Chapter 314 (1/2)

I quickly glanced around like a sinner, but he was invisible. Calming her troubled heart, she grabbed the doorknob carefully.

“Welcome back, my lady.”

Was it because she was so surprised? Even without raising her voice, she turned her stiff neck back. A young knight with neatly combed brown hair was looking at her with a worried expression.

She put her hand on her throbbing heart gently.

Gillian su Feden. He was the head of the Earl Feden family, now defunct, who stood beside her for the past six years. And he was the man she loved.

“Sir Feden.”

“What happened? You really look pale now.”

“Oh, no. Nothing special.”

“Really? I don’t think so. It’s the first time you formally met your father since you were born.”

She agonized for a moment because of his incredible insight.

‘Should I tell him or not?’

But she didn’t agonize for long. She broke into a giggle, after all. Sooner or later rumors will spread, but why should she hide it? She thought that telling him honestly would show her consideration of his tireless affection for her the past six years.

“In fact, I was ordered to go to the empire as a candidate for its crown prince’s concubine.”

“… Really?”

“I hear that I’ll have to leave for the empire as soon as the Lisa delegation is formed, so there are not many days for me to stay in the kingdom.”

She made a pitiable expression, noticing lots of mixed feelings in his brown eyes.

She knew that he loved her, and that’s why he had stayed with her until now.

She once dreamed of getting out of this terrible palace and spending time with him. Although she never mentioned it to anybody because of the class difference between them, namely her status as a princess and his status as her bodyguard, she had dreamt of living with him happily as his wife.

But all of that was just an illusion. Right now, 15 days before her coming-of-age ceremony, she was ordered to go to the empire to be its crown prince’s concubine, whose face she never knew.

“Well, this is better for you, Sir Feden. Stop escorting me on this occasion and go back to the knights’ division you belong to. You have a family to keep and protect.”

“I am your personal bodyguard, princess. I can’t go back to the knights’ division. ”

She felt sorry for his firm voice, but she said, upset because he would never leave her if she didn’t, “Don’t you know? If I leave for the empire, I won’t need a bodyguard anymore.”

“Princess!”

“Leave me. It’s my order.”

“…Okay. Please do me a favor, though. Please allow me to serve you until you leave.”

“…”

“Please… I beg you. ”

Beatrice turned and nodded at his earnest request, comforting herself by thinking that it would be better to stay away from him little by little rather than letting him go right away.

***

All kinds of jewelry made by the finest craftsmen, all kinds of dresses trending with the latest fashion, and luxurious silverware and items.

Beatrice broke into laughter at the increasing number of things she had never had before. As if to belie his longtime indifference to his daughter, King Kryans III hosted her coming-of-age ceremony in a luxurious way and gave her various luxury items.

‘Can the imperial family of the empire choose me because for that?’

It seemed that he underestimated the intelligence power of the empire. She was dumbfounded to see an increase in her marriage articles in the name of wedding presents. She was just one of the candidates for the crown prince’s concubine.

“Did you call me, Your Majesty?”

“Is it tomorrow when you are leaving for the empire?”

“That’s right.”

“I called you because I have a special mission for you. I’ll ask only one before that. Aren’t you unhappy about your political marriage, right?”

“…No, Your Majesty. ”

“Good. That’s the way of life of a princess. You should keep in mind that your position as the crown prince’s concubine is an undeserved one for you.”

She bowed more deeply at his cold voice, grasping the hem of her dress. As if he liked her attitude, he now said in a more relaxed tone than before, “This is the mission for you. Seduce the crown prince and make him fall in love with you. Okay?”

“Pardon?”

“I was told that he had a very cold personality and was not much interested in women. But such a man can’t get out of a woman once he is into her. So, try to tempt him by any means. As you are pretty, it’ll be a matter of time for you to captivate him if you seduce him well.”

She twisted the crumpled hem of her dress roughly.

‘What the heck are you talking about? Seducing him by any means?’