Chapter 7

It was no easy task to convince the kings of Lillith's resolve, but in the end, Fontae's reality dream was the deciding factor.

Until now, the country had been a peaceful one, far removed from the horrors of war, and there was no way it could stand up to the Fontae army.

Even if Aelaros had sent reinforcements before the alliance, it would have been too late.

With no time to spare, the only option was to hastily form an alliance with Aelaros and make a grand announcement to deter the enemy.

She wrote down the conclusion reached that day in a letter and entrusted it to Aelaros' envoy, and before she knew it, both the alliance and the date of Lillith's marriage were set.

(I was actually hoping that the marriage would be called off... well, with a pretty high probability...)

While Lillith regretted her miscalculation, the preparations for the wedding proceeded in a flurry.

And finally, the day of departure arrived.

Prince Spiris, the crown prince, should have accompanied her as the representative of King Freud, but due to his wife's imminent childbirth, Prince Eam was assigned to accompany Lillith.

The official signing of the alliance was scheduled to take place after the wedding at the Aelaros palace.

(There's no place to run... Even though Prince Gesualdo was so adamantly against it. I guess even he couldn't defy the emperor's orders, no matter how much he is the father...)

Lillith was so anxious that she wondered what had happened to her initial resolve.

Since learning about her sister Daria and Alno, she had assumed that she would marry a powerful noble within the country. Even if it was a political marriage, she thought the prince would welcome her with open arms.

She had planned to reveal her powers at the right time, after assessing whether the person was trustworthy.

But now, she was to marry into another country.

Moreover, she was worried about what would happen if her husband, who had rejected her, didn't welcome her, even though her father, the emperor, did.

(I'm so down...)

Since then, she hadn't seen any of Prince Gesualdo's reality dreams, but she had seen King Fontae panic like a fool and vent his frustration on his subjects after receiving the report of the alliance between Freud and Aelaros.

Of course, she couldn't let her guard down, but at least the most important issue had been resolved, so she had to be content with that.

* * *

Though not as lavish as one might expect, the Freud royal family's carriage was sturdy and impressive. Lillith waved goodbye to her tearful mother and sister, and her smiling brother as she set off.

Prince Eam, her brother, was to ride alongside the carriage for a while.

"Lillith-sama?"

"What is it, Thena?"

"I hope you don't intend to put into practice the contents of the book you brought?"

"Of course not! What do you think I brought the book for? How can I not put it into practice? I'm going to read it before meeting the crown prince and charm him with my allure. My goal is to become a bewitching beauty!"

"..."

"Alright, alright. I know it's impossible for me. So, I'm going to try to be a bit mischievous."

"...I hope it works."

"Right!"

Despite her worries, Lillith decided to think positively. Her motto, being naturally carefree, was "Only forward!"

Thena, who felt quite anxious about the marriage but knew she had to be strong, reaffirmed her resolve.

"Um... Lillith-sama, aren't you afraid?"

"Afraid? Of what?"

"Of... the crown prince, of course."

The other maid, Rese, spoke hesitantly. Rese was young but reliable and knew the secret of Lillith's powers.

Lillith was a bit surprised by her question. She had heard rumors about the crown prince, but she had never felt afraid.

"True, the word 'cursed' sounds scary, but is there anything else to it just because the crown prince has red eyes?"

"Anything else...?"

"Like, can he shoot flames from his red eyes, or turn people to stone with a glance?"

"That's..."

"Never heard of it, right? I hear he's cursed, but I don't really know what that means. Eye color is just that—Rese's eyes are brown, mine are green. So, it's not strange to have red eyes, just rare."

"You're right... Thinking about it that way, I feel more at ease."

"See? Rumors are unreliable. I mean, I'm known as 'The Beautiful Sleeping Princess of Freud,' right?"

"L-Lillith-sama is not at all unattractive... You are very, very cute..."

"Thanks, Rese. I know myself well. The problem is, what if the people of Aelaros have high expectations? Father sent that portrait first, and it was heavily retouched to make me look much more beautiful."

After saying this, Lillith sighed deeply. Thena, who had been silent, and even Rese, had nothing more to say.

As the carriage continued to rumble along, heading towards Aelaros, the interior of the carriage fell silent.