Chapter 5

――As a prince, I was supposed to meet my destined princess someday.

The fantasy I believed in since childhood has led to this situation... Back then, I never would have dreamed that it would come to this.

“……Sigh”

A heavy sigh echoed through the office. At the sound, Conrad, the secretary to the Crown Prince, who had been silently processing documents, looked up.

“Your Highness, sighing will make your happiness run away.”

“It’s already gone.”

The princess I was supposed to finally meet—Ella—left with another man’s hand in hers. But I never imagined that the shock would lead me to marry her sister instead... What was I thinking back then? Looking back, I can only say I acted too hastily.

Alexis, the first prince of the kingdom, 20 years old, and now married.

That’s my current profile. Yes, I’m married.

How many times have I heard the words “Congratulations on your marriage” recently?

“Your Highness, have you visited the princess since then?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“No matter how superficial the marriage may be, if you openly neglect the princess, people will start to notice something is wrong. Even if you plan to divorce eventually, it’s best to maintain appearances for a while.”

Another sigh escaped as Conrad’s admonishing words sank in. But... I’m starting to realize that I can no longer avoid facing the situation.

―“I will never desire the prince’s love. So please rest assured.”

―“Therefore, the prince is free to forget about me. You can treat me as a mistress or a concubine, as you please.”

―“I promise to behave quietly if you provide me with basic necessities. Once the dust settles, you can divorce me if you wish.”

Ella’s sister—Adriana, I believe that was her name—told me this with a composed attitude on our wedding night.

Reflecting on it now, what a cruel thing I did to her.

For her, she was suddenly forced into a loveless marriage with a stranger. She might even have had a fiancé or a lover. Without even checking, I brought her here almost by force and now I’m leaving her alone. The more I think about it, the more frustrated I become with my own inadequacy.

I’ve just been running away from facing her.

“...We should have a proper talk.”

As I said this, Conrad chuckled.

“There are reports from the palace attendants about the princess. Would you like to hear them today?”

Until now, I hadn’t even bothered to listen to the reports about her. “If there are no problems, it’s fine,” I had said, deliberately avoiding the issue. But I can’t keep doing that. I’ve decided to face her.

“...I’ll listen.”

“The princess has been energetically working on creating fields and pastures on the vacant land around the palace. She’s been diligently farming every day.”

“...Huh?”

“Yesterday, she even organized a fishing tournament with the palace attendants and caught the biggest fish...”

“Wait, hold on.”

Fields? Pastures? Farming? Fishing?

Is this... some kind of mistake?

“Is this really... a report about my princess?”

“The reports are always so amusing. You should have listened to them earlier.”

“You should have told me this sooner!”

I slammed my fist on the desk, and Conrad’s lips curled into an amused smile.

“Your Highness, you’ve brought an interesting person.”

“I didn’t expect her to be like this...”

While not as delicate as Ella, Adriana had the appearance of a sheltered young lady.

No... If the reports are true, I might have misjudged her.

“...I’ll go to the palace tomorrow.”

“Understood. It’s a shame you missed the fishing tournament yesterday.”

I ignored Conrad’s teasing words. Regardless, I want to see how the princess is doing as soon as possible. From the reports, it seems she’s managing well even without my visits.

I felt a mix of relief and complexity.