I Tamed My Ex-Husband’s Mad Dog - Episode 31
In any case, it was natural for Princess Canary to feel uncomfortable about attending the audience, no matter what the Crown Prince did or said. She wore a beautiful and resplendent dress. That, too, was aligned with Michael’s taste.
The Emperor had never referred to Princess Canary as the Crown Princess. At least in front of her. Well, since it looked like it was because she seemed to have traded the Crown Prince’s right leg for such a position, she thought it was worth it. Seeing her enter the room with the Prince, the Emperor raised his eyebrows but said nothing. Michael triumphantly took the seat next to the Emperor, and Princess Canary took a step behind him.
Michael ended up saying something at the sight of her timid appearance.
“Why is your head down like that? Raise your head. You are my chosen wife.”
“Yes…”
Princess Canary raised her chin calmly.
The sapphire necklace around her neck shone brilliantly in the light. Michael was also standing today. In an ordinary audience, he was always seated, but today he seemed to want to stand. That should be the case, in front of that Reinhardt Linke. The Emperor glanced at the two disapprovingly and opened his mouth.
“Bring the lord of Luden and her knight.”
“Yes.”
Soon the door opened. Princess Canary looked nervous as the three entered the hall door. The one who stood at the forefront was Count Murray. Because he was the Emperor’s confidant, he was often seen from a distance.
Followed by Reinhardt Delphina Linke.
She was the woman Michael pushed away.
She was very different from what Princess Canary remembered. When Reinhardt was Crown Princess, she always wore a light crown over her elaborately braided hair. All her blonde hair was adorned with dazzling jewels, which the ladies-in-waiting used to struggle with.
Yes, like the Princess now.
Princess Canary inherited all the maids who served Reinhardt. It was funny, but it was also normal. Thus, Princess Canary had the same hairdo as Reinhardt, whom she had seen from afar when she was a mere hostage. A silver crown was placed on her hair that was carefully braided.
On the other hand, what about Reinhardt? Princess Canary was a little surprised. Reinhardt had tied her hair together like a lady. No effort was put into her hair. When Reinhardt opened her eyes in the morning, she simply tied a black ribbon around her hair, like a woman who had to go out to earn something to eat tomorrow. Her long waist-length hair was also cut halfway between her wing shoulder blades.
It was something that Reinhardt, who was really busy, roughly cut. Princess Canary felt that it was too shabby. So she, the Princess, had to work hard to not close her eyes. In fact, Princess Canary had always suffered from a strange ambivalence toward her.
She felt sorry for the woman who lost her father and her position because of her and was kicked out.
Her own selfishness, which nonetheless forced her out, and her slight sense of triumph.
The Princess’s gaze blurred.
Having met by chance in the little evergreen palace where the hostages lived, she knew for sure that the strange man who was curious about her was the already-married Prince. Nevertheless, the Princess of Canary always repeated to herself that she had no choice but to teach the man her name and smile. It was better to look at the poison her father gave her every night than to fall asleep.
“Stand strong.”
Michael murmured. Princess Canary flinched and regained her focus. Reinhardt was still walking slowly towards their side.
Amaryllis Hall was the largest in the Imperial Palace in the Imperial capital. It was so large and wide that it took a long time to walk from the entrance to the Emperor. So, Princess Canary was able to take a close look at Reinhardt again.
And soon, she realized why Michael was talking to her like that. She was soon to be dubbed the Great Lord, and yet the woman was wearing a black dress without a single adornment.
If she were an ordinary lord today, it would be a very honourable position. She deserved to wear beautiful and colourful clothes because she was a sergeant who united numerous territories and was named the Great Lord of the Empire. That was why Michael also dressed her up as the Princess of Canary. No matter what kind of nice clothes Reinhardt wore, the Princess’ shine should never be dimmed.
However, Reinhardt was dressed as black as darkness. From the collar, lapels, sleeves and waist, to the hem of the dress. A shabby and sharp dress with no frills on the sleeves.
She was mourning.
Reinhardt was expressing with her whole body that this was not a place to celebrate the joy, but a place to remind them of her father’s death.
“She is still doing unlucky things.”
Michael muttered that and winked at Princess Canary as well.
“Keep your head upright.”
“…Yes.”
The Princess tightened her chin. But would Reinhardt care about her? It still occurred to her…
Everyone who entered Amaryllis Hall tended to sprint impatiently at the thought that the Emperor was waiting for them. Amaryllis Hall was majestic with high ceilings, and the strictly managed interior decoration and scale also contributed to it.
However, Reinhardt was walking leisurely with an arrogant attitude as if she were the owner of this place. As if she had seen the Emperor dozens of times before…
Ah. The Princess realized at that moment where Reinhardt’s confidence came from. That was it… That woman was the one who had called this Imperial castle her home for at least six years. So she has no choice but to relax. This was not her first time within Amaryllis Hall.
So she guessed Reinhardt could do whatever she wanted.
But then why the hell was her own husband, who had been calling this place his home for close to 30 years, like this?
The Princess looked to her side. Michael was staring at Reinhardt with a crackling sound.
Princess Canary looked forward again.
‘Five years… he hates her, and it could be because of that.’
It could be. He lost her right leg to that woman. It is surprising that it only ended with an enormous amount of compensation. Of course, Michael did not want to leave the Luden estate alone, so he even strengthened the conscription order. All while being hated by his father. But the next moment, Princess Canary thought of something else.
‘Then why is that woman so calm?’
Reinhardt stabbed Michael in the right leg and paralyzed it. But in turn, she had lost everything. Family, clan, property and enlisted soldiers, knights… If the size of her anger was proportional to the loss, she should have been more angry and nervous than the current Prince was. The Princess barely restrained her desire to lower her head.
Perhaps she had a vessel many times larger than that of the one who was her then-husband…
It was obvious to anyone watching. However, that did not mean that the Princess could not lower her head in front of Reinhardt Linke. If she showed even the slightest oddity now, she would be directly connected to the prestige problem of the Imperial family. To be precise, it would go against Michael’s feelings.
While Princess Canary pulled her chin as she thought so, Lord Luden’s party eventually walked right in front of the Emperor’s platform. Count Murray greeted the Emperor with his signature dazzling gesture.
“Long live the supreme and honourable Emperor of Alanquez. I brought Reinhardt Delphina Faydon, Lord of Luden.”
Faydon. It was to deliberately remove Linke’s name from her and to call her using the family name of the Viscountess of Luden, whom she now inherited from. It was part of an act of trying to suppress the flag in front of the emperor. The Princess of Canary examined Reinhardt’s face without realizing it. There was no movement in her modest face without a makeup
‘She is here to get Linke’s name back anyway.’
“Viscountess Reinhardt Delphina Faydon. Nice to meet you.”
“Long live the supreme and honourable Emperor of Alanquez. I greet Your Majesty.”
The Emperor was briefly beaten. Reinhardt also responded quickly. Count Mulray then introduced the man behind him.
“Wilhelm. He doesn’t have a last name, but he’s a genius who served as a temporary knight for Viscountess Faydon.”
Only then did the man behind Reinhardt take a step forward. Princess Canary involuntarily blinked her eyes quickly. It was because the presence of the man who finally came out was enormous.
‘I haven’t seen a man like him.’
Princess Canary couldn’t take her eyes off the man, even though she thought that she hadn’t seen him because she was staring at Reinhardt. The face of the man who raised his head very slowly…
“Wil…helm.”
The Emperor groaned as he called the man’s name in a low voice. Probably because the man was very young and handsome.
Princess Canary thought so and involuntarily held the hem of her skirt lightly. There was a rustle, but no one pointed out her nervous gestures. That was how big the man’s presence was. He was one head taller than Reinhardt Linke, and so was the uniform in which he was dressed entirely in black.
Like knights who often go before kings, he wore a ceremonial cloak over a light black jacket. He was tall and broad-shouldered like ordinary knights, but he had a sleeker appearance than them. It was probably because of the way they moved gracefully without sound, unlike the knights who were bound to make loud noises. So did his black hair and black eyes. It was a common colour in the Empire and in Canary, her hometown, but somehow the Princess thought that the frozen peak of the Pram Mountains was sitting in the snow of the black eyes.
In Canary, those coloured eyes were called the abyss. Those eyes looked inside the other person. The man looked up at the Emperor, kneeled down, greeted him, and then looked at the Crown Prince. It was only natural for a commoner to do so.
Princess Canary involuntarily noticed that her hands were sweating. After the Crown Prince…
In a natural order, the man’s gaze returned to her as well.
A cold yet calm gaze.
Pounding.
Her heart thumped. It was only a very brief moment.
And in the next moment, Princess Canary flinched. After the man looked at her, he smiled lightly.
The corners of his lips curled up in a mocking manner, then parted brightly. White teeth appeared, but soon after, he closed his eyes slightly and opened them to look at the Princess again. That series of movements was slowly and slowly imprinted on the Princess. It was as if he was trying to capture Princess Canary in his gaze from head to toe.
His eyes were blinding. It was close to the chill of the cold, shining star of dawn. However, he bowed his head right after that to show his respect, so it was instant that his eyes were covered by his black hair.
Ah. Princess Canary almost moaned in pity the moment his gaze disappeared.
“Long live the supreme and honourable Emperor of Alanquez. I greet Your Majesty.”
“…How old are you?”
“Viscount Faldon…?”
Expertly, Count Murray, who was about to recite the next order, hesitated. It was because the Emperor asked the young man without waiting for Count Murray’s order. A young man named Wilhelm seemed to know that somehow, and replied while looking at the Emperor with a smile on his lips.
“I am twenty this year.”
Twenty.
Canary shuddered at that young and fresh age.
The princess, who had just turned twenty-four, felt that this was the first love of her poor life.
As everyone’s first love was, it was a tragedy from the start.
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