Mic Nor.
Thanks to her father's plan to enter the throne battle of the kingdom, he had attempted to use her as his key.
Though he cared for her and would never deliberately make her suffer, in the end this was the reality for most noble won, married off to build connections.
So hated this system, while others embraced it.
Those who liked it did so because it benefited them.
After all, had her father's plan succeeded and she ended up marrying the future king of the kingdom, wouldn't she have risen from a duke's daughter to true royalty?
It sounded like a dream to most noble ladies, but not to Arianne. She wasn't a fan of such a fate.
If she couldn't marry for love, she would rather cultivate, beco strong on her own, and explore the vast world freely.
Unfortunately, that dream had faded away because of her father's ambitions.
No one, not even her, had expected the plan to fail. But who could have foreseen that, at the final mont, soone else would seize the opportunity, and her father, whom she believed would want to change the outco to his desired one, would actually accept it.
However, this didn't make Arianne happy. In the end, she would still be marrying a stranger. Yet the first ti she t Mic Nor, the slight reluctance she had in her heart vanished. That was when Arianne realized sothing about herself; she was more vain than she thought. The fact that her opinion changed simply because of how beautiful a man looked made her inwardly embarrassed.
He was not only handso but also strong, composed, and
well-spoken. Arianne, still a young girl at heart, could not help but entertain the thought that marrying Mic Nor might not be such a terrible fate after all. The idea that her future husband could be soone so capable and striking made her chest flutter in ways she had never felt before.
Since her father did not seem opposed to the idea and even subtly encouraged it, she assud the marriage was practically settled. After all, who would refuse her? She was Arianne Evermoon, youngest daughter of Duke Evermoon.
At least, that was what she thought.
But this Mic Nor never showed any interest, nor did he even acknowledge the arranged marriage he had supposedly fought for. Was she so undesirable?
It was a new and uncomfortable experience for Arianne, one that left her uncertain of what to think or feel. She found herself in a strange state of limbo. Did she still have a fiancé? Was she engaged? Was she in a relationship? She didn't know.
What she did know was that she had co to like Mic Nor, but he didn't seem to share even a fraction of those feelings.
The concept of love was lost to nobles. At least compared to commoners, most nobles thought that if you could be with soone whose company you enjoyed, it could be considered love.
Arianne, who had been courted by heirs and praised in the capital, for the first ti in her life found herself standing on uncertain ground, unsure of her worth in another's eyes.
She couldn't tell if it was pride, frustration, or sothing else, but when she finally found the chance to see him again, she didn't hesitate to take it.
Arianne curtsied gracefully, her every movent refined, though her tone carried a teasing lilt. "Viscount Mic seems to be in good spirits these past months," she said, her lips curving into a faint smile. "You
haven't even sent a single letter. Should I take that to an Thornvale has made you forget ?"
The soldiers and attendants nearby froze subtly at her words. Their eyes darted briefly between the two before quickly lowering their gazes, pretending to have heard nothing.
Michael's expression did not waver, though a faint smile touched his lips, soft and fleeting. Inside, however, he sighed bitterly. To be honest, he had not expected to see the princess again, at least not this soon.
Still, he could not say that aloud. Instead, he t her gaze, his voice calm yet carrying a warmth that made her heart skip. "Forgive , Princess," he said lightly. "I feared that if I wrote, my words would pale too much beside the mory of our last eting"
Arianne blinked, her composure faltering for a brief mont. The faintest flush crept up her neck before she quickly masked it behind a polite smile.
For soone so composed, his words had struck deeper than she expected. She had prepared several possible lines to tease him with, perhaps to remind him of how he had ignored her existence for months. But now, under his steady gaze and that effortless charm of his, her mind went blank.
Michael, noticing her silence, gave a faint courteous nod. "It's an honor to receive you in Thornvale, Princess," he continued. "I only
hope the journey wasn't too tiring."
Arianne finally regained her voice, though her tone ca out softer than she intended. "It was pleasant enough," she managed, then quickly glanced away, feigning interest in the manor's surroundings to hide her reddening cheeks.
Rohan, standing to the side, caught the exchange. His lips twitched slightly, though he wisely kept silent. It seed his earlier suspicion might not have been too far from the truth. The princess, too, had fallen prey to the quiet pull of his lord's presence.
Tsk.
Pretty privilege truly did exist.
Even a lie spoken with that kind of face sounded romantic, even to
him.
Michael glanced toward Arianne. "You must be tired after the journey," he said. "Co, Princess. Thornvale may not match the capital's splendor, but I believe our cooks have prepared sothing you'll find
enjoyable."
Arianne's lips curved slightly. "Are you inviting to lunch, Viscount?" she asked, a teasing note in her voice.
"If Your Highness is willing to eat with , I would be honored."
Her composure wavered again, though only for an instant. "Then it would be rude of to refuse," she said softly.
Michael gestured toward the entrance.
"This way, Princess."
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