May Every Wound Be Fatal - Chapter 6.2
Diegor gave a complicated smile and ruffled Reyna’s hair.
Blinking her large eyes at him with surprise, Reyna suddenly realized that the hair Karla had carefully braided was a mess, and she clenched her fists.
“Diegor!”
“Ha ha!”
After that, she completely forgot about her older brother’s strange reaction.
That scorching summer ended, and finally, when the sky was high, Reyna arrived at Elmaril with a heart full of excitement.
Even though the Red Hill, where she had grown up, was counted among the wealthiest castles in the Eldamar Kingdom, the streets of Elmaril, full of festival celebrations, were filled with sights she had never seen before, and she could not look away.
The songs of minstrels and dances of performers, laughter that thundered through the streets, and fireworks like crashing waves.
As she rode in the carriage through the crowded streets, Reyna gazed blankly out the window.
Elmaril was far more fascinating than she had expected. She grew increasingly excited about her future here. At the same time, nerves welled up, and she asked Karla repeatedly.
“How do I look? I do not look like a country bumpkin, right?”
“What are you saying, my lady? You are perfect.”
Even after hearing the answer she wanted, Reyna could not calm herself. She had been tense all day, and her forehead felt warm with heat.
However, that day, she could not meet Prince Tiberian.
The next day, nor the day after.
During the festival, preparations for jousting were underway at the palace. It seemed the prince was extremely busy. Reyna nodded, accepting it as reasonable, but she still found it hard to understand the prince’s behavior.
‘No matter how busy he is, wouldn’t he be curious about me? If it were me, I would be so curious about my future wife that I could not wait to see her…’
She wondered if, like in the chivalric novels she read, the prince might secretly come to her room. She kept her eyes wide open all night, but nothing happened.
Every night, the palace hosted banquets until morning, but the young lady was never invited.
Her father or older brother did not seem to have the energy to console her disappointment. Even when she tried to grab her approachable older brother, the answers were always unsatisfying.
“Diegor, take me to the banquet too.”
“How can an unmarried young lady manage that? Stop thinking about causing trouble and stay quietly in your room.”
Completely left to her own devices, Reyna spent her time propping her chin on the window sill, watching the busy attendants endlessly. The time was far duller than she had imagined.
“…Hey, you there.”
“Eh? Me?”
“Yes, you. Take off that outfit.”
“…Eh?”
So, when Reyna called a passing maid, took her clothes, and slipped out of the room, it might have been inevitable.
Reyna followed the sounds of instruments and laughter echoing under the cool night sky, cutting through the darkness without fear to avoid the gaze of others.
However, far ahead, at the brightly lit banquet hall, the king’s knights were guarding the entrance, preventing her from approaching closely.
Reyna stood on tiptoe. Surely Prince Tiberian was inside, but from this distance, she could hardly see inside.
She refused to give up and looked around. She noticed a garden leading to the opposite side of the banquet hall. It seemed pitch black and empty.
Reyna hesitated briefly before stepping forward.
The garden belonged to the king. She knew that anyone not of royal blood would be severely punished for entering without permission.
But she thought that at this hour, no one would be walking in the garden. She was the daughter of the Duke of Dazbel. For a short while, it would be fine. With that thought, Reyna boldly stepped into the royal garden in the dead of night.
As expected, the garden was empty. Not a single lantern was lit, but the night sky was so full of stars that moving around was not difficult.
The voices of people grew clearer, and the atmosphere gradually brightened.
The midnight banquet was just ahead.
Shadows of people flickered like waves with the orange light spilling through the windows. If she could get just a little closer, she thought, she might see inside.
As Reyna stepped forward, almost entranced, a rustling sound came from behind.
Reyna’s eyes widened, and she spun around.
“….”
A man stood upright among the trees, staring at her with startled eyes. Judging by his attire, he was neither a servant nor a knight.
Platinum hair glimmered in the starlight. Even in the dim night, his eyes shimmered with a clear blue hue.
Reyna’s lips parted in astonishment as she gazed at him.
The man resembled the prince in the portrait.
In her mind, he could only be Prince Tiberian.
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