Chapter 9

"Ah, geez! I'm so tired!"

Lilith, who had shouted, sank into the soft sofa with a plop. After being led to her room by the castle steward and having the room inspected by the insistent guard knights, she finally had a moment to rest once the room attendant maid had left, leaving only her, Taina, and Rase.

She really wanted to dive into the luxurious bed in the adjacent bedroom.

However, there was apparently a simple welcome banquet afterward, so it would be better not to.

"Lady Lilith... aren't you afraid at all?"

"Huh? You mean Prince Gesualdo?"

Lilith, who had been gently stroking the colorful Damask silk of the sofa as if apologizing for sitting on it so abruptly, asked Rase, "Again?"

"Well... I had heard the rumors, but even so, I find him quite terrifying..."

"Indeed, I didn't expect him to be as rumored. Now I understand why he's called the 'Red Reaper'..."

When Rase spoke hesitantly, Taina sighed deeply.

Although it had become much less common, just a decade ago, Eyras was often at war. Gesualdo's nickname, which began during that time, was well-known. Lilith had heard of it, but she couldn't agree with their words, so she stopped stroking the sofa, raised her face, and furrowed her brow.

"...I've said it many times, but rumors are just rumors. I think he's beautiful."

"Well... if Lady Lilith thinks so, we have nothing more to say. I apologize."

"I'm sorry."

Lilith, who could understand their feelings, accepted their apologies sincerely.

In this world, most people have eyes that are brown or close to black. Lilith's green eyes and Daria's blue eyes are very rare. Most people also have dark hair, and Daria's golden hair is a subject of envy. The reason there are many people with light pigmentation in the Freud Kingdom is that they have lived in this land, where summers are short, since ancient times.

People from other countries moved here as their populations grew. Therefore, while the Fontae Kingdom boasts of its long history, it could be considered a newcomer in the foothills of the Hottar Mountains. However, the people who have lived in this land for a long time, like the Freud Kingdom, tend to be peaceful and laid-back. As a result, those who were driven out of their lands and found themselves in the less habitable Freud territory eventually gathered there. This led to the establishment of the Freud Kingdom by its first king, Dreaum I, to protect the land.

Even in the Freud Kingdom, red hair is rare, and red eyes are something she had never seen or heard of before—except for the rumors about the crown prince of Eyras. However, to Lilith, red eyes seemed very beautiful.

Perhaps because she had seen various people in different worlds through her reality dreams, it wasn't that surprising to her. In other worlds, there were people with horns and those called beastmen. She was surprised the first time she saw a bipedal dog and even more surprised when it spoke and interacted with humans normally. It was a shame she couldn't visit such worlds more often.

(Other worlds have magic and science, all sorts of convenient things. But since they don't exist in this world, there's nothing I can do. I just have to note down what seems possible and use it...)

While thinking about this, she must have dozed off on the sofa. She woke up to Taina's hesitant voice.

"I'm sorry, Lady Lilith. I shouldn't have disturbed you while you were resting..."

"It's fine. I'm okay as long as I'm not forcibly woken up. I wasn't even dreaming. I didn't intend to sleep... Thank you for waking me. It's time to prepare for the banquet, right?"

"Yes. The bath is ready, so please come this way..."

Guided by Taina, she headed to the bath in the unfamiliar room. After preparing for the banquet, she sighed when she saw herself in the mirror. If she were at least half as beautiful as Daria, she could face the banquet with more confidence.

(Arnaud wouldn't think of me as just a sister...)

She came to her senses when she realized this. It was inappropriate to think about her first love with lingering affection when she was about to meet her future husband. However, Lilith sighed when she recalled Gesualdo's attitude earlier.

He had come to greet her carriage, but when he saw her face, he had furrowed his brow for a moment, probably because she looked different from the portrait. After that, he maintained a very formal demeanor and didn't smile once.

(Well, he did seem to dislike it so much... And if I were beautiful, he might have been captivated, but not like this...)

She almost sighed again when she looked in the mirror but held back.

It would be disastrous if happiness slipped away.

Even if she was an unwanted bride, she would find happiness.

She had made that decision, so she had to try her best.

Just as Lilith was secretly steeling herself, Prince Eym came to fetch her.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, brother. I'm fine. And I'm really hungry."

"That's good. This place has a lot of trade with Machinukan, so I'm sure there will be many delicious dishes."

Eym spoke brightly to ease Lilith's tension. Responding to his consideration, Lilith entered the waiting room before the main meal with Eym's escort. She pretended to enjoy conversations with various people while sipping pre-dinner drinks, but then Gesualdo approached and offered her his arm.

"Princess Amaryllis, I will escort you to your seat."

"...Thank you, Prince Gesualdo."

Of course, their seats were next to each other in the dining room. The thought of spending the next few hours with this unsmiling crown prince was a bit disheartening, but there was no choice. They would be spending the rest of their lives together, after all.

(The beginning is crucial. I'll show him!)

After the initial toast and the serving of the meal, the conversation began. Lilith swallowed hard and turned to Gesualdo with a radiant smile.