Chapter 33 · At the Betrothal Ceremony (3)

The age of a betrothed mattered. A younger one was fine, but an older one by ten years would be very troublesome. I had no intention of marrying anyway, regardless of how old the marquis’s grandson was, but I couldn’t stand the thought of a man who would hold the title of my betrothed being repulsively older!

“He is… only seven years old.”

‘Fortunately, that’s a reasonable level.’

But was this grandfather really all right? Handing over his grandson to a brat he’d met barely fifteen minutes ago? He was quite the seasoned negotiator who took everything he could. As expected, the family hadn’t maintained its prestige for nothing.

He must have felt he needed to keep selling, because he began chattering on and on about his grandson.

“Of course, I can’t show him to you right now, but my grandson… has a face that shows great promise. He is as beautiful and lovely as a single pink rose.”

“Just a moment ago you were telling me to watch my eyes…”

Baron Victor grumbled, but Marquis Laselles ignored him and kept talking.

“Our family has been blessed with fine looks for generations. When he grows up, he will become a handsome man worthy of standing beside the princess.”

To me, who saw the continent’s top-tier flower-boy face—my own biological father’s—every single day, bringing some moderately handsome man would hardly impress me.

“Hmm…”

“I will educate him thoroughly so that he can discreetly assist the princess at her side.”

When I seemed to hesitate, the marquis even promised character education. Baron Victor looked at him with a face of disbelief.

“Okay. I’ll think about it.”

It pained me to do this to Marquis Laselles and my future betrothed, but until I turned twelve, using them seemed like a good way to protect myself.

“Glory to the light of Santra!”

The marquis saluted me with a proud smile, and after concluding a satisfactory transaction, we parted ways.

◇ ◆ ◇

Sigh. That magic stone mining site is truly precious. It’s not even mine, but somehow it feels a waste to hand it over. But what can I do—if you gain something, you have to give something.

Besides, that place was destined to fall into the Alter family’s hands in a few years anyway, so handing it to Marquis Laselles was a billion times better.

‘But where on earth is Paeon?!’

I scanned the hall with my short neck, but he was nowhere to be seen. Where had he disappeared to? He couldn’t have gone back to the temple without me.

‘Don’t tell me he’s being mobbed by noblewomen…?’

There was no way, but the thought had popped into my head and I found myself strangely worried.

‘I thought he’d be desperately searching for me.’

I was annoyed at myself for feeling a little disappointed. Honestly, what did it matter to me what that man was doing or where!

At that moment, far across the hall, I caught a glimpse of a golden head surrounded by noblewomen. It was unmistakably Paeon’s honey-blond. But he was sitting at a table, busily doing something. What on earth was he doing?! I had to hop and hop to finally figure it out.

He was… signing autographs for the noblewomen.

‘A hero is a hero, I suppose.’

Even though Paeon’s face was clearly troubled, the noblewomen eagerly lined up to hold out their handkerchiefs. The gentlemen around them watched the scene with great displeasure.

‘Isn’t he just making himself more hated?!’

He already seemed to be disliked by the nobles… Was there any need to add more resentment? As I lingered in the corner, wondering how to get him out of there, Alter’s voice suddenly came from behind me.

“Princess! How unusual to see you alone. It seems the knight who protects you is busy today, isn’t he?”

And Alter was with Stella. Ugh! What a dreadful combination this was.

“What are you doing alone in the corner? How embarrassing. You look like an orphan.”

Stella, her curly hair rolled up with a large ribbon and wearing a glittering silver dress, was clinging tightly to her future brother-in-law’s arm.

“Well, you are an orphan, aren’t you.”

‘How can she say exactly the same lines as before my regression?’

That phrase I’d heard so often in my past lives made me shudder. Stella acted as if insulting me in public were her life’s mission.

“Don’t be like that, Princess Stella. She’s going to be my daughter soon.”

“Hmph! Honestly, I’m against it. What is Count Alter lacking that he has to take on an orphan like that? What sin would Count Alter’s future children commit?”

Stella’s unfiltered rudeness stirred the surroundings. But far more people seemed to see it as entertaining spectacle. Even covering their faces with fans, they couldn’t hide their fascinated eyes.

“A warm family is the most radiant joy on this earth. I believe the princess should enjoy such joy as well!”

The nobles around him murmured in admiration at Alter’s pretense. Ugh… I had to fight back the rising nausea.

“But what if that brat harbors wicked intentions and harms Count Alter’s future children! What if she uses evil magic?!”

“Ah… The princess would certainly never do such a thing. The princess will only use excellent magic. Like Princess Beatrice.”

Just then, a noblewoman cut in.

“But is it true that Princess Anastasia can use magic? I was ill during the grand prayer meeting and couldn’t attend, so I didn’t see it.”

“It’s true, Baroness. She definitely used it!”

“But… how? Even Princess Beatrice couldn’t do anything at that age.”

Everyone’s eyes focused on me. This was clearly unspoken pressure to ‘show them.’ I wasn’t some circus performer! I refused to be their spectacle!

Besides, I was in a very unstable state now, having only recently gained the two powers. If I lost control even slightly, the two forces would fight inside me. Showing such a thing in a place like this was absolutely out of the question!

I lowered my head to avoid their gazes. My pride was wounded, but I just prayed they would quickly lose interest in me.

“Oh dear, it seems the princess has gotten frightened.”

Alter came over and tried to lift me up. I desperately twisted my body, but I ended up caught in his grasp.

“Count Alter is quite skilled at holding children!”

“This much is nothing—I’ve done it often while looking after my younger cousins.”

“You’ll make a good father.”

A thick scent of perfume came from Alter. It was a somewhat dangerous, sensual scent, and smelling it made me miss Paeon. When Paeon held me, all I smelled was warm sunlight. Strong perfume like this wasn’t good for a young child!

But it wasn’t just perfume I felt from him. I sensed a very powerful mana. And that mana was definitely not compatible with me.

‘The divine power in me absolutely hates this mana!’

As if trying to defend itself, the prana inside me was gathering frantically. And because of the prana suddenly moving inside me, my mana also began to stir, sensing crisis.

‘Eeeek! No!’

No matter how much training I’d done, the two hadn’t fully accepted each other yet, so at this point, control was impossible. My face went pale as the creeping pain rose again.

“How strange.”

Just then, Alter whispered very softly into my ear.

“I mean, there’s a very strange energy. This is almost like…”

‘Did he notice?’

I struggled to escape him, but Alter’s blue eyes flashed and he gripped me tighter and tighter.

“It’s like two things are mixed together.”

At that moment, Alter began sending his mana into me. An immense pain struck instantly.

“Aaaagh!”

I couldn’t hold back and screamed. I could feel everyone in the hall staring at me, but I simply couldn’t bear it.

“Aah… S-stop…”

“I can’t believe it…”

Even as I convulsed and clutched at his clothes, he had no intention of stopping.

“Aaaaah! Aaagh!”

“What’s happening?!”

“The princess seems to be in pain!”

“Call Sir Parsiel!”

Because of his mana, I felt pain incomparable to anything before. It was enough to make me wonder if this man was trying to kill me. I coughed and coughed, then vomited blood.

“Good heavens…! She vomited blood!”

“She’s still so young… Could it be an incurable disease?”

“Divine power doesn’t work well on internal illnesses, does it.”

Just then, I heard a crash, and I fell from Alter’s arms into someone’s grasp. Paeon was ashen, wrapping me in his arms.

And though I couldn’t tell how much time passed after that, only after being in his arms for a long while was I able to stop vomiting blood. Both his clothes and my pink dress were ruined. And this time, somehow, even though the pain had been suppressed with divine power, my head spun and my whole body trembled.

“Was this your doing?”

Paeon turned to Alter and spoke in a voice chillingly murderous.

“Ah, yes. Now I know for certain what illness the princess has,”

But Alter couldn’t finish his sentence. Paeon had grabbed him by the collar and slammed him onto the table full of wine glasses.

Crash! Smash!

Glasses toppled and shattered, and the hall filled with shock.

“Kyaa! What is happening!”

“Sir Parsiel!”

He paid no heed, keeping his eyes fixed only on Alter before him, and growled.

“You bastard…”

“Hey, aren’t you overreacting? Your divine power will fix her up in no time anyway, won’t it?”

Paeon yanked his collar even more roughly. As it was practically strangling him, people gasped and screamed. Paeon’s eyes had rolled back just like when he’d beaten Tanian to death, so I mustered my trembling body and crawled toward them.

“Papa! That’s enough… Asha is fine now…!”

Alter hadn’t even committed blasphemy, so why was he going this far! What was I going to do? How was this ball supposed to be salvaged!

When I hugged his knee tightly, he finally let out a rough breath and released his hold, and Alter rose from the table, coughing and rubbing his neck. But then.

Splash!

Someone threw wine in Paeon’s face.

“You… lowly slave-born…”

It was the Marchioness Alter.

“Who do you think you are, grabbing my son by the collar!”

“Marchioness! Please calm down. Sir Parsiel is a first-class priest of the temple who has received the Medal of Military Merit!”

People tried to restrain her, but she grabbed whatever was within reach and threw it.

“Lowly slave! A worm who wouldn’t have even been able to meet my eyes if he’d stayed outside! How dare you ruin my son’s betrothal ceremony!”

At those words, something surged up inside me. It was a hot, fierce anger I simply could not let pass.

“Don’t say that to Papa!”

I threw the ice bucket used for chilling wine at her with all my strength.

“Kyaa! What is this—”

Ice cascaded all over her.

“Don’t say things wike that to Papa, you ugwy, wicked owd hag!”