted by the ceremonial officer, she exited the temple, waved with a fixed expression to the people gathered along the roadside as expected, returned to the palace as instructed, changed her clothes, and entered a room on the fifth floor of the Kazak Royal Castle’s main palace.

Feldric, who seemed to have finished changing as well, was gracefully seated on a built-in sofa, drinking tea. He scanned Sophina’s entire body as she entered, then again formed a small smile. At his mocking smile, Sophina also returned a thin smile.

A warm wind, unexpectedly mild for winter, flowed in from the large windows facing the front of the castle. “Now then—come, Sophina.” He set down his cup and stood up, bathed in bright light, and Crown Prince Feldric of this country extended his hand to Sophina. Sophina hesitated, then casually grasped his outstretched hand, and Feldric led her to the balcony for the display to his citizens.

His golden hair, shining as if reflecting the sun, gleamed as it swayed in the wind. The same golden color, mottled with fresh green in his eyes, was always a mysterious hue. His jawline was masculine and toned, yet somehow alluring. His nose, high but not overly prominent, was beyond reproach, and his face, which broke into a sweet smile when their eyes met, was so captivating it could charm even a woman.

“Wasn’t it good that we didn’t tour the capital in a carriage? From a distance, your plainness and such suitable attire wouldn’t stand out, would they?” Yet, the words that came from his mouth were always like this, making Sophina even more disheartened. To prevent him from noticing, she retorted with a snarky remark. “There’s no need for Your Highness to worry about me. Since Your Highness’s only strength is your distinguished face, it would be a missed opportunity not to take advantage of this occasion.” “Unfortunately, it’s not just my face—I also have ability and popularity.”

“WAAAHHH!”

At the moment he appeared on the balcony, the immense cheers made Sophina forget her retort and stare in astonishment.

Below Sophina, the people gathered in the castle’s front square were shouting something, and their smiles were visible even from a distance. Flower petals, a specialty of this city, were scattered everywhere, appearing like a blizzard. The guards were knights in black, gold, and silver uniforms. The fact that they also looked somewhat happy was surely not her imagination.

The crowd radiated warmth and joy. Celebrations for Feldric, the royal, and Sophina, who was marrying into his family. The warmth of celebrating others’ joyous occasions—the scene of a village wedding she had once seen overlapped. Ah, everyone was happy, she couldn’t help but feel.

“…Wonderful people. A good country.” What she muttered was her true feeling. But she immediately regretted it. She looked up, expecting another sarcastic remark. When their eyes met, Feldric broke into a smile for just a moment, and Sophina, to her chagrin, was unluckily captivated, experiencing humiliation once again.

(Why couldn’t I have realized his true nature…?) Of course, even if she had realized, as her brother said, there was nothing she could have done. But if she had only realized, at least she wouldn’t have been so vulnerably hurt…