Chapter Four: But I Do
1479 Words
“Lady Alpensa.” The crown prince began after several minutes of silence.
We were in town now, I did wish to do some shopping, but his presence would make that near impossible.
Well, it's not like I can remember what I need for school anyway; I mean, I was in my twenties when I died, beyond school and knee-deep in politics.
I may have to use my pocket money to make due.
‘Gods, do I even have any friends in school? Oh right, Lydia…hmm…’
I met her in prison near the end of my life sentence, fat chance she knows me at this time.
“Lady Alpensa?”
“Yes? yes, your highness.”
“Your mind seems to be away from you?”
“Oh, yes, that has been uh…been happening.”
I leaned towards him from my seat and clasped my hands together.
“You have my full attention now.”
“Wonderful.” He said, then crossed his leg elegantly over the other, “So, lady Alpensa, what is it that you enjoy doing?”
“I enjoy sleeping, reading and generally activities that I can manage successfully on my own. You know, in the absence of company.”
“Am I to take that as disinterest in me?”
“No, your imperial majesty, of course not. You are only to take that as things I enjoy doing. As per your question, or should I have interpreted your question differently?”
He chuckled.
“Touché.”
‘His smile is so…eye-catching..’
Still, that’s perhaps the extent of it.
“What is it you dislike about me? Why do you not wish to be engaged to me?”
“I am but a child-”
“Girls get engaged younger than fifteen.”
“And,” I stressed to emphasise his interruption, “all the reasons mentioned in the palace.”
“All just as dismissible as your earlier excuse.”
“Your highness makes it seem as though I need the engagement between us.”
“I do, do I not? However, will it not be in your best interest to marry me?”
“If that were truly the case, your highness,” I leaned forward that my dark hair may tumble with my motion rather than maintain its slicked-back design, “why do you seem more desperate than I?”
He flinched.
“I would ask you, lady Alpensa, to remember who it is you are speaking to.” Gaston, his knight and our supposed chaperone, finally spoke up.
I was neither scared nor nervous.
As a war tactician, I trained in swordsmanship to hold my own in battle. I mean, I could not fight him in this body; however, before I was a knight, I was a mage.
“Quite all right, Gaston, this makes matters easier.” The Prince spoke, the sickly sweet façade dropped.
There it was…the face he showed me in the dungeon, the disgust he offered after I confessed that all of Regina’s achievements were actually my own.
I mean, I couldn’t blame her, Regina, I mean.
‘I was the stupid one.’
‘Gods, why couldn’t I be the female lead? Why could I not be blissfully ignorant, romping in f*cking sunflowers all day long, my troubles taken care of by men who can never be anything more than my friend regardless of how deluded they grew.’
An entire game made of ‘simp’ leads who neither turned evil nor angry about being friend-zoned by a girl who pretended not to know they all loved her despite their obviousness.
How the hell did such a game air?
Gods, but perhaps this is why I was sent in here; maybe this is my punishment for finding fault in an overhyped game.
‘Game developers, if you can hear me, I am sorry!!’
But…nothing happened.
“We can have the engagement stand as a contract.” he began, “and after we graduate, we can see the way forward from there.”
“Or I can have land.”
“You are not naïve enough to believe that the correct decision?”
“No, I am not.” I said, “However, what is life without wonder? I may be naïve, but I have the wonder of a virgin on their wedding night, do you not think so, your imperial highness?”
The carriage drew to a halt, and instinctively, I knew we were at the gate.
There was no need to entertain them as guests, so I stood, opened the door for myself and slid out.
“You may return to the palace for father now,” I yelled to the coachman before turning and bowing to his majesty.
“May blessings and honour fo-,”
“You will regret your choice.” He interrupted.
I didn’t need to meet his gaze to know that he wore a frown, perhaps the same glower he wore when he sliced my tongue for referring to the new Empress as idiotic.
She was…is.
Regina is the worst kind of i***t.
She grew up sheltered under the care of the Marquis's cousins who utterly abhor me so, she automatically found me ‘untrustworthy’. Couple that with the fact that she has a literal harem that falls in love at first sight with her ‘unique’ personality, all willing and able, might I add, to clean up her messes that she may never have to suffer the consequences of her choices.
Of the seven leads, two died for her sake.
All preventable deaths, might I add, but who could blame her? She grew up away from people…well, I mean, who but I, her most willing victim, could blame her.
A smile warmed my face as I slammed the door held in my hand.
Contrary to the warning Gaston had offered, he did not reopen the door to threaten me. Instead, the carriage turned and began its journey to the imperial palace.
The lack of protest from the crown prince, who seemed unused to rejection, meant only one thing…assassins.
*
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Étienne Norvig Yarez
“Send Christian to scare her into the correct decision before the week is over.”
“I understand, your highness.” Gaston responded, “However, is that not going too far?”
“I cannot risk Killian and Harrel finding opportunity in her indecision.”
“Your highness, you are already the crown prince?”
“Yes, until another impresses father,” he responded, then placed his boots on the chair her ladyship had sat. “The nerve of that wench….”
*
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Arusei Evergreen Alpensa
“Wow! You are up early?” Bernadette, my maid, said as she walked in my room to draw the curtains.
“I could not sleep. I am still prepping for school.”
“Oh hush now, all will be well. All your luggage has already been loaded; you are the only missing component!” She smiled then rushed to the bathroom. “Which oils will you use today?”
“I need more than luggage to survive a preppy noble boarding school!” I muttered, “Sakura will be fine.”
“Oh, cherry blossom? You hardly use that essence! Should I have added it to your load?”
“What essences have you loaded?”
“Your usual mix of Rose and Lemon.”
“Urg, I hate rose.” I frowned.
“You do? Since when?”
Ah right, I regressed.
“Remove those and add peppermint, wintergreen and eucalyptus instead.”
“What? Quite an odd mix for a lady, especially a noble one. Are you certain?”
“Yes, I am.”
“My lady,” I could not see her from the bathroom; however, displeasure laced her tone, “I think that you should leave the rose and lemon loaded, just in case. Regardless of your blood, you are the Marquis’s daughter. Noble ladies do not lather themselves in commoner scents or those used in healing. You must uphold the luxury of-,”
“Bernadette?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“I do not recall mincing my words. Maintain my certainty.”
“I...I understand, My lady.”
Bernadette was kind but not loyal.
When Regina first arrived, I thought that father had, I mean, I thought the Marquis had reassigned her. It took me a while to comprehend that she had been the one to request the transfer.
“That reminds me.” she said, popping her head from the bathroom, “The Lord said that he wished to have breakfast with you.”
“Father did?”
“Yes,” she smiled, “Something about a new maid who would assist you in school and such.”
‘Aha!…he is planting a spy.’
“I see.”
- Writer
