Chapter 3

“From what I’ve heard, Prince Raihan has quite a straightforward personality, so you don’t need to be too nervous. You’re not the one handling treaty-related matters, Young Heiress. Just think of it as hanging out with a friend.”

“You should say something that actually makes sense…”

To treat a diplomatic delegation representing their country as if they were friends—how could that make sense? Even if Prince Raihan truly had such a personality, on a national level, one never knew when or where a problem might arise.

Seeing Dione’s sour expression, the Crown Prince stifled a laugh and then suddenly raised his eyebrows as if something had occurred to him.

“Hmm. If it’s too burdensome, how about getting help from Duke Schwitz? It’s pretty well known that the Duke is skilled in diplomacy, isn’t it?”

“Duke Schwitz? I’ve only met him a few times, so that might be a bit difficult.”

Besides, Dione was no diplomatic novice who would commit some grave faux pas to a foreign guest. She had learned from her grandmother, the previous Lord to the Marquisate, so if anything, it was the opposite.

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

At her answer, the Crown Prince tilted his head for a moment as if puzzled, then abruptly set aside the delegation talk and began asking all sorts of questions about Duke Schwitz—when and where she’d met him, what her first impression was, what she thought of him, and so on.

Not knowing why he was asking, Dione just answered whatever came to mind and then left, taking the carriage back to the mansion.

After moving busily and completing all preparations to welcome the delegation from Elvirtein, the delegation finally arrived in the middle of August.

Crossing the sea that connected the two empires, on a massive cruise ship with towering sails.

Unlike Essen, which seized dominance through military might, Elvirtein was a nation that grew through trade. Especially in maritime trade, no country could match the Elvirtein Empire.

And the appearance of the cruise ship now in view was impressive even to Dione, who had lived as a wealthy imperial noble and seen all kinds of precious things. The majestic ship approaching across the deep sea—its grandeur was such that it would be hard to believe without seeing it in person.

At the head of the procession disembarking from the docked cruise ship, there was a tall man who drew even more attention than the enormous vessel itself. The moment Dione saw him, she immediately realized:

That man was Raihan Elvirtein, the Fourth Prince.

Using his long legs to stride ahead of the others, the man approached, and Dione bowed her head slightly and smiled.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Prince Raihan. I am Dione Estellon of the Estellon Marquisate, assigned to guide this delegation. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine, Young Heiress Estellon, to meet you like this.”

When she greeted him in Elvirtein language, his friendly reply came back in Essen language. The warmth in his tone and the precise pronunciation made Dione’s face unconsciously show her surprise, causing the man to chuckle softly.

“How is it? I practiced quite a lot.”

“Just from your pronunciation, I’d think you were Essenian.”

“I’m glad to hear that. And you, Young Heiress, are truly impressive.”

As Raihan said this with a gentle laugh, Dione thought, without exaggeration, that he was the most handsome man she had ever seen.

Honestly, Dione herself was no slouch in looks and had developed a strong immunity to others’ beauty, yet his appearance far exceeded her defenses.

His brown hair, glowing with warm tones under the summer sun, looked soft, and beneath neatly arranged bangs that calmly covered his forehead, his light green eyes sparkled like finely cut gems. Add to that a sharp nose and lips like they’d been drawn…

And his features were so distinct that he was the kind of strikingly handsome man one couldn’t forget after seeing just once.

‘Whoever marries him could live off just his looks alone…’

Well, in reality, it wasn’t just his looks—his wealth was surely impressive too.

Forcing herself to look away, Dione pointed toward the carriage she’d prepared, changing the subject.

“For the first day, you can rest and recover from your journey in the guest suite prepared at the royal palace. The treaty meetings will begin tomorrow. After the meetings are over, you’re free to enjoy your time however you like.”

At her words, Raihan smiled and caught her gaze, which she’d tried to avoid.

“If that’s the case… may I ask you to guide me then, Young Heiress?”

“Of course. It would be my honor to accompany you, Your Highness.”

Dione swore that she was meeting Raihan for the first time today. Naturally so—she had lived her whole life in Essen, and he in Elvirtein. Yet, strangely, Raihan’s inexplicable kindness and warmth were clearly directed at her.

Why?

‘Are all Elvirtein people like this?’ 

She thought of her mother, the only Elvirtein native she knew, but couldn’t be sure. She didn’t know if it was her mother’s personality or a national trait.

Or perhaps, as Durant had said, she really was famous in Elvirtein, and that was the reason.

Suppressing her personal curiosity, Dione exchanged brief greetings with the nobles who had arrived with Raihan and guided them to the carriage. Normally, she would have ridden in a different carriage, but thanks to Raihan’s very natural request, she ended up riding with him.

He even sat facing backwards, as a gesture of consideration for her.

Such friendliness and warmth right from the first meeting—if she said she didn’t find it suspicious, it would be a lie, but at this point, the likelihood of a problem arising between the two continents because of the treaty was low.

Then, was his behavior toward her now… surely not…

‘Am I crazy? Get a grip, don’t get conceited.’

The reason Dione was considered an attractive bride in Essen Empire was because everyone coveted the seat beside her. Most of her past lovers had been like that too. But Prince Raihan had no reason to covet her position.

Pushing aside rising self-absorption, she met Raihan’s eyes and smiled lightly.

“It’s just as I’ve heard, Your Highness.”

“And what have you heard about me?”

“That you have a straightforward personality.”

Raihan smiled brightly, as if pleased. “If that’s how you see me, Young Heiress, then I am honored.” He added softly.

“In fact, after hearing that you would be guiding this delegation, I was quite looking forward to it.”

“Why is that?”

“Well… you’re famous, aren’t you?”

“…Me?”

It was something she’d heard from the Crown Prince and recalled earlier, but it was still hard to believe. Was it true?

“You’re the only noble in Essen who’s of mixed blood. And you’re the only child of a couple who crossed the sea to be together.”

Her doubts vanished the moment she heard Raihan’s answer. It was definitely a famous story—her parents’ story. She hadn’t realized it was so widely known in Elvirtein too.

“Ah… So my parents’ story is famous in the Elvirtein Empire as well.”

“Of course. It’s been thirty years, but it still regularly ranks first in the newspaper’s ‘Most Romantic Love Story’ list.”

When Dione’s eyes widened at this, Raihan laughed again, a pleasing sound. Then suddenly, he let out a small sigh and spoke softly, in a gentle tone.

“When I first heard that story as a child, it even became my dream. A man who came with the delegation, and a woman who came out to greet them, drawn to each other at first sight.”

“……”

“Then, falling in love so deeply that they’d cross the sea together.”

“……”

“My older brother said I was foolish for wishing that, but as a child, that’s how I felt.”

He finished with a smooth smile as if it was nothing, but to Dione’s ears, it sounded slightly different.

The man who came with the delegation was her father, and the woman who came out to greet them was her mother. The only difference was that the location back then was the Elvirtein Empire, and the rest…

‘Surely he’s not making some metaphor about our current situation… right?’

No, even if she didn’t want to think so, wasn’t the situation just like that? It wasn’t just her imagination. And the fact that he was saying this in a carriage with just the two of them…

Flustered, Dione felt cold sweat on her back, but she was still on official duty—as Young Heiress!

“That’s understandable. It’s often talked about as romantic in Essen too. Other noble ladies come to me and ask all sorts of questions.”