“And what exactly do you plan to do, now that you’ve met her?”

“……”

“Well? You’ll be leaving for Kleve soon, won’t you?”

“…I don’t know.”

“What?”

“I said I don’t know.”

Angelo fell silent, then burst into shaky laughter. The Jupiter he knew was always methodical, a man who paved his path brick by brick. That rigid, calculating cousin of his had suddenly thrown all reason aside, brazenly chasing after a girl.

“Fine, then. I’ll help you.”

“Thanks, cousin.”

“But in return, I’m keeping the sword you brought.”

“……”

Beside him, Jupiter cast a glance at the small figure walking at his side and let out a sigh. He had rushed recklessly to Edelin, but now that he was here, he hadn’t the faintest idea what to say. His mind felt bleached white, empty.

“Have you ever been to the Greitz Empire?” 

“No. Even Mainz, this was my first time.”

“Would you like to see it?” 

Jupiter studied her seriously as he asked.

“Well… perhaps. I am curious, but…”

“But?”

“My parents would never allow it.”

“…You’re right.” 

Jupiter murmured. Even he realized how absurd his question had been. He was berating himself for his own foolishness when her voice broke in again.

“Why did you come here?”

Jupiter stopped walking. From her perspective, it was the most natural question in the world. From his, it was the hardest to answer.

“…Because I wanted to see you.”

The clumsy confession left his lips before he could stop it, and shame made him whip his head aside.

“Ah!”

A sudden gust from the sea tore loose the ribbons tied under Leda’s chin. Her bonnet flew back.

Angelo, shuffling lazily a few paces behind, reacted with surprising speed, snatching it out of the air. He passed it off to Jupiter, who hastily set it back upon her head.

But the awkwardness only deepened. Without thinking, he held the ribbons and fumbled to tie them beneath her chin. It was a breach of propriety, and yet somehow the moment had carried him into it.

He clenched his teeth as his fingers worked at the knot. The last time a ribbon had been tied at his throat was when his mother had fussed over him as a child, something he had loathed. And now here he was, binding one for a girl.

He didn’t dare look, but he could almost hear Angelo choking with laughter behind him. The teasing he would endure on the carriage ride back to Mainz would be merciless.

Jupiter’s hands lingered by her jaw far too long. Leda, stiff-backed and chin tilted high, endured it. But still, he did not pull away.

“I’ve never done this before. It isn’t going well.”

Leda burst out laughing. Gently, she pushed his hands aside and tied the ribbon herself. Then she looked him straight in the eyes and asked, bold as anything:

“How is it? Do I look pretty?”

Jupiter lost his voice. She was too beautiful.

***

The following spring, Leda’s father, Count Testion Weiss, was summoned unexpectedly to the capital, Ren. Within a day of King Barth II’s envoy arriving in Edelin, the count had packed his bags and set out for the royal palace.

“Welcome, Count.”

“I greet Your Majesty.”

The king stroked his red beard and smiled benignly. But Count Weiss knew better than to trust such a look. That kindly expression always hid something, something grave.

“How old is your son?” 

“Nineteen, sire.”

The count’s mind spun. Why ask after Darius’s age? Could this be about Princess Odinea? Rumor had it the king was already seeking a match for her, who would come of age in a year. But surely no royal would ever wed the son of a borderland count.

“And you have a daughter as well?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“She debuted last year, I hear.”

So the king knew, despite Leda’s debut having been held quietly in Mainz rather than in the capital. How had word reached him?

“Yes.”

King Barth gave him a strange look, and unease tightened in the count’s chest. He kept his expression calm as he asked:

“May I know why Your Majesty has summoned me?”

“My, how impatient you are.”

The king toyed with him, circling the subject until the count’s nerves frayed to the breaking point. At last, he spoke plainly.

“You’ll be marrying off your daughter before your son, it seems.”

The count reeled as though struck. What was this nonsense?

“Forgive me, sire, but what do you mean?”

“A marriage proposal has come from the Greitz Empire.”

As the stunned count blinked, the king gestured to his attendant. A servant stepped forward with a silver tray, upon which lay a thick, sealed envelope. He placed it before Count Weiss.

“And what is this?”

“What else could it be, if not the fruit of love that transcends borders?”  

King Barth II let out a joke that was anything but amusing.  

Count Testion’s hands trembled as he broke the seal of the envelope. The wax bore the image of a black eagle crowned with laurel, unmistakably the crest of the Greitz imperial family.  

“I’ll tell you what the envoy relayed to me, simply put, the crown prince of Greitz wishes to marry your daughter.”  

“…What?”  

Could Leda possibly know the crown prince? To his knowledge, she had barely even met the young noblemen of Hanover, let alone someone from abroad. She was still so innocent, so untouched by the wider world.  

Half a year ago, after the debutante ball, Angelo Meyer had made an unexpected visit to Edelin. Leda had claimed it was only to return something she had lost at the ducal estate. Since then, there had been no more visits, no letters. His wife had been disappointed, of course—but even the powerful House of Meyer was no match for a father’s resolve. He had no intention of marrying off his young daughter so soon.  

And now, the crown prince of Greitz?  

“Your Majesty, I can hardly believe the crown prince even knows my daughter.” 

“I thought the same, so I made some urgent inquiries through my men in Greitz. It seems that at last year’s debutante ball, hosted by the Duke of Meyer, the crown prince happened to catch sight of her.”  

“……”  

“There was a young noblewoman in the Empire with whom talks of marriage were already underway. But for reasons no one can explain, he suddenly refused her, insisting he would not marry. They say it is unlike him, so perhaps he has truly lost his heart this time.”  

“To send a proposal like this, however…”  

“The crown prince is of the imperial family, and your daughter is a subject of my kingdom. It was only proper that they inform me first. Without my consent, such a union could not proceed.”  

“But…”  

Testion still felt dazed, unable to fully grasp the situation.  

King Barth’s eyes gleamed with mischief. 

“If I had known the Schwarz had such a fondness for Hanoverian women, I might have pushed Odinea toward them sooner. As it stands, your daughter may well steal the place of crown princess. After all, the current empress herself is from House Meyer.”  

“Crown princess…?”  

The words sent the count’s head spinning. When Angelo Meyer had called, he had already worried about what hardships might come if Leda were married into such a house. He had thought instead to seek a match of similar rank and modest influence. But this—this was too much.  

“The gap in status is far too great, sire, ours is no grand ducal line, only a borderland countship. How could such a marriage even be considered?”  

“That is for the Empire to resolve, not us. I hear the emperor and empress themselves are at their wits’ end. Who would have thought the model crown prince, who grew to adulthood without once causing trouble, would upend the entire court over marriage?”  

“…I see.”  

“And what’s more, he is exceptionally handsome. You’ve seen him, haven’t you? Born with every quality of a sovereign—already praised as such. As a bridegroom, he lacks nothing. I can personally vouch for that.”  

“How could my daughter possibly be fit for such a place…”  

“Ah, you still don’t understand, the only way to bridge so vast a gap in rank is through the husband’s love. If the crown prince has already cast aside every other match for her sake, then what is there to fear?”  

“I… I must return to Edelin, Your Majesty. May I speak with my daughter before giving you an answer?”  

“Very well. Think carefully. This could mean much for our kingdom too. And remember, Edelin lies upon Greitz’s border. Many troubles might vanish with this union. Persuade her well, Count.”  

“Yes, sire.”  

Testion’s reply was faint. He left the palace in a daze, until the Weiss family carriage pulled up before him. Snapping to his senses, he urged the coachman to drive at full speed, then climbed in, his mind still reeling.