Chapter 2

The chapel within the castle walls is situated in a lush, green area, and the carriage that weaves its way through the trees seems to be advancing along a forest path.

Patrice, the groom standing before the chapel, waited with a cold heart, despite the fact that the bride was in the carriage.

This was a marriage for the honor of the royal family and his deceased friend, and it was not a time when he should be taking such matters into his hands.

Recently, reports had come in of bandits appearing near the border with the Kingdom of Sacrine.

Even years after the end of the war, the recovery of law and order in several regions of the Kingdom of Montero was lagging.

However, it was necessary to make the people believe that the post-war reconstruction was proceeding smoothly.

Therefore, the two royal princes, who were in the military, returned to the capital to hold a grand ceremony, demonstrating to both domestic and foreign audiences that the Kingdom of Montero was solid.

It was at the ball that concluded the ceremony—where he had made a mistake—that Patrice regretted the situation he had found himself in.

(I need to end this farce as soon as possible...)

Patrice wanted to hurry back to his unit, which he had left in the hands of his deputy, Hugo.

His frustration naturally made his expression stern.

As the carriage arrived, Carriere, the uncle of the bride Clarice, stepped down first.

Patrice, who had no choice but to look, was slightly taken aback when he saw Clarice, who was helped down by Carriere.

The afternoon sunlight filtering through the trees reflected off her pure white dress, and her face, with her auburn hair tied up, shone beautifully.

Her appearance reminded Patrice of a pleasant moment by a stream three years ago.

Three years ago, when Patrice was on high alert, closely watching the movements of the Kingdom of Escume, the time he spent in the forest with Chris, Clarice's brother, was a precious moment to rest his body and mind.

He thought, "When everything calms down, I'll go see him again."

However, time passed quickly as he was busy with post-war matters.

That was why he thought he would finally be able to see Chris at this ceremony.

Patrice knew that Chris, the heir of the Bonafe family, was staying at Carriere's mansion for convalescence.

He also believed, based on Chris's condition at the time, that he had recovered from his illness.

When Patrice returned to the capital, he was devastated to hear the news of Chris's death.

Why did such a lively boy have to die?

Having seen many of his comrades die and blamed himself for not being able to save them, Patrice, who longed for a peaceful world, found Chris's young death to be unjust.

Escaping from the grand ball, Patrice was mourning the deaths of his comrades and Chris when he lost his composure.

He managed to subdue the person who approached without making a sound, but his judgment was delayed.

The person, whom he thought was an assassin dressed as a noblewoman, turned out to be a young girl with a face similar to Chris.

Despite receiving reports that Chris had a sister, Patrice was completely confused.

Then, that hateful lady appeared and caused a commotion.

If the person had not been Chris's sister, he could have handled the situation better.

Patrice looked down at Clarice, who approached with a tense expression, and involuntarily frowned.

Unlike Chris, who was bright and lively, Clarice looked pale and was trembling.

It seemed as if she was afraid of what was about to happen, her future life, and Patrice.

For Patrice, breaking off the engagement for the honor of both families was not an issue, and he had ignored her letters after the second one due to his busy schedule.

However, seeing her now, he began to think that the content of her first letter—expressing gratitude for Patrice's consideration but stating that there was no need to force the marriage—was not just a formality but her true feelings.

Patrice had always thought that women desired to marry better partners and would do anything to achieve a higher status.

Growing up seeing his mother and the women around her, and later seeing the women who approached him and his brothers, he had reinforced this belief.

Perhaps he was wrong.

This thought crossed his mind, and Patrice was struck by a new sense of regret.

But it was too late to undo this marriage.

He secretly vowed to stay as far away from Clarice as possible, as he had always intended to live without involving himself with women.

After the ceremony, Patrice quickly left the chapel.

He thought that Clarice would also want to leave this spectacle.

However, he was later reprimanded by his brother, King Felix.

Women, he was told, cannot move quickly in skirts and should be escorted more considerately.

Patrice looked at Clarice again and realized the truth in these words.

Although her white dress seemed modest compared to the elaborate attire of other women, it was quite heavy, yet she danced gracefully during the first dance.

(Women are truly complicated beings.)

Even his ceremonial military uniform felt constricting, and he wanted to take it off as soon as possible.

As Patrice noticed the somewhat awkward smile on Clarice's face, surrounded by many people, he realized she was tired and searched for the king and queen.

They should greet them together, but if he took her, it would draw more attention.

Finding his brother and sister-in-law, Patrice approached them casually.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, we will take our leave now. We should greet you both, but she seems tired, so please forgive our rudeness in leaving."

"Of course, that's fine. It has been a long day for you both."

King Felix glanced at Clarice and nodded solemnly.

Then, Queen Rachel, standing beside him, tugged at Felix's sleeve.

Felix gave Rachel a gentle look, then turned back to Patrice with a serious expression.

"Patrice, she—Clarice—is very different from your mother. She is a very kind and considerate woman. Even if this marriage was not what you wanted, since you chose it, please treat her with care and respect. Understand?"

"Understood, Your Majesty."

Patrice bowed discreetly in response to Felix's advice and quietly left their presence.

However, Clarice was no longer where she had been, and he quickly scanned the room to find her.

He spotted her auburn hair in the crowded room, and it seemed she was heading for the exit.

Patrice skillfully navigated through the crowd and caught her just as she was about to leave the venue.

"Your Highness, Prince Patrice..."

"Call me 'Your Highness.'"

Clarice, who turned around in surprise, looked as if she was about to cry.

Patrice, unsure of what to do, pointed out the mistake in her address and, determined to get her out of the curious eyes, pulled her arm and led her through the door.

"Your Majesty, I haven't greeted—"

"It's already done."

As they walked down a quiet corridor away from the venue, Clarice, with a mix of confusion and fear, voiced her concerns, but Patrice quickly interrupted.

Silence ensued.

Although he knew he was being unfriendly, he could not think of anything else to say, and Patrice led Clarice to the duke's carriage and headed to the mansion in the capital.

The uncomfortable silence continued, but when they finally arrived at the mansion, Patrice quickly got out of the carriage.

He climbed the stone steps to the entrance, and only then did he remember that he had brought the bride back, as he saw the servants waiting for him, including the butler, Silves.

Turning around hurriedly, he saw Clarice being helped out of the carriage by a footman.

While he was debating whether to go down the steps again to escort her, Clarice slowly climbed the steps on her own.

"Welcome. I am Silves, the butler of the Breval mansion. If you need anything, please let me know."

As Patrice struggled to find a way to make up for his mistake, Silves's greeting relieved him.

Compared to Patrice, who had no idea how to handle women, Silves was much more considerate and could be trusted.

"Thank you, Silves. This is Clarice."

Clarice's face still looked pale, and Patrice led her into the mansion, intending to let her rest as soon as possible.

He heard Silves's voice from behind, offering to show her to her room.

Entering his study, Patrice took off his stiff jacket, loosened his shirt collar, and instructed the waiting footman.

"I will return to the military early tomorrow. Arrange for my wife to travel to the duchy—Rest region—as soon as possible. I intend for her to stay at the manor for a while."

If he left Clarice behind while returning to his unit, the gossipy people would likely cause her trouble.

It would be better for her to leave the capital and spend time in the natural setting of the duchy, which might lift her spirits.

The reports of bandits were still far from the duchy, so it should be safe.

Patrice was satisfied with the idea that she would feel more at ease if he did not show his face too often.