Chapter 2

"An envoy?"

It was Haysin's. It must be a letter from Haysin! Latil's heart pounded with anticipation. But soon, anxiety overshadowed his excitement. What if it was a farewell letter? Latil swallowed hard and tore open the envelope. The time it took to pull out the letter felt unbearably long, as if the words might run away. Latil bit his tongue and read the letter.

"What does it say?"

The time seemed longer than expected. The governess, unable to contain her curiosity, asked anxiously.

"Is it an apology?"

"No."

"No?"

The governess narrowed her eyes, but Latil showed no emotion. He just continued to stare at the letter. Then he sighed and tore the paper to shreds.

"Princess?"

"Come to Carisen."

"Excuse me?"

"The letter says he can't write in detail."

"What the hell, is he talking nonsense? Did he hurt his arm? Is he so injured that he can't write more than a few words? No, even if he hurt his arm, there are plenty of people who could write for him."

As the governess vented her frustration, Latil shook his head sadly.

"I don't know. Governess, what should I do?"

"What should you do? The princess should write a letter back."

"What? What should I write?"

"You good-for-nothing, how can you become an emperor? Your country's citizens are pitiful."

Latil burst into laughter at the governess's harsh voice, but the laughter gradually faded and stopped. As Latil's expression turned completely blank, the governess became even more worried.

"Aren't you going to write back?"

"I don't know. I'm thinking. It's a tough decision."

Latil made his decision three hours later.

* * *

"Father, I'm going to Carisen."

During dinner, Latil suddenly spoke seriously, making the emperor's eyes widen.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to Carisen."

The princess's words were almost a declaration. The emperor, taken aback, looked at the chief steward. But the chief steward had no way of knowing Latil's thoughts. Shrugging, he said, "I don't know," and the emperor calmly asked his daughter.

"Why do you suddenly want to go to Carisen?"

"..."

Latil hesitated. It was hard to say she was going because of a man. If Haysin was single, she could have given that reason. But hadn't Haysin's marriage envoy come in the afternoon?

"Are you going to see Haysin?"

Unexpectedly, the emperor asked in a dark voice. Does Father know about Haysin and me? Latil looked at her father in surprise. Their eyes met, and the emperor smiled bitterly.

"Haysin is a good young man, but he doesn't seem to be a good match for you."

It seemed he already knew.

"Father..."

"A relationship that's bound to end, there's no need to cling to it."

"I..."

"I think it's for the best."

The emperor put down his cup of tea and stood up, approaching Latil. He then opened his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"If you marry him, you'll have to go to a distant foreign country. I want my daughter to stay close to me, to live in a place where I can see you, where my power and influence can reach, and to be loved."

"I..."

"Don't say you want to marry Haysin even as a concubine."

Latil shook her head firmly at her father's blunt words.

"I've never even thought about it."

"Good."

"But I'm going to Carisen."

The emperor frowned slightly and looked at his daughter, whose expression was resolute. Latil's lips were set in a firm line, indicating she had made up her mind.

"Latil, my daughter, why do you want to go see a man who left you for another woman? If you want to scold him, I'll let you go."

"I want to ask why."

"Is there any point?"

"It will make me feel better. Better than now."

Latil's tightly pressed lips showed her determination. The emperor clicked his tongue. He knew that when his daughter had that look, no one could change her mind.

"Who does she take after to be so stubborn..."

The emperor roughly rubbed Latil's hair and sat back down. But his words were firm.

"You can't go as a personal visit."

But why, when he seemed ready to send her? Latil pouted and cried out.

"Father!"

But there was a twist.

"I'll send you if you meet two conditions."

"Tell me. I'll meet them."

Latil stared at her father, determined to go to Carisen no matter what. She was confident she could meet any conditions her father set. But the emperor's mischievous smile and his first condition were not what Latil expected.

"First, when you see Haysin, step on his foot. If he asks why, you can say I told you to!"

Latil's eyes widened, but she soon laughed and exclaimed, "Yes!"

"And the second?"

"Go as the head of the wedding envoy."

"That's—"

"I can't send you as a personal visit. It would be embarrassing for my daughter. Go as the head of the wedding envoy and make him look bad. Show that you don't care about him."

The emperor huffed, muttering that he shouldn't have allowed Haysin to study abroad if he knew this would happen. He then asked the chief steward.

"Isn't that right?"

"Yes, I agree with Your Majesty."

The chief steward smiled kindly in response. Latil stood there, looking back and forth between her father and the chief steward, and sighed.

"Fine. I'll do it."

* * *

About three weeks later, Latil, as the head of the wedding envoy, gave various instructions.

'How can I be preparing for my fiancé's wedding with my own hands?'

Of course, it wasn't easy. She often felt a surge of anger while working. The gift she had prepared for Haysin made her want to throw it on the ground and stomp on it every time she saw it. The wooden gift symbolizing a harmonious couple almost got smashed. Harmonious, indeed. But Latil managed to control all these impulses.

'Calm down. I'm not going as Haysin's envoy, but as the representative of the empire, sent to the representative of another country. It might feel good for a moment, but it will cost more in the end.'

The emperor watched Latil's calm and composed leadership from a distance, pleased.

"I hope Latil doesn't marry someone far away."

"Yes, I hope she grows into a pillar of the Tarium Empire, learning much from Your Majesty."

But not everyone viewed Latil's patience calmly.

"That's too cruel, Father. Sending a child to a fiancé's wedding!"

The other person who knew about the relationship between Latil and Haysin, Prince Leen, protested to his father several times. He argued that Latil shouldn't be sent as the head of the wedding envoy. But this small rebellion didn't last long.

"If it can't be, it's better for her to see it with her own eyes. She's been in love for years, and with added longing. She went to the temple every month for two years, praying for Haysin's safety. I need to help her end it properly."

Finally, the day for the wedding envoy to leave for Carisen arrived. Latil mounted her white horse, gripping the reins firmly. Having grown up practicing various martial arts, Latil was skilled in horseback riding. The envoy watched proudly as the majestic princess sat atop the large white horse.

"I'll be back."

After bidding farewell to her family, Latil signaled the group to depart. For the next 15 days, the journey went smoothly. The large procession deterred bandits, and the capable officials had planned the route perfectly, avoiding the need for camping. The group moved peacefully and quickly toward Carisen.

* * *

When they finally arrived at the capital of Carisen, Latil felt a deep sadness. She had known she would come here someday, but not like this. She had expected to come to Carisen to marry Haysin, riding in a golden carriage and hearing the cheers of the Carisen people.

'Haysin...'

But everything had changed. She had come as part of the wedding envoy, but not for her own wedding. The gifts in the carriage were not for her, but for Haysin's bride, chosen by Latil. Her heart ached, and she clenched the reins tightly, grinding her teeth.

"Princess, are you alright?"

The knight leading the procession's guard asked worriedly, but Latil had no energy to respond. If she answered, she would surely curse. The knight, raised like a flower in a greenhouse, wouldn't be able to handle it. After a moment, Latil took a deep breath, slapped her cheeks, and gave the order.

"I'm fine. Let's go."

Of course, she was far from fine. At the palace, as the representative of the Tarium Empire, she greeted the Carisen official, but her mind was elsewhere.

"I didn't expect the princess to come herself."

Even the official's polite words sounded like criticism, making Latil want to grab his collar and demand, 'Why? Are you surprised that the ex-girlfriend of the groom is here as the wedding envoy?' But she couldn't. These people didn't know about her relationship with Haysin. Latil controlled her twitching fists and succeeded.

"Haysin and I have known each other since the Tarium Empire. I thought he would be pleased to see me."

"Of course. The prince will be very happy to hear that the princess is the head of the envoy."

'Bullshit.'

The Carisen official led Latil and a few others to meet Haysin, while the rest of the group went to take care of their luggage.

"Right now, envoys from various countries are arriving, so it's quite busy. But it will be better for the foreign guests. The Grace Palace is usually empty, but now it's full of guests."

As they walked through the yellow corridors, the Carisen official chatted, but Latil only half-listened, swallowing dryly. Each step felt heavier. She regretted coming and was unsure what to say to Haysin. Congratulations? Why did you change your mind? If you were going to change your mind, why didn't you do it before I waited so long? Was the time we spent together a waste? First, I'll step on his foot as Father said. Latil glared at the back of the Carisen official's head, determined. Finally, they stopped in front of a door. The official, who had been briefed, opened it without knocking.

"Thank you."

Latil straightened her shoulders and entered the room. It seemed to be used for audiences. A throne was at the top, and long tables were arranged below. But it felt more private than other audience rooms. After looking around, Latil realized she couldn't delay any longer. Haysin had been standing there, staring at her blankly. She almost ran to him and hugged him out of habit but held back. She didn't want to show any lingering feelings for the man who had left her.

"Latil... you came."

As soon as the door closed, Haysin ran to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Familiar and comforting, Latil froze. A faint hope rose, but she pushed it down, pushing him away. She stopped him from touching her face with his hands and said firmly.

"I'll give you five minutes. Explain. Why did you ask me to come?"