MMFB 34💘

• Chapter 34

As Khalid had reassured me, even if we were to encounter monsters on the way to El La Mar, having this in my possession would put my mind at ease.

And with good reason—since the bullets were magically generated, their power must be at least twice as strong as any ordinary handgun on the market.

I examined the gun from various angles, a smile creeping onto my lips.

Before I knew it, Khalid was watching me with a satisfied look on his face. With a subtle smirk, he said,

“Just don’t point that thing at me.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Pfft.

He finally burst into the laughter he had been holding back.

His broad smile made him look so much more handsome than when he wore his usual expressionless face—it was disorienting.

And to think I’d assumed he was just a smug, prickly man. Who knew he was capable of giving such a splendid gift?

In that moment, just a sliver of the negative image I had of Khalid over the past twelve years began to shift ever so slightly.

I lifted the hem of my negligee and carefully wiped down the gun’s barrel.

Not that it really needed it—the gun was newly custom-made and practically gleaming already.

Still, I’ll omit the fact that Khalid was watching me with an unmistakable sense of fondness.

It looked like even he wasn’t fully aware of it himself.

Four days later, the weather had turned colder by the day. Now, I couldn’t even step outside the estate without wrapping myself in a fur-lined cloak.

The day after Khalid gifted me the beautiful pistol, I had finished all preparations to depart for El La Mar.

But that very morning, news arrived of a monster sighting in Medesis—a region in the small kingdom of Senagara that bordered Veldemar—forcing me to postpone my departure.

Twelve massive monsters, with large ears and rabbit-like appearances, had swept through village after village, leaving destruction in their wake.

Fortunately, mercenaries from several guilds had managed to take them down. Still, there was no telling whether others remained in hiding.

“Be careful. And give my regards to Adeline.”

“Yes, Father. Though, you could always send her a message yourself.”

“…What nonsense are you speaking? Even if I did send a letter, she’d probably just use it to stoke the fireplace.”

Standing by the carriage to see me off, Father turned his head away gloomily.

At times like this, it was obvious that he still loved Mother dearly.

I wished they’d finally reconcile—just as I had come to terms with my engagement to Khalid.

“You never know, though. You’re strangely timid when it comes to things like this.”

Funny, considering how assertively he’d pushed for my new engagement with Khalid.

I shrugged and slipped on my leather gloves, the ones adorned with spinels.

Father, out of long habit, helped me put them on.

“You’ve seemed livelier since Prince Khalid’s visit. I could tell, the way you were being so honest.”

“…It’s not really because of him.”

“Oh, isn’t it? After Prince Izar’s funeral, you were like a shadow of yourself. I even seriously considered breaking off the engagement with Khalid.”

“Really? I didn’t know… that you were worried about me.”

Of course, he was never as direct as Mother, who always wanted clear yes or no answers.

Twelve years ago, when I was first told of the engagement, Mother had questioned me repeatedly:

“Becoming the Crown Princess isn’t all glitz and glamour. Even if the current Emperor Icalis II is decent, just look at the former one. He had over ten concubines. Renata, could you really smile and act like nothing’s wrong while your husband cheats openly?”

And of course, the palace gossips would be brutal:

“If the Empress were truly charming, would His Majesty really be chasing other women?”

Still, I’d be expected to smile sweetly and gracefully, like a perfect doll.

Even the night before my engagement to Izar, Mother lay beside me in bed, worrying.

It was no wonder—Grandmother had served as a lady-in-waiting to the former Empress, and Mother had spent her childhood visiting the palace often.

She’d seen far too much ugliness in those years.

That’s why she left the palace early, choosing instead to live quietly in a rural estate before attending Barkalia.

The problem was, I was far too young to truly understand her warnings at the time.

Though I remembered her words, when I met Izar—with his fairytale prince looks—I was instantly swayed and accepted the match.

I was too naïve back then.

Blinded by the beauty standing before me, I ignored the two nights’ worth of whispered advice Mother had given me.

Thankfully, Izar didn’t become the kind of man Mother feared.

Father, seeing firsthand how kind Izar was to me, had grown bold, using it as proof to argue his case with Mother.

But by then, the rift between them was already too deep.

“Don’t talk like that. I love you deeply as your father.”

“Yes, of course. I know that.”

Their ways of expressing love were vastly different, but I still tried to understand Father in my own way.

I gave him a wry smile and nodded. He offered his arm with dignity and helped me into the carriage.

“When you arrive, be sure to deliver the Prima Donna Nea Girsche’s necklace to Adeline.”

“The one you won at the charity auction—for Mother.”

“…It was merely the most expensive item. I bought it to display our family’s prestige. Not specifically for your mother.”

“Of course. I see.”

A blatant lie.

He kept a straight face, but I knew better.

While I was bedridden with a fever, he had carefully placed Nea Girsche’s necklace in his study.

Among the emerald beads—like little green grapes—a single proud ruby shone, its color nearly identical to Father’s eyes.

I pictured the red velvet box nestled deep in my luggage.

The extravagant price he paid would go toward helping children orphaned by the war.

A gift not just of luxury, but of meaning—surely Mother would be quietly pleased, too.

Of course, just like Father, she’d never let it show.

“I should get going now. If I want to make it to the train station on time, I have to leave.”

Though the train—and even the station itself—belonged to the Carnelutti family, I didn’t want to overstep by altering the train’s schedule to suit my needs.

Now that I was officially the Crown Princess-to-be, I had to be mindful of public perception.

“Always keep Sir Seth and Sir Seria close.”

“I will.”

As the carriage door closed, Father gave me a firm reminder. I had ten escort knights with me for this trip.

Among them, Seth and Seria were fraternal twins of commoner origin from El La Mar, and among the most skilled knights in our entire family order.

At the mention of their names, the two pink-haired knights waiting near the carriage perked up with pride.

Seth, with short, soft curls and pale skin, and Seria, with long, straight hair tied in a high ponytail, looked nearly identical save for their hairstyles.

“No one will so much as lay a finger on you, my Lady!”

Seria, perhaps a bit too fired up, flushed pink on her right cheek.

The left side of her face, marred by old burn scars, was hidden beneath her cascading hair.

I smiled softly as I watched her salute my father.

Then, as Father stepped back, the coachman clicked his tongue and snapped the reins, urging the white horses forward.

Through the frosted carriage window, the grand Carnelutti estate slowly receded into the distance.

The train station was located on the outskirts of Bell Liska, the imperial capital.

After a two-and-a-half-hour ride, we finally arrived, and with Seria escorting me, I stepped out of the carriage.

Thanks to our early departure, there was still time before boarding.

I decided to wait inside the VIP lounge with Seria, Seth, and Laura.

The magic stones embedded in the walls kept the room warm. A cup of herbal tea in such comfort would pass the time quickly until boarding.

To be honest, I felt awkward drawing so much attention with a full escort of ten knights.

Though most passengers at this station were middle or upper class, few traveled with more than a single maid.