Chapter 12
“I’m actually happier to see Rinzel.”
There was an unusual fervor in his voice—almost like a sense of rivalry.
Hernan… so he got jealous because Ishar seemed happy to see me.
I responded to Hernan as well—warmly, sweetly, and affectionately.
“I’m happy to see you too, Prince Hernan, whom I met here.”
His honest confession caught me slightly off guard, but it was true that I was glad to see him.
“…I see.”
A faint smile lingered on Hernan’s lips. It seemed he liked my answer.
That was when another voice was heard.
“Have a seat.”
It was the Empress, Angel.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.”
Angel smiled elegantly.
She had brown hair and eyes a deeper green than mine.
She didn’t resemble Ishar or Hernan at all.
After greetings were exchanged, the meal began.
The food at the imperial palace was far more exquisite than anything I had eaten at the duke’s residence.
If I could, I would’ve stuffed my mouth full of everything.
But Rinzel’s body couldn’t handle overeating. If I got greedy, I might suffer stomach pains for days.
…Of course, eating greedily would also be against etiquette. It’s not like I was ignoring manners or anything.
During the meal, light conversation flowed.
Delta led most of it, asking mainly about me.
What kind of food I liked, how life was at the duke’s house…
He was probably trying to gauge me.
Still, none of the questions were unpleasant.
The conversation wasn’t boring, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was warm.
It was a perfect meal in every sense.
Afterward, we had a light tea time.
As I took a sip of fragrant tea, Delta asked a meaningful question.
“…So, Lady Rinzel, did you decide to marry Hernan because of his face?”
“—! Pfft!”
Startled by the blunt question, I spat out the tea in my mouth.
The tea splattered across the table—and dripped from my lips.
It was a familiar situation. Something similar had happened when I talked with Rike before.
Instead of being disgusted, Hernan abruptly stood up.
“Are you alright?”
He didn’t just ask—he clumsily wiped my lips.
A stain began to spread across his once-white sleeve.
“Are you in pain?”
“….”
Hernan seemed puzzled when I didn’t answer. I stared up at him blankly.
Excuse me… I lost my composure because you’ve been telling people the truth so bluntly, you know?
How was I supposed to answer that question?
I couldn’t exactly say I decided to marry him because of <The Secret of the Imperial Palace>.
“Lady Rinzel, there’s no need to be flustered. I rather like honest people.”
That was Angel speaking.
“I also like His Majesty’s handsome appearance. But I was worried you might be someone who only values outward looks.”
“That’s absolutely not true!”
I laughed awkwardly.
“You seem to like handsome men. But you know it’d be troublesome if you liked me, right?”
The one speaking confidently about his looks was Ishar.
He wore a mischievous smile.
“I don’t think that will happen. Haha.”
Of course, Ishar was handsome too.
If he weren’t Hernan’s brother—or someone Rike liked—I might have felt something.
But I had already decided to become Hernan’s bride.
I wasn’t that shameless.
“You never know.”
Ishar shrugged.
Though he was speaking to me, it somehow felt like a declaration toward Hernan.
That was when my vision was suddenly blocked.
“…Huh?”
A large hand covered my sight.
It completely blocked my view, preventing me from looking at Ishar.
I didn’t need to guess whose hand it was.
It was Hernan, standing beside me—the same man who had just wiped my lips.
“Don’t look at Ishar too much.”
His voice was low and heavy, filled with warning.
For the first time, I felt a strange sense of pressure.
So he really is the man known as the “War Demon”…
I had thought he was just a shy and cute person.
Still, I wasn’t afraid of him.
Because I knew why he said that.
Jealousy. Hernan was once again envious of his brother.
Whether it was because he liked me or simply rivalry—I couldn’t be sure.
But jealous Hernan… was quite a sight.
Maybe because he usually seemed indifferent.
Wait.
Come to think of it, in the original story, Hernan was so jealous he would gouge out the eyes of anyone who looked at Rike!
I doubted Ishar would lose his eyes, but just in case, I spoke quickly.
“Prince Hernan. I am someone who will become your bride.”
At those words, the pressure around him vanished.
He slowly withdrew his hand.
His ears were burning red.
Did he really like the word bride that much? How adorable.
“Hernan, sit down.”
It was Delta’s command.
“Yes, Father.”
Hernan returned to his seat.
“And you two… it’s nice to see you getting along so well.”
“Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty.”
“I don’t dislike honest Lady Rinzel either. After all, Hernan and I share the same face. Hahaha.”
Delta laughed heartily.
Since I had admired Hernan’s face, it unintentionally became praise for Delta as well.
“However, as the Empress said, I do worry you might value appearances too much.”
Ah. Time to fix my image.
I needed a good reason for liking Hernan’s handsome face.
Then, a brilliant idea struck me.
‘…Oh!’
A way to admit I liked his looks—without seeming shallow.
I cleared my throat and began.
“Your Majesty, there is a saying—‘the face is a mirror of the heart.’”
“What do you mean by that?”
“A person’s face reflects the life they’ve lived and their true nature. No matter how much one tries to hide it, it inevitably shows.”
“Go on.”
Delta looked intrigued.
“Prince Hernan is a great warrior who has fought across countless battlefields. Naturally, his face carries an intimidating presence.”
“Indeed.”
“But when I actually met him, that wasn’t all I saw.”
I looked at Hernan as I continued.
“A childlike innocence that hopes I’d notice the clothes he carefully chose!”
“Oh?”
“A warmth like the sun, caring for someone as frail as me!”
“Oh ho!”
“Though we’ve only met twice, I’ve already come to know that Prince Hernan has an upright and warm heart.”
I gently placed my hands over my chest.
“And I love the face that reflects that heart.”
I even made a small finger heart toward him.
Hernan’s face turned bright red instantly.
That was when I heard sniffing.
“Sniff… What a touching story. As his mother, I feel ashamed—I’ve never said such things to him.”
Angel wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
“And you’re the first woman to recognize Hernan’s true nature… I can’t help but cry…”
“I’ll make sure to learn more about him in the future, Your Majesty.”
She nodded, completely won over.
Delta even applauded.
“The face is a mirror of the heart… what a wonderful saying.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
My speech had successfully polished my image.
“Then tell me, Lady Rinzel—what does my face reflect?”
“Your Majesty’s face…”
I trailed off, creating tension.
Then I spoke dramatically.
“It reflects the finest ‘kim’ of all—handsomeness.”
Laughter filled the room.
Delta, Angel, even Hernan—all laughed.
I had skillfully dodged the difficult question.
With Hernan, my future husband, it was fine—but I couldn’t freely judge the emperor’s face.
In such cases, wit was the best answer.
There was only one person who didn’t laugh.
Ishar.
‘Why does he look so stiff?’
It lasted only a moment.
He soon forced a faint smile.
But to me, it looked bitter.
* * *
Before returning to the duke’s residence, I handed out the gifts I had brought.
Everyone liked them, but Hernan seemed the most touched.
He looked like someone receiving a gift from a woman for the first time.
Though surely that couldn’t be true.
It was Delta who ended the gathering.
“Lady Rinzel, it would be best to return before it gets too late.”
“Yes, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Very well. Next time, we may as well meet at the wedding.”
“Oh my.”
He really says whatever he wants.
Delta kept smiling brightly.
I rose from my seat.
As I put strength into my legs, a dull ache spread through my lower body.
It was the pain I had momentarily forgotten thanks to the pleasant meal and conversation.
In the end, I staggered.
I grabbed the back of the chair to keep from falling, but…
