Proposal (1)
The title bestowal ceremony drew nearer with every passing day, yet Karina never came to see me.
All of high society’s attention had fixed itself upon the Duchess of Rockfelt, Karina Regentra. They watched me with feverish intensity, hungry for any reaction I might betray.
I heard that Karina herself was spending her days drowning in that same deluge of interest. Even back when she had been Viscountess Linton, many had tried to curry favor with her while carefully avoiding my gaze. Now that she was the Duchess of Rockfelt, the number of people openly seeking her friendship had only grown.
Amid all of that, the day I had promised to meet Hellion finally arrived, and I felt as though I could finally breathe again.
True to the spirit of the Lantern Festival, the Kibir River was packed with people. The night sky bloomed in brilliant colors from countless fireworks, and everyone was busy writing their wishes on their lanterns.
I waited for Hellion among the excited crowd. This was a place nobles frequented as well, so I pulled the hood of my cloak lower and slipped my hand into my pocket. The moment my fingertips brushed the small box inside, a wave of tension rushed through me.
Don’t be nervous. You practiced so much before coming here.
I took a deep breath and recited the prepared words in my mind once more. They flowed without a single hitch, yet I still wondered whether they would come as easily in the moment.
“Ishtel.”
A familiar voice reached my ear. It was Hellion, his own cloak pulled as deeply over his head as mine.
“Sorry. Did you wait long?”
“Not at all. I was lucky enough to slip out of the palace quickly. I hardly waited at all.”
“The Lantern Festival really is beautiful. It feels fresh even though I saw it just last year.”
Hellion murmured in an excited voice as he watched the colorful array of lanterns held by the people around us.
We soon set a small boat onto the river. Hellion rowed us beneath a stone bridge and let the boat drift against its shadow. His long legs blocked the view, making this a relatively secluded spot.
“This should be fine, right?”
Hellion released the oar and fidgeted with the side of the boat, stealing glances at my face. The darkness and his hood hid his expression, but I could sense his nervousness.
I had asked to meet without explaining why, so he must have been wondering what I wanted to say. Yet my own tension was so thick that the words refused to leave my throat.
With my hand still in my pocket, I idly scanned the other boats nearby. A short distance away, a brother and sister sat in a boat with their parents.
“Sister, read it to me.”
The younger brother was handing his sister a fairy tale book.
Our gazes landed on the book at the same time. The little boy’s older sister began reading despite her obvious annoyance. Strangely, the child started from the very first page—the recommendation.
“I hope the children of the Tebron Empire grow into wise people who recognize precious connections.”
“I wrote that recommendation,” I whispered, just loud enough for Hellion to hear.
“How is it? It’s a rather decent phrase, don’t you think?”
“It couldn’t be better. But can children that small even understand what it means?”
“I added it hoping that even if they don’t understand now, they might when they grow up and open the book again.”
“If that was your intention, then it’s perfect.”
Hellion nodded, looking satisfied. I continued watching the children as I spoke.
“Perhaps that’s why they say your book is sold out at every bookstore in the capital. It’s already gone into its seventh printing.”
“How can something sell so well and yet not a single gold coin reaches the original author?”
“You can’t possibly be saying that when you own the largest gold mine in the empire. Don’t worry—I’ve been donating in your name to the orphanages in the capital. If you don’t believe me, I’ll even show you the donation certificates.”
At my teasing tone, Hellion let out a small laugh and shook his head.
“You don’t need to go that far. I was simply curious why you decided to publish that story.”
“Because it felt like a waste to keep the tale you created all to myself. After all, it’s the first time a member of the imperial family has written a children’s book.”
“That may be true, but you could have at least changed the name. The Telia siblings tease me every time they see me.”
“Why? What do they say?”
“Honestly, a fairy tale doesn’t suit me at all. Every time Rabi and Shuri see it, they follow me around saying, ‘Author, dear author. The book is selling so well—how about treating us?’ until we part ways.”
“It sounds less stiff and much nicer than ‘Your Grace the Archduke.’ Author Hellion, please come to my room later and sign my first edition.”
“Ah, enough.”
Hellion shuddered, his face turning bright red.
“I think it’s amusing. So that’s why the Telia siblings enjoy teasing you so much.”
When my laughter grew louder, Hellion shyly looked away and pretended to be distracted. I took his hand and told him it was all right, but he seemed not to hear me.
“So… why did you ask me to meet you here today?”
Only after the child finished reading did Hellion’s expression finally relax as he asked the question.
“Is it something you can’t say inside the palace?”
“Not exactly. I simply wanted to say it somewhere with a better atmosphere.”
“What could it possibly be…?”
Hellion tilted his head, looking puzzled. He blinked wide, curious eyes and waited quietly for me to continue.
I slipped my hand beneath my cloak, fingers closing around the small box. Forcing my trembling hand to move, I held the ring box out to Hellion. Even beneath the evening sky, the golden ring inside shone brilliantly.
“This is… well…”
I had practiced the words countless times in front of the mirror for days, yet in the actual moment my mind went completely blank.
Facing Hellion as he looked back and forth between me and the ring, I found myself unable to speak. A beautiful evening riverside, fireworks painting the night sky, a small boat floating on calm waters—there could be no better place to propose to the one you loved.
Hellion’s blue gaze settled on my face. The way he waited patiently without rushing me felt more mature than usual, and I felt my cheeks grow warm.
“It’s yours. Would you try it on? I want to see if it fits your finger.”
In the end, the first line I had prepared came out twisted. Hellion nodded, took the ring from the box, and slipped it onto his middle finger.
Why that finger?
While I was still wondering, Hellion smiled brightly and turned the sparkling ring this way and that, examining it.
“It’s quite nice. A ring is definitely better than a single gold coin. Thank you, Ishtel. I’ll treasure it as a memento. You can donate the rest of the royalties wherever you think they’re needed.”
With that, Hellion removed the ring from his hand and placed it back inside the box.
“Ah, no—that’s not what I meant!”
Flustered, I hurriedly took the ring out again. Hellion furrowed one brow, clearly confused. He seemed unable to grasp the atmosphere I had tried to create.
Barely steadying my trembling heart, I took Hellion’s left hand. Then I carefully slid the golden ring onto his fourth finger.
“I’m proposing to you right now.”
At the word proposal, Hellion’s eyes widened dramatically. He looked at me as though doubting his own ears.
“Proposal…?”
“My family and I have decided to stake everything on making you crown prince. The surest way to show that resolve is for me to marry you.”
The one who possesses Ishtel Regentra becomes crown prince. Every citizen of the empire knew that simple truth. I was nothing more than the winner’s trophy; I had never been the one allowed to choose the winner.
But now I intended to abandon that role. I would set aside the position of prospective crown princess and choose my own husband with my own hands.
“All the houses that follow my family will swear their loyalty to you. Simply because I chose you, you will be able to win the hearts of the empire’s people. And by my relinquishing the position of crown princess, you will come that much closer to the crown prince’s seat.”
At the unexpected declaration, Hellion could not easily find words. He stared down at the ring glittering on his hand and let out a small sigh. The suddenness of it all must have left his mind reeling.
“You have nothing to worry about,” I whispered, leaning closer to his side.
“This does not break the imperial engagement, so His Majesty will not be able to oppose it completely. There will no doubt be noise and complications along the way, but simply announcing that I will marry you is certain to carry significant political—”
“Ishtel.”
Hellion cut me off, calling my name in a low voice.
“I’m not curious about any of that.”
“…What?”
His face had grown deadly serious.
In that moment the first lantern rose into the sky to signal the festival’s true beginning, and cheers erupted from the crowd.
Yet Hellion paid the surrounding clamor no mind. It was as if everything in the world except me had been erased; his gaze held only me.
“What I want to know is your heart, Ishtel. So put aside the complicated political talk and tell me what truly matters.”
Hellion leaned down until our eyes met. The surroundings were incredibly noisy, yet all I could hear was his calm voice and the frantic pounding of my own heart.
I slowly lifted my hand and cupped his cheek and the side of his neck. Instead of pulling me into his arms as I had expected, Hellion simply waited for me to come closer. It was the exact opposite of how things had been a year ago. Thankfully, unlike me, he did not shrink away.
I gently closed my eyes and pressed my lips to his with care. I prayed this kiss would be answer enough.
A moment later, when I slowly drew back, Hellion lifted his eyelids just as languidly. The blue eyes looking at me shone softer than ever before.
“I’m sorry for taking such a long way around, Hellion. Because I thought we were simply a familiar pair, I didn’t recognize the name of the feelings that had been quietly seeping into me.”
The words I had prepared were already long forgotten. All I could do in this moment was speak the emotions I felt, one honest sentence at a time. In a trembling voice, I continued.