Chapter 5 (Part 4)

Amelia was filled with questions, but the one she was most curious about was why Edwin had proposed to her.

‘Did he think it was okay to marry a friend, or was he pretending to propose because people were pressuring him about being alone?’

“I declined, so I didn’t think it was necessary to inform you. But now the situation has changed, so let’s ask Sir Birken again. Since he proposed to you before, it means he had the intention to marry you. If he explains your relationship to His Royal Highness, there’s a chance he might change his mind.”

“It doesn’t make sense to suddenly bring this up now.”

“Just say you had to follow the Emperor’s orders and could only watch. And also mention that you never expected you would be chosen. We only need to convince His Royal Highness, so let’s take our time to come up with reasons. But first, we need to ask Sir Birken’s opinion.”

“Dear, Sir Birken is not an option.”

The Duchess of Hamilton, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, suddenly interjected before Amelia could respond.

“Why is Sir Birken not an option?”

The Duke looked at the Duchess with a puzzled expression.

“Sir Birken has someone he wants to marry. It wouldn’t be proper to ask him to marry Amelia.”

“What? He has someone he wants to marry?”

The Duke frowned, looking incredulous.

“Yes. He said he has a woman he needs to take responsibility for.”

Upon hearing the Duchess’s words, the Duke of Hamilton turned his gaze to Amelia. His eyes grew colder and soon revealed an uncontrollable anger.

‘Why is he looking at me like that?’

Amelia instinctively shrank back, as the Duke had rarely looked at her with such a fierce expression. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, the Duke spoke in a composed manner.

“Amelia, answer me honestly.”

“Yes.”

Amelia answered in a small voice, watching the Duke’s expression.

“What were you trying to do at the masquerade ball?”

“Masquerade ball? Amelia, what is he talking about?”

The question was directed at Amelia, but it was the Duchess who was shocked. The idea that Amelia had gone to such a scandalous place was a huge shock to her.

“Ah, well….”

Amelia couldn’t bring herself to say that she went there to lose her virginity, so she hesitated and couldn’t answer.

“If you can’t answer, I’ll change the question. Did Sir Birken do something to you that he needs to take responsibility for?”

“What are you talking about now? Did something happen between Sir Birken and Amelia?”

Once again, the Duchess spoke before Amelia could answer. However, her expression had changed. Her previously pale face now showed a hint of color.

“Well, that is….”

As Amelia hesitated again, unable to answer, the Duke lost his patience and shouted.

“Don’t avoid the question this time and answer me directly!”

“Y-Yes.”

Amelia finally confessed the truth, feeling that lying would be pointless. Having everything exposed, she wished she could hide in a hole.

“What? It’s true?”

Confirming his suspicion, the Duke’s lips trembled with shock.

The reason he suspected something had happened between Amelia and Edwin was because of a letter he had received from the Duke of Birken some time ago.

‘Edwin has been acting strange lately, as if he was rejected by someone he loves. I think that person is Amelia. She seems to be in shock after being chosen as a candidate for the Crown Princess. If she is eliminated as a candidate, could you give Edwin a chance? Please, my friend.’

Reading the letter, the Duke of Hamilton recalled that Edwin had once proposed to Amelia. He regretted not accepting the proposal and forcing an engagement, thinking it would have prevented the current situation.

He had planned to marry Amelia to Edwin if she was eliminated as a candidate for the Crown Princess. Not wanting to make the same mistake again, he intended to unite them, but now everything was in chaos.

First, she went to a masquerade ball, then used Edwin, and suddenly their relationship fell apart….

There were many incomprehensible and disappointing aspects, but now was not the time to dwell on them.

Given the situation, it might actually be a good thing. Putting out the immediate fire was the priority.

“No matter how open-minded young people are these days, how could you do such a thing with Edwin? How will I face the Duke of Birken? This won’t do. Amelia, you have no choice now! Go and tell Sir Birken that you will get engaged immediately.”

“No, I can’t!”

Amelia, who had been quietly listening to the Duke, turned pale and shouted.

“Why not?”

“I already told Edwin that I couldn’t marry him.”

To say that she had already told Edwin she couldn’t marry him, even though the decision to become the Crown Princess was only made today….

If Sir Birken had done something that required him to take responsibility, he should have considered marriage. The Duke of Hamilton wondered why she rejected him.

The Duke of Hamilton had never felt so resentful towards his daughter for making such a hasty decision without knowing what had transpired between Amelia and Edwin.

The enraged Duke shouted so loudly that Amelia’s body involuntarily flinched.

“How could you say that without even receiving a proposal? Go to Sir Birken immediately, apologize for the mistake of rejecting him, and ask for his help.”

“That, that is….”

“Amelia!”

Amelia tried to persuade the Duke again, but his stern shout rendered her speechless.

‘I must have been out of my mind. Why did I say such harsh words to Edwin?’

Feeling her father’s piercing gaze, Amelia sighed deeply.

Edwin had been avoiding her openly ever since she had hurt him with her words. They hadn’t met once since that day, so how could she ask him for help now?

To ask for help when needed and then discard him when not, only to ask for help again….

Trying to avoid becoming the Crown Princess by using Edwin had put her in a difficult situation. Reflecting on the harsh words she had said to him, Amelia regretted her actions.

Having no grounds to argue if she were coldly rejected, Amelia lacked the confidence to persuade Edwin.

“Father, can’t you understand my difficult situation…?”

Trying to elicit sympathy, Amelia looked at him with the most pitiful eyes she could muster.

“Difficult? I don’t care anymore. You created this mess, so you fix it! Whether you become the Crown Princess or persuade Sir Birken, handle it yourself. It’s your life; I won’t interfere any longer.”

The Duke of Hamilton sighed and looked at Amelia with a disdainful expression, as if to say, ‘Why complicate things with unnecessary words?’

“Yes.”

Knowing that pleading further would be useless, Amelia answered briefly, but her mind was in turmoil.

‘What should I do?’

Just moments ago, she thought she could do anything to avoid becoming the Crown Princess, but the involvement of Edwin made her hesitate.

If Edwin refused to meet her, she could persist until he did, but that wasn’t a good plan.

It might only provoke Edwin’s anger. Though she had never seen him angry, his nickname, “The Grim Reaper of the Battlefield,” wasn’t given without reason.

He had treated her well because he saw her as a friend, but who knew how he might change once he no longer considered her one. Remembering the harsh words she had said to Edwin, Amelia mentally screamed in despair.

In her deep frustration, a thought suddenly flashed through Amelia’s mind: to blackmail Edwin into taking responsibility.

He was a man who had once considered marrying her out of responsibility. If she didn’t want to become the Crown Princess, she had to use this method.

Of course, this was a selfish thought for her own sake, and it would be better not to actually do it, but if she truly wanted to avoid becoming the Crown Princess, she might have to use Edwin.

That night, Amelia stayed up all night, agonizing over her decision, but in the end, she couldn’t reach any conclusion.

She realized that her father’s words were just a possibility. First, she needed to confirm whether the Crown Prince truly had any intention of changing the Crown Princess candidate.

If there was a chance her father’s words could come true, it wouldn’t be too late to ask Edwin for help then.

* * *

The next day, Amelia bid a heartfelt farewell to the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton with a deep hug.

Until she was formally recognized as the Crown Princess, Amelia couldn’t leave the palace, so she couldn’t see them until then. Knowing this, the Duke and Duchess’s eyes were filled with affection, unlike the previous day.

After saying goodbye, Amelia got into the carriage, and they waved until the carriage disappeared from sight. Amelia also leaned out of the window and waved her hands, trying to soothe her sadness.

“Welcome.”

Upon arriving at the palace and getting out of the carriage, a royal maid, who had been waiting, greeted her politely and led her directly to the Crown Princess’s quarters.

It seemed she wasn’t allowed to meet the Emperor and Empress until the official announcement was made.

‘There’s still a chance things could change.’

The fact that she hadn’t been recognized as the Crown Princess yet gave Amelia a glimmer of hope. As her father had said, there was still a possibility that the Crown Princess could be changed.

“This way, please.”

The royal maid guided Amelia around the palace.

‘Will I have to live here from now on?’

Following the maid around, Amelia felt uneasy.

She felt like a stranger who didn’t belong in the palace. The thought of having to stay there permanently if she became the Crown Princess weighed heavily on her.

The only consolation was that she liked the greenhouse garden filled with various flowers and the slightly modest room furnished with white furniture, which seemed a bit too simple for a Crown Princess.

If the room had been lavishly decorated, she wouldn’t have felt comfortable, so it was a small relief.

“You can change it to your liking.”

Noticing that the room seemed too plain, the royal maid looked embarrassed. It seemed they had only furnished the room minimally, expecting her to redecorate it to her taste.

“It’s fine for now.”

Smiling faintly at the maid, Amelia entered the room and began to organize the luggage the servants had brought in advance.

Once she finished organizing, the maid waiting outside led her to the study within the Crown Princess’s quarters. There, she saw Madame Lowden waiting for her.

“You will meet the Emperor and Empress after completing your education. We can’t show such an unprepared appearance. We will continue the education until the official announcement, so you will have daily lessons with me and assist His Royal Highness with his duties in the afternoons.”

“Daily?”

Amelia asked with wide eyes, but Madame Lowden looked at her as if wondering what the problem was.

‘Are they telling me to stay confined in the Crown Princess’s quarters?’

Even though the official announcement hadn’t been made, it seemed too much. Since the official announcement date hadn’t been set, it was uncertain when it would be. Although it would be finalized before the founding festival, there were still two months left.

‘If I was so unfit for the role, they shouldn’t have chosen me in the first place.’

They should have chosen a lady suitable for the position of Crown Princess, but it seemed they had chosen an unfit lady and were now trying to mold her, making the situation strange.

However, protesting to Madame Lowden wouldn’t change anything, so Amelia had to endure the current situation. She didn’t know when she would meet the Crown Prince, but she had to hold on until that day.