He was sixteen years old, and the Princess was fifteen.
At the Dukeâs suggestion, Nassar and the Princess visited the capital. The official reason was an inspection, but in reality, it was a vacation.
The Duke had his own intentions as he discussed the fatigue of the Princess in front of the Emperor.
âRecently, Iâve been concerned about the strained relationship between the Princess and you. Take this opportunity to get closer.â
âWithout even asking for it.â
Nassar felt a bit disgruntled.
Although Saint Jen was the most prosperous commercial city in the northern region, it wasnât an ideal environment for leisure.
Since they were going to have time alone together, why not go to a beautiful place with clear water?
The gloomy scenery of Saint Jen visible from the carriage only intensified his dissatisfaction.
On the other hand, the Princess seemed content. After all, she had always silently fulfilled her responsibilities. The visit to Saint Jen was no different from other duties for her.
Somehow, he felt melancholic.
But when they arrived at the central district of Saint Jen, they saw a peculiar sight. Buildings, streets, and people were covered in white flowers as if there was nothing else but those flowers.
At that moment, Nassar witnessed a glimpse of surprise in the Princessâs eyes as she looked outside.
What are those flowers?
The identity of those flowers became known when they met the governor of Saint Jen.
The governor was a typical flatterer. He greeted them while gently touching his palms together.
âOh my! I have the honor of meeting the esteemed Imperial Princess. And the noble offspring of Duke Averydon!â
When Nassar was alone with the governor, he subtly asked about the identity of the flowers.
The market puffed up his chest as if he had heard praise.
âI took special care because Her Highness was visiting! Wouldnât it displease her if there were people with the same name in the vicinity?â
Ah, the identity of the flowers turned out to be paper-made Philomel. Of course, they werenât real.
The market had instructed people to create a harmony made of paper.
Although Nassar had seen pictures of Philomel flowers, he couldnât recognize the paper flowers on the streets of Saint Jen because they looked so shabby.
How could genuine Philomel flowers be found in a place like this?
In the first place, the Utina region where Philomel flowers bloom was far away from Saint Jen.
The governor was foolish.
He doesnât even know that the Princess doesnât particularly like Philomel flowers.
But it was Nassarâs own arrogance that was what was truly foolish.
Their time in Saint Jen quickly passed by.
Although it was supposed to be a schedule of over a week, in the blink of an eye, it was time to return to the capital.
There was no significant progress in their relationship during their time in Saint Jen.
Nassar prepared for his return with a sense of regret. However, they were interrupted by a sudden rainstorm while discussing with the coachman.
Although the precipitation in Saint Jen was within the normal range, it was said that there was heavy rain pouring down in the region they had to pass through on their way back. The road was completely muddy, and in some sections, landslides even occurred.
Nassar sighed.
âWith a few teleportation spells, we could easily go back.â
Since the ostensible purpose was an inspection, it didnât look good to visit other regions.
Nassar didnât mind, but the Princess even paid attention to such trivial matters in her naivety.
In their desire to become closer to her, some people who only knew Nassar superficially still thought he was an exemplary gentleman.
He genuinely liked the Princess as a person. After all, they had spent a long time together, so it was natural to feel a sense of familiarity.
There were also personal reasons that he was grateful for. He had a desire to serve as her loyal subject. She was a good Emperor in the making, after all.
But even combining all these reasons, he couldnât understand why he had to hide his true self.
Should he give up now? He had done enough.
He grew tired of knocking on a door that wouldnât open.
Then, the Princess appeared outside the hotel in Nassarâs sight. Everyone else was busy with other tasks, so there was no one to hold an umbrella for her.
Nassarâs body moved on its own.
âYour Highness, youâll catch a cold!â
He held out the umbrella he was carrying to the Princess.
âOh, Nassar.â
The Princess turned to look at him.
In return, Nassarâs clothes began to get wet. But he was fine. He was confident in his stamina and health.
In contrast, the Princessâs small shoulders seemed to tremble.
âPlease go inside now. The rain is getting heavier.â
âJust a moment. Let me pick these up and go.â
Only then did Nassar realize that the Princess was crouching down and picking something up? They were the paper flowers that had fallen into puddles.
The fake Philomel flowers that had been displayed in the hotel were almost completely scattered on the ground after being soaked in the rain.
The wet paper flowers became even more pitiful in appearance. They were simply trash.
Nassar couldnât understand. Why would someone like her be picking up such trash, even getting drenched in the rain?
Nassar concealed his dissatisfaction and asked nonchalantly.
âWhy are you picking up those paper flowers? Is there a special reason?â
âThey were specially made to welcome me, so I thought of taking them as a memento.â
Even after hearing the explanation, Nassar still didnât understand.
If it was a memento, there were plenty of other nice things. If she wanted insignificant paper flowers, he would have chosen the most beautiful and intact ones.
Above all, why would she want fake flowers? She didnât even particularly like real Philomel flowers.
Nassar blurted out, âTheyâre just fake anyway.â
Upon hearing his words, the Princess fell silent for a moment.
A little while later, she looked at Nassar and smiled faintly.
âItâs pitiful if theyâre discarded here as fakes and get ruined by the rain.â
It was a smile that stuck in his heart.
At that moment, Nassar realized that he loved this person.
He couldnât explain the exact reasons himself. He just⊠for some reason, it felt like the Princess would disappear at that moment. She seemed so faint and fragile that she might vanish before his eyes.
He felt a desire to hold onto those shoulders, to pull her towards the place where he stood.
With the awareness of his love, he also realized why the Princessâs changes hadnât been particularly pleasing to him. She had become like a decoration of a Princess. The position of a Princess was not her decoration; she was the decoration of the position of a Princess.
People praised her as an elegant and merciful Princess, but they didnât know what kind of person she truly was. It was because she thoroughly hid her true self.
Would the Emperor know?
Nassar thought that he probably didnât know either.
Nassar always harbored silent anxiety about when the Princess would disappear.
Thatâs why he couldnât bear her changes. He wanted to know what kind of person she was. He wanted to grasp her clear essence.
Nassar loved the Princess.
No, thatâs wrong. He loved her, not as a Princess, but as a person.
âOh, please, let me know the real you, not the Princess. My Philomel.â
Even though Nassar had realized his feelings, it didnât bring about any significant change in their relationship.
He suddenly became afraid. He was now clearly aware of the reasons why he shouldnât lose her, and the fear of losing her gripped him too strongly. He had become a coward.
He wanted to know her.
But she didnât want to reveal herself.
What if Nassar wants to know?
Philomel, whom he had pushed away even when he wasnât aware of his feelings. It was obvious what would happen when he actively approached her after realizing his love.
âIâll throw myself away.â
He didnât know it would even break off their engagement.
Their engagement was originally swiftly arranged through her request. He didnât know it would be as swiftly terminated if she made another request.
Breaking an engagement with the most prestigious noble family of the empire was not a pleasant matter.
But the Emperor didnât seem to care about such things.
Nassar had already envisioned the dreadful future of breaking off the engagement with Philomel.
He made up his mind. Yes, they were engaged after all.
As long as they didnât cross that line, there was a high possibility that Philomel would eventually marry him. The hollow engagement felt quite solid in this situation.
Even if Philomel didnât love Nassar, she had to get married for the sake of succession.
It didnât have to be Nassar as the marriage partner, but no other suitable person seemed to exist. Considering their family, appearance, personality, and abilities, there was no one better than Nassar, the top groom candidate of the empire.
He believed that if he just held onto his original position, someday he could be by Philomelâs side.
It was both arrogance and weakness.
And when Philomel unexpectedly disappeared, he regretted his foolishness.