Special Honeymoon (5)
Aracila and Damian’s honeymoon lasted a total of ten days.
From the third day onward, the trip had transformed into the “Princess Violet Knight-Making Project,” and to return it to its original purpose, they had to dedicate three full days.
Damian embarked on hellish training to elevate Violet to the level of an apprentice knight within that time. Since she had asked to be pushed hard, he truly obliged and worked her relentlessly.
“Don’t get tired. Don’t give up. Don’t slow down.”
With a stern gaze fixed on Violet as she swung her wooden sword, sweat dripping profusely, Damian spoke in a low voice.
“Depending on how you perform, Princess, I could remain a demon or transform into an angel. You must not let your posture falter.”
“Ughhh!”
Violet let out a pained groan, gritting her teeth as she forced her arms to move. Damian’s demeanor toward her was polite in speech only, more like a superior overseeing a subordinate.
Aracila sat off to one side in the backyard of the mansion where the two were training, leisurely enjoying tea and snacks. She wasn’t watching purely for amusement but observing as unobtrusively as possible.
Thanks to her presence during the training sessions, Damian could at least vent less of his frustration. If he couldn’t even see her face like this, he might have chased Violet away, princess or not.
However…
“You’ve worked hard, Princess. Here, wipe your sweat.”
“Huff, huff, thank you, huff, Duchess.”
As soon as break time arrived, Aracila quickly rose from her seat and brought a towel to Violet. The fact that she attended to the princess first between the two of them was Damian’s sole complaint.
Feeling a jealousy he had never experienced with Audrey or Paula, his lips nearly pursed in a pout, so Damian clamped his mouth shut.
“You’ve worked hard too, Damian. It must be tough, right? Come, rest in the shade.”
But then Aracila approached with a bright smile and tugged at his arm, and his expression melted away as if nothing had happened.
The touch of her fingers tidying his disheveled hair felt so good that he surrendered his head to her like a puppy. If only this moment could last until death.
Once his hair was neatened, Aracila returned to Violet without lingering. Damian slumped like a puppy with drooping ears, looking dejected.
Unaware of this, Aracila handed Violet some water and sat beside her.
“The training must be really grueling, huh? I hope you’re holding up okay.”
“It’s honestly exhausting to the point of death, but I’m fine. I didn’t dream of becoming a knight without putting in this much effort.”
Violet grinned boldly. Aracila gazed at her quietly before speaking.
“You’re so mature and patient, Princess. If you could be as honest with Their Majesties as you are with me now, things might go well.”
Expressing when something was hard was more important than one might think. If you didn’t say it, no one would know just how much you were struggling.
A hot summer breeze rustled their hair. Aracila looked up at the cloudless, vividly blue sky. Violet, fiddling with the water bottle, asked,
“You mentioned you have an older sister and a younger brother, right, Duchess?”
“Yes, that’s right. My sister and I are close in age, but there’s quite a gap with my brother.”
“You must be a great little sister to her.”
Aracila flinched for a moment and slowly turned her head to look at Violet.
“Why do you think that?”
“Hmm, because you seem like you’d understand your sister’s feelings in a mature way. My younger siblings are still young, so they’re a bit immature.”
Violet smiled with a mix of exasperation and affection for her siblings. Aracila fell into thought for a moment.
She had once thought the same as Violet—that she was the little sister who knew and understood her older sister better than anyone in the world.
But after hearing the inner thoughts of Violet, who was the eldest and the big sister, something had changed.
Perhaps I’ve been living off Iris’s kindness without ever knowing her true worries or burdens.
Unaware of what she had to endure, tolerate, and give up.
Aracila smiled faintly and said,
“You’re mistaken, Princess. Compared to my sister, I’m the immature one.”
“Really? That’s surprising; you feel incredibly adult-like to me, Duchess.”
Violet was seventeen, and Aracila was twenty-three, so it made sense for her to feel that way.
As Violet headed back to training at Damian’s call, Aracila suddenly wondered.
If I met the seventeen-year-old Iris at my current age, would she see me as an adult too?
* * *
Meanwhile, the king and queen of Roshan were going mad.
Their eldest daughter, who had always been obedient and well-behaved her whole life, had refused the royal marriage and run off, only to learn she had taken refuge with the Duke and Duchess of Vandermir.
It was the epitome of causing trouble. They were so embarrassed they could hardly lift their heads, yet Violet ignored her parents’ orders to return. For days now, she had been holing up at the duke and duchess’s mansion.
“Violet must have truly lost her mind! She doesn’t reply to letters, and when we send people, she just turns them away.”
“I’m going crazy too. What is she thinking, risking completely ruining our relationship with the duke and duchess like this…”
The two assumed that the duke and duchess weren’t helping Violet out of choice but were reluctantly tolerating the princess’s whims for the sake of relations with the Roshan Kingdom.
So they worried that if Violet continued to impose without reading the room, the couple might end up resenting the kingdom itself.
“If things sour with them like this, the damage would be immense. We might never build ties with the next imperial leadership.”
The king groaned lowly. They were already anxious because, when the current crown prince and the duke had studied abroad in the Roshan Kingdom, they had known of their hardships but chosen to ignore them.
Back then, they hadn’t expected those two to succeed so greatly. If they had known, they would have treated them lavishly, solidified the relationship, and by now, become one of the empire’s strong allies.
To avoid repeating that mistake, this time they had welcomed the duke and duchess with utmost sincerity. Their response hadn’t seemed bad, but who could have predicted their eldest daughter would suddenly cause such a stir.
“What should we do? Should I take some people and drag Violet back myself?”
“No, that won’t work. If mishandled, it could look like our royal family is invading the duke and duchess’s mansion.”
The young Duke of Vandermir was the crown prince’s closest aide and a man with distant imperial blood ties. Touching him carelessly could escalate things further.
“Besides, they haven’t indicated whether they’re okay with Violet staying. Forcing her back might offend the duke and duchess. It would make our family look strange too.”
“Then, how about meeting the duke and duchess in person? We could talk face-to-face and gently persuade them.”
“Hmm, that doesn’t sound bad. But the issue is finding a reason to summon them.”
Aracila and Damian had already declined a second dinner invitation, citing their honeymoon as the reason.
It was their indirect way of signaling they didn’t want their privacy disturbed. So, asking them to dine again would likely result in another refusal.
Yet, they couldn’t carelessly let slip any discord tied to the unannounced royal engagement, so the couple had to come up with an excuse that would make it impossible to decline an invitation.
Thankfully, as if by divine intervention, the ducal couple requested an audience first. Aracila and Damian immediately granted their visit.
In the reception room, the heavy chandelier hanging from the ceiling cast a radiant glow, its light fracturing brilliantly over the guests.
Behind the couple, whose appearances bloomed like spring and winter flowers in full splendor, their eldest daughter, now reduced to a notorious troublemaker, made her entrance.
Violet, who had resisted coming despite being summoned, had finally entered the palace with them.
“Violet, you…!”
The queen, on the verge of losing her temper, was restrained by the king, who apologized with a sheepish expression.
“My daughter has caused you great offense. I’m so sorry, words fail me.”
“That’s not true, Your Majesty,” Aracila replied.
“The princess brought such liveliness to our estate. We truly enjoyed her presence,” Damian added.
Their calm responses, devoid of any hint of condescension, deeply moved the king.
“Good heavens, how generous you both are! I’ll make sure Violet’s imposition is handsomely compensated. If there’s anything you desire, just name it!”
“If I may be so bold, I do have something to say,” Damian ventured.
“Haha, speak freely!” the king boomed.
Despite the king’s hearty response, Damian and Aracila remained composed, their faces devoid of smiles as they carefully broached the subject.
“Having observed Princess Violet closely over the past few days, we’ve seen that she possesses the qualities of an exceptional knight,” Damian said.
“We humbly suggest Your Majesties take note of this and consider supporting her actively,” Aracila added.
The king and queen’s faces stiffened instantly.
They had vaguely known of Violet’s interest in swordsmanship and knighthood, but they hadn’t taken it seriously because it seemed implausible.
How could Violet, destined to marry through a royal engagement and inherit the throne, possibly become a knight wielding a sword?
Since Violet herself had never actively pushed the matter, they’d let it slide. But now, hearing it brought up so abruptly by the ducal couple, they were thrown into confusion.
“What are you saying? Violet is to become queen someday. How could we support her becoming a knight?” the king demanded.
“Violet, explain yourself. Why are the duke and duchess suddenly saying this?” the queen pressed, unable to confront the couple directly and instead turning her frustration on her daughter.
Violet, seated beside Aracila with a tense expression, took a deep breath before speaking slowly.
“Mother, Father, I want to become a knight.”
“Violet!”
“Of course, contributing to the kingdom through a royal marriage is important, but I believe becoming a knight to protect our nation is just as honorable.”
“Have you lost your mind?!”
The queen clutched the back of her neck, her blood pressure soaring, her vision spinning. The king, too, gripped his forehead and let out a heavy sigh.
Aracila gently patted the back of Violet’s hand, which had shrunk back in hesitation, and spoke up.
“Your Majesties, please calm yourselves. The princess has said she will fulfill her duties even if she becomes a knight.”
“What good is that, Duchess?!” the queen snapped. “This could ruin an important royal marriage! A woman who wields a sword is seen as less valuable as a bride!”
Her mother’s words, shrieked like a banshee, pierced Violet’s heart sharper than any blade. Biting her lip to hold back tears, Violet trembled.
“Who would choose a princess who’s a knight as a wife? And even if she becomes one, she’ll just be outdone by stronger, more powerful male knights. What’s the point?” the queen continued.
“A sword isn’t just about strength,” Damian interjected in a low, reassuring voice, coming to Violet’s defense alongside Aracila. “It requires skill and intellect. Though the princess may lack raw power, her agility and sharp instincts mean she won’t be easily bested.”
“More importantly, a leader of knights needs intellect over brute strength,” he added.
“Absolutely not!” the queen shot back, leaping to her feet and pointing accusingly. “Violet, don’t even dream of it!”
Violet clenched her fists, defiance simmering within her. Tilting her head defiantly, she locked eyes with her mother.
“…Why can’t I dream?”
“What?”
“I’m not saying I’ll abandon my duties as a princess to live a life of leisure. I’m saying I want to become a knight, contribute to the kingdom’s strength, and still fulfill my obligations!”
Why was it always an outright refusal? Violet’s frustration now brought tears to her eyes.
The king and queen, stunned by their daughter raising her voice for the first time, were at a loss. Cold sweat seemed to trickle down their spines.
The king, unable to hide his bewilderment, scolded his eldest daughter.
“Violet, what’s gotten into you? You’ve always been obedient, never causing us trouble, and now you’re acting like a rebellious teenager? Pull yourself together—you’ll be an adult next year!”
“That’s exactly why I’m trying to take control of my life! I’m not saying I won’t go through with the royal marriage. I will. But I want to do it after becoming a knight.”
Violet, presenting a perfectly reasonable compromise, looked at her parents with desperate hope.
She had always been the dutiful daughter, so she wished, just this once, they would respect her wishes.
But it seemed she had hoped for too much. The response was cold.
“Enough! Stop this nonsense!”
“Where did you get these ridiculous ideas? Go to your room and reflect quietly!”
Instead of engaging in dialogue, the king and queen chose the worst possible approach—suppressing her with their authority.
Beyond disappointment, Violet felt a hollow resignation. Her shoulders slumped, and for a moment, she stood motionless, head bowed. Then, in a low murmur, she spoke.
“…Mother, Father, it’s always like this with you.”
The king and queen’s eyes turned to their daughter. Violet’s eyes, red-rimmed and teetering on the edge of explosion or icy detachment, burned with intensity.
She poured out the feelings she had suppressed for so long.
“You don’t love me for who I am. You just want an obedient daughter who’s easy to control!”
“No, what are you saying…?”
“I was foolish to have even a glimmer of hope. I thought if I did well, I could achieve my dreams and still be of use to the kingdom and to you. How stupid of me.”
Tears streamed down Violet’s cheeks. The queen, speechless, could only move her lips soundlessly, while the king’s eyes shook violently.
In a voice heavy with resignation, Violet murmured,
“No matter what I do, I’ll always be a disappointment to you…”
