A Blend of Romance and Fantasy - Chapter 2

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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02.
A cloudless spring day.
Sincester, like South Korea, experienced four distinct seasons. The difference, however, was that spring and autumn lingered far longer.
A warm breeze swept across the Terrace. I gazed at Erdan beyond the refreshments arranged before me.
‘He really is handsome, my brother.’
His shimmering pink hair seemed to carry the fragrance of freshly bloomed flowers, and his green eyes, as they scanned the documents, danced with an ethereal beauty.
“Charlotte?”
Erdan lifted his head, noticing my gaze.
“Yes?”
“Your nineteenth birthday celebration is approaching soon, isn’t it?”
“Indeed, there’s about a week left.”
“The distinguished guests will be arriving soon, so we should prepare to receive them.”
I continued popping macarons into my mouth while mentally recalling the names of the invited dignitaries.
That’s when I heard something peculiar.
“The representative of Blake’s delegation is the Sixth Prince, I hear.”
My hand, reaching for another macaron, froze in mid-air.
“What did you just say?”
“The one coming to your birthday celebration is Prince Leonard Blake, the Sixth Prince.”
Had I invited him? My expression darkened for a moment, and Erdan leaned toward me.
“What’s wrong? Surely he hasn’t been disrespectful to you?”
Erdan was fundamentally kind, but he showed no mercy to those who treated me poorly.
Catching sight of his darkening expression, I gently tapped the back of his hand.
“No, absolutely not. I’ve never even met him before.”
“Then is it because his reputation isn’t very good? I’ve heard the Sixth Prince is considered rather cruel.”
“That’s not it either.”
“Then what?”
“I’m quite certain I invited the Third Prince, His Highness Alex.”
“What I meant to say was that the Sixth Prince is coming instead of the Third Prince.”
“Why?”
“I suspect it’s because he wants to establish ties with our Sincester. It seems he aspires to become emperor.”
Now that he mentioned it, I vaguely recalled learning this in diplomacy class.
The Blake Empire’s succession struggle was fierce, and among them, the power struggle between the 1st Prince and the Sixth Prince was the most intense.
Back then, I was too preoccupied with altering the original story to pay attention, but now it seemed strange.
‘The original work didn’t have a Sixth Prince in the Blake Empire.’
Moreover, in the novel, the Third Prince becomes emperor. An inexplicable unease began to settle over me, and I clenched my fists tightly.
Erdan then smiled and set down his documents.
“Why the sudden interest in the Blake Empire?”
He gently brushed my hair.
“Don’t take an interest in that empire. It’s an extremely dangerous place. Besides, it’s far away, and we have almost no contact with it, don’t we?”
Erdan was right.
The Blake Empire was a distant land that required passing through the Serbi Kingdom and traveling much farther beyond.
In terms of distance, it was roughly equivalent to the span between South Korea and the United States.
Moreover, unlike our perpetually peaceful Sincester Kingdom, that realm was plagued by countless wars both great and small.
The north held frozen seas, the south barren wastelands of stone, the west treacherous mountain ranges, and the east a dark forest teeming with monsters.
Four royal princes ruled these four regions respectively, each vying for supremacy.
“They are fundamentally different from us, Charlotte—we who are the sacred race. Unlike us who possess holy power, they possess not a single drop of it.”
“But I’ve heard they inherited dragon’s blood instead. That’s why they possess bodies of superhuman strength and tremendous magical power.”
“Yet from that inheritance, they also received a cruel disposition. They would never suit us.”
Erdan drew closer to me and pressed his lips to my forehead.
“I will never allow you to be sent to that place.”
“Your Majesty….”
“Don’t call me that. Haven’t you always said you prefer to call me brother?”
“You’re something else, brother.”
Against the gentleness of his warm touch, I found myself smiling just as he did.
Yes, the butterfly effect exists—and with my possession here, circumstances in that distant land could certainly change.
“Brother, these macarons are truly delicious.”
I popped the macaron I’d been reaching for back into my mouth, and the sweet flavor bloomed across my palate, sweeping away my wandering thoughts.
* * *
“Your Highness, Your Highness! Look at this!”
The moment I returned to the Princess Palace, more than ten marriage proposals awaited me.
“Are they sending them directly to the Princess Palace now?”
“It seems His Majesty filters them all out when they go to the Royal Palace.”
“Truly, His Majesty loves you far too much, Your Highness.”
Nineteen years of age.
In South Korea, this would be an age spent buried in libraries studying, but here it was different.
This was the age to debut in society, to waltz at balls, and to seek a suitable husband.
“Your Highness! The Marquis Orpheus, famous for his beauty, has also sent a letter!”
“My goodness.”
Orpheus was truly beautiful—as if the author had deliberately crafted him to be so.
Whenever he appeared at a ball, the faces of countless women would flush crimson.
Of course, I was no exception. I’d even drooled once, so I always had to carry a fan.
‘For such a man to send me a marriage proposal—truly, being beautiful and wealthy is the greatest advantage.’
I stroked my chin with a very serious expression.
“Choosing just one man requires careful deliberation.”
“Indeed. Besides, your birthday celebration will be held soon, so all the princes and imperial princes from great nations will attend.”
Abigail, the maidservant who had brought refreshments, spoke with elegant grace.
“It would have been wonderful if the Duke himself had sent a proposal.”
“Just wait a little longer! I’m certain the Myers Duchy will send a proposal too!”
No, Dorothy. There’s absolutely no chance of that.
My connection to Cedric amounted to nothing more than rescuing him from a slave market in Belucium shortly after my possession.
Wasn’t it natural that to fall in love with a slave male lead, one had to rescue him first, wash him, feed him, clothe him, and at least give him a name?
But I quickly brought Cedric to the Myers Duchy and focused on finding my own path to survival.
Moreover, Cedric himself found peace of mind and body before promptly enrolling in Elisium Military Academy.
When he returned about three years later, he had become the continent’s greatest holy knight, with his emotions and desires thoroughly controlled.
Of course, in the original work, he meets Aurora afterward and shoots a regret arc, experiencing true love.
But I was absolutely not the type of person who could endure a cold, emotionless man ignoring me from the start.
“Don’t worry about the Duke. More importantly, besides Orpheus the Marquis, who else could there be….”
I smiled contentedly as I rifled through the marriage proposals.
Then I caught sight of a certain crest and my expression darkened.
“This is….”
“My goodness! Isn’t that the Blake crest? And it’s from the 1st Prince!”
The crest was befitting the 1st Prince, the Ice Wizard.
Against a pale blue background was a snowflake pattern in the center, flanked by snow leopards wearing crowns, and at the very top was his middle name inscribed.
“Blake said the Sixth Prince would come, yet the 1st Prince is sending a marriage proposal?”
“It seems the power struggle there is really intense.”
In the meantime, did the Sixth Prince really not want to marry me?
Curious despite myself, I rifled through the proposals again. As expected, there was no letter from the Sixth Prince.
“Hmm, there aren’t any from the other princes?”
“…Your Highness.”
Dorothy’s eyes narrowed.
“Don’t even dream of marrying into Blake!”
Dorothy raised her voice loudly, then trembled as if frightened by her own words.
“Marrying into that place is practically being sold off. They say thirty people die every day in that imperial family!”
“Why are you raising your voice? When did I ever say I was marrying there? The 1st Prince sent one but the Sixth Prince didn’t, so I was just curious.”
“He might come in person to propose.”
Abigail calmly interjected between us.
“You can simply prepare to refuse at that time.”
“Understood.”
Anyway, the Sixth Prince.
No matter how much Erdan told me not to worry, it was far too strange for a prince who didn’t exist before to suddenly appear.
‘Why would the original story change all the way in distant Blake….’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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