Chapter 60
Blind Date (5)
“Ready… One. Two. Three…”
Following Retina’s movements, the steward’s rhythmic voice echoed through the room. Using his counting as a cue, Retina gritted her teeth and, carrying the weighted pack on her back, repeatedly sat down and stood up in place.
She went through the tests listed in the booklet one by one. Though she didn’t fully understand why she was doing this, her body moved in sync with the steward’s cadence. She had come this far—her pride would not allow her to give up.
“Nine, ten. You may put it down now.”
After counting aloud, the steward drew a line on the paper to check off her completion. Simultaneously, Retina collapsed to the ground, ignoring the eyes around her. Her chest heaved as she let out harsh breaths. Her heart pounded as if it might leap from her chest.
“You’ve completed everything. Congratulations.”
Norden, who had watched her complete each task from start to finish, handed her a towel. Shaking and exhausted, Retina took it and wiped her sweat-drenched face.
“I thought I had no choice but to do this to be recognized as an adult. But now… I really hate this kind of thing.”
Retina muttered with distaste. Having already suffered the consequences of postponing her debutante ceremony, she resolved to pass this test at all costs. Only then could she avoid later gossip.
“To be honest, I didn’t think you could do it.”
“Are you confessing that you were underestimating me just now?”
“Ha, no. Actually, even Northern girls practice for this coming-of-age test for half a year before the ceremony. I was worried that a young lady who has never done anything strenuous might fail.”
Retina raised an eyebrow, glaring at Norden. He expected her to fail without prior preparation? After boasting that one couldn’t survive in the North without basic stamina, he now claimed that Northern girls trained for months before the test.
Norden’s intention was clear: he would use the fact that she completed the test as a reason to refuse any marriage proposals.
“You’re not thinking of marriage, are you?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Who would make a young lady take a physical test right off the bat?”
Retina pouted indignantly, and Norden quietly chuckled at her spirited protest. She had completed everything he asked without complaint, yet he asked such a thing—it was completely unexpected.
“My marriage has already been arranged in my homeland. Whether I like it or not, if it benefits the North, I must comply. Don’t glare at me like that. If someone’s stamina is too weak to even complete this, they wouldn’t survive in the North, so I had to be sure. It wouldn’t do if a noble lady caught an illness because she couldn’t endure the Northern cold.”
“And yet, you succeeded,” Norden added, with a composed smile, offering his hand to help her up. Retina took it and rose from the floor.
“If other young ladies refuse, wouldn’t it make sense to marry Lady Retina instead?”
At his next words, Retina released his hand. Landing on her backside and sitting again, she rested her arms on her knees, looking up at him.
“You decide on a marriageable lady based on this?”
“It’s not trivial—it’s a very important matter. Once you visit the North, you’ll understand. And I thought that even as a friend, a young lady could spend her life with her spouse happily…”
Retina followed his gaze as he knelt to meet her eye level. Wait, what is this prince saying? It sounded almost like a confession, and she froze. She closed her eyes as he slowly approached.
When she was told she might have to enter an arranged marriage with Norden, her heart wavered briefly—but she loved the Crown Prince. Even if her feelings hadn’t reached their destination, she wanted to stay with him until the engagement ceremony.
She had resolved never to betray the Crown Prince as long as these feelings remained.
“I’m sorry, but… I already like someone…!!”
Grabbing her wrist, Norden startled her, and she shouted. Arranged marriage or not, she couldn’t betray the Crown Prince. She confessed honestly, intending to push him away.
Contrary to her expectations, Norden did not approach further. Instead, a cool metallic touch brushed her wrist.
“You have someone you like, I see.”
He fastened a bracelet onto her wrist and murmured. Having accomplished his purpose, he stepped back.
“Ah, just so there’s no misunderstanding—this is not a token of personal feelings. It’s a bracelet that men give to women who pass the test.”
Retina examined the delicate bracelet on her wrist as he explained. His blue eyes darkened slightly as he looked at her.
“In place of barren soil, the Goddess gifted us with underground resources. The North currently thrives on natural resources. This bracelet is made from a rare ore found in the North. It celebrates the young ladies who endured the harsh cold and became adults.”
Seeing if she would refuse, Norden carefully watched her reaction. Contrary to expectations, Retina focused on the tiny pendant attached to the bracelet, roughly the size of a thumbnail.
“This inscription…”
Following Norden’s gaze, Retina noticed the design inside the pendant. Though simplified due to its size, she immediately recognized the symbol.
“It’s similar to the pendant Mom had.”
The pendant Norden gave her bore a marking similar to one on her mother’s keepsake.
Lying in bed, Retina lifted the pendant she had worn and kept since the royal ball. On her left hand, the bracelet Norden had given her sparkled.
“The inscription on this bracelet is the crest of the Raglas royal family. It is given to all citizens as a royal gift to congratulate those who have survived harsh conditions and become adults.”
“So this is the Raglas royal crest…”
No matter how much she searched through records of the empire’s noble families, she hadn’t found this symbol. The records from Ludenheim, which had erased documents from a century ago, made it nearly impossible to find information about the North.
“Why did Mom have a pendant resembling the royal crest?”
Now she recalled Norden saying that in Raglas, silver hair was a symbol of royalty—a mark that appeared only in those descended from the Goddess.
Retina looked at her own hair, inherited from her mother. Because of her hair, she had suspected her mother might have Northern blood but had never asked about the pendant.
“It looks similar at first glance, but it’s also different.”
She fiddled with the bracelet, which was embedded with a small blue diamond, known as ice ore. The pendant had the same type of gem, but the sizes differed greatly.
Blue diamonds, rare ores unique to the North. Based on this, it seemed her bloodline might indeed be connected to the Raglas royal family.
“Do I really have to go to the North?”
Though born and raised in the empire, she had lived like an outsider. Now, the North—where she had never been—was tied to her. Her feelings were more complicated than when she first heard about a possible arranged marriage with Norden.
“Maybe Mom secretly longed to see the snow-covered mountains she had only heard about from Grandma.”
Her hand caressed the pendant, and her face softened with nostalgia. She remembered how, from some point, her mother would stare silently out the window for long stretches of time.
Her mother hadn’t noticed her calling from behind, and one day, when it seemed she might fly away, Retina had clutched her clothes and cried.
“I told you not to leave me alone…”
Yet her mother had left without her. Memories long forgotten resurfaced, and Retina closed her eyes, lowering the pendant back onto the bed.
“Ugh…”
Trying to rise, she clutched her stomach. The muscle soreness from the unexpected physical test still lingered in her abdomen. Struggling down the bed, she rubbed her stomach and opened her jewelry box. The persistent questions from her brothers about Norden had also prevented her from resting properly.
“I’ll show Norden the pendant later.”
For now, it was only speculation—she wanted to confirm for herself. When the time came, she would reveal her hair too. Since it matched her own, she wasn’t afraid to share it with him.
“Norden will surely welcome it.”
Perhaps he would even suggest going to the North together to trace her mother’s lineage.
“The journey isn’t the problem…”
Though connected to her bloodline, she didn’t feel fear or unease. The concern was the thought of traveling nearly a month to reach the destination.
