Chapter 1 (Part 2)

Three days later, the royal palace called for the Crown Princess candidates. Because of this, the Hamilton household was busy from the morning with maids bustling around.

Since she had to go to the royal palace as a candidate for Crown Princess, they were busy dressing Amelia differently than usual.

While she usually wore her hair braided, today her glossy golden hair was half-tied and fixed with a corsage, creating a neat atmosphere.

Instead of a primary color dress, they chose a silver dress with a shimmer, adding an elegant yet glamorous feel.

“Do we have to go this far?”

“Even if it’s a position you don’t want, there’s no need to look shabby. Imagine how dressed up the others will be.”

Even though she knew Amelia’s feelings well, her personal maid, Mary, had sparkling eyes.

Perhaps stimulated by the fact that there were five candidates, she seemed determined to make Amelia look more beautiful than anyone else.

Seeing her eyes, Amelia couldn’t bring herself to ask to be dressed plainly. As a result, she had no choice but to board the carriage in her glamorous attire.

When they arrived at the royal palace, a royal attendant who had come out to greet them guided Amelia to the audience chamber. There, other young ladies dressed as splendidly as Amelia were present.

They, too, had dressed up to stand out among the other young ladies, but since everyone was so radiant, there were no particularly conspicuous outfits.

‘Thank goodness.’

Thinking it was fortunate that she could blend in with the other young ladies, Amelia greeted them politely as the door opened. Soon, the Crown Prince, the Chancellor, and the royal attendants entered.

“These are the young ladies selected as candidates for Crown Princess.”

Hearing the royal attendant’s explanation, the Crown Prince approached slowly and observed each one carefully instead of responding.

The five young ladies, including Amelia, felt his gaze with tense expressions.

His languid eyes made it impossible to know what he was thinking, but it was clear he had no interest in the young ladies who could become his consort.

When his gaze met Amelia’s, she quickly lowered her head. For some reason, she had an indescribable feeling of not wanting to meet his eyes.

“This time, His Highness the Crown Prince will personally choose the Crown Princess. Since you all know the reason, I won’t explain further.”

After the Crown Prince finished his inspection, the Chancellor standing beside him briefly explained how the Crown Princess would be selected.

Originally, the Crown Princess was chosen by the elder nobles. Most of the time, she was decided at a young age and then educated to befit the role of Crown Princess.

But since the chosen Crown Princess candidate had run away, this time the Crown Prince was given the right to choose.

Of course, they couldn’t give him complete freedom to choose, so the elder nobles selected several candidates, and he would choose one among them.

“Since it’s not enough time to decide in one day, let’s discuss it next time.”

The Crown Prince postponed the decision, perhaps because he couldn’t choose the Crown Princess in one meeting.

Seeing his expression remain grim from start to finish, it seemed he was displeased with the new candidates, still bothered by Lady Limerick’s disappearance.

“Understood.”

Everyone gave the same answer and left the audience chamber together. Only then did the young ladies exchange belated greetings.

Since they were familiar enough to greet each other at banquets, the previously tense atmosphere dissipated, and it soon became a lively and friendly environment.

“You have no idea how surprised I was.”

“Me too.”

Like Amelia Hamilton, they seemed quite surprised by the sudden mention of them as potential Crown Princess candidates. The only difference was that their eyes were filled with a strong desire to become the Crown Princess.

“What do you think happened to Lady Limerick? How could a usually quiet and modest lady do something so bold? Have you heard anything?”

Although everyone seemed unaware, only Lady Brooke opened her mouth as if she knew something. It seemed her father, the Marquis of Brooke, who was occasionally dispatched as a diplomatic envoy to the Empire of Epha, knew something.

“I heard that the man who seduced her was from the Empire of Epha.”

“The Empire of Epha? If that’s the case, there should be diplomatic issues. Why has nothing happened?”

The fact that a man from the Empire of Epha had eloped with a lady who was a candidate for the Crown Princess position could potentially lead to international problems.

The lack of rumors in social circles indicated that the Nate Empire’s royal family was thoroughly concealing the fact that Lady Limerick had run away.

“That’s as much as I know.”

Even Lady Brooke, whose father was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, had limitations in gathering information.

Realizing that talking about someone who had already left was meaningless, they changed the topic.

“I was worried when I heard that there are five candidates for the Crown Princess. Isn’t that too many?”

It was Lady Waterford who first brought it up.

“Indeed. Now we are competitors.”

The previously friendly atmosphere instantly cooled down. Except for Amelia, the young ladies, filled with the desire to become the Crown Princess, watched each other cautiously.

‘There are four others besides me, so I could give up, right? How nice it would be if I could yield.’

Seeing them, Amelia felt an urge to ask for help. However, knowing that even her father couldn’t help, she had to suppress this feeling.

“Lady Hamilton doesn’t seem to want to become the Crown Princess.”

As if reading her mind, Lady Waterford looked puzzled, and Lady Telbeos spoke as if she had remembered something.

“Oh, come to think of it, doesn’t Lady Hamilton have a man to marry?”

“A man to marry?”

Amelia couldn’t understand Lady Telbeos’s words as she had been solely focused on her succession lessons to become the head of the family and had never received a marriage proposal.

“Sir Birken, of course. With his excellent swordsmanship, handsome appearance, and good manners, many ladies admire him. How did you become a candidate for the Crown Princess with such a man by your side?”

“Edwin? We are not in any kind of relationship.”

Hearing his name, Amelia shook her head in disbelief.

As the second son of the Birken family, he had been a close friend since childhood, but she had never once thought of him as a marriage partner.

In fact, they had grown apart recently and rarely spoke. So, hearing his name suddenly as a marriage partner left Amelia bewildered.

“Really? Didn’t he escort you at your debutante? I thought you two were getting along well. Sir Birken only has you around him.”

Other young ladies also seemed skeptical, not just Lady Telbeos.

“What? I don’t know what misunderstanding you have, but we were close a long time ago. We hardly even contact each other these days.”

Even though Amelia emphasized that there was nothing between them, since there were no other women around Edwin, they didn’t seem to believe her, but they politely refrained from asking further.

After exchanging everyday stories, they ended their conversation.

Talking with the young ladies, Amelia realized even more that she didn’t need to be a Crown Princess candidate. It was right to yield to those who wanted to become the Crown Princess.

Although the Duke of Hamilton had warned her not to cause trouble, Amelia thought she should meet the Chancellor separately and convey her feelings.

It might seem arrogant, but seeing the Crown Prince who seemed uninterested in who the Crown Princess candidate was, she held a small hope.

“Excuse me… Could I have a private conversation with the Chancellor?”

After waiting for the other young ladies to leave the palace, Amelia asked the royal attendant if she could meet the Chancellor. He spoke with another attendant, then entered a nearby room, checked inside, and came out.

“The Chancellor is currently speaking with His Highness the Crown Prince. If you wait in the corridor, I will convey your message as soon as their conversation ends.”

The royal attendant went back inside, and Amelia moved to stand in front of the room, waiting for the conversation to end.

She leaned against the wall, staring blankly at the ceiling, when suddenly she heard voices from inside the room. Listening closely, it seemed that the voices of the Crown Prince and the Chancellor were leaking through the slightly open door.

Though she knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, she felt an urge to listen, thinking they might be discussing the Crown Princess candidates.