Chapter 5

In the audience chamber, the voice that echoed caused the ministers and knights to murmur.

Alicia, the one responsible, widened her eyes in surprise at the unexpected order. The queen's face, hidden behind a fan, could not be seen, but the one who was most agitated there was Tina.

"Send Lady Alicia to Prince Felix...!?"

The face of the lovely girl, who was both her cousin and younger sister, had turned pale.

"I have heard that Prince Felix of Leuria is a very cruel person. How can Lady Alicia become the bride of such a person!!"

"Tina, stop it."

"No, Mother!"

Ignoring the queen's attempts to stop her, Tina ran to her father, the king. Kneeling at his feet, she pleaded with tears streaming down her face.

"Please, Father...! Lady Alicia is undoubtedly my family. I do not want to send my dear sister to such a terrifying person!"

(Tina...)

"If it is for the alliance, please, let me, Tina, go instead."

At Tina's earnest plea, those around her were moved.

"Lady Tina's words, thinking of her sister... How compassionate and pure of heart she is."

However, the king, facing his daughter, shook his head.

"Tina, that is not possible."

"Why not...!? If the princess of this country is desired, I should be sufficient!"

"I have no intention of sending my precious daughter to that prince. Besides, that country specifically requested Alicia."

"How can this be... My beloved sister...?"

"I did not strip Alicia of her princess status for nothing. It was all for moments like this."

Then the king glared at Alicia and declared again.

"Understood, Alicia. The day has finally come for you to repay the favor of sparing your life."

"---As you wish, Your Majesty."

Alicia closed her eyes and slowly steeled herself.

(Even if Father and Mother were still alive, a political marriage as a princess could not have been avoided. If this marriage can form an alliance with Leuria, the people will become prosperous...)

She had sworn this as a princess when she was young.

Opening her eyes, she looked straight at her uncle and declared.

"I will go to Prince Felix of Leuria."

***

From there, everything happened quickly.

Alicia was only allowed to take the bare minimum of her belongings and was sent off the country in a manner akin to exile.

Her step-sister Tina cried, saying "Poor sister," until the day Alicia left for her marriage.

Alicia boarded a carriage and traveled for several days to reach Leuria.

As they crossed the border, the maid who accompanied her gave her a strange instruction.

"Lady Alicia, we have entered Leuria. Please change into your wedding attire here."

This maid had long served the queen and her step-sister Tina.

"Can't I change into my wedding attire when we arrive at the royal castle of Leuria?"

Alicia replied, hiding her true feelings, but the maid did not budge.

"Since this carriage is running late, by the time we reach the castle, the wedding ceremony will have already begun. Lady Alicia must complete all her preparations while in transit, in the carriage."

(There's no point in asking why the carriage is late in the first place.)

Resigned, she changed into her wedding attire in the carriage. The pure white wedding dress was very beautiful, but the hem was heavy and made it difficult to move.

(Probably, this is a marker.)

Alicia's hair color is a deep purple-red, like the end of a sunset.

It stands out in bright places, but in the dark of night or in a dark forest, it can look like brown hair from a distance.

Since this was the princess's entry, the carriage was part of a procession of about three carriages.

To avoid being mistaken for another maid, she needed to wear a conspicuous white dress even in the moonlight.

Alicia changed into the beautiful white dress in the cramped carriage without the maid's help.

"Is this alright?"

"...Yes, you look very beautiful, Lady Alicia."

"Hehe, thank you."

Alicia smiled and looked at the maid with a challenging gaze.

"Are you praising me as per Tina's orders?"

"---..."

The moving carriage slowly came to a stop.

"I knew. That Tina was the one who disliked me the most in that country."

"..."

"Even though she pretended to protect me... Tina really wanted to go to Prince Felix herself. That's why..."

The maid opened the carriage door and ran out. In her place, an unknown man with a sword tried to force his way in.

(That's why Tina decided to have me killed.)

At that moment, Alicia drove the heel of her shoe into the man's face.

"Wh...!?"

"Sorry, but dying in the carriage would be a bit of a problem."

Stepping over the unconscious man, Alicia descended into the forest. It was supposed to be midday, but the dense forest was as dark as twilight.

(---This is exactly as I wanted.)

Surrounded by the bandits, Alicia smiled.