Chapter 7 - A Chance Meeting

Chapter 7 – A Chance Meeting 

An awestruck gasp escaped from her lips at his beautiful appearance.

Viola had never seen such an astonishing person in her life. His jet black hair, onyx eyes, lips, and every feature in between were all so pretty. Her eyes kept getting drawn to him as if he were not a man but a bunch of precious jewels. She leaned forward and glimpsed his wide chest, she had to tiptoe to see his face. He was quite tall and his body was very muscular. A man with this kind of body must definitely be a knight.

“Did you cross the border with permission? This mountain range is not a permitted path for travel.”

His deep, low voice caused Viola’s heart to rumble. He tilted his head to the side, and then a knight came over. The knight tried to call his name but the man raised his hand to stop him.

Viola looked at the knight’s armor, which had the imperial seal emblazoned on it. The flag also had the signature golden patterns that symbolized the Arpen imperial family.

“There was a landslide on the road, so I took a detour. My name is Viola, Princess of the Kingdom of Koronis.”

She thought it would be wise to get on the good side of a knight wearing the imperial insignia, hence she greeted him politely.

“Should I say it’s an incredible coincidence? I’m the leader of the Imperial Household’s Knights. It seems like the trip back to the palace won’t be boring after all.”

He stuck out his chin, prominently showing his neckline. His neck was very thick. She felt her heart flutter and jump violently. The man left soon after speaking and headed somewhere else, while Viola returned to her barracks.

It was amazing that she had run into the Imperial Knights here of all places after she had deviated from their original route. Above all, what surprised her the most was their leader. His appearance was beautiful, but he felt extremely high-handed. If he was the leader of the Imperial Knights, then he must be a high-ranking noble.

Perhaps the man has some imperial blood? What if he’s part of the imperial family? She remembered Edwards’ death, and then the fluttering in her heart slowly subsided.

‘He’s still a knight of the Arpen Empire. They’re all enemies.’

She clenched and ground her teeth as she lay on her bed before forcing her eyes close.

After a while, the right side of Viola’s tent rustled. Taking advantage of the darkness, a man swiftly slipped inside the shelter. He leaned over Viola, whose breathing had become slow and uniform in her sleep. Supporting himself with his arms, he stared at Viola’s face with a piercing look.

It was Lustian. He lowered his head and breathed below the nape of her neck. His lower body was tingling. Shocked, he turned his head away in surprise.

…  A brave princess … amazing …

♛

The knights were already up and busying themselves early in the morning. Viola, on the other hand, was moving rather sluggishly. She had slept all night, but she felt like she hadn’t caught a wink of sleep. She took her breakfast then got on the carriage right after. Rosha was a bit lost in excitement when she saw the man that glanced past the carriage.

“What a coincidence!” Rosha exclaimed. “How did we come across the Imperial Knights at the border?”

“…”

Coincidences were coincidences, but were they usually as big as this? They were this close to getting lost, but it was fortunate they found a guide.

“Princess, this is the first time I have seen such a handsome man like him—”

“— Yes.”

Rosha was just reacting honestly. Of course, Viola had also been surprised. Her eyes were drawn to him, like a sun that rose at night. Was he truly human?

The trip was sure to be safe now that they met the Imperial Knights, but the tightness in her throat would not go away.

“What’s wrong? Oh, is it because they might also be knights who fought in the war?” Rosha asked.

“The patterns they wear are different.” Viola remarked.

In fact, they were totally different from the ones she saw the day she went to retrieve Edward’s corpse. It was a red pattern that had covered his body. A large vulture had been standing on Edward’s body, wings spread wide and pecking at his remains.

She had not forgotten that sight even for a moment and constantly vowed to herself to avenge his death.

“Yes, because they are Imperial Knights. I am a little less scared because they aren’t members of that terrifying Blood Army. I think my makeup is definitely working. Don’t they seem totally uninterested?”

Rosha raised her shoulders in pride. The effects were good. The strange knight seemed totally uninterested, and she was satisfied with that. Now, Viola just had to go to the palace, carry out the king’s mission, and get thrown away by the crown prince.

‘Yes … this disguise will be able to fool the crown prince’s eyes.’

Early in the morning, Rosha had applied dark yellow makeup to Viola’s white skin.

“If it weren’t for my aunt’s orders, there would be no way I would disguise such fair skin.” Rosha lamented.

“— It’s because I don’t want to become part of the imperial family.” Viola replied.

“I don’t want to live in an enemy country’s palace either.” Rosha bore her heart out.

“Yes.”

“But how can they only allow two people?” Rosha said in a fluster.

“— Because it’s etiquette.”

All the knights who escorted Viola would return to the Kingdom of Koronis, and the only attendant left would be Rosha, her maid in waiting.

“Let’s think of it as taking a short vacation trip,” Rosha said cheerily, “I am excited most of all to see the Lake of God.”

“It is a well-known rumor that the lake is beautiful; however, no matter how beautiful it is, it is still the property of the Arpen Empire.

The Lake of God was the source of River Judith. The water there seemed like it would never dry. It flowed and flowed, forming a river that stretched all throughout the continent. But contrary to its title of “beautiful”, its waters served as a weapon to threaten many of the smaller countries.

“Do you think it’s really where the God of Judith once lived? They say wildflowers that bloom near the lake are the loveliest flowers on earth,” Rosha said.

“Won’t you think about the poor woman in the legend when you see them?”

“Of … Of course. She became a flower as she waited for her god.” Rosha’s eyes dimmed.

“— Foolish. If I were her, I would have never made that choice.” Viola declared.

“Then what would you have done?” the little girl asked in her curiosity.

“I would be the one doing the throwing away.” Viola replied flatly.

“What?!” Rosha’s eyes almost popped out in astonishment.

“Throw him away, when he still loved me—”

“Huck! Prin … Princess, isn’t that too cruel?”

Rosha jumped up and down at her mistress’s words, but Viola was a rational woman who was able to distinguish reality from the ideal.

“Their love started by breaking taboos anyway. They would never have worked out, even if the god didn’t abandon her.”

“Oh, I see, because God and man cannot love.” Rosha seemed to see the truth now.

“Just as there is no eternal youth, there is no eternal love.”

Viola looked outside, and a beautiful view unfolded in front of her. Rosha stared at her.

“You look like someone who has been in love before.” Rosha couldn’t help but remark.

“You don’t need to experience it to know.”

Rosha asked no more.

The nanny’s voice kept echoing inside Viola’s head. She had also told her the stories of the unfortunate princesses, and it made her sick thinking about the humiliation that those girls must have suffered through. The pitiful princesses who had to become sexual outlets for the emperor under the pretext of empress training …

‘I’m not going to live like that. I reject all of the Arpen Empire’s royalty, no matter who it is…’