Chapter 55

I was secretly summoned by the King.

It was not a public audience. There were no key retainers present, nor did ceremonial music play. I was shown into the King’s private room.

The King said quietly,

“Lord Leonhart.”

The King looked at me.

“I am considering making you Elysia’s husband.”

The words were gentle, but heavy. For an instant, my breathing stopped.

“That is… an excessive honor.”

“The borders will stabilize. Trade will also be maintained.”

The King’s gaze did not waver.

“You are capable. You know the art of winning without shedding blood.”

Silence fell.

“If welcomed into our Royal Family, you would become the foundation of both countries.”

That was an evaluation, and a political judgment.

I bowed my head deeply.

“His Majesty’s goodwill is an honor greater than I deserve.”

The King waited. I slowly chose my words.

“However,”

The air pulled taut slightly.

“There are still duties I must fulfill in my country.”

The King’s eyes narrowed.

“I made a promise to my older brother. That I would absolutely return.”

It wasn’t a lie. I continued.

“My stay this time is strictly my duty as a temporary envoy.”

I did not raise my head.

“My body is still that of a subject of my country.”

The King fell silent. There was no anger. He was calculating.

“Does a marriage not come to pass without the approval of both countries?”

“That is correct.”

He did not deny it from the front. But he did not nod in agreement either.

The King slowly exhaled.

“You value loyalty?”

“I know no other way to stand.”

A long silence. Eventually, the King said.

“…Very well.”

It was a withdrawal, and at the same time, a test.

“You may return. But remember this.”

The King’s voice lowered.

“The Royal Family will not forget you.”

I bowed deeply.

“I am deeply honored.”

Elysia’s Perspective

Deep inside, in the shadow of the thick woven cloth curtains, Princess Elysia was waiting.

She had been permitted to be there by her father, the King. However, she was not in a position to interject. The King’s voice dropped.

“I am considering making you Elysia’s husband.”

—My heart leapt.

To think he would propose it here. My fingertips grow cold. I reflexively press my chest.

Calm down, I tell myself. This is politics. A marriage is for the country. Nothing more, nothing less.

Silence. And then—

“His Majesty’s goodwill is an honor greater than I deserve.”

Leonhart’s voice. She held her breath and waited for his next words.

“However,”

With that single word, her chest tightened.

“There are still duties I must fulfill in my country.”

Denial. Clearly.

“I made a promise to my older brother. That I would absolutely return.”

Elysia bit her lip. She knew.

That he would say that. That he would choose loyalty. That that was who he was.

But—even so, her heart had ended up hoping. The conversation between the King and Leonhart continued. A quiet exchange.

Eventually, her father the King’s voice softened.

“…Very well.”

It was over. Elysia inhaled deeply.

…But, not yet. A marriage is not decided by one country. If there is a decision by the King of the small country.

Or perhaps.

She quietly moved away from the shadow of the curtains. Making sure not to make any footsteps.

Saying nothing. Showing nothing. As a princess.

She stepped outside the door. The cold air of the corridor touched her cheek.

Elysia did not look back.

Quietly, she left the room.

The King’s Perspective

The door closed.

Beyond the curtains, the faint presence of rustling clothes faded away.

The King did not move his gaze. Eventually, confirming that the presence had completely vanished, the King exhaled deeply. It was a heavy sigh.

“…As I thought, huh.”

He muttered to no one in particular. That instant of silence.

That slight pause. Would he accept the invitation, or retreat?

The King had been watching his breathing.

—And also, the other breathing beyond the curtains.

The moment the rustling of clothes stopped. A suppressed presence.

That is not the quietness of a princess learning academics.

It is the silence of a daughter whose heart was tightening.

The King’s fingers stopped slightly on the desk.

Elysia does not show it on the surface. She has been like that since she was young.

Even if she fell in the garden, she wouldn’t show tears; even if she was scolded by her older brother the Prince, she would bite her lip, and in front of others, she always tried to be a princess.

But, her father knows. That her gaze softens just ever so slightly only when that man’s name comes up.

The King lowered his eyes.

He had half-read that he would probably refuse.

Even so, he voiced it. Would he choose loyalty? Or would he choose ambition?

—And, how far his daughter’s heart was wavering. As a King, he needed to know.

“A subject of my country.”

There was no hesitation in those words. That was not calculation. It was faith.

The King’s mouth relaxed ever so slightly.

He is not a genius, nor is he a hero. What the King desires is not that kind of man. A wise person who works within the King’s order. That is fine.

He is not an unobtainable man. But if pulled by force, he will break.

…Does my daughter have the same temperament?

Elysia is a princess. A diplomatic card, and also a knot to stabilize domestic affairs.

A marriage is not something decided by emotion. He knows that fully well. The King leaned his body deeply into the back of his chair.

“…Shall I let her be free?”

Low, and quietly.

“For now, that is.”

It is not eternal. A man who pierces through with loyalty will not betray.

But, if he learns affection, he may waver.

There is no need to rush.

A marriage is also a key to moving a nation.

Wrinkles naturally gathered between his brows. Political calculations floated up. Marriages with influential nobles. Alliances with neighboring countries. The equilibrium of the succession to the throne.

The King pressed between his brows with one hand. He slowly massaged the stiffened muscles.

The weight of the crown is always there. The more he wants to be a father, the heavier the reality of being a King bears down on him.

After a while, the King closed his eyelids.

“…What a foolish thing.”

But there was no regret in his tone. What he tested was not as a husband. It was as a man. As a general.

And—as an existence that could become a key in the future.

The King straightened his posture once again.

His next government affairs are waiting.

His face as a father ended there.