A quiet park in the city.
Two people sitting side by side on an old bench.
At a glance, they looked like an ordinary couple enjoying a date. However, in reality, they were a prince and a princess, individuals wielding immense influence over the affairs of their respective kingdoms.
Clarice finished eating the chicken skewer in her hand. It had gone cold and was no longer tasty, but she still felt a bit embarrassed to be eating in front of the prince.
'…This is unexpected.'
Watching her, Prince Raphael found his emotions somewhat complicated.
Naturally, he had already gathered a fair amount of information about Clarice.
When he first heard that she had personally proposed this marriage, he assumed she was no ordinary woman.
'But now that I see her like this, she doesn't seem all that different from other women.'
Feeling slightly ashamed of his preconceived notions, Raphael cleared his throat in an attempt to cover it up.
He wanted to wait patiently for her to finish eating, but—
Wasn't he currently sneaking out of the palace?
Not only did he not have time for this, but more than anything, he wanted to hurry to the bakery and see her.
"Could you explain what you said earlier in more detail? About how you're also dissatisfied with this marriage—"
"Ah, yes."
Clarice hurriedly finished the skewer in her mouth.
Then, she calmly began to explain.
"I understand how you feel, Prince Raphael. Being told to marry a woman you've never met before—it's only natural that you wouldn't be pleased."
"..."
"I feel the same way. I've heard that I'm emotionally dry, but even so, I would prefer to marry someone with whom I share a connection."
"If that's the case—"
"But Prince Raphael, we are royalty. We have a duty to our people."
"..."
At this, Raphael had no words.
As she said, if it was for the good of the kingdom, then going through with this marriage was the right decision.
Seeing the conflict on his face, Clarice gave a small smile.
"I think I may have been too harsh on you."
"…No, that's not it."
"You should go now. Your beloved must be waiting."
"Ah."
Clarice shifted her gaze to the flower bed in the park, signaling the end of their conversation.
After a moment of hesitation, Raphael slowly bowed his head and then left.
The moment he disappeared from view—
"You did well."
Isaac, who had been hiding outside the park, quietly stepped in.
Taking the empty skewer from Clarice's hand, he smiled in satisfaction.
"Well done."
"Was it really that good? I was just being honest in a somewhat kind way."
"That's more than enough. Just establishing the shared sentiment of not wanting this marriage will make Prince Raphael much more comfortable around you."
"Well, if you say so, I'll take your word for it. What's our next move?"
"We can't rely on 'coincidental' meetings anymore. The first move we made was the most powerful one. If we keep running into him by chance, he'll start getting suspicious."
"Hmm."
"Luckily, there are plenty of natural opportunities to meet. So there's no need to worry too much—"
"Hey, Isaac."
"Yes?"
Clarice, still seated on the bench, looked up at him with a strangely thoughtful expression.
"Do you think you could seduce me?"
"…Excuse me?"
"I mean, I don't really understand love. Seeing how detailed you are in all of this, I thought maybe I could learn something from you."
"I'm only doing this because it's my mission. I didn't put this much thought into my own relationships."
"Really?"
"Really."
Back then, Isaac had been a man who simply loved the art of romance.
He believed that love between men and women should follow the flow of fate.
So, he simply waited by the riverside, hoping to be bound by destiny to the red-haired woman.
"In any case, you'll have a lot of practice ahead of you."
"Practice? I have to practice?"
"Of course. That prince seems to be someone who follows his emotions quite strongly."
Situations, dialogue, emotions, atmosphere—
If even one of these struck the right chord, he might mistake it for love.
"Let's go."
As Isaac extended his hand, Clarice smiled and took it, rising to her feet.
***
Of course, finding a suitable place to practice wasn't easy.
The palace was filled with countless eyes and ears, and if their practice were to be discovered, it would be the end of everything.
With that in mind, the only available practice space was the princess's private chambers.
At least it was the one place that wasn't exposed to the outside world.
"Tomorrow, a garden stroll is scheduled, correct?"
"Well, that depends on whether Prince Raphael shows up."
"He will come."
That was the entire reason they had "accidentally" met today.
Now that he had confirmed she was someone he could have a conversation with, he wouldn't just stand her up anymore.
"The most important thing is conversation. Have you thought of any topics to discuss?"
"The political landscape of various kingdoms? The significance of our arranged marriage and the benefits it brings?"
"…Prince Raphael will flee immediately."
"..."
Isaac nodded as if he had expected that answer.
"Of course, casual and lighthearted topics are best. You often talk about those when you visit my estate, don't you?"
To be honest, he wasn't too worried.
Clarice was quite talkative.
Whenever she visited his estate, she would chatter away about all sorts of things.
"That's because it was you, Isaac."
But Clarice frowned.
"I'm not sure if I can talk that way with Prince Raphael."
"Hmm."
Speaking naturally with someone she was comfortable with was one thing, but doing the same with Raphael was another challenge altogether.
"In that case, let's do this. I'll set up the situation for you."
Free-flowing conversation requires a certain level of skill.
If that wasn't possible, then the best approach was to create a scenario where the topic was naturally narrowed down.
"I will accompany you as a knight—one who relentlessly pressures you into marriage."
"Hmm?"
"From now on, I will keep watching you, pressuring you with my gaze. That way, you'll naturally move closer to Prince Raphael and continue the conversation with him."
"Ah!"
The push-toward-each-other strategy.
Isaac's sharp gaze would subtly force Clarice to lean in closer or naturally initiate physical contact with Raphael.
It wasn't a bad plan.
Not to mention, as one of Princess Adeline's subordinates, he had a valid reason to be there.
"Let's practice. It has to look completely natural."
"Yes! I like this plan!"
***
The Next Day, in the Garden of the Brentarion Kingdom
Prince Raphael and Princess Clarice were strolling through the garden together.
They admired the flowers with their eyes and enjoyed their fragrance, but Raphael, naturally, wasn't thrilled about this situation.
'Forgive me, Del…'
While silently apologizing to the woman from the bakery whom he cherished, Raphael suddenly felt an intense, chilling sensation prickling at his back.
"...?!"
Startled, he turned around—
At the entrance of the garden stood a man with a sword strapped to his waist.
He had jet-black, tied-back hair and was such a strikingly handsome man that even Raphael was momentarily taken aback.
However, the sheer hostility radiating from him made Raphael's heart shrink in fear.
'W-what kind of person is this?!'
Aura?
No, it wasn't just that.
Something else, something even more overwhelming, seemed to surge around him.
A chilling sensation that instilled fear in people.
At that moment, Clarice gently grasped Raphael's hand, as if to reassure him.
"He's my bodyguard. His name is Isaac Logan. He's affiliated with my sister."
"Isaac Logan… Logan? As in the Baron Logan who carried out the Volten massacre?"
"Y-yes, that's right. So, the rumors have spread all the way here."
"Well, it was a shocking incident."
Prince Raphael now understood the unsettling aura Isaac was giving off.
Just how many people had this man killed to become like that?
He had the presence of a veteran who had crossed the threshold of death countless times.
"He's determined to make sure this marriage happens, no matter what. Since he's my sister's subordinate."
"Ah…"
Raphael's expression showed understanding.
To avoid letting go of Raphael's hand, Clarice naturally took a light step forward, leading him along.
"Shall we run away? From Baron Logan?"
She chuckled lightly, playfully pulling Raphael along.
The prince, feeling the oppressive weight of Logan's gaze, didn't resist following her.
As they wandered through the lush flowerbeds, Clarice wore a fresh, radiant smile.
Bound by a political marriage neither of them wanted, they shared a rare moment of mutual understanding.
"Fufu."
After running for a short while, Clarice gently released his hand, smiling softly.
[If you keep holding on, it'll look intentional. Let go first.]
'Good thing I practiced with Isaac.'
She had been nervous, worried that Raphael might let go first.
But it seemed he had been more enchanted by the flowers and her presence than she had expected.
Startled, Raphael hesitated awkwardly before withdrawing his hand.
"Baron Logan is really overbearing—"
"I see."
[Use me as a conversation topic. The prince will relate to it.]
[Have confidence. You're more than charming enough, Princess.]
Just as Isaac had advised, everything was proceeding smoothly.
Clarice smirked inwardly.
'This is way easier than I expected.'
When she had practiced with Isaac the day before, she had stumbled over her words and even had sweaty palms.
Yet now, with Prince Raphael as her partner, the conversation was flowing effortlessly.
'As expected, I perform better in real situations!'
***
After the garden stroll with Prince Raphael, Clarice headed into the city separately with Isaac.
"What's this about?!"
Sharen, who had been bored lately, eagerly hopped over to his side.
"I have somewhere to go. Thought you'd like it."
Besides, with Sharen around, things would look more natural.
"Somewhere? Where?"
"A bakery."
"Baaakery!"
Of course, there was one more crucial person involved in this plan.
The woman who had captured Prince Raphael's heart.
The daughter of the bakery owner, Del.