NOVEL WEB Chapter 20 - Expectation (9)
Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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According to Amelia, it was customary, upon arrival at Delkis Castle, to first greet the highest-ranking person staying there.
I could understand that; it was the same in the world I used to live in.
It’s not just a matter of being noble. For instance, if you visited a friend’s house and their parents were also staying there, wouldn’t it be natural to greet your friend’s parents?
However, there was one difference in this situation: Prince Evan was staying at Delkis.
Though he was around the same age as us, Prince Evan outranked Baron Delkis, so Amelia also had to greet Prince Evan.
Thus, our conversation took place not in my room at the castle but in the carriage heading there. I had asked the coachman to go a bit slower, and sent a messenger ahead to announce our visit in advance.
This was to buy some time to assess the situation and devise a plan, as it didn’t seem like what I’d done could be covered up so easily.
“Would it not be possible to just explain that it was all a misunderstanding?”
“That would be difficult. If you say that now, when they’ve already interpreted it as a courtship attempt, it will only make you seem panicked and defensive..”
“…….”
How exhausting.
Listening to Amelia, I could see why the misunderstanding was so easy to make.
But if it was just a misunderstanding, wouldn’t explaining it as such settle the matter?
“Ah!”
Lost in thought, an idea suddenly popped into my head.
“What if the prince were to dislike me?”
What if he decided he absolutely didn’t want to marry me? Even better, if he grew so repulsed that he couldn’t even stand being around me, wouldn’t that effectively put an end to any marriage discussions?
“That would be risky.”
But Amelia immediately rejected the idea without hesitation.
“You’re aware that kings often have multiple wives, correct?”
“Yes, I know that.”
But what did that matter if he wasn’t even going to marry me?
“Marriages between nobles often begin without love. It’s fortunate if love blossoms afterward, and it’s nice if they can at least foster some mutual respect as people, but that’s often not the case. In the worst situations, couples can live in separate quarters as if they were strangers.”
Seeing that I still hadn’t grasped the situation, Amelia explained calmly.
“On the other hand, there are cases where one party despises the other deeply, yet divine law declares the bond unbreakable.”
Ah… I think I was starting to understand what she was saying.
Frankly, if divine will supposedly binds a marriage, then nobles who don’t even like each other shouldn’t marry in the first place. But as everyone knows, noble marriages aren’t purely romantic.
They assessed each other’s status and wealth, calculating the political advantages of uniting. Since marriage wasn’t something easily ended, such arrangements often intensified the benefits. It was like a deal neither party ever intended to break.
If the two had similar status, they could even engage in marital conflicts. Neither would be overwhelmingly dominant, so even if one slapped the other, they couldn’t entirely crush each other.
However, if one of them was undeniably lower in rank…
In that case, the lower-ranking spouse would have to mind the other.
If the wife held the higher rank, the husband might face some disadvantages, but they wouldn’t be severe. Since the wife was a ‘woman,’ she wouldn’t have the freedom to take another lover or bring in another man. To trouble her husband, she’d need justification, which would crumble the moment she was unfaithful.
But if the husband held the higher rank, it was a different story.
He could take a new wife, confine the first wife somewhere in the manor, and essentially abandon her.
As long as he upheld the initial terms of the marriage agreement with her family, it would be sufficient. After all, that’s what the marriage was for.
“Do you get the idea now? If the prince despises you too much, he might destroy your chances of marriage, along with any hope for your future.”
“…….”
I thought about it seriously. What a convoluted mess. Truly fitting for a romance novel.
“But would the prince really go that far?”
I asked cautiously.
Though I’d read some villainess novels, I hadn’t read the original story this world was based on. It didn’t exist in the place I came from.
In Amelia’s world, it was different. Instead of the villainess novels I knew, there was the original romance fantasy.
The villainess novels I’d read barely featured the male leads. And they mostly served as obstacles. Those stories focused on villainess characters like Amelia, who ended up with the original heroine in a sort of yuri plot.
So Amelia likely knew the personalities of the male characters much better than I did. Though, of course, when it came to things concerning my brother Harvey, I knew better.
“…….”
Amelia frowned, lost in thought.
“It’s… possible he might go that far, or maybe not.”
“…….”
What kind of answer was that?
In the end, she didn’t know.
Seeing my expression, Amelia’s face flushed bright red.
“What? I can’t know everything, you know.”
She said, her face red, as if embarrassed to admit that she wasn’t all-knowing.
“In any case, we need to handle this situation somehow. We have to make sure the marriage talk is firmly off the table without upsetting Prince Evan too much.”
This was going to be incredibly difficult.
Well, in the story, Amelia overcame all kinds of obstacles eventually.
I wasn’t sure why she was helping me this much, but I knew that Amelia had a good heart.
It wouldn’t be wise to rely too much on her, but I didn’t need to refuse her kindness either.
*
How much would Prince Evan come to dislike Elsie?
The crown prince, who once plotted to ruin Amelia by making her his wife, was an unpredictable figure.
Initially, he had planned to marry Amelia, confine her in a tower, take the heroine as a concubine, and claim their child as Amelia’s.
However, the Grattanmount family of Alwen was far too powerful for the empire to handle easily.
The Grand Duke of Grattanmount genuinely loved his daughter, and if something like that happened, he would’ve gone to war.
Moreover, the kind-hearted heroine had pleaded with him—not to go that far—expressing her anger quite forcefully, so the situation didn’t escalate to that outcome.
Since he was capable of such thoughts, Amelia was wary of the current ‘Prince Evan.’
But I also wondered.
Wasn’t it because Amelia had done something truly terrible that he’d reacted that way? Would he really treat Elsie, who hadn’t done anything that bad, in the same way?
Besides, they were both still children. Elsie was seven, and Prince Evan was ten. Would he concoct such a complex scheme, planning to execute it years down the line?
“…….”
Both Elsie and I remained deep in our thoughts, the silence inside the carriage lasting until we arrived at Delkis Castle.
*
As soon as Amelia and I arrived at Delkis Castle, we first went to see my father, Baron Delkis.
Although Prince Evan outranked him, the Barony of Delkis was our land. Within the estate, the lord of the land was the highest authority.
Of course, Father treated both Prince Evan and Amelia with respect and deference.
“Lady Amelia, your frequent visits truly brighten our barony.”
“I am happy to visit, as it allows me to see my dear friend often.”
Was she referring to me as her dear friend?
Well, she probably didn’t mean it too seriously. But, of course, she couldn’t say, ‘We’re not that close.’ Although Amelia did seem quite comfortable around me.
“That’s wonderful to hear. If there’s anything you find inconvenient or lacking, please let me know. I’d be happy to assist.”
“Your kind words are more than enough.”
Father nodded in response to Amelia’s words.
“A distinguished guest is visiting our estate right now. I think it would be good for Lady Amelia to greet him as well. What do you think?”
“If you introduce us, I would be delighted.”
“Understood. Then, Harvey—”
“—Baron Delkis.”
Amelia interrupted just as my father was about to call my brother’s name.
This was a breach of etiquette. Though the rank of a grand duke’s daughter could rival that of a small kingdom’s princess, it didn’t permit her to dismiss a lord’s authority so lightly. After all, even the grand duke’s title was a form of ‘lord.’
“…I beg your pardon for the discourtesy.”
“No harm done. If there’s something you wish to say, please do.”
Though my father seemed surprised, he didn’t appear upset.
“If I may, I would like to be introduced to the guest through my friend, Lady Elsie. Would that be possible?”
Wait, what?