When I saw she regained consciousness finally, my heart sank because I could not see the warmth in her golden eyes anymore. To make matters worse, she didn’t say anything as if she forgot how to speak. No matter how hard I tried to help her pull herself together, she didn’t listen to me at all as if she couldn’t hear at all.

I headed for the training field with a heavy heart, hoping that I could shake off my complicated thoughts by practicing hard. But I could not wield my sword as well as I wished, perhaps because I hadn’t been practicing properly while I got carried away with spending time with her.

The more I tried to concentrate, the more her haggard figure weighed on my mind.

How long did I practice fencing?

When I came to my senses all of a sudden, I ran into the crown prince who was looking at me coldly and sharply. When I hurriedly greeted him politely, he asked for a fencing sparring with me, saying he wanted to compete with me, called a genius swordsman, one day. Although I didn’t feel like it, I didn’t have the right to refuse his request, so I grabbed the sword silently.

When I was exploring how to beat him, I saw something fluttering in the air. When I instantly looked up, I noticed her standing by the window and staring blankly into the sky.

While I was distracted by her shimmering silver hair, his sword barely touched my shoulder. Despite his warning that I should focus, I found myself distracted often. After all, he and I found ourselves pointing the swords at each other’s neck.

After he was done sparring with me, he gave me advice that if I had anything to keep, I should do my best without being distracted for a moment.

I got upset. I felt I was really stupid when I thought that I didn’t do my best in fencing of for her because of my preoccupation with my immediate self-composure.

My growing sense of shame reached its peak with the appearance of her father. She woke up from her complacency when she was given a sound rebuke by her father. When I saw her stuttering, shuddering with embarrassment, I suddenly felt ashamed of myself.

Stupid! What did I do until now?

I was really ashamed of myself after realizing that I was unaware of her nervousness even though I was with her all the time, and I, blinded by my own happiness, knew nothing about her while confessing to her that I liked her.

When I visited her the next day, her father, who was standing with dust all over him, stopped me. When I looked at her through the crack in the door, she was busy writing as if she was bewitched by something. Since I felt I could not disturb her at the moment, I waited silently with her father there.

Her door opened after half the day passed. She came out with faltering steps, then threw herself in her father’s arms

I felt heartbroken at her pale face. The crown prince’s admonition that I should do my best to keep what I value came back to haunt me.

Although I wanted to protect her and even promised that I would double my efforts to protect her on behalf of Allendis, I didn’t keep it. Even though I had seen her practicing like crazy, I didn’t know why she was so obsessed with mastering fencing. If I had known her situation in advance, I would never have left so she and the crown prince could be together.

The fact that I wasn’t reliable enough for her to ask for my help broke my heart.

While going back to the capital, I looked out the window with a heavy heart. She could survive because of the Monique family’s oath to the imperial family, but I made up my mind to do my best to protect her according to the crown prince’s advice. I didn’t want to see her terrified and nervous when she was with the crown prince.

When I walked through the golden field with her while they were pulling out the wheel stuck in the mud, I was relieved to see her babbling on. I was thrilled when I saw her face suddenly glowing. With my heart throbbing, I prayed that she would always be in a bright mood like that.

When I called her waking ahead, I was speechless at the moment she turned. Her silver hair scattering in the golden fields shined mysteriously and brightly like a sword reflecting the moonlight.

When I looked at her face and her golden eyes full of curiosity, I suddenly felt up to confessing to her that I liked her.

But when I plucked up the courage to open my mouth, I heard someone calling me and her at the same time. At that moment, I came to my senses all of a sudden. Why am I trying to confess to her when I don’t even protect her? You idiot! I felt I was not qualified to confess to her.

When we arrived at the capital, I looked at the wagon after I got out. Only after the silver-haired girl faded away completely did I turn, clenching my teeth. I vowed that until we meet again, I would develop my skills as much as possible so as not to avoid feeling ashamed before her.

‘I’ll protect you. I will build up my strength in case you cannot escape on your own. I’ll keep and protect you, so you won’t feel so nervous and anxious again. I will protect you so that you can live confidently just like you showed it to me in the golden fields. So, hang in there a little longer. I will appear as a man who can stand confidently next to you.

So, will you wait for me a little until then, my beloved girl, my silver sword, Aristia?’

***

“Let me send Beatrice Shah Lisa, the fifth princess, as the candidate for the concubine of the empire’s crown prince. Beatrice, step forward and take my order.”

Beatrice slowly lifted her head and looked at the middle-aged man sitting on a high platform far away, King Kryans III.

He was the only ruler in the great kingdom of Lisa, who was the most ambitious of all the previous kings famous for their belligerent temper. He was Beatrice’s father.

His shiny green eyes did not contain anything like dishonesty. Beatrice felt a surge of anger when he was examining her thoroughly as if evaluating her worth.

When she found herself cursing him deep down, she hastily shut her mouth. Her father was telling her that he would sell her to the empire for the political interests of the kingdom.

“What are you doing, princess? Come forward right away and take my order!”

Beatrice was staring at Kryans III’s fourth queen who yelled at her for a moment, then slowly lowered her eyes.

‘How long can you maintain your position there?’

She was hired as her mother’s maid and eventually rose to the position of a queen. Although she was getting on her high horse now, she would clearly fall down the moment she lost favor with the king, just like Beatrice’s mother who was dethroned when he didn’t show any interest in her. And her children would clearly be sold to other kingdoms like Beatrice.

“I, Beatrice, the fifth princess, am honored to accept the order of the great king.”

“Hmm, as I give you this chance because I take special care of you, you should be the concubine of the empire’s crown prince and do your best for the prosperity of the kingdom. Got it?”

“…Yes, I will. ”

“It won’t take long for me to take over the empire. So, do your best until our troops occupy the empire.”

Consumed by his wild ambitions, he didn’t show any concern about his daughter. His green eyes, which exactly looked like Beatrice’s, were burning with greed.

Beatrice, who politely bowed, stepped back from him. While she came out of the king’s lavish palace and headed for her residence, she was breathing hard. She could not help but make a hollow smile. What did he expect from me?

Abandoned princess, Beatrice Shah Lisa. The child of a queen who has been dethroned after losing favor with the king.

That was the name that followed Beatrice for the past sixteen years. Her father confined her to her cold palace and forgot about her until recently. So, she even felt like admiring his discovery of her use after a long time.

‘What did he say? Special favor for me? No kidding! Although he said that, feigning generosity, basically he was planning to use me to buy time to invade the empire!’

She let out a sigh when she saw her shabby palace in the distance.

As she got closer there, she was concerned about something else, aside from her raging anger.

‘I wish I didn’t bump into you today.’