One fortunate thing was that by the time Clarice's carriage arrived in the Kingdom of Brentarion, Prince Raphael had already been captured.
That day, a brief interaction took place between the royal families over a meal.
"What kind of food do you enjoy, Prince Raphael?"
Soft and natural conversation flowed as they dined. King Laboden and Queen nodded in satisfaction at Clarice's proactive approach toward Raphael.
"I like Auren."
"Auren…?"
Her violet eyes blinked a few times in confusion. As if waiting for this moment, Prince Raphael curled his lips into a smirk.
"It's a traditional dish of Brentarion. It's made by braising chicken. I doubt you've had it in Albion."
"No, I haven't. It sounds interesting."
"Hah."
His added sneer chilled the atmosphere at the dining table. Clarice maintained her smile, but her grip on her utensils tightened.
With those words, Prince Raphael subtly expressed that he and Clarice were not a good match. He had stated his food preference but then mocked her for knowing nothing about it.
"It seems we have much to learn about each other. I look forward to it."
"There's no need for you to try so hard."
"Thank you for your consideration."
"Ha, consideration…?"
Raphael's blatant disregard continued. Yet, Princess Clarice kept smiling, showing far greater maturity than him. His sarcastic remarks failed to have any real effect.
Suddenly, Raphael stood up.
"I'm not feeling well. I'll take my leave."
A rude and irresponsible act.
As he passed by Clarice, he spoke again.
"Do you know what love is?"
"…Excuse me?"
"If you did, you'd understand why I'm acting this way."
With that, Raphael left the room.
After the prince's departure, King Laboden sighed and shook his head. He had heard that the king was a weak-willed man, but seeing how easily swayed he was by his own son confirmed it.
It seemed that a generational shift was almost complete in this kingdom.
"I apologize, Princess Clarice. The boy is immature, but he is also passionate and capable."
"I hope you won't only focus on his bad traits."
When King and Queen Laboden apologized, Clarice smoothly brushed it off.
"It's fine. This marriage was our request, after all. It's sudden for him, so he probably needs time to accept it."
"You are remarkably mature, Princess."
"You and Raphael suit each other so well."
"Winning over one's husband is also an important virtue of a wife."
With a soft smile, Clarice continued her meal.
***
"What the hell was that?!"
The moment she entered the room prepared for her by the royal family, Clarice grabbed a pillow and began smacking it against the bed.
"You think I like you either?! Who said this was fun for me?! We're supposed to take our time getting to know each other!"
"…"
"…"
The Grandmaster and Isaac, who had followed her into the room, remained completely silent.
"Are we children?! Are we?! Brentarion Kingdom benefits from strengthening our alliance with us because we help hold back the beasts in the north!"
Baang! Baang!
"And we, as a rear nation, can receive support from you while also devising countermeasures against those bizarre beings, the Transcendents! Isn't that a good deal?!"
Baang! Baang!
"If you're born into royalty, at least show some sense of responsibility! Aren't you ashamed in front of the people who swear loyalty to us?! Do you think the privileges we enjoy just fall from the sky?!"
"…Surprisingly, she seems to have a good head on her shoulders for a royal."
"Princess Clarice may appear that way, but she has a strong sense of duty."
"Well, considering she came all the way here for a marriage alliance, that makes sense."
"Do you even know what love is?! I don't know!!!"
Baang! Baang!
Despite the murmurs of the Grandmaster and Isaac behind her, Clarice didn't stop. She struck the bed with a pillow several more times before finally exhausting herself, panting heavily.
Then, she threw the pillow aside and plopped down onto the bed.
"Stupid prince. Do you think anyone smiles in front of you because they want to?"
Covering her face with both hands, Princess Clarice fell into despair. This marriage was a crucial matter for the Albion Kingdom—no wonder she was troubled.
Isaac and the Grandmaster remained silent, waiting for her to reach a conclusion.
"This can't happen."
Her quiet voice slipped through her fingers.
"I can't let personal feelings ruin everything. Do you even realize how much our kingdom stands to gain from this marriage?"
As if hypnotizing herself.
As if convincing an absent Raphael.
"We are not just beneficiaries; we are the ones who bear responsibility."
Clarice stood up abruptly.
Her amethyst eyes now gleamed with intelligence.
"Heirad, you're outside, aren't you?"
"Yes, Princess."
Heirad entered immediately.
Recently, due to a quarrel with the princess, he had been ordered to keep a low profile while guarding her.
"Go find out who that woman is—the one who has Raphael so utterly entranced. I want to see just how remarkable she is. Her appearance, style, preferences, wealth, background—just bring me everything."
"Understood."
Like a commander issuing battle orders,
Clarice's cold voice and gestures moved Heirad like an extension of herself.
'This…'
Isaac couldn't help but admire her. Was this not the same presence once carried by the woman who bore the weight of humanity's survival?
Even the Grandmaster showed a hint of interest in the charisma Clarice exuded.
"I need you to monitor Raphael. You're the only one here who can move undetected."
"By your command… Is that how I should respond?"
With a smirk, the Grandmaster stepped out.
"Baron Logan."
The last remaining person—Isaac.
Clarice strode toward him and called his name.
"Yes, Princess."
"You have the most important role."
Isaac, already aware of what was coming, almost let out a dry laugh.
"I need to seduce that foolish prince."
"..."
"Will you help me?"
Clarice was utterly serious.
So, Isaac accepted his role without hesitation.
"It's my specialty."
***
Love is war.
It was a famous saying, though no one seemed to know exactly where it came from.
Regardless, Isaac found himself deeply agreeing with it.
However, if he were to tweak it slightly, he'd say marriage was war—that sentiment resonated with him even more.
Either way.
Clarice took those words quite favorably.
"Love is war?"
Then…
"Strategy and tactics. Logistics, intelligence, command, psychology, diplomacy! We must use everything at our disposal!"
And so, Clarice began treating love like a war.
The people around her naturally fell into their roles—some as adjutants assisting the commander, others as generals leading the troops.
Isaac, standing beside her, nonchalantly addressed the maid applying her makeup.
"Too much makeup will only backfire. Give her a more natural look instead."
"But she's a princess. Is that really okay?"
"It's fine. In fact, the other side already holds a negative impression of her. Rather than sticking to conventional appearances, she needs to show them something different."
"I see."
"The banquet is in six days. We're going to make a statement that day. To maximize the impact of her most stunning appearance, it's better to hold back for now."
Following Isaac's advice, the maid began applying a lighter touch.
Meanwhile, Clarice looked uneasy.
"A-Are you sure about this? Is it really okay to show an unpolished look?"
"Princess, do you know when I first felt my heart race for Liana?"
Even the maid paused, intrigued by the unexpected shift in topic.
"It was when she smiled awkwardly. She was always so composed and authoritative, but in that moment, she showed something different."
"Ah…"
"That's how it works. Your opponent is expecting a head-on cavalry charge. Instead, you should circle around or chip away at their defenses with arrows."
"I get it now."
Clarice nodded in understanding.
Isaac then stepped in front of her as she finished her makeup.
"How do I look?"
"It's perfect. Not excessive, but not lacking either. Thankfully, you're naturally beautiful, Princess."
"Of course! Do you think I became a princess for nothing?"
Clarice puffed out her chest in pride.
"Now, try smiling."
Isaac ignored her smugness. She looked slightly miffed but soon gave him a bright, radiant smile.
A natural, effortless smile.
One so stunning that Isaac briefly wished Liana could take a lesson from her.
Then, his expression darkened.
"Let me be blunt. When you go in there—don't smile."
"What?! Why not? I have a beautiful smile!"
"Did you smile during your meals?"
"…Of course, I did."
In fact, there hadn't been a single moment where she hadn't smiled.
And that was the problem.
"It'll come off as fake. Prince Raphael is an incredibly emotionally driven man. A forced smile won't sway him."
"…Are you saying my smile looks fake?"
"Your smile is perfect. Not a single flaw. But the moment he sees you smiling constantly, his mind will automatically begin to doubt it."
After all, when someone smiles too much, it's only natural to wonder if they're forcing it.
"Princess, what you need to do now is—"
***
"I've become quite the expert at running away. Maybe I have a talent for being a thief."
Prince Raphael, having slipped out of the royal palace, let out a self-mocking smile as he headed toward the city.
Why was he born a prince?
Being a prince wasn't the problem, but why did he have to fall in love with the daughter of a mere baker?
A true tragedy.
And thus, love.
Without hesitation, he dashed forward, pulling his hood up over his head.
Hiding his face, he did what he always did—he went to the florist, bought a bouquet, and handed it to her.
'Rationally speaking, the political marriage with Albion is undoubtedly important for our kingdom, but…'
Even if he had to abandon everything, he wanted to love her.
A true despair.
And thus, love.
Clutching his chest, Raphael decided to think about something else.
By now, the bakery's rush hour should be over. She would have some free time.
Last time, when he tried to run away with her, they got caught. It must have hurt her.
'Today, I'll buy something more extravagant.'
However, as Raphael arrived at the florist, he couldn't help but frown.
A woman in a hood, just like himself, was standing in front of the shop.
She was casually selecting flowers while nibbling on a skewer from a street vendor.
"Princess Clarice…?"
Her name slipped out before he could stop himself.
He hadn't expected to run into her of all people, in this of all places.
"…Prince?"
Clarice turned to him, just as startled.
An awkward silence settled between them.
Then, Clarice let out a long sigh and spoke, her voice carrying a mix of resignation and curiosity.
"I heard you already have a lover. I assume you're on your way to see her?"
"Ahem…"
Raphael couldn't answer.
If Clarice reported this to the palace, he would undoubtedly be dragged back in chains.
As he struggled to think of a way out of this predicament—
"Prince Raphael."
Clarice sighed again, but this time, it was different from the composed demeanor she had shown at the banquet.
"I don't want this marriage either."
"…What?"
"I don't want to go through with it."
Raphael's eyes widened in shock.
This was a completely different Clarice from the one he had met at dinner.
As he tried to process her words, realization dawned upon him—she was telling the truth.
And as that truth sank in, a small hope quietly blossomed in his heart.
'Could it be…?'
Could they end this engagement?
'That's exactly what you're thinking, isn't it?'
Clarice smirked internally.
[For now, you need to close the distance. Establish common ground.]
She replayed Isaac's advice in her mind.
[Fortunately, there's something the two of you can relate to, so this will be easy.]
[From this moment on, Your Highness must act.]
'Act?'
[Act as if your sincerity is real.]
Acting as if her sincerity was real.
At first, Clarice hadn't fully understood what Isaac meant.
But now, as the situation unfolded, she finally grasped the true meaning of his words.