Chapter 2 – 【 Misunderstanding 】 (Part 4)

“…Because I’m not Cristal.”

“You thought I was disappointed because you showed up as my betrothed instead of Princess Cristal?”

Cedric looked genuinely baffled.

“Are we even having the same conversation? Surely you didn’t think I wouldn’t know who my betrothed was until the day we formally met, right?”

Did I look that stupid at first sight? 

Yuria was confused by Cedric’s face, which was seriously contemplating rather than mocking. She mumbled, her eyes darting around.

“It’s not that, it’s just that I’m much worse than Cristal, so you could have been disappointed. Seeing me up close, the difference is even bigger… Even though we’re twins, I’m not as pretty as her, and I’m shorter.”

One must admit what needs to be admitted. Cristal was a beauty who could make even a child turn their head. She had a good personality too. The gap was so big that she couldn’t even be jealous. Though she did resent her parents a bit for making her less attractive despite being twins.

“If I were a man, I would have wanted to marry Cristal too.”

As she compared herself to Cristal, a wave of misery hit her, and she dropped her head. Cedric let out a short laugh beside her. She looks too lacking in confidence. Charlotte had said that a woman who belittles herself in front of a man is unattractive. With her eyes fixed on the ground, Yuria fidgeted with her hands.

“If you were a man, Princess, yes, I suppose so.”

There was something peculiar about his tone. It wasn’t the answer Yuria feared, but it didn’t seem positive either. She stopped biting her nails and looked at Cedric.

“All the guys who came here to play looked pretty similar. It must be because the Princess has a very firm standard for male appearance.”

Why was the conversation going this way? 

And his assumption was wrong. Yuria had just chosen men who were the exact opposite of Cedric. They ended up looking similar, but she didn’t expect it to be misunderstood like this…

“Are you saying you’re not like that?”

“I look at the other aspects of a person, not just their appearance. For example, their character or abilities.”

That implied that Yuria only cared about appearance when it came to men, disregarding character and ability. It was absurd. She was dumbfounded, and that made her feel more wronged.

Seeing her eyes filled with things left unsaid, Cedric decided to stop teasing her there. He wanted to tease her more and make her cry, but she had done something commendable today, so he would let it go this once.

“I’m sure you, Princess, know that I’m quite a generous person.”

“I don’t know that at all.”

The eyes that had been so wronged suddenly changed to an expression that seemed to say, “Are you kidding me?” Cedric let out a slight laugh.

“He gave me a choice. He had two sisters of marriageable age and told me to pick the one I liked.”

So he chose Yuria. He didn’t take long to decide.  He had never seriously considered marriage in the first place. If he ever needed an heir and had to marry, he planned to choose a partner among commoners or fallen nobles.

A woman who would be satisfied with a life where she didn’t have to worry about food, a good bed, or money. A woman who didn’t need love as long as her basic needs were met. That was his ideal type, if he had one.

So Yuria’s intrusion into his life was like an accident. It was an unexpected marriage, but Cedric had chosen the princess who best fit his criteria – docile, timid, and without greed or ambition.

“…That’s a lie. You rejected Cristal?”

The supposedly quiet Princess now looked up at him with defiant eyes, even crossing her arms. It was a clear sign that she didn’t believe him. At this point, he wondered if she was a follower of Princess Cristal.

“Why didn’t you choose Cristal?”

“She’s just not my type.”

For a moment, Yuria’s face was full of question marks. She clearly didn’t believe his answer.

“Is that really true?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“I’ll swear on my own d*ck.”

Why does he always have to swear like that!

Yuria gasped and looked around to see if anyone had heard. Confirming no one was around, she lowered her head to hide her blushing face. Earlier it was from embarrassment, and now it was from shyness. Cedric chose her not as a ‘substitute’ for Cristal, but ‘over’ Cristal.

It wasn’t a lie since she could easily confirm it with a letter to Lahen. Yuria had spent her life seeking a man who would choose her over Cristal. Knowing that man was already her husband was indescribable. Especially since that man was quite impressive.

Yuria felt her heart pounding, unsure if it was the waves rocking the ship or her own emotions. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, so she kept her gaze on her toes.

“…….”

Cedric could only see the top of her head and her flushed earlobes. They looked like ripe, dangling fruit, irresistibly adorable. He wanted to kiss them and gently nibble on them. They might feel similar to her n*pples.

Feeling a tightness below, Cedric bit his lip. They had cleared up a long-standing misunderstanding and were in a good mood, but if he lifted her skirt here, Yuria would be happy, but it would be problematic for him. As a commander, he couldn’t let his subordinates see him fooling around with his wife.

“I have a gift.”

It was sudden, but Cedric needed to divert his thoughts from her ears. He thought it was a suitable way to break the awkward silence.

“A gift?”

“When you receive a gift, you should reciprocate. I have that much manners.”

He tapped the inside pocket of his jacket. Yuria quickly realized it was the handkerchief she had embroidered.

“Do you… like it?”

Her hesitant voice was so small it was almost drowned by the waves. But Cedric heard it and nodded.

“If you have time, you should make another one. I used it so much it’s a bit worn out.”

How could a handkerchief wear out from fighting pirates? He didn’t fight with the handkerchief. Did he use it to wipe blood? 

Yuria tilted her head, and Cedric leaned in slightly and whispered.

“I imagined it was your hair and wrapped it around my c**k, rubbing it diligently.”

He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. Yuria involuntarily imagined him masturbating with the handkerchief and bit her lip. Her face was now so red it seemed like it would burst.

The thought that he used the handkerchief she had carefully made for such a lewd act felt like a sweet confession that he had been thinking of her. The wind blew. The gentle waves couldn’t shake the massive ship, but they shook Yuria. She staggered, overwhelmed by the sudden surge of emotions.

“Let’s go to the land. The gift I have for you, Princess, is there.”

Yuria quietly nodded. His hand wrapped around her shoulder. Though his hand had touched every part of her body, her arm tingled where he held it. Just then, she had a sudden urge to lean into him a bit more.

On the stairs leading up to the second floor, Yuria’s eyes met Edward’s. He looked as if he had just experienced heartbreak.

Yuria hurriedly averted her gaze. She buried her face into Cedric’s chest as they descended the stairs, Edward’s sad eyes following her all the way down. They weren’t even in any kind of relationship, but he was acting like that.

“Be careful with your steps, Princess.”

Nodding quietly, she descended to the first floor, where the crowd had grown even larger. Glasses were being passed from hand to hand, and the laughter and shouts of the slightly inebriated mingled together. Just as Yuria grasped the railing of the gangway leading to land, a loud thud was heard.

Shouts and curses she had never heard before assaulted her ears. Cedric frowned and covered Yuria’s ears.

“Don’t listen. Go down first and wait for me.”

It seemed fights breaking out during merrymaking were common, as there was not much commotion. Cedric, however, had to fulfill his duty as the commander, so he sent Yuria down first and approached the brawlers. Yuria, watching the men scuffle without noticing Cedric approaching, eventually made her way down to the harbor.