Chapter 5 (Part 1)

“Thank you for your hard work. With the end of the Crown Princess lessons today, the sole candidate for Crown Princess will soon be decided.”

The Crown Princess training, which began during the sweltering heat, ended as the cool breeze started to blow. Now, after two months, the Chancellor gathered all the candidates and announced the end of the training to become Crown Princess.

It was a long journey.

Although she had developed a camaraderie with the other ladies during the training, Amelia couldn’t say that the two months spent in the royal palace were good memories. It felt like she had only endured harsh trials.

The torturous lessons contributed to this feeling, but Amelia had another additional reason.

It was the fact that she hadn’t encountered Edwin even once since rejecting him. Knowing her visiting hours at the palace, he must have been avoiding her on purpose.

In truth, she was curious about how he was doing, so she occasionally heard news about him through her mother. She felt guilty for inquiring about him after rejecting him, but she couldn’t help but be concerned about his well-being.

‘Sir Birken is doing well.’

Hearing that Edwin was fine reassured her, but it also weighed heavily on her that she could no longer even maintain a friendship with him.

She wondered if she might hear news of his engagement to another lady, but since that wasn’t the case, she felt both uneasy and relieved at the same time.

“There is an examination we would like the ladies to undergo.”

The word “examination” snapped Amelia out of her thoughts.

The moment has finally come.

Seeing the Chancellor speak with a troubled expression, she could easily guess that today they would be conducting a virginity test.

“Do not be alarmed. We aim to determine whether the ladies are virgins. I will conduct the examination alone, so there is no need to worry about any information being leaked.”

As expected, the Chancellor said the awaited words. It seemed he would conduct the examination alone to protect their privacy.

“Please wait here until your name is called, then move to the next room.”

After explaining calmly, the Chancellor moved to the next room. Shortly after, a royal attendant entered the room where the candidates were waiting.

“Lady Hamilton, please move to the next room.”

Amelia was the first to be called. Although she already knew the result, the tense atmosphere in the room made her nervous as well.

Swallowing dryly, Amelia maintained a straight posture and entered the next room. As she stepped in, she saw the Chancellor holding a magical device covered with a cloth to keep it hidden.

Seeing that there was no one else in the room, she realized he was sincere about protecting their privacy.

“Please place your hand here.”

“Yes.”

The transparent magical device would turn white if she were a virgin and red if she had lost her purity. Knowing it would turn red the moment she touched it, Amelia couldn’t help but feel tense.

Slowly swallowing dryly again, Amelia carefully extended her hand to the spot indicated by the Chancellor.

“You may remove your hand now. Thank you for your hard work. We will contact you after the Crown Princess selection is complete.”

Following the Chancellor’s instruction after confirming the color change, Amelia removed her hand. He then politely informed her that the examination was over.

“Yes, I understand.”

Amelia responded politely and calmly, but inwardly, she was overjoyed.

‘Finally, I’m free!’

The thought of no longer being tormented made her tense heart relax, and she felt relieved. As a result, even her steps back to the mansion felt light.

* * *

“Today marks the end of the Crown Princess candidate training. Now, all that’s left is to decide who will be chosen.”

As soon as she arrived at the mansion, Amelia shared the good news with the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton.

“Do you think you won’t be chosen as the Crown Princess?”

The Duke of Hamilton looked puzzled as he watched Amelia smile brightly. His eyes seemed to ask how she could be so sure she wouldn’t be chosen.

“His Royal Highness’s gaze toward me contains no affection, so it’s obvious I won’t be chosen.”

Unable to explain the definite reason for her disqualification, Amelia spoke indirectly. She worried that the Duke might not believe her, but he nodded, thinking it was possible.

“Now that the busy period is over, you should resume your heir lessons.”

“Yes, I should.”

The thought of returning to her previous life made Amelia smile happily. Seeing her, the Duke of Hamilton cautiously spoke up.

“And also.”

“Is there something else you want to say?”

“How about finding a husband now?”

Until now, the Duke of Hamilton had never forced Amelia to marry. He had waited for her to find a man she wanted.

But seeing him bring it up now, it seemed he had been deeply worried about the possibility of her becoming the Crown Princess.

“Not yet, ah… I guess I should?”

Amelia stopped herself from saying she wasn’t thinking about it. On second thought, the Duke’s words made sense. She had regretted not getting engaged earlier while undergoing the Crown Princess training.

Just as she had suddenly become a Crown Princess candidate against her will, her marriage could be decided without her consent. So, she agreed with him, thinking it was necessary to choose a suitable man and get engaged.

“Do you have someone in mind?”

“Not yet.”

Hearing there was no one, the Duke of Hamilton tilted his head in confusion. Wondering why she was acting this way when there was no suitable man around, he hesitated for a moment before suggesting someone as if he had thought of someone.

“Then what do you think of Sir Birken?”

“What?”

Amelia couldn’t help but be surprised to hear an unexpected name. She had been wondering why he suddenly took an interest in her relationship with Edwin last time, and now it seemed he had already considered him as her match.

‘All of a sudden? Why? Could it be….’

She couldn’t hide her bewilderment, wondering if he had found out about their encounter in the parlor last time, but she quickly composed herself.

Thinking about it, if he had known, her father wouldn’t have stayed silent. But since she wasn’t sure, Amelia cautiously asked him.

“You’ve never mentioned Edwin as a potential match for me before. Why are you suddenly recommending him now?”

“I just thought you two would suit each other well.”

His response seemed awkward and suspicious.

“We’re just platonic friends.”

“Don’t think of him as just a friend, and try to see him as a romantic interest. In my opinion, Sir Birken seems the most suitable as your husband….”

When Amelia Hamilton spoke firmly, the Duke of Hamilton cautiously suggested, gauging her reaction. It seemed he truly didn’t know about the intimate encounter between her and Edwin.

It was a relief, but mentioning Edwin as a potential husband after their relationship had completely soured was startling in a different way.

“Well, I’ll think about it. We’ve grown distant recently.”

Seeing her father’s expectant eyes, Amelia couldn’t bring herself to say she had rejected Edwin first. So, she had to vaguely mention that their relationship had become awkward.

“Oh, so that’s why his visits have become infrequent lately?”

The Duke looked disappointed.

“Yes. But don’t worry. The right match for me will appear soon enough.”

“Did this situation make you realize the need to find a spouse quickly? I hope you plan to find your match as soon as you are no longer a candidate.”

“Yes, I will.”

“Good decision.”

Hearing the answer he wanted, the Duke of Hamilton finally smiled with relief. Amelia also smiled back and then went to her room, where she collapsed onto her bed.

“My father thinks Edwin is the most suitable husband for me….”

The words from the Duke of Hamilton, suggesting Edwin as the most suitable husband, kept echoing in her mind. It left her with a strange and uncomfortable feeling, as if a part of her heart was weighed down.

‘What is this feeling?’

* * *

“Amelia, how about going on a date with me today?”

The next day, while having breakfast together, the Duke of Hamilton suggested an outing.

“What about Mother?”

“I have a tea gathering today. So, it wouldn’t be bad to have some quality time between father and daughter.”

The Duchess also encouraged it, so Amelia gladly accepted her father’s suggestion.

“Sure. Where are we going?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

Until they boarded the carriage, the Duke of Hamilton didn’t reveal their destination. He maintained a silent demeanor, as if expecting her to simply follow.

Sensing he didn’t want to be asked, Amelia remained silent in the carriage. To avoid the heavy silence, she looked out the window, trying to discern their direction.

‘What?’

They arrived at the royal palace. Though he had suggested a date, she couldn’t understand why they were here. Without a word, she followed the Duke out of the carriage and walked behind him.

The Duke stopped in front of the fencing arena.

It was typically a pastime for nobles, but it also served to boost the morale of knights and test their skills, so the royal family hosted it once a year.

“Do you know who is participating?”

“Not only the royal knights but also common knights. Haven’t you heard that Sir Birken participates every year?”

“I’ve heard.”

It was a major event held in the presence of the Emperor and Empress, and she had often heard that Edwin participated, but Amelia had never attended.

Even though it was a fencing tournament, she didn’t enjoy watching people wield real swords. Thus, this was her first time watching such an event.

‘Do I really have to watch this?’

Following the Duke of Hamilton to their reserved seats, Amelia pouted. If she had known they were coming here, she would have refused from the start. Watching knights fight was neither fun nor exciting; it just made her fear seeing blood.

But having followed him into the arena, she couldn’t just leave, thinking it would trouble her father. So, she decided to endure it.

As the tournament began, the arena heated up with the cheers of the crowd.

The participants wore sturdy armor and helmets for protection, making it hard to identify them.

The sharp sound of clashing swords echoed in her ears. Fearing someone might get hurt, Amelia watched the matches trembling.

When one opponent fell, she instinctively covered her eyes.

After watching several matches, she began to get used to it and no longer covered her eyes. Then, she noticed someone who stood out.

A knight in black armor and a black helmet. Even without an introduction, she knew it was Edwin.

Despite being covered in armor, she could sense it was him. It was strange and fascinating, especially since she hadn’t recognized him at the masquerade ball before.

‘Why is that?’

The puzzling question lingered in her mind, but she didn’t seek an answer. She just wanted to focus on the match.

Seeing Edwin’s opponent fall with a single strike gave her an inexplicable thrill. She couldn’t take her eyes off him until he won.

“He is impressive.”

As she continued watching, Amelia realized the Duke of Hamilton had brought her here on purpose. He wanted to reconnect her with Edwin, despite their awkward relationship.

Seeing Edwin in a different light, he had somewhat succeeded. She wondered if she had been too hasty in rejecting him but quickly shook her head.

‘It’s too late now.’

Having already spoken harsh words, Amelia believed she could no longer get close to Edwin.

Moreover, a marriage filled with responsibility and obligation wouldn’t be good for either of them. So, she reassured herself that her actions were not wrong, repeating it several times.