At first, I was going to wait for a bit and see how things went, but Victor was so wonderful I fell in love with him in no time.

After giving a simple greeting to His Highness Albert, Victor and I spoke in a place where His Highness Albert could hear us.

I gave a wide grin to Victor—an expression unbecoming of a future queen.

Of course, my first love could also see that. I could see His Highness Albert’s breath hitched at the corner of my vision, but I simply didn’t care.

“The song will start soon. Lord Victor, shall we dance?”

“That sounds wonderful. For me to be able to dance with cute Eli, it’s like a dream.”

For me to invite a man to dance—if I was still undergoing the queen’s education, I would surely be told to write down my manners three times as a form of discipline.

I wondered how Lady Johanna looked at that moment—was she frowning? Or perhaps, surprised?

But I was just being myself. In this territory, if it was only to that extent, then it was still allowed. I wanted to enjoy that moment as much as I could.

When I went to give my greetings to my relatives in the royal capital, of course Victor and I behaved like proper aristocrats.

But today was a special day—it was my wedding day.

“Eli.”

“What is it, Lord Victor?”

“Call me like how you always do?”

“…But, it’s embarrassing. We’re in public.”

“Eli, as of this moment, I want to feel your love.”

“…Okay, fine, Vee…”

Inside Vee’s embrace, I, whom was wrapped in a bridal grown especially made for that day, smiled.

We were surrounded by guests who congratulated us.

“Let’s take it easy until tomorrow noon, then we’ll have a picnic in the garden. I’ll make the snack.”

Vee’s smile made me feel as if I was basked under the sun—I laughed in his arms.

Once the festive mood settled down, my older brother, who had participated as my relative, approached and whispered to me so that Vee couldn’t hear it.

“Albert is crying, you know?”

So what? As I thought so, I rejected my brother’s invitation to visit the balcony where His Highness Albert was currently.

It seemed that His Highness Albert wanted to say goodbye to me. It seemed that if I had a family member with me, it wouldn’t turn into a scandal—however, I had no intention of going there. They also had no right to make me do so.

Neither my brother nor His Highness Albert listened to my words. They also didn’t understand my thoughts.

His Highness Albert must had liked me because it was convenient for him. He was akin to a teenager—thinking about it from the perspective of His Highness Albert, our relationship was a simple and easy one, he liked me simply because I was a unique girl—and cute, to boot.

Then, when I didn’t behave in the way he preferred, His Highness became estranged from me—even though nothing actually changed about my person.

As the next king, when would he finally realize that there was no way ‘a tomboy and cheerful childhood friend’ would be suitable to rule beside him?

Suppose he found another tomboyish woman befitting his tastes, there was no doubt she’d also be disciplined severely like I once was. I wondered if His Highness Albert would also respond the same way again.

…Well, it was a thing of the past, anyway.

I felt sorry for Alice who wasn’t forgiven by His Highness Albert even until the end. Because she was so obsessed with His Highness Albert, she had been keen on harassing me like a villainess in a novel.

‘Harassing’ sounded too cute of a word— did she truly think that if I disappeared, he’d turn to her?

It wasn’t once or twice that I had my life targeted—although it hadn’t been clarified, they were probably the deeds of the neighboring kingdom.

I didn’t care about my father who didn’t love me because I was born in exchange for my mother’s life— who didn’t even try to protect me. I didn’t remember ever being treated like family by him, because to him, it was difficult to face me whom was similar to my mother.

The wedding night.

That side of me—that young girl whom was still inside me, mourned for her first love as I was locked in Vee’s arms.

The first small bouquet of wildflowers given to me by His Highness Albert.

A small bouquet of flowers no royal florist would sell…

…as I remembered the feeling of bringing those flowers to my chest, that young girl in the corner of my heart faded, before vanishing completely.

~fin

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***T/N: Lol, I’m cheering for these two–Alice X Assbert. Their supreme toxicity made them a perfect fit for each other–therefore I hope they stay together and ruin each other’s life.

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