Timid and Shy - Chapter 74

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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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74.

Sophia closed her eyes, feeling Robert’s anger and trembling. When she opened them again, she had steadied herself. She spoke calmly.
“I cannot separate myself from Ariel. I cannot be anything other than Ariel. That is who I am. You cannot take Ariel away from me. I don’t want that. You must feel the same way. Whenever you grow weary of being a Crown Prince, you cannot stop being Uranos, can you? Even if you wished it, could you truly escape it?”
“I didn’t choose to become Uranos. I didn’t choose to become a Crown Prince either. I was dragged here because I had nowhere else to go. I know I shouldn’t air these grievances to you, Sophia.”
Robert barely managed to hold back the resentment that had accumulated over time. He spoke quietly.
“I understand what you’re saying—that we cannot decide on a betrothal simply because our hearts wavered. But what if? What if my position as Crown Prince means something? What if I could prove myself? What if, instead of you paying the price, I were the one to create a place for you?”
Robert rose from his seat and moved to Sophia’s side. Through the office window, the harbor of Oberon spread out in perfect clarity. He gazed at Sophia’s profile as she stood firm, her eyes fixed on the view beyond.
Robert realized he was truly drawn to Sophia. Even after his confession, she had judged him coldly and refused him—and that judgment had been right. Now he understood: that was what he loved about her. Everything about her conduct moved him.
As he watched Sophia bite her lip with determination, Robert felt his anger and resentment dissolve entirely. He could not cling to her and stop the dissolution. It would be impossible.
Swallowing a bitter smile, Robert spoke.
“I will accept the Dissolution of Engagement Document. We are dissolved, as you wished. Though I shouldn’t place all responsibility on you—since this betrothal began as a contract, let me speak plainly. This contract is ended. But the next betrothal will have a better outcome.”
At the words “next betrothal,” Sophia turned from the window and looked at Robert.
“You won’t have time for that, Your Highness. The Capital and Umbriel will soon be plunged into chaos.”
“I know. The road ahead won’t be smooth. I understand why you worry for my position. But I will prevail—by my own strength, with my own hands. I will prove it to you.”
Sophia smiled faintly.
“You need not prove anything to me, Your Highness. Think instead of the Empire’s future. Do you truly wish to entrust Uranos to Cressida and Frederick? You must find a way to defend against Saturn’s assault while preventing internal division and conflict.”
Sophia regarded Robert steadily. As a Crown Prince, he needed to grow further. And the road ahead…
“It won’t be easy. You must become Crown Prince. You must become Emperor. Ariel will always maintain its alliance with Umbriel. Ariel’s enemies are always outside our borders. We will guard the frontier. Please trust in Ariel.”
Robert nodded. Then he asked quietly.
“Do you like the greenhouse?”
“Yes. I like it very much.”
“Do you spend much time there?”
“As much as I need to.”
“… Do I please you as much as the greenhouse?”
Sophia paused before answering.
“More than the greenhouse.”
Robert’s face lit with a bright smile. He stood beside Sophia. Both of them gazed toward the harbor of Oberon.
“Next time, I will come to the greenhouse you have tended and ask for your hand. I won’t ask you to wait. Only that you do what you must do.”
“And you must do what you must do as well, Your Highness.”
They exchanged a final greeting, and Sophia left the office. She was grateful she hadn’t shown him any tears or weakness. And it was a comfort to know that Robert desired her in return.
‘Nothing truly changes. Or rather, the loss feels smaller. It’s some consolation to hear that he cares for me too, instead of only I caring for him. More than just consolation, really.’
Sophia had always believed that one-sided affection was a costly burden.
‘The dissolution stands. But somehow, my heart hurts a little less.’
Robert had wanted to ask Sophia what she thought of Gareis, but stopped himself. He knew how pointless and shameful such a question would be.
Saturn’s assault would come soon. Ariel and Umbriel would have to prepare their defenses without immediate support from the Capital. And in the Capital itself, the untrustworthy Cressida and House Wiscom remained.
Robert sat at his desk again. He left the Dissolution of Engagement Document on the surface as he finished the remaining business of Oberon.
‘My proposal wasn’t a failure. I’m only now beginning my true effort to win her heart.’

***

Sophia watched the complex expression on Gareis’s face as he examined the contract she had presented. She asked carefully.
“Is there anything in the terms that troubles you, or something you’d like to change?”
Gareis sighed dramatically.
“I made the proposal myself, yet somehow it feels like I’m the one being taken advantage of…”
Sophia’s face remained calm as she gently refuted his words. In times like these, one had to handle Gareis carefully. She worked to match his mood as much as possible.
“That’s not so. It’s simply that our desires happen to align. Though I must confess, I worry that if the Inspectors investigate Oberon’s affairs, the Emperor might take direct control himself—which would make it harder for us both to gain real benefit.”
As Sophia adopted a worried expression, presenting herself as struggling to achieve even modest gain, Gareis let out a hollow laugh.
Gareis could never fully grasp the difficulties of a frontier territory like Ariel. It was an environment where one had to fight constantly just to survive. Sophia’s efforts deserved praise for that very reason.
But such admirable conduct was the province of a young lady from a poor, small frontier domain. It was charming precisely because Ariel was so limited.
Gareis didn’t view Sophia’s pursuit of practical benefit and her efforts to accommodate his mood negatively. However, as a consort for the Crown Prince, she seemed inadequate.
‘She’d be far more troublesome than Cressida, in truth. Give a poor domain enough lucrative rights and political support, and resentment will build steadily. Cressida never pursued naked ambition from the start.’
Gareis could not agree with Parma’s view that Sophia would suit the position of Empress better than he could manage.

***

Gareis glanced back at the carriage following his. Robert had set out for Umbriel the previous day.
Robert, as Gareis had observed him, seemed adequate enough for a Crown Prince. As Parma said, he was composed and spoke little, making it impossible to discern what lay beneath—but he handled his duties well.
Upon receiving the Dissolution of Engagement Document, Prince Robert notified the Capital of the broken engagement. Watching how Prince Robert and Sophia handled the dissolution, the two seemed well-suited to each other.
‘They seem to communicate well, and they’re alike in many ways.’
Gareis spoke again, his gaze fixed forward.
“The Northern Alliance will be enough. For the two of them.”
According to Sophia’s account, Ariel had been making steady preparations as well, but the troop numbers were still insufficient. Gareis regretted coming north with only a handful of subordinates.
Had he known that Saturn had devised such a meticulous invasion plan against Uranos, he would never have come north with such a small contingent.
Gareis glanced back at the carriage following behind them.
‘I wish Ariel had abilities to match Sophia’s.’

***

In that carriage sat Sophia, Helen, Parma, and Sol. Sol, positioned directly across from Parma, could barely breathe.
Sol had set aside the pleasure of horseback riding to remain with Parma. When Sol showed no reaction even when Helen poked at her, Helen settled into quiet stillness as well.
Sophia was quietly turning over what had happened in Oberon. If Saturn’s movements had been so meticulous and long in the planning, she couldn’t understand why Oberon’s failure had been so sloppy.
‘Was it truly Oberon’s incompetence? Or was Oberon just a card to be discarded? To sow doubt in Uranos?’
Sophia had explained to Gareis that Saturn’s purpose was to create chaos in Uranos, but even so, doubt gnawed at her. Was it truly only that?
Helen studied Sophia’s expression and spoke.
“Is Ariel really in danger? Now that Oberon’s plan has been exposed, wouldn’t Saturn abandon any invasion?”
Sophia replied.
“It’s too sloppy. Oberon was caught far too easily.”
“It wasn’t easy at all. Oberon never expected their plan to be exposed so quickly. When Baron Oberon arrived in Ariel, he didn’t seem suspicious of anything, and even after we arrived in Oberon, he likely never imagined the plan would be discovered so soon.”
“Exactly. That’s what troubles me. For a plan Saturn prepared so carefully, it was discovered far too readily. The discovery came faster than they anticipated. So did they deliberately throw Oberon away? To preserve a better card?”
There was information Helen and Parma didn’t yet know. Prince Robert had insisted the matter of the spy be handled as quietly as possible, so Sophia had told no one.
‘Saturn would have already known through the spy’s intelligence that the connection between Oberon and Saturn had been exposed. That’s why they modified their plans for Oberon and destroyed all the evidence. And they even dragged House Wiscom into it.’
Sophia was deeply curious about whoever in Saturn had planned all of this.
‘Meticulous. Which is exactly why it’s more unsettling.’
Parma gazed at Sophia. When Sophia noticed her look and turned to meet her eyes, Parma spoke.
“You’re different from the young noblewomen I know. Listening to you is like hearing conversations between a father and his children. You’re not like those irritating noblewomen who pretend to be special and different from everyone else.”
Helen said with pride.
“Baron Ariel frequently asks for Sophia’s opinion. And she handles much of Ariel’s work as well.”
Parma asked in surprise.
“Truly?”
Sophia spoke with modesty.
“Baron Ariel seeks counsel from everyone, not just me, for the sake of Ariel itself. It’s not because I have any special talent. He keeps his ear open to anyone who cares for Ariel’s welfare. He asks Sol and Helen for their thoughts just as often.”
Helen and Sol both nodded.
“That’s true of the Baron.”
Sol spoke.
“The Baron asks for my opinion and listens to it. He asks, yes, but unlike some people, he actually intends to hear it.”
Helen let out a small laugh as she spoke.
“That’s just me teasing you. When it matters, I’ll listen just as seriously.”
Sol pretended to be offended.
“So you’re admitting you know there’s a problem?”
“Your stubborn insistence is just so endearing.”
Sol glared at Helen while glancing at Parma’s reaction. When Parma laughed, Sol’s face flushed scarlet.
Sol was about to snap that she shouldn’t be treated like a child, but stopped herself. She realized that would only make her seem younger still.
Sophia came to Sol’s rescue. She spoke.
“It’s because of Ariel’s circumstances. People are always in short supply, so it’s natural for whoever is capable to handle the work.”
Parma came to understand that Ariel’s situation was worse than other territories.
“Ah……. I see.”
Sophia continued.
“And right now…… as you know, things are urgent. Saturn could be at our doorstep any moment. We’re wracking our brains to the best of our ability.”
The word “invasion” cast a shadow over everyone’s expression.
Sol spoke to Parma.
“We’re grateful that Gareis is going to Ariel, but wouldn’t it have been better for you to go to Umbriel?”
Parma answered.
“Well, to be honest, I think the position next to Prince Robert seems the most dangerous. Don’t you?”
Sophia nodded in agreement. Prince Robert had a plan, and that plan surely contained traps, threats, and dangers all woven together.

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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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