Chapter 7

In such a manner, I became the fiancée of Prince Lotus, the superhuman prince.

From then on, my days were extremely busy.

First, I moved from my family's dukedom to a temporary residence in the prince's palace. This was due to the concern for my safety by the royal couple and the prince. My relationship with my father and stepmother was well-known in society, and they had guessed that I was not on good terms with my family. Although I initially refused, Prince Lotus, who was aware of the possibility of unforeseen events, persuaded me, and I had no choice but to agree. The prince was pleased with my response.

When I moved, I had expected some resistance, but it was surprising that my father and stepmother tried to stop me. I had thought they would be happy to get rid of me. I wondered why my stepmother, in particular, was so insistent. My stepsister, as usual, was just smiling. Thanks to Prince Lotus, who accompanied me and negotiated, the move went smoothly.

Still, the "List of Duke Savage's Weaknesses" given to me by Lord Elmet was incredibly useful. It contained all sorts of information, which was quite terrifying. Prince Lotus was also aware of the borderline illegal activities of the dukedom. I wondered what kind of information network he had.

In any case, with the help of my close servants, the move was completed, but a new problem stood before me.

That is, the education of a princess.

As a future bearer of the nation and sometimes a representative of the king, one must learn and embody the appropriate education and manners. This is the education of a princess. It includes not only politics and economics but also the languages, cultures, and manners of other countries, as well as memorizing the names and faces of major nobles and royalty.

Honestly, due to the trauma from my previous life, I still flinch at the word "princess." Moreover, if asked whether I have the qualities of a princess, I would shake my head. I accepted becoming a fiancée, but if I became a person worthy of Prince Lotus's praise, I intended to step back.

Therefore, if I said I didn't need to receive princess education, that would be true.

However, I dislike slacking off.

While I don't go all out in everything, I felt it was wrong to be deliberately careless. It's not often that I have such an opportunity to study, and I wanted to respond to Prince Lotus, who had faced the concept of "honesty" as a king. For that reason, I decided to take the princess education seriously, even if it turned out to be a waste.

For me, with average intelligence, it was a challenging class.

Still, I could understand the meaning of the theoretical classes. They were essential knowledge for interacting with envoys from other countries and wisdom for maintaining the peace of the nation. They were classes that would be useful as a future princess, so I could understand their necessity despite the difficulty.

The problem was not this.

The class I had the most doubts about.

It was physical education.

"Is... is this really necessary for a princess...?"

Panting, I voiced my doubt, pressing my side and dragging my heavy feet forward.

"What are you saying, Lady Azalea! If knowledge and education are the invisible sword, then physical strength and muscles are the silent armor! Come on! Let's run one more lap!"

Running behind me with a loud voice was Sir Creek, the physical education instructor and the head of the knights.

Before sunrise, while the sky was still a pale purple, I was running on the training ground of the knights.

According to Sir Creek, physical strength is necessary for everything. The final determinant is muscle. Therefore, we should build up our physical strength during this growth period.

Since both he and I are busy day and night, we have these physical education classes in the early morning when we can find time.

But is this really necessary? I don't need much physical strength or muscle in my daily life. This class is definitely unnecessary.

I ran slowly on the soft ground, feeling resentful towards Sir Creek.

"Almost there, Azalea! Keep going!"

And I was encouraged by Prince Lotus, who was running beside me.

I guess Sir Creek knew I disliked this class and was preventing my escape by involving the prince.

The prince apparently enjoys physical activity. He happily joined the physical education classes, saying it was good training. He was running beside me with weights equivalent to an adult's weight on his legs and arms.

I'm sure Prince Lotus could run much faster. He was matching my speed out of kindness. Well, I didn't have the energy to be grateful at the moment!

Desperate to be free from this suffering, I increased my speed and dashed to the finish line.

"Done!!"

I collapsed where I had started.

I couldn't move anymore. I didn't want to. My heart was hurting. I needed fresh air.

As I rested, Sir Creek said with a troubled look.

"Lady Azalea, you shouldn't sit down immediately after finishing. Please walk one lap slowly. After that, we need to do some stretching to relax your muscles."

No... I don't want to.

Why do I have to walk another lap after running? It should be over.

I must have looked very reluctant. Prince Lotus smiled and pulled my arm to help me stand up.

"Come on, Azalea. Let's walk together."

"Ugh... Prince Lotus..."

I looked up at him pleadingly, but he shook his head with a smile.

"No. It's bad for your body to rest suddenly after exercise. Let's walk one lap while we talk."

He helped me stand up and started walking, pulling my hand. I followed slowly behind him.

It's strange. I became his fiancée to correct him, but it seems I'm the one being taken care of. Well, he did help me when I left my family, so I am being taken care of.

As I grumbled in my head, the prince spoke to me.

"Do you dislike physical activity, Azalea?"

"I like riding and dancing, but I don't like running."

"Hmm. You like riding! What a coincidence. I also enjoy riding horses and animals."

"Do you ride animals other than horses, Your Highness?"

"Yes. Besides horses, I have ridden elephants and camels. They are quite different from horses and very interesting."

Prince Lotus spoke enthusiastically about riding elephants. His red eyes sparkled, and I smiled along with him.

"That sounds fun. I would like to ride one someday."

"Then, let's go on a trip together. How about it! Let's go on a picnic and ride my favorite animal."

At the prince's invitation, I, who had been buried in studies, felt my heart leap.

"A picnic! I would like to go together. By the way, what kind of animal is it?"

The prince smiled mischievously and put his index finger to his lips.

"That's a surprise for the day. You'll be surprised, I'm sure."

After that, we decided on a day we could go together, did some stretching and light exercises, and finished the physical education class.

A few days later, the promised day arrived.

I went to the training ground to meet the prince, feeling excited. He had said the animal was large and needed a wide space, and the training ground was the best place.

What kind of animal could it be? An elephant? But from the prince's behavior, it seemed unlikely. Maybe it's not an animal at all. I'm looking forward to it.

I waited for Prince Lotus with lunch I had made with the help of a maid. Then, Sir Creek, who had been nearby, said to me.

"Lady Azalea... please be careful."

Huh? Why does he look so serious? Why does he have such a distant look in his eyes?

Before I could ask, Prince Lotus arrived.

"Hey! Azalea! Sorry to keep you waiting."

I asked him what had happened, as he was unusually out of breath.

"Nothing. It just took a bit of time to bring it here."

"Time... Oh! You mean the animal you said we would ride today!"

He nodded, and I looked around.

"So, what kind of animal is it?"

"It should be coming soon... Ah, there it is."

Prince Lotus pointed to the sky.

"There it is."

Before I could say "What?" it landed with incredible speed, kicking up a cloud of dust. The wind pressure would have completely flipped up my skirt if I had been wearing a dress. I grimaced at the sight of the prince's favorite.

"Yes, Azalea. Look well. This is Kuro, my favorite partner—"

Prince Lotus stroked the creature he called Kuro and said confidently.

"A dragon!"

The dragon, with its silver scales and red eyes, resembled the holy dragon from the founding myth. I realized that if I were to be with Prince Lotus, I needed the physical and mental strength to handle unexpected situations.

The prince, already on the dragon, called my name and reached out his hand from above. Determined by his sparkling, expectant gaze, I took his hand.