《I Picked Up the Second Male Lead After the Ending》 Chapter 1 Part 1 The loved but frail youngest princess. That was my role in the novel that I transmigrated in. And there¡¯s one more thing. The empire in the novel, where the lovey-dovey moments and misfortunes of the main characters took place, beside it was a small country that sticks to that empire like a booger. And I¡¯m the princess of that ¡®small kingdom¡¯. Furthermore, the story is already over, the male lead and female lead have both confirmed each other¡¯s feelings and even got married, becoming the emperor and empress, eating and living well together. Since the happy ending was already attained, I don¡¯t need to worry about changing the original plot of the novel like other transmigration stories! I¡¯m also not a villainess, so there¡¯s no need to worry about my life being at stake in the future! I wasn¡¯t even a maid or a noble lady passing by, but a complimentary princess! On top of that! ¡°Princess, what would you like to wear today? A bright white dress that matches the princess¡¯s lovely blonde hair and a pink dress that goes well with your fair skin look good.¡± I¡¯m a pretty 18-year-old girl with blonde hair and a cute appearance. ¡°For teatime this afternoon, we prepared the strawberry cake that the princess likes. And for tea, of course, it¡¯s the milk tea that the princess loves.¡± And everything delicious is mine. ¡°Princess! I¡¯ve got the shoes of the famous Imperial designer you mentioned at that time! These are pretty pink shoes!¡± Even if it¡¯s a small country, but since I¡¯m a princess, I can have everything I want. ¡°Ooh~ my princess, you were waiting to have tea time with your father.¡± ¡°What are you saying, Father? You¡¯re not the only one who was invited.¡± ¡°Huh? It wasn¡¯t just me? I was so happy to know I was the only one my cutie invited, I couldn¡¯t even sleep last night.¡± I also have a father and brothers who love me so much. In other words, the king and Princes of the kingdom. After my transmigration, everything was peaceful and happy. With just one exception. And that was my favorite character in the novel that I transmigrated in. The second male lead. Part 2 ¡°Then, the Grand Duke must have been driven to the north right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of weird to say he got kicked out. Let¡¯s just say he became the lord of that place¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of being the lord of the north where not even a single blade of grass grow? Even if you wanted to start farming, where are you going to procure all the resources, the land was so frozen that even barbarians don¡¯t attempt to intrude the land.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s no different from being exiled. If you ask me to live there, I won¡¯t be able to survive.¡± What my father and brothers talk about as they sat together was¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ the recent status of the novel character I love the most, my favorite character. Correct. In this novel, my favorite character was not the main male protagonist but the second male lead. ¡°Asuka¡¯s Song¡± was a passionate romance novel. The book was tremendously popular and it sounds very interesting, so I bought a collection of the novel, fell for the story, and end up rehashing it over and over again. The beautiful country lord¡¯s daughter, the female lead, accidentally met the prince, the male lead of the novel, when he went to the border of the kingdom to avoid the eyes of his stepmother, the empress, and like the usual, the two fell in love with each other. After overcoming all the adversities, the two ended up with a happy ending as the emperor and empress of the Empire. And in the novel, my favorite character was not the male lead, which was a friendly and warm-hearted man. My favorite character, who was desperately in love with the female lead, but still wasn¡¯t chosen in the end, was the second male lead. His name is also wonderful, Richt de Fairspren! ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤formerly, but since he¡¯s been driven to the north and given the Stern State, he became Richt de Stern. Customary to cold characters, Richt, which has black hair and black eyes, first and foremost, was exactly my ideal guy. He¡¯s tall, has long legs, broad shoulders, and of course, his face was totally my style. The black pupil in his beautiful eyes, straight nose, his firm lips that were always in a straight line by default, was so sexy when he smiles. Everything was exactly my type! Unlike the male lead who was well-known to have a kind and caring personality, he rarely shows how he actually feels, but deep inside he was warm-hearted to the person he likes. In a literal sense, Tsun. De. Re. When the female lead got hurt, he infuriatedly said, ¡®How the hell are you going to protect your brother, when you can¡¯t even take care of your own body.¡¯ But still called for the Imperial Physician to treat her. When he was nervously worried about the female lead, he even went to visit her late at night, then witnessed the male and female lead sleeping together while holding hands. I was so distressed with the second male lead¡¯s situation, I accidentally ripped-off my blanket! When the female lead gave him a personally embroidered handkerchief as a birthday gift, he grumbled, then said, ¡®I¡¯m not sure what to do with this.¡¯ But the truth is, he liked it very much that every night he would unfold and look at it. Is that all? Instead of the male lead, who is too nice and can¡¯t stand up for the female lead because of his position as the crown prince, he swore non-stop at those who persecuted the female lead. He even has a cool personality! What the heck?! Every aspect of him suited to my taste, and all his lines make my heart beat crazily. But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Since the story belongs to the male and female lead, after the two of them confirmed each other¡¯s feelings, our abandoned second male lead¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ blackened. In order to have the female lead, he waged a war against his brother, but he couldn¡¯t win against the main character¡¯s plot armor, and as a result, our second male lead lost. Thus, the male lead and the female lead had their happy ending, and my favorite second male lead was expelled to the north, as my father and brothers accounted. Part 3 ¡°I¡¯ve been observing him since before, and I didn¡¯t like the look on that Grand Duke¡¯s eyes.¡± What¡¯s wrong with the look of our second male lead¡¯s eyes? It¡¯s a bit fierce, but if it¡¯s domineering, then it¡¯s nice! Besides, if you look closely, the fierce looking eyes and the gloomy black pupils are one of the charming points of our Richt! ¡°Did you also feel that way, brother? Me too! Haa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. When I went as an envoy before, I met there a pretty lady, so I asked her to dance, but the Grand Duke suddenly just came over at us and told me to get lost!¡± That¡¯s because the one you asked to dance is the female lead, brother. Because of the female lead¡¯s buff, strange men consistently roam around her, that¡¯s why our second male lead¡¯s always there to protect her. He¡¯s like a strong dog protecting its master, he¡¯s so cute! ¡°First of all, the fact that he caused a rebellion¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. You two shouldn¡¯t fight over the throne like that and severe your brotherly relations. Do you understand?¡± Suddenly, the story headed to my father¡¯s sermons about brotherhood, friendship, and the long history of our Garten Royal Family. Thanks to this, I forcibly learned about my genealogy, and also learned that my father¡¯s bald forehead was not because of hereditary hair loss. The truth is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I really think it¡¯s because of hair loss¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°Um¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± As my father stopped talking for a while and breathed, I stealthily took my chance. Six fluttering eyes looked at me, as if they would not let a single word from their cute and lovely daughter and sister slip. ¡°Is it very cold there?¡± ¡°There?¡± ¡°That place called Stern Territory.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke! Not a single blade of grass grows. Talk about agriculture, it¡¯s too cold so there aren¡¯t many farmers. If there¡¯s only means to live and eat, there would also be farmers.¡± ¡°Peony, you don¡¯t have to worry if it¡¯s cold or not there. All you have to do is stay warm in Garten all the time.¡± ¡°Oh, right, how¡¯s your cold? Are you all right?¡± I just asked one question if it was cold there, then you guys end up with such sweet looks and warm words. In fact, there was a reason why they were so worried. Originally, Princess Peony¡¯s body, which I transmigrated into, was very weak. It can¡¯t be said that there is a part of her that is specifically sick, but she was just inherently weak. I get sick if I experience even a bit of hardship, and I live with a cold all year round. However, it is fortunate that Garten has this special product, which is honey, that was good for rejuvenation and it is very effective in helping to quickly recover energy. Therefore, they were reacting with such a fuss even if it¡¯s just a cold. ¡°I¡¯m almost better.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®almost¡¯! You¡¯re barely fully recovered! Oh, my goodness, who asked us to have tea time with our sick princess?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it brother? He told me that the roses in the garden look pretty! He also said that he¡¯s going to show it to Peony!¡± ¡°Get your words straight! When did I say the roses are pretty?! What I said is our Peony is prettier than a rose!¡± ¡°True. It¡¯s been a long time since you said something right, brother!¡± ¡°Correct! Roses don¡¯t even compare to our Peony¡¯s beauty!¡± ¡°Our two prince speaks honest words only. This father is so proud of your high standards.¡± Consecutively, glistening eyes poured down on me. H-Hey. I¡¯ll feel burdened if you look at me like that¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°My father and brothers are so worried about me like this, I already feel so much better.¡± As I smiled and talked, they looked at me with overflowing love in their eyes. ¡°Look, what I mean is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ How cold is it in that place in the north? Like for example? With a smile, I turned the subject of the conversation back to the north. ¡°How cold is it, you ask¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± My father, who was about to explain, suddenly pursed his lips. Then, he quickly turned his gaze over to my eldest brother. My eldest brother then glanced at my second older brother with an ambiguous smile. My eyes naturally shifted from my father to my eldest brother and then to my second older brother. ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Baffled by the sudden gaze, my second older brother tried to say. ¡°How cold is it, you ask¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I had this hunch. Neither my father nor my eldest brother nor my second older brother really knew how cold it was there. It was apparent that none of them had been there. Indeed, there¡¯s no purpose for my father and brothers to go to the cold empire of the north. ¡°It¡¯s very, very, very, cold.¡± It was the wise king of the warm kingdom of Garten who cleared up the situation. ¡°Therefore, you don¡¯t need to be curious about that scary place, Peony. You just have to live happily with this father and brothers in the warm Garten Kingdom.¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t Grand Duke Stern be cold in such a cold place?¡± I keep worrying about my favorite character, what can I do? ¡°That¡¯s his problem, not yours.¡± My second older brother said casually then gulped his tea. For your information¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The black tea that you¡¯re currently drinking is the tea that my favorite character likes the most. As a member of the Imperial Family, his taste is exceptionally classy, that he insisted on drinking only the black tea from Garten. Was he still able to drink warm tea in that cold place where he¡¯s currently in? Surely, because he¡¯s the Grand Duke who was exiled in the north due to treason, it¡¯s not possible that he could only drink cold water over there, right? ¡°Tsk tsk, that¡¯s why he shouldn¡¯t have started a rebellion. If he¡¯d just stayed still, he would have lived in the Imperial Capital as a member of the royal family all his life.¡± My eldest brother clicked his tongue and took a bite of the strawberry cake. That too¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ was our second male lead¡¯s favorite cake. Even if he¡¯s a manly guy with a handsome face and coarse mouth, he has a sweet tooth. I also like his palate! Since the northern part is short of all resources, much more that there will also be no sweet desserts in there, right? Agh! By any chance! What if there¡¯s also nothing to eat, isn¡¯t our Richt going to be very skinny? ¡°Our Peony is so kind that this father is worried. You care about the Empire¡¯s Grand Duke, though you don¡¯t have to pay attention to him¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. You¡¯re this soft-hearted. You¡¯ll have to live with this father forever.¡± No, that¡¯s because he¡¯s my favorite novel character! Though he probably doesn¡¯t even know who I am¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Hmm? Wait a minute. My brain suddenly started conceptualizing. Because of the happy ending of the main characters, my favorite character was driven to the north like a duck egg on the Nakdong River. And my father, who was sitting merrily in front of me was a king. And I was a princess of a small but prosperous country next to the empire. In other words, with very sufficient qualifications to marry a member of the royal family. This¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I think it¡¯s the best condition for me to pick up my favorite character, who is like an abandoned cat, right? ¡°Excuse me, Father?¡± I looked at my father with the most beautiful smile I could muster. Who said that a fan will never be able to get close to his idol? Even if he¡¯s a passed-over baton, I¡¯ll run the relay! I¡¯ll even receive him with two hands! I can also run the relay all by myself! ¡°Yes. My daughter~¡± My father looked at me with an overindulgently loving expression on his face. ¡°Well, I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Just say it. Do you want me to get you a new pretty dress? Or shall I buy you the whole dessert shop that you like?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Well¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ will you grant it?¡± ¡°You should let me hear your request first, before I decide¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± ¡°It¡¯s my greatest wish in my whole life, won¡¯t you grant it?¡± With her big eyes open as wide as possible, she looked at her father with a sad expression. In addition, I gathered my small hands together, held them tightly, and then raised them up to my chest to express my earnestness. ¡°Ah, what are you talking about! If it¡¯s the wish of our beloved youngest daughter, I¡¯ll grant you anything!¡± Nice, it¡¯s a success. She smiled more brightly than before and said her wish towards her father, who laughed loudly and shouted that he will grant everything that his daughter wants. ¡°I want to marry the Northern Duke of Stern!¡± Black tea spilled from my second older brother¡¯s mouth, and it ran through his chin and neck. And the chewed strawberries in my older brother¡¯s mouth fell to the table. And my father¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Crash! Fell off his chair and passed out. Chapter 2 The Invincible Princess Part 1 ¡°Why! Not!¡± I was rolling around in the room, throwing a tantrum. ¡°That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ of course, that¡¯s impossible.¡± There was a sigh mixed in Raheln¡¯s voice, my second older brother, while coaxing me. ¡°Why! Why! Why!¡± At Raheln¡¯s words, she jumped out of her seat and raised her objection. ¡°He¡¯s the man who dared to rebel against the Fairspren Empire. He¡¯s a traitor. Technically, he and his relatives for three generations should have been annihilated, but the merciful emperor spared him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the emperor is also his relative.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s right.¡± Because Richt was the emperor¡¯s half-brother. ¡°Even if it isn¡¯t that, he¡¯s a man who is said to have a sloppy personality. Didn¡¯t you hear the rumor that he broke a court lady¡¯s leg?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the court lady, when the Empress was still the Crown Princess, ignored her and didn¡¯t feed her, and most especially, she was mean.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also a story that he cut off some nobleman¡¯s arm.¡± ¡°That aforementioned nobleman harassed the current Empress. Besides, he didn¡¯t just cut it off but applied for a fair duel. The arm was cut off during the battle. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Peony, how do you know so well about the Grand Duke?¡± That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ that¡¯s because I read it in a book. Not just once, but several times. In addition, I always read the part where my favorite character appeared over and over again, I almost sweetly memorized it! ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤But, of course, I can¡¯t say that. ¡°That, that¡¯s because the Grand Duke is so cool. I figured it out in my own way.¡± ¡°Oh, my God! Are you saying you¡¯ve fallen for him since way before?¡± ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Of course. I fell for him the first time I read the novel. ¡°When the hell exactly did you saw him?¡± ¡°Umm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I took the time to reply because I had nothing to answer. As a princess of a small country next to the empire, it was most likely that the original Peony would have met Richt. I just didn¡¯t know when that was. She¡¯s a princess that doesn¡¯t have any importance in the story, that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t appear in the novel. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you met him at brother¡¯s Prince Bookstore¡¯s opening ceremony?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤uh, yeah.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤At the party after the ceremony?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes.¡± ¡°Did you even dance together?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Perhaps?¡± ¡°So you saw him up close, danced with him, and fell in love with his handsome face?¡± Ah! So it¡¯s possible to explain it that way too? ¡°That¡¯s right, brother. I first met him at the after-party of our eldest brother¡¯s Prince Bookstore¡¯s opening and I fell in love with the handsome Grand Duke at first sight.¡± I nodded eagerly to Raheln, who completed my love story. ¡°Peony, think about it again. That person is in the cold Stern right now. It¡¯s not just cold. It¡¯s a harsh place in the northernmost part of the continent that doesn¡¯t even produce a single blade of grass.¡± ¡°I can wear thick clothes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just being complacent because you really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡± Raheln stated as if she was awfully pathetic. ¡°Our Garten is a small kingdom, but the land is fertile and abundant, and it is a place warm enough to not feel the coldness of the winter season. In addition, you have grown up as a princess of Garten who hasn¡¯t experience any hardships all your life.¡± Raheln, who had reminded me of my situation, paused, and glanced at me. ¡°What was worse, you even have a weak constitution. It¡¯s too precarious for you to go to Stern. You might get sick right away in the cold wind of the north and weaken as days go by.¡± His expression, who looked at me seriously, contained a lot of affection for his younger sister. ¡°But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± But there was something brother didn¡¯t know. That my favorite character was also left alone in that harsh land that Brother Raheln was speaking of. Born as a prince of the empire, who grew up without any shortage as a member of the imperial family more than I was, he was now thrown alone in that harsh Stern. Even abandoned by the woman he loved like his own life. And that woman married his only brother, the emperor, whom he had sworn allegiance to. Her heart aches for him! ¡°Grand Duke Stern is also there alone!¡± ¡°So, what does that have to do with you?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I like Grand Duke Stern!¡± I started rolling around the room again, and Raheln held his forehead as if he¡¯s having a splitting headache. ¡°I want to marry Grand Duke Stern!¡± To be honest, I¡¯m shouting that I want to get married at the moment, but I didn¡¯t really mean to get married. First of all, since I¡¯ve already transmigrated inside the novel, I wanted to see my favorite character¡¯s face for even just once. Second, I wanted to pay tribute to him by offering him the things he likes. To do that, I needed a reason to visit the north, and marriage is a very plausible excuse. But if we really end up getting married, then it would be much better. ¡°Hyuu¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± A sigh came out of Raheln¡¯s lips. It was natural that his head hurt. This is because it¡¯s been three hours since I¡¯ve been rolling around the room. ¡°Peony.¡± My brother¡¯s low voice sounded very grave. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you for the last time.¡± For Raheln, with a firm look on his face, there was a sense of seriousness that says this was the really the last time. ¡°Brother.¡± And I, too, stopped rolling, stood up, and looked at him. The basis of the victory was pre-emptive strikes. ¡°Oppa~¡± I struggled to elevate my expressions and approached Raheln on my knees. ¡°My beloved older brother~¡± Still, as I stood in front of him with me on my knees, I had no choice but to look up as high as I could and Raheln had no choice but to look down at me. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you.¡± I lightly grabbed his pants and bawled. ¡°Please send me to Stern.¡± ¡°Peony¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°It breaks my heart to think that Grand Duke Stern is there alone.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. You going there¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Please, please be on my side, brother.¡± I thought a drop of tears would be perfect for this moment, but my acting skills didn¡¯t go that far. ¡°Brother, won¡¯t you be on Peony¡¯s side?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯d like to be on your side, but¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°For me, even if there are two sides in the world, I would always choose brother Raheln¡¯s side¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Peony¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I believed in brother¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I peered up at Raheln with the saddest expression in the world on my face. The blue eyes that resembled mine shook aimlessly. ¡°Brother¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Please¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Raheln turned his head away. As I sighed, wondering if the operation was a failure, I heard a little murmur that came from Raheln. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤so cute¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤huh? ¡°Our Peony¡¯s extremely cute. If you beg me like this, then I can¡¯t help but listen!¡± No matter how cute I am, how can that be your reason to change your mind brother¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°Alright. Peony, I¡¯ll be at your side.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I quickly got up. Though I still had to look up at Raheln. ¡°Brother¡¯s really the best!¡± * * * * * ¡°Do you think that makes sense?¡± Leon, the first prince of Garten, the heir to the royal family, and my eldest brother looked at me and Raheln with a stunned expression. ¡°Get ahold of yourself, Raheln. What¡¯s wrong with you too?¡± ¡°But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, how can you agree to send Peony to the far north to marry? ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s what Peony wants.¡± ¡°There were many other things Peony wanted. Don¡¯t you remember? There was a time when Peony wanted to remove all the roses from the garden and replace them all with pasque flowers.¡± ¡°And you let her do just that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Of course, although I did let her¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Was there a time like that? You know, being a Siscon¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ It¡¯s scarier than I thought. ¡°Pi, Peony once wanted the palace to be pink! Does that make sense?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤That doesn¡¯t make sense, but you painted Peony¡¯s room pink instead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Though, I did do that for her also.¡± ¡°All the way to my room too. For your information, I was a 15-year-old boy who admired masculinity and bravery, whose future hope was to become a knight.¡± ¡°When Peony went to brother¡¯s room to play, she said she wanted her brother¡¯s room to be pink too.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you do it with your room?¡± ¡°At that time, my tutor visited me every day¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ that¡¯s why¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Leon mumbled some excuse, but in the end, he must have hated for his room to be painted in color pink. ¡°Re, regardless! I can¡¯t listen to everything Peony wants!¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤It was you who listened to Peony¡¯s ridiculous wishes the most. Either the pasque flowers or the pink palace.¡± ¡°Yes, but this is different!¡± As if to convey his disagreement, Leon hit the desk in front of him with a bang! Due to that, as I was standing in front of him, got surprised and flinched, reflexively clutching my shoulders. ¡°So, sorry. Did you get started?¡± Why does Leon look more surprised than me? Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Perhaps¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡°Brother Leon¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ did you just yell at me?¡± ¡°N-No, I didn¡¯t mean to do that¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you yelled at me¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Ah! Brother! You¡¯re too much! No matter how angry you are! How can you do that to Peony?!¡± Raheln, who was next to me, as if I were about to burst into tears, grumbled to Leon, and patted me on the shoulder. I put my head on Raheln¡¯s shoulder, with a disheartened look on my face. ¡°Are you okay, Peony? I told you to just leave him alone. That nasty-tempered Leon.¡± ¡°Hey! Raheln!¡± ¡°But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Leon is also a precious family for me that¡¯s why I really wanted him to understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. You have me, Peony. Just throw Brother Leon away.¡± ¡°What do you mean, throw away! Don¡¯t say anything weird to Peony!¡± As though he couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, Leon jumped up from his seat, circled around his desk, and came in front of us. Then he shook off Raheln¡¯s hand, who was on my shoulder. ¡°If it¡¯s Brother Leon, I thought he would definitely understand me. Because my brother knows me the best.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m the one who knows you best¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Lies! You don¡¯t even know how I feel!¡± ¡°How could I not know Peony¡¯s feelings?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°I know!¡± ¡°Brother don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°I know! Stern or whatever. You said you wanted to marry a bonehead!¡± ¡°However, even if you know, you don¡¯t understand anything!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I understand you!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand! You don¡¯t even listen to me, you just blindly object to my wishes!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I blindly object¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Normally, Brother Leon wasn¡¯t like this¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I looked at him with resentment in my eyes, as if I were looking at a traitor. Of course it was just acting. A soulful performance that encases all one¡¯s inner acting ability. Haa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s so hard to see my favorite character¡¯s face. ¡°You made the room pink when I wished for it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°You filled the garden with pasque flowers when I wished for it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve changed, Brother Leon.¡± ¡°What are you saying I¡¯ve changed?! Peony, you misunderstand!¡± ¡°No! Brother has changed!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t changed! I swear! I¡¯m still your I-will-give-you-everything-you-want Brother Leon.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Really?¡± As I look at Leon, he nodded his head vigorously. ¡°Then, Brother Leon is also on my side right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll take my side again this time, right?¡± ¡°T-That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°As expected, Brother Leon abandoned me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it, Peony!¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll take my side?¡± I did my best to look at Leon with sorrow showing in my eyes and with a mournful expression on my face as I clasped my hands over my chest. Leon¡¯s expression, while looking at me, increasingly turned into a distressed one. I¡¯m sure he is currently fighting his inner self. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m on Peony¡¯s side. Absolutely.¡± Brother Leon finally ended up uttering his words of surrender. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Brother Leon!¡± * * * * * ¡°So¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Our father gazed at us three brothers and sisters with a very pathetic look in his eyes. ¡°I certainly said no, yet, the three of you came together like this asking me to grant permission to marry Peony and that Northern Grand Duke?¡± I nodded with glistening eyes, and my brothers, who had fallen into my gimmick and came with me, nodded reluctantly. An emotion of anger raged on my father¡¯s face. He stared at us one by one, and the charisma of the king of one country made us quite terrified. ¡°De.fi.nite.ly.no.¡± Our father who enunciated every syllable in staccato, declared with a firm expression on his face as though he would never assent it. However, I couldn¡¯t back down like this either. I took a step forward with an equally stiff face. Hng! When our father blew his nose, his beard fluttered. His countenance exhibits his insistence that he never intended to retract his words. But, so was I. I absolutely wanted to go see our favorite character. Looking at the face of the majestic king, I threw a word. ¡°I hate you, Dad!¡± ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Then there was a moment of silence. Chapter 3 THE INVINCIBLE PRINCESS Part 2 ¡°I hate you, Dad!¡± What broke the deafening stillness was the stuttering voice of the previously majestic king. ¡°Pi, Peony¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Gaping big eyes, enlarged nostrils, and a wide-open mouth. My father¡¯s face was displaying an expression of someone who was terribly shocked. ¡°W-What did you say just now?¡± His words stammer as if he couldn¡¯t believe his ears. I panicked. Does saying ¡®I hate you, Dad.¡¯ in this world have any tremendous meaning? Because of the king¡¯s dignified appearance I couldn¡¯t say anything intense, it was already the most disobedient word I can think of. Alright. Then one more time. ¡°I hate dad.¡± Once again, I told him clearly. My father still seemed to feel the same amount of shock even though it¡¯s already the second time he heard it. ¡°H-How can you say such harsh words?¡± The king¡¯s hand¡¯s trembled as he endured the shock. ¡°Who the hell on earth is that Grand Duke Stern?! What kind of chap is it?!¡± The shock, which had consumed her father¡¯s mind, drastically shifted into anger. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he made our nice, lovely Peony say such harsh words!¡± The place, where the burning eyes of their father were directed at, was her two brothers. ¡°You two didn¡¯t even consider stopping you¡¯re your younger sister, and you came here together like this, spurting nonsense?¡± ¡°Father, it¡¯s not something to be so angry about. Peony¡¯s already all grown up.¡± ¡°All grown-up! How can you say that this little kid is all grown up! She¡¯s just the same size as a rolling acorn!¡± Leon¡¯s words added fuel to his father¡¯s anger. ¡°Peony too, is already an adult.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean that when you get older, you¡¯re already an adult! Peony¡¯s mental age is still as a child!¡± Am I that abnormal person they¡¯re talking about¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯m mistaken, right? ¡°Besides, who will accept that acorn-sized thing as a bride? Her body¡¯s no different than a child!¡± But I think it¡¯s really me father is speaking of¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°However, now that she¡¯s already an adult, she¡¯ll also have to get married one of these days, right? When she finds someone she likes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Marriage! What marriage!¡± This time, my father suddenly rose from his throne. ¡°What does a child know when it comes to marriage!¡± ¡°I, have to¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ get married, too.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Peony! Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d live with this dad for the rest of your life? You said you like this dad the best in the world! You even told me you want to marry me when you get old!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ when I was young.¡± I uttered as I stealthily glanced at my father. ¡°Young! It hasn¡¯t been 10 years since you said that!¡± Father cried out as if what I said was inconceivable. ¡°Whether it¡¯s Stern or churn, I can¡¯t give our Peony to such a guy. Never!¡± ¡°But father¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Leon, do you really want to send this cute little sister of yours to that faraway place? Where it takes a month to go by land, and 15 days by sea?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°We can be the one to visit her¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Raheln, are you really going to send our weak Peony to that cold country? That kid who lives with cold in the warm, winterless Garten?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Both the eldest brother and the second older brother, who was supposed to be supportive, fell into silence due to their father¡¯s words. It was natural, obviously, their father picked exactly the subjects they were most concerned about. Phew¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ There¡¯s no helping it then. I¡¯ve decided to take out my secret weapon. ¡°If you don¡¯t allow me to marry Grand Duke Stern¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I closed my lips and looked at my father, Leon, and Raheln one by one. They were staring at me with a tense look, as if a nuclear bomb was about to be fired out from my mouth. I¡¯m sorry, father and brothers. But I really want to meet my favorite character. ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat from now on.¡± * * * * ¡°Hmmn, I¡¯m hungry¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I¡¯ve just starved myself for one lunch. Nevertheless, I already felt grumpy because of hunger. I¡¯ve never imagined that the road to know my favorite character was this difficult. ¡°Will¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ there be honey?¡±¡± I seriously agonized over the flowers in the vase. I even approached and observed the flowers. But I couldn¡¯t figure out how to get the honey. Of course, because I¡¯m not a bee. Instead, all I could get was the it¡¯s fragrant scent. The name of the flower is unknown, but it has a subtle yet refreshing smell. ¡°Is this flower edible?¡± I pondered. Why, there are herbs and petal teas, right? Since there are flowers that can be eaten like azaleas, is it possible to eat these flowers as well? I snapped off a petal and carefully brought it to my mouth. The soft petals touched my tongue, and it wasn¡¯t strange. ¡°Ugh! Puh! Ptooey!¡± But soon after I bit it, it tasted strangely bitter, and spit out what was in my mouth. ¡°Ewww¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± While she was shaking her head due to the strange taste, she heard the voice of the court lady from the door. ¡°Princess Peony, His Highness is here.¡± F-Father? I jumped into bed quickly, and was able to lie in safely before my father came into the room by a hair¡¯s breadth. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Peony.¡± I heard my father¡¯s voice, but I kept my eyes closed as if I hadn¡¯t. ¡°My goodness¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ my princess, your face looks gaunt already.¡± I¡¯ve only starved for one meal, I can¡¯t be gaunt that fast. Father. ¡°Your closed eyes look shrunken.¡± No, I mean, not eating a meal doesn¡¯t make people shrunken though. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Father.¡± I opened my eyes, calling him in a wistful voice. Pretending to be the world¡¯s pitiable person, like my father thinks. ¡°Yes, my princess. Father is here.¡± The king answered in a grave voice. If someone hears it, they will think the king is talking to his seriously ill daughter. Once again, I only starved for lunch, and now it was dinner time. ¡°Today I told the royal chef to prepare only what you like to eat. Come on, get up, and let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± I shook my head at my father¡¯s words. ¡°If you don¡¯t eat anything like this, you¡¯ll get sick.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t eat until Your Majesty consents to my marriage.¡± ¡°Did you just say, Your Majesty?! Peony! Call me father as usual.¡± It¡¯s just a title, but my father jumped out of his seat. ¡°I can¡¯t, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Peony, call me father, or dad, as usual.¡± As a sign of resistance, I closed my lips tightly and shook my head. ¡°Haa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± A sigh poured out of my father¡¯s mouth. I sneaked a glance at him. My father softly closed his eyes and fell into agony. ¡°Do you like that man that much?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I nodded vigorously. My father sighed again as he looked at me. ¡°You want to leave this father and your brothers and leave for that cold country?¡± ¡°I¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I bit my lips. My father and brothers treated me kindly and loved me so much since I transmigrated. They treated me as if I am the most precious person in the whole wide world. I was sorry at first because I felt like I was cheating them, and I wondered if I should reveal that I wasn¡¯t really Peony. However, who would believe that this is a world inside a novel, or that I possessed the body of a novel character princess named Peony? The most important thing is, to tell them that Peony¡¯s soul is already dead¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I couldn¡¯t bear to do it to them. ¡°I love my brothers and father.¡± To him who regarded me as her real daughter and gave me great affection, it was not easy to say that I wanted to leave. I wish my father could understand my heart. ¡°You are my most precious family in the world. If I were to be born again in my next life, I would love to be born as your daughter again.¡± Though my life right now is almost the same as being born again, if I will have the chance to reincarnate, I will choose him as my father again. Because I loved being his daughter. I took out my hand from the blanket and grabbed his hand. Father¡¯s hands were warm. ¡°My love for the Grand Duke of Stern is different from these things. That person¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ the thing is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I like him as a man.¡± My cheeks slightly turned red. That¡¯s the real reason why I wanted to go to him. It was my heart that¡¯s urging me. Abandoned, alone in the cold and harsh north, I felt sorry for him. I just wanted to see his face, and give him what he needed. And if possible, I wanted to be with him. Beside him all the time. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m going to abandon my father and my brothers, then marry Grand Duke Stern. Even if I get married or go far away, I love my father the same way.¡± I looked at my father with a mournful heart. My figure was reflected in the same blue eyes as mine for a long time. A long sigh, similar to the one before, flowed out of his mouth. ¡°All right. I lost. I give up.¡± I opened my eyes wide at the king¡¯s declaration of surrender. ¡°I allow the Princess of Garten, Peony de Garten, to marry Fairspren Empire¡¯s Grand Duke Richt de Stern.¡± ¡°Da, dad!¡± His words made me so happy that I covered my mouth with my hands. Since I think that shouts for joy would burst any minute now. Still, at this moment, I knew it was an atmosphere that I shouldn¡¯t be like, screaming and jumping around the bed. ¡°Are you that happy?¡± My father looked at me and smiled as if he was a little lonely. I smiled brightly, and nodded. Hooray! I got approval! I¡¯m getting married to my favorite character! Chapter 4.1 I FINALLY MET HIM! (Part 1) ¡°What I¡¯m saying is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Eyes deeper and darker than obsidian gazed at me. The moment our two eyes met, my heart throbbed frantically, so I quickly lowered my head. My face turned beet red. I¡¯m sure my face looks like a carrot right now. It¡¯s finally my long-awaited first meeting with Richt, I can¡¯t show him my humiliating side right away. ¡°The reason the Princess of Garten came all this way in person¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Kkyaaak! Look at that voice! That cold voice that doesn¡¯t seem to have any compassion, I like it, too! With that voice, he said angrily but with a blushing face to the female lead, ¡®don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m being like this because I fell in love with a woman like you?¡¯ If I could just see it even once before I die, I won¡¯t have any wishes anymore! ¡°Haa¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± A small sigh was heard distinctively. It made me realize clearly. My goodness¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯m breathing in the same space as my favorite character right now! We¡¯re breathing the same air! It¡¯s the best! It¡¯s exhilarating! ¡°I remember that I have explained the situation very well in my letter.¡± ¡°Yes. I received the letter from the Grand Duke.¡± I¡¯ve even earnestly smoothen the traces of the folds, read it two hundred thirty-seven times and memorized the contents, then finally compressed it inside a thick book to be cherished forever. ¡°Then what possible reason does the princess have to be here?¡± His deep black eyes looked at me. The slightly raised tail of his eyes seemed fierce but sexy. And his sharp nose, not to mention, was the crystalline substance of his handsomeness. His tightly closed lips were extraordinarily manly, it was dizzying to think what those lips would look like while grunting and complaining. Even if that¡¯s so, his heart is considerate, tender, and kind! Gulp. I swallowed unknowingly. Richt frowned a little as he had also heard the sound. ¡°T-That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Strangely, there was almost no voice that came out of her mouth. Apparently, when I left, I told my father and Leon that I would make a splendid marriage proposal to the Grand Duke. It was I who even announced that the Grand Duke might get incredibly moved because of my wonderful proposal and even consider marrying me. With a loud voice, I asked my father to be kind and generous to the person who will be his son-in-law, as a result, he¡¯d provided a bunch of strawberries that Richt likes However, at the moment, she doesn¡¯t know where that bold and courageous woman has hidden. When Richt, who was currently in front of her eyes, asked, her lips were stuck as if someone had put glue on it. ¡°That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The beautiful black eyes were persistently looking at me. My lips were dry, so I stuck my tongue out then moistened my lips. Though nothing seems to have changed. ¡°Ah, there! That!¡± When I failed to speak straight, Richt¡¯s eyes narrowed. Ugh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ He¡¯s my favorite character, but I can¡¯t say that he has a good personality¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. He¡¯ll definitely get mad if I keep cutting my words! But I can¡¯t remember any of the details of the proposal I practiced so hard. My head is literally blank out! This can¡¯t be! I have to say anything. ¡°You, you¡¯re handsome.¡± My brain and mouth were connected in a straight line. Under the pressure to say anything, what came out of my lips was related to his appearance. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤What?¡± Upon unexpectedly hearing that he was handsome, Richt made an expression that says I¡¯m saying something absurd on his face. Yeah, that¡¯s ridiculous. I understand. But even his absurd expression is also exceedingly cute! ¡°I, I mean, what I¡¯m trying to say is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ cough!¡± My voice cracked a little, perhaps because I was shaking in front of my favorite character, so I made my cough small and looked at him again. ¡°I received the letter sent by the Grand Duke. However, there is still a little room left for me, that¡¯s why I came here to see you.¡± ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s room left? I think I explained it well enough.¡± ¡°Yes. You explained it extremely well, but I¡¯d like to make some corrections. First of all, the Grand Duke said I was too young. I am not that young.¡± ¡°As far as I know, the princess is just 18 years old, who has just reached adulthood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a proud adult.¡± ¡°Do you know how old I am?¡± ¡°Yes. Born on the 15th of the 8th Month, Year 854 under the Fairspren Empire, you¡¯re 25 this year.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Richt became silent for a moment. What is it? What else did I do wrong? ¡°You even know my birthday?¡± ¡°Well, of course¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Was it something I shouldn¡¯t have¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ known? Honestly, I¡¯ve been trying to keep myself from spontaneously blurting out the patron saint of his birthday, thankfully she didn¡¯t¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°You¡¯re going to be my husband, I should know that much.¡± Quickly glossing over, I smiled as much as I could. In Garten, if I smile like this, everyone will immediately say, ¡°Our Peony is so cute!¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± When I saw Richt just staring at me quietly, it seemed like this style wasn¡¯t going to work on him. ¡°Aa~and.¡± So I decided to change the topic by force. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re worried about the diplomatic relationship between the two countries if we get married, when due to it, the friendship between the Fairspren Empire and the Kingdom of Garten will become even stronger.¡± ¡°I guess the Princess doesn¡¯t know well, but I¡¯m not just the Grand Duke of Fairspren.¡± ¡°You are the brother of the emperor who inherited the throne of the empire, and also the lord of Stern State in the North, Grand Duke Stern.¡± ¡°To be more precise, the traitor Grand Duke, the enemy who pointed his sword at the emperor. If the traitor and the princess of Garten get married, they may look down on Garten in the Fairspren Empire.¡± Is that what he thinks? Would someone be harmed if they mingled with him? So did he always stay here alone without seeing anyone? My expectation that he might be doing well in the cold north was shattered by his words. ¡°Who said that?¡± I said in a fit of rage. ¡°It¡¯s not that someone said it¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°His Majesty the Emperor of Fairspren wouldn¡¯t be such a narrow-minded man. He¡¯s very kind and generous.¡± Yes, it was said that the emperor was a man of honor, a man of righteousness, and a man of kindness. ¡°No matter how much he is the emperor¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Your grace is still alive, right?¡± I stared at Richt. The handsome face I had always dreamed of was looking back at me. No, a face that looked better than the face I drew in my dreams was looking at me. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough evidence that His Majesty has forgiven the Grand Duke.¡± I expressed what I thought, just in case Richt would ostracize himself in this cold place and suffer alone, thinking that his brother and emperor, the male lead, hated him. ¡°Grand Duke Stern.¡± I peered at him calmly. Only then did I remember a part of the proposal I had practiced. ¡°I will de~finitely make you happy.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Richt gaped at me silently. His dark eyes fluttered for a moment. A woman who suddenly appeared and said she would marry him, suddenly said that she would make him happy. So it was natural that his eyes would waver. However, I am sincere about what I said. I really wanted to make him happy. At first, I just wanted to see his face. I just wanted to present him some gifts. I wanted to help him get a little more comfortable while eating what he likes, here in this cold place. But when I met him, I started getting a little greedy. I wanted to be around him a little longer. And as I watched him trapped in this cold and gloomy castle, looking like a wounded beast, then I started to wish he could be happy. ¡°Will you marry me?¡± I know he already gave his heart and soul to the female lead, but I really want to make this man, who had a cruel and bittersweet fate, feel that someone cares for him. At least now that the original story is over, he now has the right to be happy. Chapter 4.2 - I FINALLY MET HIM Part 2 ¡°Wow! The room looks good!¡± I shouted as I looked around the room where my luggage had been moved in advance. ¡°What¡¯s good about it? Your room in Garten is much better.¡± Raheln complained as he looked at me sitting in the bed and testing the cushions. He was right. This is narrower than my room in Garten, the color was dull and the furniture was plain, it also seemed that it receives only a little sunlight. And, crucially, the fireplace was kindled, but there was no feeling of warmth. It was like the whole Stern Castle. An ancient castle standing alone in the cold and harsh northern mountains. The Stern Castle where they¡¯re currently in. ¡°Think about it again, Peony.¡± The word ¡°discontent¡± was stuck in Raheln¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, brother?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me? Do you still treat me as your brother?!¡± The bed creaked as Raheln abruptly sat next to me. Um¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The cushions are not good. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he said to try being engaged for the meantime. No matter how much he is the brother of the Emperor, or even if he¡¯s the Grand Duke, how can he say to a princess of a country who wants to marry him to get engaged for the time being!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still much better than rejection, right?¡± I didn¡¯t have the intention of getting married in the first place, so I gladly accepted his engagement. ¡°What¡¯s better about that?!¡± However, Raheln¡¯s expression slowly turns to being infuriated. ¡°Do you even know what he means by saying, get engaged for now? He implies that ¡®Since you¡¯re here, I have no choice but to get engaged, but I can¡¯t guarantee you a marriage.¡¯ That¡¯s what it conveys.¡± ¡°But if you think about it, it¡¯s better than hearing ¡®Get the hell out of here.¡¯.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? I dare him to tell you that shit and I¡¯ll ask him for a duel!¡± Raheln, an outright siscon, shouted hysterically. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤If you do, you¡¯re going to lose, brother.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Your opponent is a person who has a great sword skill and stamina, enough to serve as the Commander of the Knights of the Fairspren Empire¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°And you, brother, on the other hand, can only dream of becoming a knight commander. It¡¯s impossible for you in reality. Furthermore, it was harder to be the Knight Commander of the Empire than to be the Knight Commander of our small Kingdom.¡± ¡°Wait, Peony, can you check this here?¡± Raheln raised my hand and put it in the middle of his chest. ¡°It¡¯s somehow painful, like my heart suddenly got broken.¡± ¡°Sorry. Does the truth hurt? I guess I shouldn¡¯t have spoken too realistically.¡± I gently removed my hand and placed it on my lap. ¡°Anyway, I think all is good, brother. I have become the grand duke¡¯s fianc¨¦ without any obstacle, and if nothing awry happens, I could get married.¡± ¡°But if anything goes wrong, your engagement will be annulled, and your name will be stigmatized as the discarded princess.¡± ¡±Um¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ isn¡¯t it nice, I¡¯ll be famous? I will be like a heroine of a tragic love story.¡± ¡±Peony!¡± ¡°Hehe! I¡¯m kidding.¡± I smiled at Raheln, who has a very serious expression on his face. ¡±Don¡¯t worry, brother. Since Grand Duke Stern accepted me as his fianc¨¦, he said that I was free to remain as long as I want here in Stern Estate. So while I¡¯m staying, I just have to let Grand Duke Stern know how nice I am, right?¡± ¡°You, do you have some basis to depend on? Where did you get your confidence?¡± ¡°I depend on brother.¡± Raheln seems to be wondering what the hell I mean again. He looked at me with a frown. I shrugged my shoulders looking at his expression. ¡°I¡¯m right, though. Father and brothers always say that. Our Peony are so pretty, cute, nice, and the best.¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s the truth.¡± I laughed again at Raheln, who answered with a serious face. ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m pretty, cute, and kind, the best someone could ever have. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no reason for me not to be confident. Am I wrong?¡± Raheln chuckled when he heard my answer. I grinned as I saw his smile. ¡°You used to be an utterly spoiled little girl, I didn¡¯t notice since when you became such an imposing lady.¡± Suddenly, Raheln¡¯s expression turned into a sad one. The expression on his face was so mournful, as if a father looking at his own daughter who he raised on his own, and was now absolutely grown up. ¡°Was it last year? That you¡¯ve been very ill?¡± ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ that time¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ve grown up a lot since then.¡± That was when I transmigrated. Perhaps¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ maybe¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ the Peony that Raheln knows, may have died at that time. No, she clearly died back then. As a result, I am here. If the voice I heeded was of the real Peony¡¯s, what I heard was definitely her will. She said that if she dies, his father and brothers will be sad, and she wants me to live on her behalf so that they don¡¯t fall into grief. ¡°Haha¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ People change especially when they almost die. Maybe that¡¯s when I started to grow up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Back then, the royal family was in a state of emergency for fear that you might really perish.¡± He reached out and fixed a few strands of my hair that went out of place. The same shiny gold hair as his. ¡°Remember. You are the most valuable treasure of the Kingdom of Garten.¡± The person who asked me what do I depend on and where I got my confidence, said something that raised my self-esteem to the fullest. ¡°If you get tired of this cold north, come back to Garten any time. We¡¯ll always be waiting for you, and we¡¯ll be glad if you come back.¡± Raheln smiled very warmly. His smile slowly warmed one side of my heart. Chapter 5 ¡°What is this?¡± His slightly frowned eyebrows were cold. Whether he was sitting with his slender legs crossed or crossing his arms as if he didn¡¯t like what he saw, everything looked cool when it was him who did it. ¡°It¡¯s a hotcake made by Princess Peony.¡± As the maid answered his question politely, I was hiding behind the door, nodding my head. I shouldn¡¯t have said it was just a plain hotcake, it would have been better if I told her it¡¯s a hotcake with plenty of honey from our Garten! I was frustrated by the lost opportunity and regretted it in my heart. My favorite character likes Garten¡¯s delicious honey. He also likes Garten¡¯s strawberries and tea. All three of them were the finest products of its category in the whole continent, so they were often used as expressions that reflected our favorite character¡¯s luxurious taste. ¡°Are you saying that the princess made it herself?¡± He said with a look of doubt on his face. Well, it would be strange if a country¡¯s princess was touching a frying pan in the kitchen. However, if it¡¯s for the person you like, not just a princess but even a queen, would enter a kitchen and bake hotcakes. Even more so if you can bake hotcakes like me! Richt kept looking with suspicion at the plate on which the hotcake was placed. It was a hotcake that I had just baked, and the maid brought it to him quickly, since I told her that, ¡°He should eat it while it was warm.¡± The fluffy hotcake was also topped with butter which was made from the milk squeezed from the cows grown in the rich green areas of Garten and sprinkled with plenty of honey. The savory aroma and the sweet smell, made my nose flutter as I was looking inside the door. It¡¯ll be even stronger to Richt who¡¯s near it. ¡°Leave it and go out.¡± He turned his head as if it were nothing and looked back at the book he was reading. ¡°But your highness¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± As if he had not forgotten my request, the maid opened her mouth carefully. Then Richt, who was looking at the book, glanced at her. It was such a gaze that¡¯s telling the maid that if she doesn¡¯t listen, it would be her greatest mistake, and if you were not yet scared, he would give him something to be scared of. As if frightened by the glint of his eyes, the maid quickly shut her mouth. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That, it¡¯s just¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Hurry up! Tell him to eat now! Say that it¡¯s good to eat it while it¡¯s still warm! ¡°N-Nothing your Highness.¡± However, a simple maid with no status or power could not dare to catch the eyes of the Grand Duke of the North. Frightened by Richt¡¯s eyes, she couldn¡¯t pass on what I had said and just turned her back to get out of the Grand Duke¡¯s parlor. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Oh no, wait! I haven¡¯t run away yet¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡°Oh, my goodness!¡± When the maid opened the door, I was caught standing in front of it in a very awkward way. ¡°Princess Peony?¡± ¡°Ahahaha¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Hello, Grand Duke.¡± I hurriedly made a curtsy and said hello. The maid, who opened the door and made me get caught, stepped aside, wondering what to do. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s because¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I couldn¡¯t bear to answer the polite words of Richt. That I was peeping at you¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°I was just passing by.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Oh, was it too obvious? ¡°So, after I baked the hotcake and gave it to the maid, I was on the way back to my room¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Neither the kitchen nor the princess¡¯s room is this way.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I guess I¡¯m lost because I¡¯m not used to this castle yet.¡± I decided to be shameless. A shameless woman would be better than a peeping woman. ¡°Excuse me, Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°You should try it now.¡± I glanced at the hotcake. ¡°It¡¯s delicious when it¡¯s warm.¡± Since I was already being shameless, let¡¯s just be brazen even more. I¡¯m going to feed my favorite character his favorite food! And stay here to see the sight! Heh~ the mere thought of it makes my heart flutter¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°No, thank you.¡± ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh? With words that shattered my excitement, Richt looked at me with an insensitive look on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t like sweets.¡± It¡¯s a lie. With a manly face that looks like he would only eat meat and nothing else, I know that he actually likes sweet things. ¡°I don¡¯t like hotcakes either.¡± This is also a lie. He loved hotcakes. I know that he ate enough hotcakes made by the Heroine to even get a stomach ache. ¡°I don¡¯t like hotcakes, and you also sprinkled it with honey that I hate¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. I hate everything sweet.¡± Without changing a single expression, Richt lied. ¡°But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I wanted to refute. Don¡¯t you actually like it? But I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t say that I knew that he liked hotcakes, that he really liked honey and all sweet things. ¡°I¡¯m thankful for the princess¡¯s sincerity, but please take it back.¡± Richt glanced at the plate on the table and even gestured to the maid standing by the wall. ¡°G-Grand Duke Richt. ¡° ¡°Say it.¡± His face was very calm. His deep, dark black eyes were still, and his sexy red lips were firmly shut. His face seemed to have no expressions, no emotions. I couldn¡¯t even tell if he was really looking at me. ¡°I-It¡¯s¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ nothing¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Then, take it with you.¡± I picked up the plate of hotcake from the maid who was trying to follow me. So I quietly looked down and stared at the floor. The plate was still warm so the hotcakes must have been warm still. But strangely, my hand in contact with it was getting colder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You went out so excited before.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Raheln, who was sitting in front of me, looked up and asked. His lips were glittering with honey. The hotcakes that were meant to be given to Richt, ended up in Raheln¡¯s mouth. While packing his things to go back to Garten, he said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, this is quite good,¡± and enjoyed the hotcake. I liked the sight of him eating the hotcake with happiness, but I felt bitter. I wish Richt was the one who enjoyed it. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing brother.¡± I shook my head as if nothing was wrong, I didn¡¯t want to cause unnecessary anxiety. ¡°It was really good. How many did you make that I even had the chance to eat some of them?¡± ¡°I made extras because my brother likes it.¡± ¡°Of course. The pancakes our Peony makes are the best in the world. I was really surprised to see that you know how to make this. It was even more surprising because it was delicious.¡± ¡°I learned it in the bridal class. I wanted to be a bride loved by my husband.¡± As I told the white lie with a giggle, Raheln laughed. However, the lie left something to think over in my mind. A bride that was loved by her husband. Today, when I saw Richt¡¯s cold eyes and numb expression, it was absolutely impossible to say if that could become true. Richt, whom I liked in the novel, was a man who would not care about passing through fire or diving through icy water if it were for the heroine. He was never such a cold man. Even though his mouth was rough and he spoke wildly, he was a man with a warm heart. Not such a cold man. I was struggling because of the difference gap between the Richt I read in the book and the Richt I actually see in the flesh. ¡°You, are you okay? Your complexion doesn¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°Is that so? I think¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± Raheln¡¯s face, full of worries, looked at me. ¡°I knew it. I expected something like this to happen when you said you were making pancakes. It¡¯s probably hard to get used to this weather because it¡¯s already cold, but you¡¯re already doing this and that.¡± The euphoric nagging of Raheln began. ¡°You should just have done the Grand Duke¡¯s share. Why would you even bake mine? You¡¯ve been standing in the kitchen longer because of me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°What do you mean no? Hey! What are you doing? You should immediately go get some rest.¡± He jumped up from his seat and pulled my hand. ¡°Come on, come on. Get some rest.¡± Only after he laid me on the bed, and covered me with a blanket almost to the tip of my nose did Raheln look relieved. ¡°Let¡¯s take a nice nap.¡± ¡°Okay, my dear nagging brother.¡± When I put my mouth out of the blanket and grumbled, Raheln looked sharply at me for no reason and pulled the blanket up again to cover my mouth. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Finally, I glanced at Raheln once and closed my eyes. Then somber darkness filled my view. ¡°Peony, do you remember what I said yesterday?¡± A small voice floated in my ear. ¡°I¡¯m going back to Garten tomorrow. I really don¡¯t want to leave you here alone, but I can¡¯t help it because I respect your choice.¡± A small sigh diffused into the air. ¡°If you¡¯re having a hard time, call me anytime. We¡¯ll be by your side. You are our father¡¯s precious daughter, my and older brother¡¯s precious little sister.¡± Raheln¡¯s hand, who softened the blanket and came in, clasped my hand. I felt like tears were about to come out. They loved me. From the bottom of their hearts. Even now, if I got up and told Raheln that I was regretting it while crying, and that I wanted to go back to Garten together with him, he would bring me back without asking anything. Maybe Richt wouldn¡¯t even bother to hold onto me either. From his point of view, it would be a good opportunity to get rid of the annoying princess he has to marry. But the reason I felt like tearing wasn¡¯t because I was grateful for Raheln¡¯s words or because I pity myself for Richt¡¯s indifference. Richt, whom I liked, experienced this kind of love. He loved the Heroine this preciously. But now, he had the eyes that seemed to not even know what love is about anymore. The glint in his eyes was too cold like a cold desolate island that even a single sprout of love would seem impossible to exist. I was so sorry that my Richt had to change like that. I felt like crying. Richt¡¯s nose still smelled sweet. He didn¡¯t taste it one bite, but by the smell alone he knew it was Garten¡¯s honey. He knew that it was not just any honey, but the best honey there was. It was Richt¡¯s favorite honey. The same was true of the hotcakes. It was Richt¡¯s favorite food. But he couldn¡¯t eat. ¡°Hestia¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Richt quietly called the name of the person he loved the most and who had now become another man¡¯s woman. She was extremely beautiful. For him who was called the stupid prince, she was the only one who treated him warmly. She was a woman who showed him what motherly love is instead of his mother who had been obsessed with love, and who could only tell him that he should become the next emperor. And she was a woman who chose another man rather than him. ¡°Hestia¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Once again, the voice sounded more mournful. It was a love he became more obsessed about, the more he couldn¡¯t have it. Because it was not his, he became more greedy. The hotcake that came out today was also something with such memories with her. So he couldn¡¯t eat it. The soft hotcake would stab the throat more painful than thorns. The sweet honey would feel bitter than poison. Like all the things that remind him of Hestia. ¡°Hmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Richt breathed in the sweet scent that was still lingering in the air. It was a sweet fragrant smell. It was the scent of the honey he liked. It faintly reminded him of the princess who had made it. Was her hair blonde? Did she have blue eyes? Or is it green? He couldn¡¯t remember. What about the nose? He couldn¡¯t remember it also. The lips? It seemed that he can¡¯t remember a single thing about the princess at all¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°It was red.¡± He thought she was only a hazy memory, but suddenly he remembered her red lips. It was a small, red lip. The princess¡¯s lips were red, like the strawberries of Garten, his favorite. The eyes that gazed and looked at me were probably blue. ¡°A stupid woman trying to curry favor with the wrong person.¡± Unfortunately, that was Richt¡¯s first impression of Peony. (Michael: rip girl. That burns¡­) The purpose was obvious. It was just Garten¡¯s gamble, a rich but small country next to the Fairsprene Empire. The present emperor already had a beautiful and perfect empress. It was also a marriage between lovers who love each other fiercely, which was celebrated as the romance of the century. There was no place for Garten¡¯s Princess to intervene. That¡¯s why they turned their eyes to the north, even though he must have been the half-brother of the emperor, who became Fairsprene¡¯s enemy, he was still the first in line to succeed the throne. Like she said, the emperor forgave his sin of rebellion. But what does she expect? That maybe the emperor might call in his brother from the north and put him in an important position in the Empire? Or, if the emperor doesn¡¯t have a successor, he might take my child as the one to succeed the throne? The princess or the king of that small country would have proposed to me with that intention in mind. Indeed, they were as cunning as mice. ¡®Well, you¡¯re handsome!¡¯ I remember the voice of the Princess of Garten, who talked with a slight blush on her face. When I looked up in surprise at the unexpected reply, I immediately turned away. Even now when I think about it, I think that it was too much. The first thing you say when you first see someone is, ¡°You¡¯re handsome.¡± ¡°Tsk-¡° Richt unknowingly clicked his tongue . The sweet scent was gone. It was all useless thoughts. The hotcake of his memories, the princess of the cunning Garten. Marriage or anything, how long will a princess from a warm country last in this cold place? Even a maid will not last long in this humble place, and it is rumored that she is a princess raised by the king of Garten like a doll of glass. Just a little girl stashed in a room in the castle, and if I ignore her, she won¡¯t last long and will leave for Garten, Richt thought. Although I offered to be engaged with her because it was not acceptable to refuse a matrimony request from a princess of a friendly country, that delicate princess would definitely not be able to last long in the freezing cold of Stern. Chapter 6 Ways to Get Closer to Your Favorite Character Clang. Richt lifted the bell on the table and shook it. The maid who was waiting outside quickly knocked and came inside. ¡°You called, Your Highness.¡± ¡°What is the Princess of Garten doing at the moment?¡± ¡°She went back to her room. Perhaps she¡¯s with the Prince of Garten right now. That¡¯s all I know.¡± ¡°Prince? Ah, the second child of King Garten who came with her?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°How long is he going to stay?¡± ¡°I heard he will depart tomorrow. He even asked to arrange the carriage that they rode to get here this morning.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Richt pondered for a moment. Garten¡¯s princess wouldn¡¯t last long if she was left alone. But if he gives her a little push, she will give up faster. ¡°Who did you decide to take care of the princess?¡± ¡°Marie, the one who used to work in the bedchamber. She¡¯s the one who will attend to the princess.¡± ¡°Starting tomorrow, let her go back to the bedchamber.¡± ¡°Then, who will serve Princess Peony¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± ¡°No one.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°It means don¡¯t assign anyone to serve the princess.¡± ¡°But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the owner of this castle?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s Your Highness, the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t ask too many questions and just follow my words!¡± Richt immediately made the maid¡¯s mouth shut who¡¯s about to contradict him. Then the maid agitatedly nodded her head to show her compliance. ¡°And since there¡¯s no maid to light up the fireplace for her, do not put firewood in her room as well.¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± The maid¡¯s eyes opened wide as she listened to Richt¡¯s commands. Stern was currently in the middle of Autumn. However, the weather still feels like it¡¯s winter if you compare it to other provinces. It will warm up for a few days only in the beginning of summer but it was very brief, spring and autumn were as cold as winter, and winter was where the cold weather continued to make the bones sore. However, refusing to give firewood for a fireplace at night in such weather was like asking Garten¡¯s princess to freeze to death. ¡°Looking in your eyes, you must have understood everything. Get out!¡± There was no room for protest. The maid had no choice but to go outside with her head bowed when the master told her to go out. ¡°Phew¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± It wasn¡¯t until she closed the door that she gave a long sigh. After the death of the baron who previously ruled this place, no lord was appointed to the Stern estate. Then, everyone was glad when the news came that the emperor¡¯s younger brother will come as the lord of this place. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect he would be such a freak.¡± The maid shook her head. She¡¯s heard from a friend who had gone to the royal court before that the Grand Duke was a warm-hearted man but has a bit of a temper. Furthermore, that friend even said that it¡¯s easier to serve him because his attitude shows the real him inside out and that he¡¯s much better from the other sneaky imperial people. However, the lord she was serving right now was not that kind of person at all. She¡¯s already served him for nearly a year, but she¡¯s never seen him smile. He will certainly have a good-looking face if he just smiles¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. But she probably wouldn¡¯t see that Grand Duke smile until the day she died. Raheln sobbed as he boarded the boat. He said he didn¡¯t cry, but he couldn¡¯t hide the tears that were still hanging in his eyes, so it was clear to me that he did. After I sent him off from the harbor and went back to the castle, I felt something strange. The cold still lingered in Stern as always, and somehow there was gloom mixed in it. But there was something different. I was in front of my room when I thought about it and for a while, I was able to figure out what it was. I stood still in front of the door. But the door did not open. ¡°Ah!¡± Only then did I realize that there was no one around me. Since someone always opened the door for me, I have never opened the door myself in this world. ¡°Not a big deal. I have my own hands and feet.¡± I pulled the door open. And again, I felt something strange. The room was the same as before I sent Raheln off from the harbor. My changed pajamas were thrown into the bed, and the blanket was still crumpled, keeping the same look when I had left out. The breakfast plate was still on the table, and the remaining fruit was already slightly brown. The same goes for the dressing table where Marie, who said she would take care of my hair while staying at Stern Castle, was still a mess after getting my hair done and putting on makeup. Everything was the same as before I went out. Nothing changed, nothing at all. That was the problem. ¡°Why is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ nothing been cleaned up?¡± I gazed out at the room as it was. I haven¡¯t cleaned since I became a princess. Is it just cleaning? I¡¯ve never done laundry, cooked, or anything. I was used to living like a princess. However¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. As if the magic of becoming a princess dispersed, the room wasn¡¯t cleaned up, and I couldn¡¯t even find a single shadow of any maid who was always around me. I blinked in disbelief because I was wondering what this was all about. It was somehow strange. I went outside and looked for a certain someone who would definitely know this situation better than anyone, and could solve this matter better than anybody else. ¡°Your Highness!¡± And just like yesterday, Richt is sitting with his legs crossed and reading a book. ¡°What is it?¡± His cold eyes stared at me. Hmmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. This seems to be something different from yesterday too. ¡°My brother Raheln safely boarded the ship and left for Garten. It is all thanks to the consideration of the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Not really.¡± He gently glanced my way, then turned to the book again. As if I¡¯ve disappeared before his eyes. ¡°Your Highness? I have something to ask.¡± ¡°Say it.¡± I realized shortly, that he was speaking informally to me. I am sure he¡¯s speaking respectfully to me just until yesterday. ¡°I would like to ask why I didn¡¯t see the maid named Marie, whom I know was assigned to serve me here in Stern Estate¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Marie is a maid assigned at the bedchamber. So she must be in the bedchamber right now.¡± ¡°But they definitely said that she¡¯s the one to serve me.¡± ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes?¡± ¡°Who said Marie was assigned as your maid?¡± ¡°Marie said it herself¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll just have to say it again. Marie is a bedchamber maid, and not the princess¡¯s maid.¡± It was a very edgy voice. ¡°Then my maid¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the princess¡¯ maid, so the princess should tend to it. Why are you asking me to take care of your matters?¡± ¡°That¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡®The owner of this castle is you, Grand Duke Stern, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you.¡¯ I tried to say that but I stopped. Richt was giving me a sharp glare. Only then did I know. He was trying to push me away. Why shouldn¡¯t he give me a maid, he was certainly drawing the line that he and I are definitely not in any relationship. He also said it clearly just now. ¡®The princess¡¯s maid.¡¯ To him, I was neither his fianc¨¦e nor his future marriage partner. I was just Garten¡¯s princess. He could attach a maid to me as a courtesy to a guest who came to the castle. Not as his fianc¨¦, not as his future wife, but as a guest. If I were really the hostess of this castle, there was no need to assign a maid for me. All the servants and maids of this castle will be my servants and maids. ¡°Nothing.¡± So I had no choice but to say so. ¡°Your Highness¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I opened the door with my own hands, but turned my head and looked at Richt just before I left the room. Then he raised his head without hiding his irritation. Before, I thought he was thinking and treating me even as a princess of a country, but now I don¡¯t think so. ¡°Do you even know¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ my name?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Richt silently gazed at me. I calmly stare at his black obsidian eyes, but he¡¯s the first to avoid his gaze. No, he wasn¡¯t avoiding it. He just turned his gaze and looked at the book again. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s saying that he¡¯s not obligated to answer my question. Feeling that there¡¯s nothing more that I can do regarding the matter, I took a step to get out of the room. When suddenly. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Peony.¡± I heard a blunt voice spit out my name behind me. I turned my head and looked back, but all I saw was Richt looking at the book nonchalantly inside the room. As if I didn¡¯t exist in front of his eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡± I quietly closed the door so as not to disturb him with his reading. Pfff! A giggle automatically gushed out of my mouth. At least he knew my name. That is enough for now. The dishes on the table were put out the door. I folded up my pajamas and put them on one side. Because I have to wear it at night. The bed was roughly fixed, and the vanity was neatly organized. On the contrary, I felt that it was a good thing. I had nothing to do here because I didn¡¯t have a father, a brother, or anyone I knew. Actually, after tidying up the room, I had nothing more to do. ¡°He still remembered my name.¡± I recalled the memories of the day we first met, so I laughed again. He was so blunt and treated me like a petty merchant. Something seemed to have changed with the second male lead character, but he was still Richt. ¡°Now¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± What shall I do? Of course, one of the things I want to do first is to eat food with my love, drink tea, walk, and if possible, hold hands. Gosh! What am I saying? Hold hands! I¡¯m sure our favorite character¡¯s hands are warm. Because our favorite character is a ¡®Cold man from the city, but warm for my girl!¡¯ type of man. And because he grew up as a precious prince, he must have a soft hand since he hasn¡¯t experienced any hard work, right? No! It was in the book! If you practiced swordsmanship hard, then you must have strong hands with calluses. Big, warm, strong hands! I love it!! ¡°Hah, let¡¯s calm down first.¡± I was alone in my room but I had to fan myself using my hand as my imagination was running rampant thinking of Richt. There¡¯s no possible way she would be able to hold his hand unless her favorite character held her hand first. That¡¯s impossible¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Unless I get closer to him. So what? I¡¯ll just have to get close to him! ¡°Excuse me~¡± I entered the kitchen, smiling. As I opened the door, the busy kitchen became quiet for a moment. Only the sound of a bubbling pot greeted me. ¡°Are you preparing for dinner?¡± I smiled and spoke to everyone but still, I received a silent response. ¡®Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. It¡¯s embarrassing¡¯ Do the personalities of the residents change depending on where they live? In Garten, when a person smiles at them, the other person smiles too¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Why is it like this here? ¡°Excuse me, what brings the princess here?¡± A man, who seems to be a kitchen assistant, asked carefully. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just that I want to make a drink for the Grand Duke to accompany his dinner.¡± ¡°A drink?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a very simple drink. It would be good to have it while having dinner.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Um¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡° The man was somehow embarrassed. As I looked closely, it was the man I saw yesterday. The man standing next to me with an impatient expression while I was making a hotcake. ¡°We met yesterday too, right?¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, yes.¡± ¡°Yesterday¡¯s hotcake was a complete failure, but today I would like to make up for it.¡± ¡°What? Failure? It was a perfect hotcake and it looked so delicious.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Do you really think so?¡± The man nodded vigorously. It was quite comforting to hear someone else praise my food. Yesterday, Raheln also ate it sumptuously. The man¡¯s compliment made me more energized, so I thought I should work harder today. ¡°It¡¯s simpler today, so I just need to borrow the kitchen for a moment. 10 minutes? 15 minutes? How about that?¡± I looked at the man, then he looked at his side. Probably the person who seems to be a high-ranking person in the kitchen. Well, this guy seemed to be my age, so he must probably be the kitchen assistant. The middle-aged man shrugged, and I smiled due to it. ¡°What can I do for you, Princess.¡± ¡°Hmm¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. I need mint and rum. And I wish to have a pretty cup. Oh, ice too!¡± As always, Richt dined alone during dinner. He was sitting alone at the table as per usual when suddenly he noticed something he had never seen before. In a transparent glass, red and green things with ice were submerged in colorful water. When he looked up with his eyes narrowed, he noticed that what was inside were green leaves and red, slightly crushed strawberries. ¡°What is this?¡± Richt¡¯s face slightly frowned upon seeing the thing for the first time in his life. As he sniffed, there was a fresh strawberry scent and a subtle rum scent coming from the drink. As he passed a sip, the liquid was as refreshing as the scent passed to his throat. And Richt¡¯s favorite strawberry flavor softens his throat. It burned over, and the fresh strawberry scent gently hovered in his nose. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s good.¡± Slightly, Richt¡¯s head nodded. The chef from Stern Castle, who thought could barely make something edible to eat compared to the royal cook in the empire, has come up with something better than he expected. Dinner was quite enjoyable thanks to the drink that suits his taste. It was the first time since he came here and ate in a pleasant mood. Normally, he would have wiped his mouth after the meal and got up from his seat, but Richt called the maid with a light gesture. ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the name of this drink?¡± His fingertips were empty, clearly pointing to the glass that was only left with green leaves and ice. ¡°Um¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The maid, who didn¡¯t think that Richt would ask such a question, blinked and couldn¡¯t answer. It was definitely the food she brought to her master, but she didn¡¯t know what it was. It was her first time seeing this drink also. Besides, she didn¡¯t know that the Grand Duke, who was indifferent to everything, would ask for its name. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the kitchen now and ask.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Richt cut off the maid, who seemed she would run out right away immediately, and said. ¡°Make sure to prepare this same drink tomorrow evening.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And tomorrow I should know the name of this.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Standing straight from her place and bowing her head toward Richt, the maid thought. ¡®Strangely, the Grand Duke seems to be in a good mood tonight.¡¯ Translator¡¯s Note: ¡°The way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach¡± Peony fighting!!