Author: Raven

Chapter 62

Princess Ayla of the Kingdom of Leva, who straightened herself after twisting her body in frustration from the tight dress that emphasized the curves of her body, smiled at Princess Leia Lindbergh sitting across the table.

She was truly beautiful.

She wore a simple attire, with a silk dress that revealed her flawless and clean shoulders, adorned with a shawl. Despite the simplicity, an undeniable grace flowed from her.

“I don’t have any territory to share or a title to give. And I can’t just take the house where the commoners live as your residence.”

Princess Leia was completely absorbed in her conversation with the nobles, unaware that her voice had become louder.

“What’s the use of a territory and a title when that child will be just a maid’s sign language teacher?”

She asked if there were any rooms in the Lindbergh Palace that the servants could use.

“It’s not appropriate. Even if I don’t have a title, treating a noble’s child the same as a servant…”

She couldn’t hear the rest of her words clearly, but Ayla sensed her confusion.

So the rumors were true. Lindbergh was declaring independence from the rule of Heineken.

In addition to the situation in Lindbergh, there were already rumors circulating about the alliance between Heineken and Lindbergh. That’s why Ayla found herself at the forefront of the diplomatic mission, almost being pushed forward.

“Princess Ayla, it is against etiquette to dismiss people like that.”

“I know, Nanny.”

When Ayla looked back at her, her nanny whispered closely beside her.

“They say ‘someone is better than nothing,’ but Leia Lindbergh is not suitable as a substitute for Prince Adrian Heineken.”

“Nanny.”

Ayla was surprised by her nanny’s words and tried to cover her mouth.

But before her hand could reach her nanny’s mouth, her nanny slapped it away.

“Listen carefully. With His Highness Adrian’s engagement, the Kingdom of Leva has lost one of the few things it believed in. So, Princess, you must at least marry this empire’s noble Alpha to have a chance to patch things up.”

Born as a recessive Omega in the Kingdom of Leva, which was neither rich nor poor, Ayla was the most eligible candidate for Adrian Heineken’s spouse, with her exceptional beauty second only to Carl Lindbergh and almost reaching the level of a dominant Omega.

In the current state, Ayla was in a precarious position, just as her nanny had described.

Her father still seemed unable to let go of the dream of maintaining ties with the Heineken Empire.

No matter how much the princess frowned or spoke, her nanny continued to speak.

“While Heineken has become a stronger nation by swallowing Lindbergh, Leia Lindbergh has merely become a puppet king. For now, the Crown Prince is showing great interest in Carl Lindbergh, so Heineken will fully support him. But how long will that last? You are aware that Carl Lindbergh has always had an unpredictable temperament, right?”

“Nanny, please stop.”

Her nanny seemed to be possessed by evil, as if forgetting that they were in the heart of the Heineken Palace.

“If Heineken’s support is cut off, Leia Lindbergh will be nothing more than a puppet king of a remote area. Fortunately, the empire has many unmarried Alphas, so please pay attention. Just look at the sons of the Duke, for example. Look at their outstanding appearances.”

Her nanny pointed to the young men standing far away, laughing and mingling.

“After the meal, naturally, you will engage in conversation with them. Do you understand?”

Ayla did not respond.

Such thoughts kept coming to her mind, that if she liked it, her nanny could personally go or something equally ominous.

Ayla was well aware of Carl Lindbergh.

He was an omega with extreme right-wing views who appeared like a comet in the declining Lindbergh Kingdom.

After the birth of the prince, not only the Heineken Empire but also other countries began to pay attention to Lindbergh, and Lindbergh tightly kept the prince within the castle.

There were rumors and speculations about whether it was true or not, but everyone pricked up their ears at the news that the young Crown Prince of Heineken had visited the prince.

As a rare and precious omega, it was expected that the empire would soon propose an engagement, but the Heineken Empire did not express any position on the marriage proposal.

So, those who had thought, “It seems it wasn’t meant to be,” lost interest in Lindbergh, and instead, Ayla began to be touted as a potential princess candidate for the empire.

After that, there was never a marriage proposal from Heineken, but there were numerous proposals from other countries.

Of course, the king of the Leva Kingdom, that is, Ayla’s father, rejected all the marriage proposals that came from Heineken, considering the possibility of a marriage proposal from the empire. As a result, Ayla had to spend her youth alone until she reached marriageable age.

In the midst of this, suddenly, it was announced that Heineken would marry Lindbergh.

Her father, driven by his own goal of targeting unmarried alpha children of counts and higher-ranking nobles, pushed Ayla towards the empire.

As Ayla’s gaze continued to turn towards Leia Lindbergh, the helpless nanny moved her body to block her view.

Out of concern, her nanny emphasized that even though the two of them were from a kingdom, a princess from a fallen kingdom and a princess from the Leva Kingdom were not a suitable match.

In the end, Ayla turned her head and let out a bitter smile.

It wasn’t because of her nanny, but rather because she thought that the busy Princess Leia would not have any interest in a simple omega like herself.

She didn’t want to enter into an arranged marriage, but she had to find a partner quickly due to the loneliness she experienced while spending time alone in the royal palace.

*******

“Prince, why are your hands so cold?”

As Marco reached out to hold the trembling corsage, he was startled by the icy touch of the prince’s fingertips.

I’m nervous.

Carl swallowed his saliva and answered inwardly.

“Why is your face so pale?”

I’m really nervous.

It was just an engagement, not even a wedding ceremony.

Although he didn’t realize it when they were preparing for the engagement ceremony, which was carried out in a grand manner, now that it was right in front of him, he truly felt the reality that he and Adrian Heineken were supposed to become a married couple.

In his past life and this life combined, he never expected to have such a splendid wedding, so he felt a bit uncertain.

“Prince, please have some warm water.”

“No, I feel like I’ll choke.”

When Carl Lindbergh refused, Marco frowned.

It was the first time Marco had seen Carl in such a tense state since he started serving him.

Considering that he always handled everything boldly, Marco wondered if he would handle this situation boldly as well.

“What if you trip and fall? My leg is already wobbly.”

“That’s why I told you to restrain yourself from doing Frank ^[1] yesterday.”

When Marco rebuked him, Carl muttered, “It’s not because of that.”

He had to stand in front of over 200 guests.

Moreover, a third of them were diplomats from other countries who had come to gauge the political impact of this engagement on them, so it was natural to be nervous.

The thought that Carl Lindbergh’s flaws would soon become Adrian’s flaws weighed heavily on his shoulders.

“Don’t worry, Prince. I, Marco, will be close by.”

Marco comforted him, rubbing the cold hands of the prince.

“There’s no need to be nervous. Look at how beautiful you are today.”

Marco pulled Carl, who couldn’t stay still for a moment and was circling the waiting room near the garden, and stood him in front of a full-length mirror, then smiled broadly.

It wasn’t an empty compliment; he was truly beautiful.

The hairstyle that completely swept back his hair to reveal a clean forehead, and the clean skin without a single hair were secondary to the enchanting look in his eyes and the thin, straight lips.

Moreover, the black formal suit, meticulously embroidered by the craftsmen, wrapped around his slender body, making him look like…

“It’s like a goddess has descended.”

With a smile on his face and his freckled cheekbones raised, Marco murmured as if moved.

The descent of a goddess.

Although Carl Lindbergh felt embarrassed, he still retorted with a slightly relaxed tone.

“I’m not beautiful, I’m handsome.”

“Oh, yes, yes, you’re handsome and pretty.”

Like when he used to flatter the former prince, Marco clasped his hands together and shook his body.

“So, don’t worry. Who else would stand by His Highness the Crown Prince, if not you?”

Since then, Marco continued to babble about how Adrian was the son of a god and the prince himself had wings. It didn’t stop until Carl twisted his nose slightly, feeling embarrassed.

The way he babbled was just like his younger sister, who used to read novels and blabber on.

“I am proud of you, Prince.”

Marco suddenly blushed.

“What?”

You always say you’re proud of me, even when I haven’t done anything.

When Carl asked with curiosity, Marco tightly gripped the hem of his clothes.

The protagonist of the day was Carl Lindbergh, but it was also a day when his close associates were allowed to dress up, so Marco’s attire was quite elegant.

As Carl was brushing off his clothes, saying they were wrinkled, Marco spoke while looking at the top of Carl’s head.

“I’ve never really believed it when you said you would save Lindbergh, even if it meant throwing yourself away. Well, I believed it, but I never imagined it would be this luxurious.”

Carl’s hand movements stopped.

“You always say it’s nothing, but you must have been scared every moment. Both acknowledging yourself as an omega and entrusting yourself to someone else.”

Marco’s words were correct.

So far, there was nothing Carl Lindbergh could solve on his own. He blindly sought, relied on, and even gained a lover.

Although it was just an engagement, both separation and divorce were difficult, so it was a natural course for Carl Lindbergh to become the empress, and therefore, he had a lot to learn from the beginning.

The lukewarm development of leaving Lindbergh to Leia and leaving himself was gone.

He was just at the starting point.

At Marco’s words, which seemed to see through that primal fear, Carl admired.

“You look more mature today.”

“I’m also about to become an adult.”

“How about graduating from being the Prince’s handmaid this time?”

Although it was meant to suggest becoming an ally rather than a handmaid, and becoming the protagonist himself, Marco screamed in protest.

“I don’t want that!”

Carl raised both hands at Marco, who was tearfully vowing to live and die as his handmaid.

“I got it. I got it.”

Then, an attendant knocked on the door.

It was a message that Adrian had finished preparing and the prince should come out.