CH 465

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One of my Best Friends – One of = Best Friend?

Wow, that’s the person Sion goes to school with… Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon, the Great Wisdom of the Empire…

Echard was shocked by how mature and calm she was. She was polite when the king apologized, and then she went right back to eating as if nothing had happened.

If father was watching them eat, most people would be lucky not to throw up. How can she keep her cool?

Echard had never left the country. He thought that the Kingdom of Sunkland was the whole world, and that its king was the most powerful person in the world. No one who had ever eaten with his father had been completely at ease. There was always some strain that could be felt. For nobles like Count Lampron, who cared about custom, it went even further and almost reached a level of respect. Even Echard, the king’s own son, would sometimes avoid him because he was so scary.

Look at her, though. She is only eating. And having fun! Like this was just another meal!

As the talk went on, his surprise would soon turn into amazement.

“If I’m being honest, I have a few retainers who think Tearmoon is stockpiling food for a war to take over more land.”

When his father, the King of Sunkland, said that, he might as well have drawn a sword. It was definitely a challenge, and it wasn’t a friendly one.

Mia’s answer was simple: “That’s a slaphappy way of thinking.” For her, war was slaphappy. She had also meant it. She didn’t sound or act like she had any doubts.

The Great Wisdom of the Empire…Count Lampron always complained that what happened with the Wind Crows was just a series of accidents, but…

Echard tried to sneak a quick look at what his father was thinking. He saw interest and kindness.

Father thinks of her highly…

His brother Sion thought of this person as a friend. Sion, with all his gifts and skills, thought she was smart and praised her without any reservations. Sion…was most likely right. Echard had just seen how smart and witty she was for himself.

He grimaced at it. His inferiority complex filled his mind and heart like a dark ooze. He turned away from her with a sad sigh and looked at another girl at the table.

And this…is my soon-to-be-fiancee, he thought as he looked at Esmeralda, who was a bundle of jitters.

“She is a member of one of Tearmoon’s Four Houses. She is a good match for Your Highness because she is an Etoiline.” That’s what Count Lampron told him with great pride. In a sense, it was true. Once Sion took over the throne, Echard would be given the title of duke, making them both the same level of power.

“At eighteen, she is a bit older, but I still think she will make a great consort.”

As someone with noble blood, having children was always a very important job. In this case, an eight-year gap was definitely not a good thing. Even so, these kinds of unequal marriages were often set up for political reasons. This was how royals got married. Echard had learned this when he was young, and it was already a part of his life. He didn’t mind much that the girl he might marry was a lot older than him. Even so…

Esmeralda’s nervousness stood out in contrast to Mia’s calmness. She almost hid like a small, scared animal, which was, to be honest, a little sad. Even the third girl, Tiona Rudolvon, carried herself more respectfully. To be so weak that the daughter of an outcount seemed strong in comparison…

Echard bit his lip.

If this was Sion’s wedding, would anyone have thought she was good enough?

The thought came to him on its own. The person chosen to be his brother’s wife would without a doubt be a very smart and brave person. A person like Princess Mia… He knew it was wrong to compare siblings in this way, to think of one as better or worse than the other. But he had no choice.

Sion has everything… Was born with everything, and then more was added. On the other hand, I… What do I stand a chance of?

Words that were once whispered in his ear kept coming back to him.

“Listen, you don’t have to make it look fancy. Just a small joke. To beat him. Show him who’s boss. Really, it’s for his own good. No one can deal with being perfect. Make him look a little worse. It will help him.” With a soft, sweet, and almost snake-like voice… “Here, take this drug and put it in something he drinks. It just hurts a little in the stomach. Nothing important. I know what you’re thinking, but don’t say it yet, okay? Look, just throw it away if you change your mind after I leave. There’s no harm done.”

They had been in his heart for a long time. Just then…

“I’m here because one of my best friends, Esmeralda, has been asked to marry someone, and I thought it was important to find out how good he is.”

His dark thoughts were interrupted by a clear voice. He looked in that direction to find the light of the moon.

She thinks of her as a close friend…

No matter how he looked at Esmeralda, he couldn’t see how she could be good enough to be a friend of the Great Wisdom of the Empire. Mia had said it anyway, even though it might not have been true. The princess was here to judge the man Esmeralda might marry. She had traveled this far to for her friend. The world seemed to split in two all of a sudden. The chosen ones stood in all their glory in one place that was filled with light. In the other, the people who didn’t have much huddled together in the dark.

Craaaack!

He thought he could hear the sound of broken glass. The blazing brightness of his brother and this young wisdom had finally melted the last lock in his heart. The dam gave way. Out came defeat, and with it came contempt.

Only one phrase could be heard in the silence…

“Put him in his place. Really, it’s for his sake.”

—

Oh, I just can’t anymore… I’m feeling bad…

At the same time, Esmeralda was so worried that she was about to pass out. As soon as she felt the king’s intimidating presence, her scared heart began to beat fast, and it hadn’t stopped since. For all she knew, the food could have been plates of sand. She didn’t even know where she was or what she was eating. She couldn’t breathe because of the fear, doubt, and confusion that were pressing on her chest.

Oh no, I feel like I’m going to pass out…

Just as she was about to lose the last bit of control she had, she heard Mia’s words.

“I’m here because one of my best friends, Esmeralda, has been asked to marry someone, and I thought it was important to find out how good he is.”

The beat in her heart skipped. Had she been fooled by her ears? No, she had heard it for sure. Mia clearly said she was her “best friend.”

I’m Miss Mia’s best friend, that’s right!

That thought cleared her mind like a fresh breeze in the morning. She remembered all of a sudden who she was and why she was there.

What a shame! Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon, get a grip on yourself! You’re a proud Etoiline, the oldest girl in your family, and, most importantly, Mia-sama’s best friend. This is not the time to act like a fool.

She got a hold of herself literally by holding herself at the hips with her arms out in front of her. Then she looked at the person who might become her husband for the first time.

He has such a cute face! He also seems very smart. I don’t know why he’s staring in the space like that… He must be shy, that’s why. Oh, that’s so cute. I have to say that this boy has a lot of promise. I’m sure he’ll look as good as his brother does one day.

Esmeralda, lover of good looks, was back in action!