The Unattractive Princess' Marriage - Episode 8

“Please withdraw.” “Your Royal Highness?” After finishing reviewing the documents concerning the Royal Orphanage, Sophina, who was reading a book about Kazac history, was visited by Ferson, the Crown Prince’s administrative assistant, and a jeweler who frequented the palace. It seemed Ferson had arranged for them to bring new jewelry, as Feldric had ordered, but Sophina was in no mood for it.

“Did I commit some impropriety…?” To the flustered, portly jeweler, Anna smiled softly and said, “I apologize, but Her Highness is a little tired from her duties,” urging him to leave.

The sound of the door closing echoed.

“Well then,” Sophina had expected Ferson to leave with the jeweler, but he saw the jeweler off and then returned. He smiled at Sophina. “I imagine the famously diligent Princess wouldn’t be tired from duties of this extent.” “…” It was moments like these that reminded her he worked alongside Feldric. One probably couldn’t associate with Feldric without this level of nerve. Sophina restrained Anna, who had turned red and was about to say, “How rude…”, and forced a wry smile.

“It would be pointless for both of us to waste time.” “…I’m just a commoner, so I think if he’s offering, you should just take it.” Sophina implied she didn’t want it, and Ferson raised an eyebrow, calculating aloud, “Given the price of the stones that jeweler brings, you could at least buy that book, and that book, and that book.” Sophina’s eyes widened before she burst out laughing. She noticed Anna’s astonished, then wry, expression beside her, and her heart grew even lighter. He was the only person in Kazak with whom Sophina could speak naturally. “Considering what I’ve received so far and the opportunities to use them, isn’t it enough already?” As she spoke, Sophina’s gaze naturally lowered.

Feldric sent gifts of dresses, jewelry, and perfume every three days. But she didn’t want them. It wasn’t just a matter of opportunity, as she’d told Ferson. Fundamentally, Sophina was someone Feldric felt had “no need to be adorned.” Therefore, everything she had received so far was just an item, merely to maintain an appearance befitting a “Crown Princess.” She certainly didn’t wish for them to be accompanied by sincerity, but receiving only objects felt hollow. Of course, knowing Feldric, he would probably just say “clothes don’t make the man” even if she dressed up, which was also a big factor. And then there was something she could never mention to Ferson or Anna: they were simply too expensive. In Hydeland, such an amount would never be spent on jewelry or dresses for Sophina, though perhaps for her sister. She was initially shocked that he could so easily spend such sums on a princess he thought had no need to be adorned, and then realized Feldric’s intention was to flaunt Kazac’s national power disguised as gifts.

(But the real problem is—) “So… Ferson, could you give me some advice?” She wouldn’t have mentioned it if Ferson had just left, but he was perceptive and had returned. She had also confirmed his sensibilities. So, she thought. “As Your Royal Highness wishes.” Behind the silver-rimmed glasses on his delicate face, Ferson’s black eyes curved into an arc. Even though he was already being pulled around by Feldric, the fact that he was trying to grant Sophina’s wish made her feel as if the rigidity in her heart since coming to Kazarena had softened a little.

“Guards, you say?” Feldric abruptly informed Sophina, who had visited his office to ask about the work she’d been assigned. “Yes. Why do you look so puzzled?” (He seemed indifferent until now, so why suddenly… Ah, I see, Ferson.) Ferson must have arranged for guards to fulfill Sophina’s request from the other day. “…No.” When Sophina inadvertently smiled, amused by his conscientiousness, Feldric raised an eyebrow.

“There was no suitable person, so I decided to dispatch someone from the Knights’ Order. They should be greeting you soon.” He then returned his gaze to his documents, and the man who was Sophina’s husband only on paper and by rumor muttered as he penned. “From the Knights’ Order?” She couldn’t help but frown.

The public safety in this country, especially in the capital of Kazarena, was unparalleled across the continent, so safe that a young woman could walk alone at midnight. This was because Kazac’s proud knights maintained peace in peacetime, which consequently guaranteed the safety of the central palace. Furthermore, there were also Imperial Guards within the palace, making it doubly secure. Although, these guards were apparently largely ceremonial, like the knights in her homeland, and had recently seen a decline in recruits as the Knights’ Order had taken many of their people. Sophina, harboring a sense of unease, was handed new work documents and made her way back to her room.

“Welcome back.” Sophina was greeted by a slightly unsettled Anna upon her return to her room. “It is an honor to meet you. I am Henrik Bardner, and I have been assigned to guard Your Royal Highness. I will do my utmost.” “And I am Matt Zylatt, Your Royal Highness Sophina. It’s a pleasure to serve you.” The moment she felt puzzled, two tall figures in black and silver uniforms stood up behind Anna. They stepped forward and bowed deeply with flawless movements. When they looked up, Sophina understood. Though different types, both were remarkably handsome. Bardner had straight, silky brown hair and slightly drooping brown eyes, giving him a very gentle overall impression. Zylatt, who seemed somewhat stern, had short, slightly curly brown hair of the same color. His almond-shaped eyes, housing green irises, were particularly striking. They were so perfectly sculpted that one couldn’t help but be mesmerized.

“I expect much from your work.” Sophina, hiding her momentary intimidation, replied. The two exchanged a glance and smiled. That made them seem young, and she somehow understood. With such young knights, the guard duty must be merely a formality. (Could it be that Feldric also knew the rumor that I had no guards… No, that’s not it.) Sophina realized she was again thinking too conveniently and scoffed at herself.

“Are the greetings over?” “!” “!!” Sophina gasped because the very person she had been thinking of appeared at the same time as the knock. But the two guards showed even greater tension, and Sophina’s eyes widened. “…It’s a reflex, please don’t mind it.” Bardner, sensing her questioning gaze, looked at Sophina with a strained smile. Meanwhile, Zylatt retreated inch by inch. “What’s that about, Fu… Matt?” “It’s instinct, please pay it no mind.” Sophina couldn’t hide her furrowed brow at Bardner and Zylatt, who made identical expressions and spoke similar lines. She couldn’t possibly interpret it as tension or reverence towards the Crown Prince. If anything… it was caution?

Feldric, still smiling while his eyes showed not a hint of amusement, settled onto the sofa in Sophina’s reception room. Then, he took Sophina’s hand, who was still standing rigidly, with a casual, purely dutiful gesture, and led her to sit beside him. “Sophina, Henrik, Anna, shall we have tea? Matt, you brew it.” Anna, who was suddenly addressed by Feldric, was greatly flustered, asking, “M-me too?” But Bardner, too, jumped in surprise when his name was called. Unlike Anna, however, his reaction didn’t seem to stem from deference. “Oh, uh, if so, I’ll prepare it right away!” “It’s fine, sometimes. Matt said he’d brew it.” Feldric, who was smiling and asserting that Zylatt would brew it even though Zylatt hadn’t replied, seemed to harbor some frustration.

“But, but, it’s too great an honor.” “Thank you for your consideration. But it’s alright, Anna. It’s His Highness’s word. Please relax sometimes.” Zylatt, whose tension from moments ago had vanished, gracefully approached Anna. He took her hand and smiled sweetly, then gently pushed her back towards the sofa. Anna, who was used to being courted by men, blushed and, despite her usual strict adherence to duty and status, sank into the sofa as he guided her.

“T-traitor! Are you planning to escape alone…!” “Henrik, it’s alright—she’s the key.” “Ah, indeed… Before people in weak positions, a cat always…” “Listen, my friend, if you understand, protect her with your life.” Bardner desperately grabbed Zylatt’s shoulder, who had turned to prepare tea, and whispered. “…” Feldric’s cheek twitched slightly, and he gave them a half-lidded look.

“…” The scene unfolding before her—something Sophina had never experienced in Hydeland, nor even since coming to Kazak—made her blink as her eyes fell on Zylatt and Bardner’s black uniforms. The Kazac Kingdom Knights’ Order. A group that had maintained a meritocracy regardless of status since its founding by commoners—was that why…? (Because these two are clearly wary of Feldric, aren’t they…? And Feldric knows it. Yet he’s not angry. But he’s not amused either… What in the world is going on??) While wary of Feldric’s intentions in assigning such individuals as her guards, Sophina also felt a glimmer of hope that she might find allies beyond Alexander and Ferson, and she let out a small sigh.

“…On foot?” “Yes. Since we’re going, why not get to know the city a bit?” “And these are your clothes. That dress would be too conspicuous.”

The two guards were as unusual as her first impression suggested. That day, Sophina had planned to visit the Royal Orphanage. This inspection was something Sophina had requested from Ferson on the day she had refused the jewelry. Places like orphanages, though not directly related to power, could sometimes reveal the darker side of a country. She had wondered if Feldric would approve of her, a foreigner, seeing such a place, but permission had been granted surprisingly easily.

Yes, it was supposed to be an inspection—traveling by carriage with attendants, receiving greetings, being guided by the person in charge, listening to explanations, completing the tour while being respectfully observed by those around, and returning by carriage… The scene she had unconsciously imagined suddenly collapsed, and Sophina froze. (Is he serious? Is it a trap? Or another test? No, perhaps I’m just being treated carelessly… No, maybe this is normal in Kazac…? Or rather, me, wearing a dress like a girl my age would wear in town, going out into the city…?) “Wouldn’t the orphanage director be flustered? I don’t like causing distress to others.” Sophina maintained her composure as she replied, trying not to reveal her near-panic from the storm of questions in her mind. Of course, she couldn’t say that if she, already plain, visited the orphanage in a simple dress and no jewelry, on foot, the director and no one else would recognize her as the Crown Princess on an inspection.

“His Royal Highness Feldric’s instruction was to go incognito, as that would better reveal the actual situation. We’ve already obtained permission from only the director, so we’ll quietly visit the director once we arrive.” Zylatt answered with a pleasant smile, and Sophina stared intently at his face. He was still beautiful, but he was wearing a simple open-collared shirt and dark blue slacks instead of his Knights’ Order uniform. He wasn’t carrying a sword. Bardner, on the other hand, was in his usual uniform.

(Is this alright, I wonder…?) Hearing it was Feldric’s instruction, Sophina became suspicious, wondering what his true intention was. “Please trust our Knights’ Order. We diligently work to maintain the public safety of the capital on a daily basis, and we will protect Her Royal Highness with all our might. Oh, by the way, Zylatt is like a walking weapon—besides his sword, he’s proficient in knives, daggers, hand-to-hand combat, spears, bows, you name it.” (—He read my mind.) She looked at Bardner, wide-eyed internally, as Zylatt frowned and said, “A weapon?”, and Bardner laughed, “It’s the truth, isn’t it?” “By the way, it’s not unusual in Kazac. Both His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness Feldric go out with only a few guards, and I’ve even heard that Her Royal Highness Nashuana sometimes goes out without any guards at all.”

(With that said, I really can’t refuse… Or rather, do I even want to refuse…?) In the end, Sophina, with the help of a similarly bewildered Anna, somehow managed to change. She let out a wry smile as her reflection in the mirror was exactly as she’d expected: she looked like any ordinary town girl. When she stepped back out in front of the two, she froze again. “Oh, just as I thought, you’re incredibly cute, Princess—no, Sophina-sama. And that’s handmade by my wife, Mary!” “Yes, yes, that’s irrelevant. But, Your Highness, I agree that it suits you. You really are lovely.” “…Thank you.” Sophina hesitated, wondering if she should reprimand them for their disrespect, but seeing the two, who seemed to be praising her from the bottom of their hearts, she finally spoke. Watching them widen their eyes and then break into smiles at her words, she felt it was foolish to have worried. “…” She instinctively looked at Anna, who also seemed at a loss.

Accompanied by the two, she tentatively stepped out of the castle gate through the back entrance. The mid-spring midday sky was clear and cloudless, with a faint haze of blue. “…” The cheerful voices of the two greeting the gatekeeper sounded distant.

She had never ventured into town like this, even in Hydeland. Though she was treading on cobblestones, her feet felt as if they were floating.

“Alright, this one, and this one, and then…” “How about some Metzna? Today’s are especially sweet, from the coastal region.” “Oh, from the coastal region. Then I’ll take that.” In the town, people went about their daily lives with ordinary expressions. Here, children played with spinning tops; there, a man called out to a woman. A carriage with its load undone blocked the road, and another carriage driver grumbled while helping to straighten the load. No one passing by paid Sophina any mind. Even when a glance was directed her way, it passed over her with no emotion whatsoever. Everything made her heart pound.

(…I’ve made a mistake.) Perhaps it was because she was looking around nervously, but Bardner and Zylatt were looking at her with a smile, like one would look at a child. Sophina hurriedly composed her expression.

“Oh, that’s right. Princess—no, Sophina-sama, here’s some pocket money.” “…Pocket, money.” But her composure was broken again. Moreover, it was the first time she had touched money that she had only ever seen on ledgers. “Please buy whatever you like. Oh, and you have to spend it all before we go home, okay?” “…Two 500 Kimri silver coins…” Bardner laughed gleefully at Sophina, who didn’t understand their value. “Even if there are price tags, you can buy a lot, or if you haggle well, you can get a small discount.” “Haggle? You mean to make them cheaper? …If I did that, the seller would struggle to make a living.” “It’s fine, they expect to be haggled with. That’s how they interact and enjoy life beyond just money.” “So, try your best to make them laugh.” “For now, put the coins in your pocket. Later, we’ll buy you a wallet somewhere.” (A wallet, is that a bag for money? Does that mean I’m going out into the city not just today?) “…” Sophina blinked repeatedly, staring at the silver coins in her hand. The profile of Kazac’s founding king engraved on them seemed a little like Feldric.

“Come on, a carriage is coming, so please step over here.” “If there’s anything that interests you, anytime. We’ll follow you anywhere.” Bardner smiled gently at the bewildered Sophina. When Sophina tentatively placed her hand on Zylatt’s outstretched one, he smiled happily. “Now, let’s go. If we take a slight detour now, we’ll arrive right at our promised time of 3 PM.” With that, the two walked into the city, Sophina in between them.