Chapter 241
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 241
Timing is a prerequisite for any male lead, and it is an essential virtue for a female lead as well.
Was it because my status had been upgraded from a bottom-of-the-barrel villainess to the female lead?
I felt as though my natural instincts—my intuition—had become far more sensitive than before.
"Oh my! That person is...!"
And thanks to that...
"It’s His Highness the Crown Prince!"
I was able to predict the entrance of a male lead with near-perfect accuracy.
Even though I had been expecting it, my gaze remained fixed the moment Ferdinand stepped through the entrance.
Since even the Emperor and Empress were fully dressed for the occasion, he, as the Crown Prince, was also attired in a way that was on a completely different level from his usual self.
He was imposing.
Under the light of the crystal chandeliers, his purple silk cast a subtle luster. His custom-fitted suit flickered with secret shadows every time he moved.
Golden tassels swayed from both of his broad shoulders, and his left breast was covered in golden medals that no one else in the Empire was permitted to wear.
I found myself quite enjoyably scanning his long legs, his arms, and his firm hands.
I was enveloped in a strange sense of excitement, much like when one gazes upon a beautiful work of art.
And then...
My gaze froze.
It was because Ferdinand was staring straight at me.
“....”
The question of how long he had been looking was meaningless.
It seemed Ferdinand’s eyes had been locked onto me from the very moment he entered the banquet.
"Who is His Highness looking at like that... Oh my...!"
"It’s the Grand Princess."
"Goodness, I suppose the rumors were true..."
I did not look away from Ferdinand’s eyes. No, I couldn't.
I felt as if my entire body were bound tight by his gaze.
“....”
After blankly receiving his stare, I offered a light bow a beat late, following the etiquette of a Grand Princess.
And when I slowly lifted my head...
My heart surged for a moment, causing even my fingertips to stiffen.
Ferdinand—that arrogant, cold, red-eyed Crown Prince—was politely returning my greeting.
* * *
"Father."
Leon spoke, standing with his arms crossed at a crooked angle. His eyes were glaring fiercely at the Crown Prince.
"Isn't our kid a bit too young to get married?"
Beside him, Marquis Aster—who was radiating a similar chill—was also glaring at Ferdinand.
"Far too young. She still has peach fuzz; marriage is out of the question. I believe the national law ought to be rewritten."
"I think so too, Father," Leon said, his thick eyebrows twitching. "In my opinion, forty is the appropriate age for a woman to marry."
"I am of the same mind."
"But that guy... no, that fellow... no, that thing... why is he looking at my sister like he’s about to devour her?"
"When a meteor falls from the sky, even a meditating priest will run out barefoot to inspect it."
"I learned that stars are naturally hotter than one can imagine. What if that thing burns her hands and feet to death? My sister is more faint-hearted than she looks; she’ll be terrified."
"Then we must evacuate her to a safe place so that doesn't happen."
"I'll go get her, Father."
"Leon. I’ve never seen Tulia listen to a word you say. Wouldn't it be better if I went?"
“....”
Lisian tilted his head as he listened to the father and son's conversation.
Unlike the smoldering gazes of his father and Leon, Lisian was holding back a laugh.
He observed Ferdinand and then cast his gaze behind him.
The people in the Grand Banquet Hall were still so shocked by the Crown Prince's sudden appearance that they hadn't noticed yet, but a long line of servants was streaming through the entrance.
They all had one thing in common: they were carrying large boxes.
Crafted from the finest ebony wood, the boxes were elaborately decorated with sterling silver, pure gold, and lustrous pearls.
A red garnet was embedded in the center of each, making the boxes themselves look incredibly expensive.
Naturally, the things inside those boxes...
"I learned that stars are naturally hotter than one can imagine. What if that thing burns her hands and feet to death?"
They were likely proposal gifts, carefully chosen by a man who had decided to worship one woman for the rest of his life, willing to endure a heat that required him to risk his very soul.
* * *
"By the way, Tulia."
"Yes, Your Highness?"
Suddenly, a conversation I’d had with Ferdinand not long ago flashed through my mind. It was inside the carriage on our way to the temple to steal the Jjapddongbyeol.
"I don't think counting a trip to the temple as a coming-of-age gift is very good."
"Abandon your prejudices, Your Highness. I really wanted to come to this temple, you know?"
"Even if I'm not satisfied with it?"
"I'm the one receiving it, so as long as I'm satisfied, isn't that enough?"
"It's too modest."
I wasn't one to refuse a gift when someone offered to get me something more expensive.
I had told him that if he prepared something on his own, I would gladly accept it.
"Then, Ferdinand. Can I ask for one more thing?"
"Anything."
"A proposal."
"...What?"
"A proposal from you. At my coming-of-age ceremony, in front of all the nobles."
“....”
"Can you give me a proposal as a gift?"
At that time, Ferdinand had worn a rare, blank expression.
I had expected a barrage of questions—why I needed a Crown Prince's proposal, whether I would actually accept it, whether I would be sincere even if I did accept it on the spot...
But Ferdinand didn't ask anything.
He simply gazed at me for a long moment before giving me a single answer.
"Gladly."
Ferdinand said nothing more after that short reply.
That silence had been strangely pleasant.
Perhaps it was because it was the first time those inorganic red eyes had looked so warm that my heart felt fluttery.
Now, this magnificent man, who was absorbing the gazes of countless people, did not have the same warm look in his eyes as he did that day.
A being born only to receive the worship of all things, both noble and base.
Ferdinand approached me with a cold, expressionless face befitting his position.
"Grand Princess Tulia Frezier."
Stopping before me, Ferdinand dropped to one knee and looked up at me.
The Grand Banquet Hall, which had been filled with joyful laughter and chatter, fell silent in an instant. Even the soft melody that had been playing throughout the evening held its breath.
"Will you marry me?"
There wasn't a single flower in Ferdinand's hand.
Instead, he held a massive, dazzlingly brilliant diamond tiara.
The historic tiara that, for generations in the Brillant Empire, only the Crown Princess could wear...
Staring down at the tiara in a daze, I almost let a laugh slip.
I had to take back the thought that there wasn't a single flower.
The Brillant Crown Princess's Tiara was an immense treasure whose value could not be measured.
A diamond the size of a child's fist was set in the very center, and countless other diamonds were packed tightly to form the shape of the tiara, like stars surrounding the moon.
This beautiful tiara, where the central diamond rose gracefully amidst the myriad of smaller ones, was so delicate and magnificent that it was impossible to look away.
It was a treasure truly worthy of being called a national treasure.
And wrapped tightly around that brilliant and alluring tiara were several red roses.
"Did you weave these yourself?"
I asked without realizing it. A faint smile played at the corners of Ferdinand's mouth.
"Yes."
Red roses. The flowers of romance and sincerity that signify a proposal.
In all the history of Brillant I had learned, there had never been a Crown Prince who proposed by weaving roses into a tiara.
It meant that he, Ferdinand, would be the one and only.
It was a spring day. My chest felt ticklish, as if a swarm of butterflies were whispering inside. A laugh bubbled up.
Even though I already knew about the proposal.
Even though I had meticulously planned this in my head to use the situation to my advantage.
Even so, my heart fluttered strangely.
I smiled and gave a slight bow.
"I would love to."
I accepted the tiara he was holding out—or rather, the tiara he seemed to be offering up to me.
Then, he stood up and kissed the back of my hand.
"Thank you."
In that moment, I realized something.
This man, who seemed to have a heart like permafrost, who never changed his expression in any situation—not even when he was struck across the face by Empress Carmi as a child...
He had been truly nervous just now.
And that was why my heart was racing even more.