《The Bewilderment of the Sacrificial Second Princess》


 Chapter 1

    ¡°Haahhh¡­¡±


    Sitting inside the rocking carriage, I let out a sigh. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever return to this country again, and honestly, I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll live to see it.


    Still, I have to go. Because I am the second princess of this country.


    Last year, our Fatenam Empire and the neighboring Kingdom of Vallatenear had a war, and Vallatenear won.


    Since it was not a war of conquest, a peace treaty was signed, and one of the clauses of the treaty was to send a princess from the Fatenam Empire as a bride.


    I was the second princess, with my eldest sister being the first princess and my younger sister the third. In addition to them, I also have two older brothers. The First Prince and the Second Prince.


    The Kingdom of Vallatenear only has two princes, so naturally, the two princes were excluded. And among the three princesses, I, Claire Fatenam, was chosen.


    I know why I was chosen.


    My older sister, Bianca, who was two years older than me, was praised as immensely beautiful, charismatic, and a perfectly educated lady. I¡¯m not sure about her personality¡­ But it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if she were to marry off to a high-ranking noble.


    And my younger sister, Lilia, who was one year younger than me, was lovely and charming, and her ladylike education was perfect too. Her personality¡­ Well, it was dubious¡­ But, there wouldn¡¯t be any problem if she marries a high-ranking noble or into a vassal state of our empire.


    As for me, I am not particularly beautiful or cute, and I have the most difficult personality as a result of the disapproving looks I¡¯ve received from above and below for as long as I can remember. I have no affection or charm. The deadpan expression on my face could be said to be a setback for my ladylike education and to be honest, my posture was not good either, that my tutor even gave up on me.


    So instead of continuing that ladylike education, I became absorbed in my studies. My parents, two brothers, and sisters told me that although I had read most of the books in the royal library and had dabbled in books from other countries, even if I was fluent in languages, history, economics, politics, and art, such things were not expected of a woman. I agree with them.


    But, what choice do I have?


    You are not beautiful, my eldest sister said.


    Elder sister, you¡¯re not very good at smiling, aren¡¯t you? My younger sister curled her lip.


    My parents and siblings criticized me for not being beautiful or lovelier enough, and since I wasn¡¯t competitive in appearance, my older and younger sister always ridiculed me.


    Gray eyes and wavy, almost white hair. This blurry face is hazy in front of the bright blonde hair and ruby eye color of my older and younger sisters. My face is neither beautiful nor lovely. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ugly, but I still think I¡¯m the worst looking of us sisters. To be honest, I don¡¯t know much about beauty and ugliness.


    I was the first choice for my parents as a sacrifice to be given away, they don¡¯t care about what I loved to do, even when I talked back to them that I¡¯m devoted to studying, and thus¡­


    (I wanted to marry someone in the bureaucracy in the future and work as a bureaucrat myself¡­)


    Here I am, about to marry into the enemy country, unable to fulfill even the slightest of such dreams.


    The reason for the war was¡­ The Fatenam Empire has several vassal states, but the Kingdom of Vallatenear was large enough to be a colony, with an armful of grain-producing regions and the sea just on the other side of the country.


    The kingdom of Vallatenear was a colony under the empire of Fatenam a few generations earlier, but because of the nature of the land, which was different from the Fatenam Empire, which resulted in open trading activities, it gained strength, launched a war for independence, and successfully became independent.


    So, although the countries were not on bad terms with each other, to begin with¡­ They would definitely not welcome a palanquin from a country that has looked down on them until now.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped. I may die, but I can bear it if I think it is for the good of the people. Though it made me depressed, knowing that I¡¯m also doing it for my parents and siblings.


    ¡°Haaahhh¡­¡±


    The carriage is almost reaching the border.


    And just like that, I left my homeland with a sigh for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

 Chapter 2

    We changed carriages at the border.


    Naturally, because our countries¡¯ capitals are so far apart, I had packed my belongings for the long journey.


    I was told to only bring the clothes on my back, but I didn¡¯t want to be inconvenienced if I didn¡¯t have a change of clothes, so, being a princess, I brought a lot of clothes, shoes, and jewelry.


    I really wanted to bring at least one copy of the book, but the Fatenam Empire had prohibited anyone from bringing any knowledge into the Kingdom of Vallatenear since the time it colonized the kingdom a few generations ago. To put it another way, bringing in any books to Vallatenear is forbidden.


    It was thanks to the word of mouth of those who came as colonists and the existing knowledge of the Vallatenear Kingdom itself, that the kingdom grew, learned military strategies and tactics, and won its freedom.


    If I had free access to books and documents in the Kingdom of Vallatenear, I would have certainly run for this marriage myself.


    While I was thinking about this, the transshipment of the luggage was finished, and I prepared to board the carriage, knowing that my life was now in the hands of the Kingdom of Vallatenear.


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°Welcome to Vallatenear, Claire! I couldn¡¯t wait to come and pick you up since I knew you were coming to our country.¡±


    For a servant, he looked well-dressed and attractive. His skin was white, with short red hair, and eyes the color of the setting sun. He also appeared to be a few years older than me, who was 17 right now.


    Even when seated, his tall and toned physique was hard to hide. He also spoke in the Fatenam Empire¡¯s language without any accent.


    Seeing that I had frozen at the entrance to the carriage, he gently took my hand and, strangely enough, with ease, put his hand around my waist and lifted me up to sit across from him


    It was a strange sensation, without any kind of load. As if I¡¯m floating lightly. And then I found myself seated down firmly in front of him.


    ¡°Forgive me for the late introduction. I am Aglia Vallatenear, the crown prince of this country and your husband-to-be. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Claire.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m catching up on everything, but are you really His Highness Aglia? The crown prince? Does that mean I¡¯m going to be the crown princess?¡±


    I expected to marry the second prince or anyone who would not succeed to the throne, but here I am, the future queen. Hearing that I would be marrying the handsome man in front of me, I was really surprised, as I had no confidence in my education or amiability.


    If that¡¯s the case, my older sister Bianca and younger sister Lilia would have happily married into this country in my place. Though, why do I feel like he¡¯s awfully friendly and welcoming?


    Am I not a hostage? Or am I a sacrifice to be killed as a warning that if Fatenam breaks the peace again, they will kill my entire family the next time?


    And he talked as if he knew I was coming.


    ¡°Um¡­ How did you know I was coming?¡±


    ¡°Claire is basically a celebrity in my country. I really wanted to request for you, but, well, you know, my country wants to get information from your country. Isn¡¯t that also why your country sent you here? That¡¯s just how those people work.¡±


    ¡°Um, yes¡­ It¡¯s an unspoken agreement¡­ Eh?¡±


    The carriage began to move forward without regard to my confusion. This area was near the national border and had once served as a battlefield (of course, some of the lands were taken by the Kingdom of Vallatenear), and although it looked like it was made of solidified soil, the road was even enough.


    This carriage too, if anything, was better than the one that sent me off. And so, as I sat inside the less shaky carriage, facing the crown prince, His Royal Highness Prince Aglia, the man who would become my husband¡­ I let out an awkward smile.


    ¡°The journey will take a few days, but I will not inconvenience you. So, Claire, just take your time getting accustomed. In the meantime, I¡¯d be delighted to have a conversation with you so that we can get to know one another.¡±


    ¡°Thank¡­ you¡­?¡±


    Huh, I guess I am not a hostage or a sacrifice¡­ And yet, he wanted to request me?


    I couldn¡¯t grasp his intentions, but for the time being, I seemed to be welcomed here.


    TN: For now, the update schedule is 4 chapters per month¡­ It might change in the future, but well¡­

 Chapter 3

    We stopped in the town several times on the way to the capital of the Kingdom of Vallatenear, where the royal castle is located.


    I roamed around the town freely, where there were a lot of upscale inns and restaurants that served local delicacies. But I don¡¯t see any libraries or bookstores. No maps were being sold either.


    When I asked this to His Highness Aglia, he laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a paper manufacturing system in this country, so we still use parchment or wooden slips. If only we could get the citizens to use paper¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ You did not obtain paper through trade?¡±


    ¡°Yes, paper is not part of the traded goods. Neither is ink. Since we don¡¯t use them very often¡­¡±


    I thought for a moment. The Kingdom of Vallatenear has vast forests, and if anything, they grow crops on the plains between the mountains.


    None of their mountains and hills were barren, and the dense coniferous forest1 was easily recognizable even from a distance. To produce paper, there would be no need to cut down that many trees. Besides, if we reforest it right away, the forest would return to its former glory in less than ten years.


    We also have to consider the damage caused by wild animals if we are going to cut down the forests gradually to make paper, since there are people who make a living from grain and dairy farming. Though I have the knowledge, this matter wasn¡¯t something where I can just say, ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    I can¡¯t make any bold claims until I learn more about the Kingdom of Vallatenear.


    ¡°I like books. I looked at general stores in this town and I believe that paper processing technology wouldn¡¯t be a problem. We¡¯re still going to have to clear up some issues¡­ But, it¡¯s not impossible to make papers more widely available in this country.¡±


    And I would love to read a book about the oral knowledge of this kingdom. I would gladly read it.


    His Highness Aglia looked at me blankly. Perhaps he was taken aback because I had suddenly started talking about spreading paper.


    ¡°M-My apologies, I didn¡¯t mean to overstep¡­!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case. That¡¯s not it, Claire. You¡­ Do you know how to make paper? And the necessary equipment?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Um, yes, I can draw the plans as well. It¡¯s not that difficult to construct¡ª¡±


    I didn¡¯t manage to finish the rest of the sentence.


    I was frozen in place, my face furious red from embarrassment, when His Highness Aglia suddenly hugged me.


    I had read most of the books in the palace. Its contents are all in my head. If you have parchments and woodcuts¡­ I escaped reality, desperately wishing for him to release me.


    With a pat on my back, he finally released me.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Claire! I¡¯m really glad you came! Let¡¯s talk more about the paper again at the royal castle. Ah, also if there¡¯s anything you want, please let me know. I¡¯ll make it happen as long as it¡¯s within my power.¡±


    ¡°¡­?? I-I understand.¡±


    I¡¯m really happy, but¡­ it¡¯s still strange.


    I can¡¯t get used to His Highness¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m glad this, I¡¯m glad that¡± attitude.


    But this was only the beginning.

 Chapter 4

    ¡°Does Claire know about our country¡¯s trade goods?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m knowledgeable about them. Southern silk is a rarity in my homeland, but it is produced in this kingdom. You also export grain to neighboring countries and act as a middleman, distributing gold and silver mined in the nearby rocky mountains to the small countries across the sea. Despite being a small country, the craftsmanship of these countries of art is excellent, so I guess they use their profit from the sales of their crafts to buy the silkworms and silk workers?¡±


    This is about all I can come up with from looking at a map and learning about each country¡¯s history. My father wondered why, but it¡¯s just a matter of location.


    That being the case, there are countries near the Fatenam Empire where pyroxene can be extracted. Furthermore, there is a country across the sea that produces pearls, and we could also buy silkworms and hire craftsmen from there. But unfortunately, my country was more interested in invading other countries than trading. If we keep doing it just because we¡¯re a little stronger, it¡¯ll only be a matter of time before we trample down civilization at the same time.


    The Kingdom of Vallatenear was a country with fertile lands. Frankly, I was actually glad that they became independent.


    The other vassal states were small. It would be sad to see the good parts of the country disappear, devoured by the Fatenam Empire.


    Of course, the Fatenam Empire¡¯s technology was useful in the construction of roads, water and sewage systems, public bathhouses, and so on. Jobs were also created, and the colony was not prohibited from teaching many things through oral tradition.


    But, the upper part of the Fatenam Empire was composed of the good and the evil.


    Ah, I realized. I have spoken at length, but the prince hasn¡¯t said anything. This is embarrassing. This is the kind of unladylike side that my sisters would always make fun of. On top of that, I even got lost in my thoughts.


    I automatically hunched my back and hung my head down in embarrassment. Sigh, how could I have treated the victorious country¡¯s crown prince in such a manner?


    ¡°I¡­ Please pardon me¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡±


    I looked up at his voice.


    His sunset-colored eyes widened in surprise, but his gaze was soft and gentle, smiling.


    (Did he¡­ Listen to my ramble?)


    This was the reason I was told to be more ladylike, yet he listened carefully to my ramble? I looked at him unblinkingly, surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here either way¡­ Come on, we¡¯re at the castle. From today on, this is your country, your home, and you are my wife. Let¡¯s hold the ceremony when you¡¯re more settled and accustomed.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­!¡±


    Outside the carriage was a vast garden, and behind it was a castle with a left-wing and a right-wing, each with several floors. The ground floor had no rooms on the surface, but instead was a corridor facing outward, supported by thick, artistically carved stone pillars.


    There was a gate to the entrance in a slightly secluded area, and the carriage went around the fountain and proceeded under its column. If it¡¯s like this, even on a rainy day, my dress wouldn¡¯t get dirty.


    ¡°What a lovely castle¡­!¡±


    ¡°Is it to your liking? I hope you¡¯ll like the room too¡­ Of course, we¡¯re in separate rooms, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    For a moment, I didn¡¯t understand what was being said, then blushed when I realized what he was referring to.


    He¡¯s such an embarrassing prince¡­ My confusion didn¡¯t end here.

 Chapter 5

    His Highness Aglia then led me into the castle, where we were greeted by a line of servants with their heads bowed.


    This¡­ We¡¯re in the enemy country, aren¡¯t we? Aren¡¯t I supposed to be a despised woman from a defeated country who is marrying into this country? I manage to resist the urge to pinch my own cheeks.


    It¡¯s been a year since the war ended, and even though they won, both sides must still be nursing deep wounds. I came here expecting to have my head chopped off at any moment, but somehow, they seemed very welcoming¡­?


    ¡°Welcome back, Your Highness Crown Prince and Your Highness Crown Princess!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m home. Claire is a little overwhelmed, so please, let¡¯s not do this today. Now, Claire, You must be exhausted from the long journey, right? I¡¯ll show you to your room, and you should try to get some rest today. Also, we¡¯re having a banquet in the morning, so please plan accordingly.¡°


    ¡°Y-yes, Your Highness Aglia.¡±


    I am absolutely overwhelmed.


    I¡¯ve never been treated like this, not even in the Fatenam Empire. Moreover, is it really all right to go straight to bed after we arrive, without even greeting His Majesty the King?


    Somehow, I feel like I¡¯m being treated terribly well¡­ but, I don¡¯t remember doing anything for this country. Besides, I had never met His Highness Aglia before, and there was no element of favoritism in the short itinerary.


    I am neither beautiful nor pretty, neither amiable nor charming, nor do I stand up to men as a lady. Not knowing what on earth was going on or why I was so welcome, the smiling Crown Prince waved his hand and I was immediately ushered by an amiable servant to my room.


    The room was very spacious, cozy, and furnished in soothing colors, and I came to realize that this coziness was due to the use of furniture and wallpaper from the Fatenam Empire for the interior. After being treated so well, I still had my doubts about being sneak attacked, but I was the princess of a war-torn country, after all. I can¡¯t let my guard down yet, I thought.


    I unpacked what I had brought and put things away in the walk-in closet. I took a quick peek and found a pile of clothes that I wished I hadn¡¯t brought.


    I was really exhausted that day, so the maid gave me a bath and massaged my stiff body from the carriage ride before I went to bed.


    The next day, as soon as I wake up, the maid comes in and opens the curtains. Un, this country is really strange. It wasn¡¯t a dream.


    I washed my face and got ready. Back in my homeland, my sisters made fun of me for dressing up too much, so I didn¡¯t do it, but the maids here got me ready without any time for me to stop them.


    They guided me and finished dressing me up with compliments I had never heard before, such as, ¡°Your skin and hair are beautifully white, so let¡¯s put a little brighter color on your face,¡± or, ¡°Your dress is gorgeous,¡± or, ¡°You have a nice figure.¡±


    Because it was a banquet, there was no corset to constrict, but instead a wide-open collar for comfort, and it was adorned with fine light silverwork ornaments made in a country with which the Kingdom of Vallatenear traded.


    I couldn¡¯t help my bad posture, but the maid told me that would be taken care of in due course, and I could only let out a strained smile at the sight of my reflection in the full-length mirror.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Melissa, Gwenna, and Millie. Thanks to you, I look a little better now.¡°


    I thanked the three maids who have followed me since last night, saying I¡¯m looking forward to them taking care of me again, and they looked at each other, eyes rounded in surprise.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ remembered our names¡­?¡±


    ¡°? You told me yesterday, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m going to be in your care from now on, so once again, please take care of me.¡°


    When I tilted my head back at Gwenna, who had asked on behalf of the girls, they looked at each other again and nodded their heads.


    ¡°We will serve you with our whole heart.¡±


    ¡°Ah, t-thank you.¡±


    When they said it again like that, I was somewhat surprised and sat up straight.


    And then, the three of them led me to the banquet hall.

 Chapter 6

    ¡°Thank you for coming! Let us raise a glass to Lady Claire¡¯s marriage into our country!¡±


    When I sat down at the seat of honor in the banquet hall, people had already gathered. Most of the dignitaries are gathered today and are sitting next to His Majesty and the Queen, along with His Highness Aglia.


    I realized I hadn¡¯t properly greeted the king and queen, so I attempted to rise to do so, but was stopped. I was told that because it was an informal gathering, I could remain seated.


    ¡°I am honored to make your acquaintance, Your Majesties. Please accept my apologies for failing to greet you yesterday. My name is Claire, the Second Princess of the Fatenam Empire and the bride-to-be¡­ Um, please excuse my ignorance, but may I inquire as to why you are so welcoming?¡±


    I guess everyone knew it was an informal party, but everyone was raising their glasses. ¡°Cheers to Crown Princess Claire!¡± was said here and there throughout the seating area. I¡¯ve lost track of the number of toasts being made.


    ¡°Very well, but really, we¡¯re delighted to have you here, Lady Claire. As you may be aware, our country has gained independence, but we are still lacking in reconstruction and future development¡­ And in order to do so, we need knowledge. I believe you¡¯ve heard from Aglia that there are spies in our country, my lady, and you were frequently mentioned in the information we obtained. In our country, you are called¡­ A person with overflowing knowledge.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Because there are no books here, development is limited to the craftsmen¡¯s techniques and education, which can be passed down by word of mouth.


    Things can progress from there if even one thing can be done. However, the Kingdom of Vallatenear was originally a colony. It¡¯s been a few generations now, so while there are a few books on their country¡¯s history, etc., many of the stories are likely to have been left out due to a lack of paper-making technology.


    I finally understood. That¡¯s why I was very welcomed. I have, at least, most of the Fatenam Empire¡¯s knowledge in my head.


    Perhaps my father sent me to this country because he believed they only wanted our country¡¯s blood, and while I do love my motherland¡­ I don¡¯t have much love for my family.


    ¡°Father, if you said it like that, she would misunderstand. ¨CClaire, we¡¯ll talk about this later. The reason I wanted you.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s true, too. I was planning to criticize and make them change it if they sent anyone other than Lady Claire. That aside, my country welcomes you, Lady Claire. Aglia, in particular, was enthusiastic.¡±


    ¡°Father.¡±


    Does His Highness Aglia have any other reason?


    It¡¯s enough for me to know why I¡¯m not being killed or mistreated, and I¡¯m relieved that I¡¯ll be able to live in peace, but I wonder, when we¡¯ve only just met, what other reasons could there be?


    When I unconsciously looked at the prince, he smiled as if to get out of this situation. A smile from such a good-looking person is bad for my heart.


    Well, I am safe and needed anyway. This should work out well for me in this country.


    With that sense of relief, I tipped the glass that was in my hand and began to get to the food.


    I spent the day enjoying the banquet, conversing with Her Highness the Queen while His Highness Aglia conversed with His Majesty.


    I think I was right not to wear a corset today.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Claire. Did you have fun?¡°


    ¡°Ah, Your Highness. Yes, it was very enjoyable for me. In that regard, Your Highness, I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve seen His Highness, the second prince; may I inquire as to where he is?¡°


    ¡°My younger brother is in the order of knighthood. He even almost gave up his title, saying he¡¯d certainly become a knight commander. Well, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll see him sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I stepped out onto the banquet hall¡¯s terrace, exposing my cheeks to the night breeze, which was hot from the rowdiness of the banquet behind me.


    The party has been going on since a while ago. And with the arrival of the orchestra and dancers, the atmosphere becomes increasingly lively.


    They talked to me a lot. I had answered the questions properly, but I wonder if I really hadn¡¯t ruined the atmosphere of the banquet.


    Prince Aglia draped his jacket over my shoulders unexpectedly. When I looked at him, I noticed he was smiling and looking at me.


    I feel like I know something about this person¡­ No, I definitely know him.


    ¡°That¡­ boy from back then!¡±


    ¡°You finally remember?¡±


    The first time I met Prince Aglia was when a delegation from a colonized country came to the Fatenam Empire for an audience three years ago.


    Telling outsiders any form of knowledge is forbidden.


    The policy of the Fatenam Empire toward the delegations was carried out thoroughly and without exception.


    Engineers for water and sewage systems, roads, architecture, bathhouses, and the like are dispatched to the new lands to help the colonists establish a livelihood so that they do not have to struggle in the new lands. They can also settle in there if they wish.


    And the trade in the Kingdom of Vallatenear. This is all done under the supervision of officials of the Empire. There is no prohibition on trading in goods, but bringing in knowledge is forbidden.


    For example, if an ornamental artisan from across the sea wanted to emigrate to Vallatenear, they would be turned away. It was only after the war was won that they were ready to start sericulture.


    Craftsmen are also counted as knowledge. And then, the delegation from the Kingdom of Vallatenear arrived three years ago, led by the King of Vallatenear himself, his aides, and his son, Prince Aglia.


    I was 17 years old and the prince was 18. At the time, he should have been a 15-year-old boy. The prince, who had grown taller and more mature, and the boy, who had been crying at the time, finally overlapped.


    ¡°That time, Claire, you really saved my life¡­ Everyone knows. I know there are spies in the room, that¡¯s why I can¡¯t say it out in the open.¡±


    On the terrace of the banquet hall, we can certainly talk without being overheard by others.


    At the time, I had this person carry a book hidden away. I made him take off his clothes and wrap a few sheets of paper around his body, just transcribing the pages he needed.


    It was a medical book. I had almost finished reading all the books in the imperial palace¡­ At that time, the reason why the King of Vallatenear came to the audience in person¡­ It was because of a disease.


    In various places, people were falling ill due to a disease that was similar to an infectious disease but could not be called that.


    The audience¡¯s topic was a request for a physician to be dispatched to fix this. My father, however, did not listen.


    And it was in the imperial palace¡¯s garden that I saw an unfamiliar red-haired boy crying. The voice of the boy, who was far too big to be called a boy, was muffled.


    No one but me knows exactly what books are stored in the royal palace. Even the librarian, who may vaguely recall the location but not the contents.


    Vallatenear is a grain-producing region surrounded by mountains with a trading port. It¡¯s abundant in natural resources, and both marine and mountain products can be obtained there.


    Then I heard about the disease. I asked the boy about the sudden increase in people collapsing and having trouble breathing when they eat their food. And then about the rashes. He told me that some of the people who had difficulty breathing died just like that.


    And after hearing the symptoms, it finally came to my mind. Wheat allergy.


    The grain-producing region, fortunately, grows both rice and wheat. What the Kingdom of Vallatenear does not have is a rich river. The narrow rivers that flowed from the mountains to the sea and formed borders with neighboring countries did not produce enough river fish for them to become widespread among the people.


    Fortunately, there is an ocean, but the fishing was poor due to bad tides that year, and not enough dried fish made it to the country.


    Fish gives one allergy resistance. In addition, because it¡¯s a grain-producing area, what they inevitably eat is meat and grain¡­ And wheat, which yields a more abundant harvest than rice. And then there was also old wheat.


    Eating the same food in large quantities can cause allergic symptoms. It was thought to be an outbreak of an illness that had been suppressed by fish, all at once. There were also cases where it was caused by mite-infested old wheat that had been stored improperly.


    Fearing that I¡¯d made a mistake because I¡¯d only identified it based on what I¡¯d heard, I tucked a dozen or so of the relevant pages into the boy¡¯s body.


    Although there is no physical examination, such as taking one¡¯s clothes off, they do search your luggage.


    He told me that the paper I gave him led to measures being taken to reduce the likelihood of allergic symptoms. Rice is now Vallatenear¡¯s staple food, while wheat is exported.


    ¡°Claire, do you remember what you said to me then?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I was frantic at the time, so all I remember is telling you to remove your clothes¡­¡±


    ¡°Fufu¡­ You are really brave. Back then¡­ You told me this, ¡®Crying won¡¯t solve anything. If you want to be able to be happy with no worries, you have to get stronger.¡¯¡±


    I am now ashamed that I said such a pretentious thing. The reason I was devoted to my studies was that they made me feel empowered, despite the fact that my older sister, younger sister, and family had always treated me as an embarrassment.


    ¡°Do you remember what I said back to you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say¡­ Please forgive me.¡±


    My back hunched up once more. Prince Aglia drew his hand behind his back and looked me in the eyes.


    ¡°When I can laugh, I want you to marry me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡°


    ¡°You smiled back at me, saying, ¡®Only if you can learn to laugh and come for me.¡¯ And here we are.¡±


    I was so arrogant and rude. It¡¯s truly a travesty of ladylike education.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Claire. I¡¯ve lived my entire life with your encouragement. That¡¯s why, once again, I would like to ask you to marry me.¡°


    The prince took my hand and kneeled.


    ¡°I can laugh now. So, will you marry me?¡°


    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±


    How else can I answer that?


    The night breeze, the sounds of the banquet, the lights, and the smile that adorned this person¡¯s face.


    ¡­ I¡¯m glad I came here as a sacrifice.

 Chapter 8

    The day after the party, I spent the entire day in bed because I couldn¡¯t move at all. I ate and drank too much. The physician told me to stop eating too much, so I drank a digestive decoction to help me digest the meal fast.


    Melissa informed me that a banquet day like this occurs whenever there is a special occasion. As one might expect, the guards and commoners could not celebrate it equally, but the soldiers would be given liquors and feasts on different days, and the commoners would have a week of festivals to commemorate the occasion, which is held twice a year.


    ¡°I wonder if you and the others also have anything similar to that, Melissa¡­?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go to town during the festival week to have a good time. We will also receive payments and have alternate days off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, then,¡± was what I thought, as I drank up the decoction and dozed off to sleep.


    The following morning, I got dressed right away after waking up feeling refreshed. I¡¯ve been spoiled since I arrived in this country, but I¡¯m going to be the crown princess, so I¡¯ll have to work hard on my bridal training.


    First, I visited the king¡¯s office, where the prince was also present.


    ¡°Please excuse my interruption¡ª Please allow me to reintroduce myself, Your Majesty. My name is Claire, and I¡¯ve recently arrived from the Fatenam Empire to become the prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e. I will do everything in my power to serve this country.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Claire, you can ease up on the formalities. Feel free to treat me as your father-in-law and my wife as your mother-in-law. Aglia, what is Claire¡¯s schedule?¡±


    His Majesty calmly nodded and spoke warmly to me. He then turned to the prince and inquired about my schedule.


    Huh? Why the prince? If it¡¯s my schedule, I¡¯m sure the maids knew I¡¯d be focusing my efforts on my ladylike education from now on¡­?


    ¡°Yes, Father. First, after inspecting all departments, we will ask Claire to establish a new department. Depending on what is inspected, this will be the critical position to fill in the areas where this country is lacking. I¡¯ll delegate full authority to Claire, but Lord Balk will fill in with the necessary knowledge of our country.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, Lord Balk certainly will be a perfect escort. Although it would add a little more work for us.¡±


    ¡°May I ask you to wait for a while?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t resist interrupting.


    Key positions in an enemy country¡­ Moreover, someone from the country that had treated this country as a vassal state, no matter how many wars we had lost¡­ Me? Key positions? No, no, considering the feelings of those working in the field, isn¡¯t this a bad decision¡­


    Furthermore, an escort who also doubles as an aide? They called him lord, that means he¡¯s a nobleman, right? Why?


    I thought all I needed was bridal training.


    ¡°I thought all I needed was bridal training¡­?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from speaking my mind.


    The king and prince looked at me, surprised, but it was I who should have been surprised.


    ¡°Is there really anything else you need to get better at when you¡¯re already such a wonderful person?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you have good manners and conversational skills. What are you concerned about when you also maintain an impeccable demeanor?¡±


    I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but I was nicknamed1 ¡°The Defeater of Ladylike Education¡± in my homeland.


    ¡°¡±


    After seriously considering whether the standards in the Fatenam Empire and the Kingdom of Vallatenear differed, I changed my mind. If that is what is needed in this kingdom, I will do whatever is required of me.


    ¡°I understand. I will act according to the plan.¡±


    ¡°If you believe something is incorrect or that something should be done differently, please discuss it with the department head. Also¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t flirt with Lord Balk, okay? Tonight¡¯s dinner is at seven o¡¯clock. We¡¯ll have tea after that. Please take Lady Claire to Lord Balk.¡±


    You don¡¯t have to be concerned about me cheating on you after you proposed the day before yesterday! I wanted to scream at him, but I knew I¡¯d be busy after this.


    I bowed, a bitter expression on my face, and one of the bureaucrats escorted me to Lord Balk.