* * *
Finally, the day of the unwanted engagement arrived.
Given the occasion, I was dragged out of bed at dawn by attendants who seemed to appear out of nowhere.
They bathed me, dressed me, and styled me meticulously.
Judging by their skilled and swift movements, they were likely professionals sent from the royal wardrobe.
Though I wasn’t yet in the dress, which meant this was only the beginning, the morning flew by, and soon it was noon.
Of course, part of the delay was due to my firm refusal to put on the dress until the very last moment.
The engagement ceremony was set to begin at sunset, so there was still some time left.
This allowed Baek Yigang and me to discreetly meet Delcia in the reception room of the Crown Prince’s palace after our preparations were done.
“Hello! You all look great!”
Sitting on the sofa with my back to the door, I quickly turned my gaze toward the sound of Delcia’s cheerful voice.
“Delcia, I’ve pinpointed the coordinates of the Imperial City. I’ll send you to Arte now.”
As Delcia walked in, I immediately cut to the chase.
But she shook her head slowly and sat down beside me.
“No, I’m not going.”
“What?”
Her unexpected words caught me off guard, and I stupidly repeated myself.
Wasn’t her goal to safely return to Arthe?
Why was she suddenly saying she wouldn’t go?
“I don’t mean I’ll never go. Just not right now. There’s something important I need to do first.”
Her unusually serious expression made me pause and start to think.
What could it be?
In the original story, Delcia didn’t have any major plotlines.
The only time she stood out was when she died after falling for Piel’s deception.
There hadn’t been any signs of her having something important to do up until now.
Even with the storyline twisted, I didn’t think something as significant as this would change.
“I’ll leave after the engagement ceremony is over. Could you send me then?”
“…I guess I could, but what’s this important thing you have to do?”
Cautiously, I asked, just in case. Delcia tilted her head in surprise.
“Huh? You’re not asking because you don’t know, right?”
Her tone implied it was something I should obviously be aware of.
From her reaction, was it something I knew?
But all that was scheduled for today was the engagement ceremony.
Was there another event I’d forgotten?
As I stared blankly at her, trying to figure it out, Delcia’s face grew more serious.
Then, in a calm, deliberate tone, she said:
“It’s seeing you in a wedding dress.”
“…What?”
“It’d be such a loss if I didn’t get to see it. I can’t let that nasty Crown Prince enjoy the sight all by himself.”
Her tone was so earnest that, for a moment, I almost nodded along despite the absurdity of her words.
“So… you’re saying you’re staying just to see me in a wedding dress?”
I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t even laugh.
Surely, she was joking.
There had to be another, more significant reason.
But my hopes were shattered.
“‘Just’? This is a once-in-a-lifetime highlight for me! And besides, Hail already saw it, didn’t he? We’re all in the same boat, so it’d be unfair if I’m the only one who doesn’t get to see it!”
Watching her pout and fume in genuine frustration left me speechless.
More baffling than Delcia’s attitude was the fact that Baek Yigang apparently bragged to her about seeing me in the dress.
Both of them were completely insane.
“Ugh… I’m too tired to argue. I need to eat first.”
Exasperated, I rubbed my temples and muttered.
Delcia, however, grabbed my shirt in outrage.
“Wait, what did you just say? Eat?!”
She leaned in close, glaring at me as if she’d misheard.
“Why are you acting like this?! It’s normal to have lunch around this time!”
After being dragged around by attendants all morning without breakfast, of course I wanted to eat.
“What kind of bride eats before putting on a wedding dress? Hold it in.”
Her tone was resolute, and her emerald eyes glinted with an uncompromising determination.
“Why…?”
“If you eat, your belly will show, and it’ll ruin the silhouette. One missed meal won’t kill you. Suck it up. Persevere. Win.”
Her firm stance left no room for negotiation.
…Should I just send her off to the Arthe Empire right now?
Even Baek Yigang doesn’t interfere when I’m eating!
While I sulked, Asel entered cautiously and bowed.
“Pardon the interruption, Your Highness. I have an urgent report.”
Baek Yigang stood and left with Asel, leaving me alone with Delcia.
“Dowoon.”
“Yeah?”
Delcia smiled sweetly and moved to the seat across from me.
Once she confirmed Baek Yigang was gone, she spoke softly.
“Hail and I have had a marriage proposal between us since we were young. So, while I don’t know him intimately, I do know quite a bit about him.”
The cheerful sound of a laugh followed, clear and bright.
The green eyes, gleaming with joy, curved pleasantly.
“So, I was thinking… is there anything you’re curious about when it comes to Hail? That stoic guy wouldn’t have voluntarily opened up about himself, so I’ll answer on his behalf.”
Delcia had a point. Baek Yigang never talked about himself to me.
At one point, Piel even tried to use that as leverage to sway me.
Saying that Baek Yigang would never tell me anything himself…
At the time, I brushed it off, saying it didn’t matter, but the truth was, it wasn’t something I could honestly say I was fine with.
After all, while Baek Yigang knew me inside out, the only version of him I knew was the shadowy mastermind described in the original story.
I had picked up tidbits about his likes and dislikes simply by observing while we spent time together—or, like now, through someone else revealing them to me.
To be honest, if I just asked, Baek Yigang probably wouldn’t keep it a secret.
He’d most likely answer casually, as if talking about someone else, downplaying its importance.
It wouldn’t be interesting at all.
So, if the content was going to be the same anyway, it might be better to hear it from Delcia.
“Hmm… then, I’m curious about Hail’s childhood.”
“What you’re really asking is whether Hail was just as insufferable as a kid, isn’t it?”
Delcia immediately grasped the intent behind my words and chuckled knowingly.
“I didn’t hear much, but from what Asel and Philip said, he wasn’t all that different back then.”
“Ahaha, right. He was insufferable even as a kid. Do you know the first thing Hail said to me when we met?”
Judging by her tone, the answer wasn’t going to be good.
I tilted my head slightly, indicating I had no idea, and Delcia continued with a fond smile.
“‘You’re ugly.’ I think he was five at the time? Then, he followed it up with, ‘Get lost.’ Hah! That little punk—telling a lady something like that…”
As Delcia dug through her memories, recalling what had happened so long ago, she burst into laughter at the unpleasant recollection.
It suddenly made the single line in the original story, stating that Baek Yigang’s personality had been like that from birth, seem far more believable.
“That’s… harsh.”
Objectively speaking, Delcia was on the prettier side.
She probably wasn’t much different as a child, either.
But to outright tell a little girl she was ugly…
…Yeah, that’s Baek Yigang for you.
Not exactly surprising.
In fact, if he had complimented her looks, that would’ve been the shocker.
“Anyway…”
Delcia trailed off, tilting her head slightly.
“What do you think?”
“About what?”
“Do you think I’m ugly?”
As if. Delcia was among the prettiest women I’d ever seen.
“You’re beautiful.”
“Really? Then who’s prettier—me or Hail?”
The playful question, paired with her awkward grin, felt oddly deliberate.
Hmm, I didn’t expect to be asked something like this.
Honestly, they were both quite attractive, so it all came down to personal preference.
If Baek Yigang exuded a winter-like atmosphere, Delcia radiated springtime warmth.
But with Delcia right in front of me, I couldn’t very well side with Baek Yigang.
I decided to give the answer she wanted.
“You’re prettier.”
“Ahaha!”
As I casually sipped my tea and gave my response, Delcia started laughing mischievously.
I was just starting to wonder why she was acting so strange when I noticed her gaze shift past me.
“See? That’s what he said.”
…Wait. Who is she talking to now?
Feeling uneasy, I stiffly turned my head, only to see Baek Yigang standing right behind me, staring down at me with his half-lidded, piercing violet eyes.
In his reflection, I could see myself gulping nervously.
“Uh—”
The moment I opened my mouth, Baek Yigang clapped a hand over it.
That’s when I realized—I was screwed.
* * *
