I Don’t Want A Prince In My Life - Chapter 9. The Proposal

A loud clatter echoed throughout the room.

Albert’s large body suddenly collapsed on the floor.

“Albert!”

I reactively called his name without any respect as I had done in the past.

I immediately realized my mistake and clasped my hands over my mouth.

“Your Highness, please be careful.”

Standing next to him, Serge tried to help Albert, who was bigger than him, to stand back up.

But his movements were sluggish, and he didn’t seem to be trying very hard to help him.

On the other hand, I was looking down at the unusual sight of the Prince on the floor, and I was having trouble reacting.

It would have been easy to fall to my knees and help nurse him, but I feared that doing so would make it seem as if I had forgiven him.

I hated him so much, and I didn’t want him to think that I didn’t. I didn’t want to let that hatred go.

So I did not bend my knees in pride but bent forward to see how he was doing.

Fortunately, his color looked good, and his breathing was stable. There was not much to worry about.

But even so.

This was a remarkable event because, although he has changed a lot since he met Angelica, he was usually calm and collected and would never bend his knees except for his father. And yet, he fell to his knees in front of me.

When he summoned me, I had no idea that this would happen, and I was completely exhausted from the denseness of time.

In the first place, it takes a lot of energy to hate or yell at someone.

Since I left my home country, I have been struggling to survive and suppress my emotions, so I was completely exhausted by this exchange.

I was in the middle of a story, but I wanted to go home and pretend that today was a dream.

“I’m sorry for being so…disruptive.”

Albert sat up slowly, blushed slightly and was apologetic.

I was not amused to see that his face was much looser than before.

“Anyway, I will never forgive you. I’m sure the same is true for the families of the challenger you have killed. You should know that just because you are high in rank does not mean that you can do whatever you want. One day, you may be thrown out of your position as I was.”

Albert’s face tightened immensely as he laughed sarcastically.

This gives him a kind of power that he cannot deny.

In the past, the royal family and the nobility have always been fond of marrying beautiful women so that they can have children with good facial features. The most beautiful women in the country were always written into the family tree, and it was customary for the royal family to produce the most beautiful of all.

Lionel was blond, dark-skinned and wild-looking, but Albert was the complete opposite of Lionel.

His face is white and his eyes are blue-violet like jewels. His black hair is as shiny as if it had been drenched in water, and even this scene is like a picture.

It’s a familiar face, but perhaps the events at Percival have added a new element of melancholy to his beauty.

I was born the daughter of a Duke, but in this short period of time, I had grown old and unkempt, a stark contrast to him.

The indescribable thoughts came to my mind, and I sighed deeply.

“In any case, I have no intention of getting involved with you. Please let me leave as soon as possible.”

Since this place was inside the castle, I felt like my old way of speaking had returned.

If I ever returned to the castle, my uncommon speech would only be a hindrance.

“No…I can’t do that.”

Albert rose unsteadily to his feet and stood in front of me.

“I didn’t call you here just to apologize,” he said. “But also to ask for your help, if possible.”

“Me?”

It was an unexpected proposal.

“Yes. The events around Angelica are so strange. It’s as if she’s manipulating the men around her…to do what she wants. Percival’s situation is even more dire than when you left it. If there is a civil war, refugees will overflow, and our country will not be safe. In fact, there is even a faction that wants to instigate a civil war in your country and absorb it into our country. In order to prevent this from happening, we desperately need your help. You’ve lived in the same house as Angelica, yet continued to appeal to reason until the end.”

Albert’s offer was a surprising one, but on reflection, it was understandable.

Even if they had made peace, they were still two different countries. They are usually sharpening their fangs under the water, ready to swallow each other up if one’s national strength weakens.

If not, another country will swallow Percival and become a powerful country. Theophilus would be the next target.

And so, the continent’s neighboring countries have been constantly annexed and divided.

“I don’t care what happens to that country,” I said. “If this country is involved in war, I will go to another.”

I did not want to have anything to do with Percival or its people ever again—especially Angelica, my younger sister.

But Albert knew my personality because of our old friendship.

“Really? Do you really want to keep running away from Angelica like that? Even to the ends of the earth?”

I shuddered at the word “run away.”

I ran away from Percival without a doubt, but it was irritating for anyone to point it out.

I’m a competitive person at heart.

It took me six months to improve my sewing skills to the point where the head seamstress begged me not to quit.

It gave me an ugly callus on my hand, but it’s also a badge of honor symbolizing that I survived on my own.

“It’s time to fight back, isn’t it? You’re not just going to sit there and let Angelica beat you up, are you?”

It was clear that Albert was trying to stir me up.

I knew it, and it was my fault that I couldn’t dismiss it as nonsense.

“I’m sure you’ll agree with me. You must be very tired, and I hope you will take the rest of the day off at the castle. I have prepared a room for you.”

Serge intervened between us, and the meeting for the day came to an end.

I insisted on going home, but the maid of honor, who Serge had arranged for me, cried out that I should not be allowed to go home. I ended up receiving what Serge called “hospitality” that day.