Chapter 58
Blind Date Test (3)
“I didn’t expect you to come, my lady.”
“It seemed that way.”
Like the Crown Princess, Norden had never spoken with her since her debutante ball, yet their conversation flowed naturally without a hint of awkwardness. During that time, much had changed between her and the Crown Prince, but Norden remained exactly the same as when they first met.
“I thought I might visit you once after your debutante ball, but I found it difficult to face you. Suitors were lined up at the mansion’s gate, and preparing for the fencing tournament left me little time.”
“Of course, the period right after a debutante ball is always the busiest. I heard everyone is completely overwhelmed.”
“And there were those who prevented me from leaving the capital…”
“Preventing you?”
“It’s nothing.”
Muttering quietly to himself, Norden seemed somewhat dejected, as if there had been matters he couldn’t discuss with Retina. He tapped the rim of his glass with his index finger, his nervousness apparent.
“I promised I would often be someone you could talk to, and I’m sorry I haven’t kept that promise. I’ve been worried that I’ve disappointed someone I can finally speak freely with here in the Empire.”
“That’s not true. I’ve been so busy that I didn’t have the energy to worry about anything else. Lately, I’ve had a bit of free time and even managed to read a book.”
Retina waved her hand dismissively, brushing off Norden’s apology. In truth, she hadn’t even considered him because of the Crown Prince. Her mind had been too preoccupied with the fencing tournament.
‘No need to mention that,’ she thought.
Smiling faintly, she closed her lips. The conversation naturally paused. She didn’t know how to bring up marriage discussions—not after recounting what had occurred with the prince. She couldn’t just pretend it was a casual meeting and only chat about daily matters, either, since this meeting was clearly arranged for discussions about marriage.
“Did you know what kind of meeting this was, my lady?”
Reading her thoughts, Norden scratched his cheek with a finger and replied,
“I only realized that today.”
“Ah, I thought so.”
“Did the prince not know either?”
“A few days ago, I received notice from my homeland that they intended to arrange a marriage with Ludenheim. They had discussed it separately without me. They told me to remain in the Empire until the social season ended—so I suppose that was the reason.”
When Norden asked when he would return north, he was told to wait until a date was set. He didn’t enjoy crowded, noisy gatherings, but the kingdom officials encouraged him to attend parties and approach a suitable lady if one appeared. Vincent had also nudged him in that direction.
Retina had suspected this from the moment he was named the representative of the Ludenheim delegation, but the suddenness of the decision had still caught him off guard.
Hearing Norden’s story, as clueless as she was about the arrangements, Retina clenched her hands.
It became clear that the matter had been decided entirely by the adults, excluding the opinions of the parties involved. From the northern delegation to her father’s insistence on a debutante ball, to the Crystal Moon—it all seemed meticulously arranged, as if someone had orchestrated every step.
‘He probably anticipated that I would refuse all suitors. That I wouldn’t even glance at most men. Father is truly a strategist beyond Sat, after all.’
Even under her father’s threat to cut off support if she refused the debutante ball, she had planned to stubbornly resist. Now she understood why it was said that one should cling like a viper until the poison spreads. She muttered complaints about her respected father.
‘But he doesn’t yet know my connection with the Crown Prince. If he did, he’d push even harder for me to marry him.’
Though her father arranged for her to meet several princes, Retina knew that once he made a decision, he wouldn’t leave it to others. He would ensure Norden chose her as his bride by any means necessary.
Many nobles who arranged political marriages might have persuaded a prince to choose the most suitable lady based on conditions, or sought sympathy by revealing secrets.
‘This naive prince will be completely swayed by my father’s manipulations.’
Retina looked at the prince before her. He seemed unsure and slightly embarrassed, but when their eyes met, he gave a gentle smile. Norden silenced all rumors that northerners were naturally rough and cruel.
“Still, since you’ve come here…”
Norden placed a document on the table in front of Retina, which had been there before she arrived.
“I wondered if I should give this to you, Retina, but we give it to everyone who visits.”
Retina looked at the document. The pages were densely written in neat imperial script.
“It’s a guidebook about the North. Since it has long been isolated, most people in the Empire know very little about it. Unlike the Empire, which has mild weather and abundant crops, the North is cold, and most of the land is covered in ice. The capital’s royal palace is in a livable location, but for those accustomed to a life of abundance, it may be difficult.”
In truth, Norden didn’t have high expectations even if a marriage were arranged. The guide highlighted the North’s drawbacks: frost forming on eyebrows, sometimes lacking water so one must melt snow or ice to drink, and possibly never seeing crops in winter. Half the text was warnings.
If he had listed advantages, he could have written volumes, but he hoped the bride would be cautious about the North.
Those from the East had no experience with the North, and underestimated it. Nobles who had lived their lives in the East could not endure the harsh, cold North. Even if a marriage was arranged for an alliance, they would inevitably run to warmer regions.
Being a royal in the Empire didn’t automatically make life easy.
“And on the last page, there is a simple test. It’s not like a grand contest, but a ritual that Northern women perform at their coming-of-age ceremonies.”
Listening, Retina opened the last page and held the paper close.
“Those who fail any of these tasks must wait until the next year. Until then, they are not recognized as ladies. Northerners believe this level of basic physical ability is necessary to survive in the North.”
Hands in ice water for 15 seconds, feet in ice water for 20 seconds, 30 jumping jacks, 10 squats while carrying a 20-pound (≈9 kg) sack…
She rubbed her eyes, thinking she had misread, but the instructions hadn’t changed.
So, to marry the prince, every lady must pass this physical test?
From a distance, a pageboy appeared carrying a basin of ice water, followed by others carrying sacks and ropes.
These objects, out of place in the beautifully landscaped garden, looked like equipment from her brother Haint’s training ground.
‘What is this, a knightly exam?’
Retina, not very strong, barely managed to steady herself. She had come for a marriage meeting, not a fitness test.
Looking up, she glared at Norden, who waited eagerly for her decision.
“Ah, we’ve also prepared clothes and shoes for changing. You may change over there and return ready.”
Norden spoke suddenly, as if recalling something, while maidservants stepped forward to assist. He was thorough in his preparations.
‘Is this really happening?’
Without a moment to react to her father’s unilateral decision, Retina changed into rough cotton pants more suitable for training than her pretty dress, rolling her wrists and ankles as she tried to prepare herself. Despite her incredulity, she even began stretching carefully to avoid injury.
