Chapter 1 Part 7
7
I let myself be carried away by the flow and appeared before Princess Valtrune, but I had not given much thought to what would happen afterward.
Still bewildered by the turn of events, which was drastically different from before, I walked toward Princess Valtrune. It was different from the time when I handed her a handkerchief with her swollen eyes.
She immediately recognized my presence and even called out to me to come forward. Moreover, Princess Valtrune, who had been told by Prince Yuri that their engagement was annulled, remained remarkably composed.
…It was as if she knew everything.
Had something happened to change her before today? Watching her confidently standing there, I could not help but wonder if there was some kind of factor at play.
“………”
What is she thinking, exactly?
Princess Valtrune’s actions are clearly changing. When I first saw her at this place before, she had an incredibly fragile and unstable atmosphere, as if she would shatter when touched. But now, she is completely different.
The radiance in her eyes continues to burn without faltering, and she confidently displays her behavior as if it were predetermined. Her snow-white hair, like pure white snow, sways in the wind, giving off a fantastical appearance.
To top it all off,
“Aldia Graetz…”
Instead of me approaching her, she approaches me. She comes right in front of me and gently touches my left cheek, as if enveloping it.
“Um… Your Royal Highness Princess Valtrune?”
She chuckles lightly at my confusion.
“You are the real one, right?”
“Huh?”
And then, immediately, she shows a gentle expression.
“I’m sorry. Your troubled face is just so cute… I couldn’t help but say something unnecessary.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Hehe, as I thought… You haven’t changed, have you?”
She smiles fleetingly and murmurs softly.
“I’ve wanted to meet you for so long.”
“Eh…?”
Those words were like something you would say to a long-lost friend.
She and I continued attending the military academy, but we had no contact during our time there. In that case, it would be unnatural for her to say, ‘I’ve wanted to meet you’. The current her and I should be strangers.
No… that is not right.
She had mentioned before that she knew about me in my previous life. So it was not strange for her to recognize me.
“…Princess Valtrune, with all due respect, I believe you attended the same academy as me… So, um…”
I struggled to suppress the words that stuck in my throat and tried to calmly squeeze out my words. I wanted to know what her intentions were with her words. However, suddenly, she bowed her head to me.
“I’m sorry. I guess it doesn’t make any sense to you, being told something like that.”
Her blue eyes seemed to tremble for a moment. The same expression she had when I rejected her invitation. It was a slightly lonely expression, yet one filled with an unwavering determination.
“Your Royal High ――”
I was about to address her as ‘Your Royal Highness!!’ when suddenly, my field of vision was completely blocked. I found myself settled snugly in Princess Valtrune’s bosom, where I could hear the rhythmic thumping of her heartbeat.
“Just stay like this for a little while… please.”
I didn’t even have the intention to respond. I heard her sobbing voice, and it seemed that the annulation of the engagement was indeed painful for her. The reason she acted differently this time was probably because she discovered my hidden presence.
…She had probably been enduring it all this time.
I didn’t know if her engagement with Prince Yuri was what she wanted. But it was clear that her heart had been wounded.
“It’s no good… I shouldn’t be crying.”
―― It’s okay to cry. That ordeal was undoubtedly a heavy burden for you.
However, contrary to my thoughts, the next words she uttered completely overturned all the speculations I had made so far.
“Aldia… as I thought. In this lifetime, I want to have you by my side.”
A decisive statement. Her jewel-like blue eyes were focused on me. I immediately sensed that this was one of the reasons for her transformation.
“………”
…No more words came out for a while.
