I Found a Wife Whose Engagement was Broken Off in the Neighboring Country, But She's Too Cute, What Should I Do? - Chapter 1
I watched the denunciation unfolding in front of my eyes with a sense of helplessness.
I wondered if she had done something to warrant being questioned to this extent.
I unknowingly exhaled.
Arios, the Crown Prince of the Luminous Kingdom, one of the neighboring United Kingdoms of Caravan, rudely pointed his finger at a lady, Lady Citroën of Barrymore family, who was about to become his official fiancée.
I had heard the lady had been living in Luminous Kingdom two years prior their engagement, as such, it would only be natural that the two had already seen each other’s faces.
According to tradition, Lady Citroën was required to wear a white veil, it covered her from head to toe.
We, the attendees, could not even imagine as to what the lady look like.
“Next, Crown Prince Arios will take off the veil and give Lady Citroën’s forehead a kiss.”
Mother, who sat beside me whispered.
It seems the engagement ceremony would end with that.
Being invited to the engagement ceremony, I, as well as my mother, had rode a carriage that kept on shaking for 7 days just to witness a stranger kissing someone in the forehead. It wasn’t until yesterday that we arrived in Leeds, the capital of the United Kingdoms of Caravan.
Usually, after the ceremony finishes, I would have to attend the promised reception with the royal family, where the ladies would have often said, “Oh, your son is still single?” And I, who had no interest in women at all, would almost be publicly executed as always.
They might wonder about the reason why a 25-year-old bachelor still has no fiancée.
Please don’t.
It is simply because I am not popular.
No, to begin with, when attending an engagement ceremony in a neighboring country, the task of escorting the Queen is usually done by the king or the crown prince.
So why me, one might ask.
Simple.
For matchmaking.
My mother would drag me to the ladies and say “What do you think of my son?”
But…
I feel sorry for my mother whenever she says “This son of mine is a good boy. Why is he being rejected for an arranged marriage?” or “Everyone is blind.”
My eldest brother, the crown prince, and my second brother, who married and became a son-in-law of another neighboring country, both took after my mother, having androgynous beauty.
I, the third son, resembled my father.
No, of course it’s an honor to look like his majesty. My mother was also relieved. I heard that people would immediately ask her, “Whose son is this?”
However.
This is not a matter of whether his Majesty’s face is popular or not.
It’s…I can’t find the right word to describe it.
Let’s say, I look like a man.
Not one person in the knight order was taller than me.
It was not that I was fat, rather I work out a lot, and the more I do, the thicker and wider the muscles on my arms, thighs, and back.
Moreover, every winter, I would take the knights to guard the frontier. Chasing after bandits and rebels.
With that, the name “The Winter Bear of Tedros” came.
Well, you know!
I was on frontier guard duty, so I sometimes skipped shaving. Since I’m not on the royal court. The people around were all men, surrounding the campfire at night! Besides, beards are great!
As soon as I returned to the royal capital, many ladies screamed and even said I smelled. That’s how the nickname came to be.
I’m fine with living a life alone and single, but my mother keeps on finding prospective companions desperately.
Every time I get rejected; I have no other choice but to endure it…
So, I was dreading the ladies’ showdown that was about to take place.
Unexpectedly, at the engagement ceremony, the crown prince, Arios, began to speak of “breaking off the engagement.”
This is …….
It’s going to be rough.
I’m certain.
This evening is not about finding my future wife.
This broken engagement is going to be a big issue.
At first, I was excited to watch it unfold.
Then I started to get tired of it.
The cause was no other than Prince Arios.
Strange…
The slightly trembling voice, intoxicated with itself, is exquisitely unpleasant.
Egoistical and conceited.
Even my eldest brother, the crown prince, does not act in this impolite manner.
In fact, I am proud of him. I am proud of my country.
But.
Is this how the heir to the throne of this country supposed to act?
I looked around the cathedral, wondering if this is normal.
In attendance were mainly the lords of the United Kingdom of Caravan and their relatives.
As the name “United Kingdom” suggests, Caravan consists of many kingdoms, a total of five kingdoms.
When the elected king dies, each kingdom elects a representative to decide who will be the next elected king.
The current selected king is Norris Geena Luminas.
He is the head of the Luminous Royal family, one of the five royal families.
He is the father of Crown Prince Arios, who is currently barking at a little girl in the middle of the red carpet in the chapel.
King Norris Luminas.
He is a distant relative of my mother, the Queen of Tedros.
My mother married into Tedros as a sign of friendship.
Because of this connection, I was invited to attend the crown prince’s betrothal ceremony, which was a very auspicious occasion.
It seemed that such an attendance was rare.
Aside from us, there were only about three couples who had nothing to do with the United Kingdom of Caravan.
Well… with this, I think Luminas Kingdom’s dignity has been preserved.
Unknowingly, the edges of my mouth twitched.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, I was able prevent the crown prince’s foolishness from further tarnishing their family in the presence of other countries.
I wonder if a gag order will be given before the people present leaves.
“Besides, you have repeatedly ignored Miele’s attempts to speak to you!”
Prince Arios spoke in a loud voice.
Wow, that surprised me.
I turned my sight to the Crown Prince.
At the center of the chapel, there stood Prince Arios.
Wearing a veil made of white silk, like a cocoon, Lady Citroën Barrymore faced him.
And just behind the prince was Miele Harty, a girl wearing a gorgeous dress.
Before Prince Arios started denouncing Lady Citroën, she was taken out of the audience, her luxurious clothes were out of place…This girl looks a lot more his fiancée.
The guests near murmured, “It’s Miele… You know, Baron Harty’s…” “Oh. Are you talking about the crown prince’s lover?”
I became certain.
It was not a dress that a mere baron’s daughter could be seen wearing, having strange taste or hobby is of course not included.
Behind Prince Arios, the girl named Miele lowered her head as she held her cuff.
As if she sympathizes with Lady Citroën, who was being criticized, she would occasionally raise her head, her lips trembling as if to complain to the crown prince, but in the end, would lower her head.
Rather than a sympathizing attitude…
She looked more like a thick-skinned actress.
In the first place, if she was a weak-minded woman, she would have already run away under the gazes of the high-ranking individuals present.
Yes, that is correct.
Every person present has their eyes on the crown prince and his little lover.
And yet, Prince Arios misunderstood.
He thought that the contempt in their eyes were for Lady Citroën.
It was embarrassing, for what reason did he look so delightful?
I couldn’t help but feel disgusted at the prince’s exalted figure.
Since moments ago, Prince Arios had been speaking as if he had become a stage actor, receiving the attention of the attendees.
One can’t just complain of someone not replying when you speak to them. It is out of the question for a low-ranking person to talk to a high-ranking person.
Lady Citroën, the Crown Prince’s fiancée, should have belonged to one of the five kingdoms.
A royal family with the right to vote.
A humble baron’s daughter shouldn’t be speaking to someone just because she’s an acquaintance. If the occasion called for it, she would have no choice but to pretend not to hear.
And now, the prince is going on about how “She did not invite Miele to the tea party”, when there is such a wide social difference between the two. Why would he think a baron’s daughter could participate in a royal-level tea party?
He is too ignorant.
Right.
Although he was given the highest rank, a crown prince, He could not even understand the order of society.
Along with Miele, who was also unknowledgeable, he must have thought “She was bullied” or “she’s being neglected”.
And now, he’s currently saying, “When she was dancing, she bumped into her on purpose”, but what about that?
Was that girl actually dancing properly?
Can’t it be that they bumped into each other? Not her bumping her on purpose?
Please peruse.
I glanced around the venue.
The seats prepared were placed on both sides facing each other across the central aisle.
At first, the lords sitting were groaning, confused, and upset.
By now, their gazes turned cold under the three people in the center.
No, to be precise, at the crown prince.
My lips curled up.
The prince actually believed that the cold gazes were directed at Lady Citroën.
However, in reality, everyone present sympathized with Lady Citroën, there was no way they would direct their anger or contempt on her.
In any case.
Lady Citroën, wrapped in a cocoon, did not talk back to the prince who kept on throwing abusive words even once.
I had thought that she was being patient, but I gradually felt that she was giving up.
Saying anything would be futile.
Such resignation enveloped her together with the veil.
“Salyu.”
I blinked my eyes and turned to the person beside me after hearing a quiet voice.
Mother looked at me, as she covered her mouth with her fan.
“What is it?”
“You don’t have a lover yet, do you?”
What? suddenly asking this…
“Th-that is so…”
I stuttered.
“Not at the moment.”
I answered honestly. In fact, just before I turned 20, I couldn’t help but grieve to Rael, my adjutant from anguish, saying I’ve had enough. I told him that my appearance would always scare women and that I would never be loved.
“I see…understood.”
What do you understand?
When our eyes met, she covered her mouth with the fan and smiled like a little girl.
“Then let’s have that lady.”
Mother spoke ever so casually, as if she was asking to wrap up this item for her.
Wait…Wait, wait, wait!
What do you mean “let’s have that lady”???
“Ha, mother…”
Before I could even finish my sentence, I heard Prince Arios’s grandiose words.
“A lady of your appearance is not meant to be wed to me! I’m canceling the engagement here!”
He proudly declared so in a loud voice.
Ahh, he’s done for.
The cathedral was filled with an exasperated silence and pity for King Norris, who had such a son.
“Pff-”
An unsuppressed laugh came out of Prince Arios’s mouth
No, please say no more.
Does anyone here know him personally? Can they send him out? Even better if they throw in a punch or two.
“A lady of your appearance is not meant to be wed to me…”
I unknowingly spoke.
Startled.
The white veil seemed to move for the first time.
As one would expect, this statement cannot be overlooked, even by the crown prince of another country.
Something clicked inside of me.
It’s shameful to belittle a woman’s appearance in public.
“That remark, please change it.”
Before I knew it, I was already standing up and speaking to the Crown Prince.