Chapter 199
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 199
“La—Lady Tulia! His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!”
Had it not been for Schuls Schmidt, I would have jumped up in surprise as well, but I had already received a tip from him.
Thus, unlike the assistant butler, I rose calmly from my seat without much fuss.
“I see. I should go greet him. Is he in the Great Hall?”
To my surprise, the assistant butler shook his head frantically.
“Y-you cannot go there so nonchalantly, my lady!”
“Huh? Why?”
There was nothing wrong with my attire. I mean, what, did the Crown Prince come to declare war or something?
My guess was about half right, considering the assistant butler was shouting with an expression that looked like a war was about to break out.
“His Highness the Crown Prince arrived in an eight-horse carriage!”
“An eight-horse carriage?”
For a brief, naive moment, I thought it was just nice that the Crown Prince had a fancy ride. But as a certain possibility crossed my mind, my face began to turn pale.
Before I knew it, I was practically sprinting toward the Great Hall at the mansion’s entrance.
Ferdinand, who was standing with his back to me facing the garden—maintaining the etiquette of a guest by not fully entering the hall yet—turned around as he sensed my presence.
In that instant, sunlight poured over him, and I caught my breath.
It was a beauty that had been suppressed for a long time by divine power. This male lead, who had grown so tall so quickly that I had to crane my neck to look at him, boasted an appearance so stunning it was practically blinding.
One could say Ferdinand’s face was one that could launch ten thousand ships. If there were any flaw, it was perhaps that his gaze was a bit too cold.
‘But then again, every beautiful rose has its thorns...’
The reason such a thought crossed my mind was that Ferdinand was holding a bouquet of roses.
In the Spring Continent, a bouquet of pure red roses was a common gift for a marriage proposal. However, the Brillant Imperial Family, the only empire on the continent, added a special kind of rose when proposing.
A unique golden rose that looked as if it had been plated in pure gold. They would mix those golden roses with red ones to create a lush, magnificent bouquet.
Oh, and there was one more thing.
The eight-horse carriage...
A carriage pulled by eight horses was typically used when delivering good news. Even wealthy merchant families would make sure to rent an eight-horse carriage when going to propose.
Right. So...
Coincidentally, for the past few days, the mansion had been teeming with nobles coming and going because of the issue with my necklace. This meant the grand mansion was currently as crowded with outside guests as the Imperial Palace during a grand council meeting.
And amidst all those watching eyes...
“Your Highness?”
Ferdinand, who had been staring down at me, held out the bouquet. Then, a beat late, he let out a small, soft groan. It was the reaction of someone who had been so lost in thought that they had only just remembered something.
“...”
It happened in an instant.
Ferdinand dropped to one knee and looked up at me. The beautiful bouquet of roses, signifying a noble proposal, was still held out toward me.
“Lady Tulia Frezier.”
The midday sun streaming in from the garden fell dazzlingly upon us, as if blessing this moment.
“I have come to propose.”
Perhaps that was why everything felt so strangely, brilliantly radiant.
* * *
“I refuse.”
Grand Duke Asis Frezier dismissed the situation with a single sentence. Marquis Aster asked, “Which one are you refusing?”
“All of them!”
The news that the Crown Prince had officially come to court Tulia spread throughout the Brillant social circle before the day was even out.
At the time, the Grand Duke and the Marquis had been at the Imperial Palace regarding the dispatch of the knights, but they had rushed back to the mansion the moment they heard the news.
However, the shrewd Crown Prince had already departed, and the only one left in the mansion was Tulia, standing there with a lavishly decorated, jewel-encrusted bouquet of roses in her arms!
Even more concerning was the rare sight of his granddaughter staring blankly at the bouquet—a sight seldom seen.
While Grand Duke Asis Frezier was radiating a terrifying aura, Schuls Schmidt, the Vice Chancellor of the White Tower, informed them of an unexpected fact.
“100 billion gold? How does that green brat even know about such a classic and vulgar method of proposing!”
He had never imagined that Crown Prince Benjamin would be among those approaching Tulia.
Marquis Aster was dumbfounded when he learned, only after the Grand Duke’s icy reaction, that Crown Prince Benjamin had indirectly proposed to Tulia.
Furthermore, upon realizing that the Crown Prince of a kingdom had proposed in such a devious manner, a forgotten fact suddenly flashed through his mind!
The fact that there was one more prince who had proposed to his precious daughter in a sneaky way!
“Father. You must consider one more person.”
“What? There’s another one?”
“Yes. I had forgotten, but hearing about Crown Prince Benjamin’s proposal reminded me of something. It’s a story my wife told me.”
“To my daughter-in-law? What is it?”
“You might not know because Mother was always so cold to you, but they say that in the Summer Continent, there is a custom of gifting a valuable necklace to someone as a sign of submission and obedience.”
“What? Submission and obedience?”
Only then did Grand Duke Asis Frezier realize what his son was implying, and his complexion changed.
Prince Klaus Rocheva.
Those of the Wolf King’s lineage were exceptionally proud. They would rather break than bend. They would rather be torn to shreds than yield. It was a beast-like trait stemming from their unique wild nature—a characteristic inherent to the Lupinus royalty.
And for a prince who was exceptionally outstanding even among such royalty to gift his granddaughter a necklace—and such an expensive one at that—signifying ‘submission and obedience’?
“It’s a proposal.”
“It’s a proposal. That damn wolf... my precious granddaughter!”
Grand Duke Asis Frezier stood up immediately, looking for a club. Marquis Aster sat with his arms crossed, looking troubled.
As he reflected on old memories, another conversation with Lailan came to mind.
“Dear, did you know?”
His wife had been overjoyed when she gave birth to Tulia. She never let the child out of her sight and always carried her in her arms. Of course, Aster also dearly loved the daughter who resembled his wife.
She had once smiled while holding Tulia tight and said to him:
“Tulia only plays with handsome dolls. When she grows up, we’ll have to pick a husband for her who has a truly stunning face.”
He suddenly felt deathly troubled.
* * *
On the day the Brillant Empire was turned upside down.
Sitting on my bed, I stared blankly into space. A strange quest was floating before my eyes, making me forget that I had even received a proposal.
‘...What does this mean?’
[System] Linked Quest <Unavoidable Foundation> Manifested!
Linked Quest Content: Meet Klaus within 30 minutes!
Upon Success: Opportunity to obtain an Inevitable Quest Special Benefit.
Upon Failure: Killed by ‘Corico’.
‘Who’s killing who?’
Corico?
Me?
Why all of a sudden?
I haven’t even done anything particularly evil yet!
No, before that, Corico and I haven’t even met, so what reason would she have to commit an evil act or harbor ill will?
In The Milk Bread, even if you play as Corico, the option to directly kill Tulia doesn’t even appear unless Tulia pushes her to the absolute limit.
No, setting all that aside...
‘Does this mean Corico has already appeared in this game?’
Already? Then where is she right now?
Wait!
Even in my confusion, I found myself jumping to my feet. I frantically yanked the bell pull on the wall, and two maids came rushing in.
“My lady?”
I didn’t have time to look at the maids’ startled faces. My eyes were still fixed on the words in the air—specifically, the part that said ‘Killed by Corico’ upon failure.
“I forgot I had an appointment at the Summer Annex. Help me change my clothes, quickly!”
“Pardon? The Summer Annex is...”
“Hurry!”