Chapter 9: Hall of Shame [3]
"Princess Rinna, you look divine in a white gown."
"Right? I just can’t take my eyes off you. If only God didn’t make me a woman!"
"Oh, is it true, Princess, that even the Queen’s personal seamstress cried after seeing your final fitting? Out of joy, of course."
Three noble girls stood around Rinna, each with a smile on their face, taking turns to fire praises at her like arrows tipped in honeyed syrup.
Rinna gave a faint nod to each one of them.
Surely, those girls were beautiful, but their tone would rot anyone’s ear.
Rinna curved her lips just enough to look polite.
But in reality...
Her soul was already halfway out the window.
’I don’t want to be here.’
She was suffocating in her dress. Right now, Rinna wanted to punch the person who picked it out for her.
She shifted her weight from one heel to another.
’Five minutes. Five more minutes of this nonsense and I’m jumping out the balcony.’
She glanced at the table beside her. There she saw a wine glass — it looked more merciful than the company she was keeping.
Then suddenly—
"Princess Rinna."
A calm, confident voice called out to her.
Every head turned.
Standing there, just a few steps away, was a young boy her age. Adorned in a black suit, golden buttons on the white shirt underneath. His short jet-black hair fell slightly over his forehead.
But what stood out more were his eyes. A pair of golden eyes that, for some reason, looked to Rinna as if they knew everything.
Rinna didn’t even need to fully look at him to know who it was.
"Could I get a little bit of your time?"
Her smile cracked, just a little.
’Great. The moment I thought it couldn’t get any worse.’
The princess cursed inwardly.
She turned slowly, and saw the boy approaching with something small in his hand... wrapped in white paper, with a pink ribbon on top.
The chatter among the noble girls came to a halt.
"You..."
Someone whispered, but Leon’s gaze was fixed on only one person.
Even though he ignored the others, he could still hear faint chatter.
"Is that... Lemon Valentine?"
"What nerve... coming to speak with Her Highness?"
"He’s really going to try it again?"
’Dammit, at least get my name right!’
Leon almost cursed. But he had to maintain his Leon persona.
"Happy birthday, Princess Rinna," he said calmly, bowing slightly. "May the moon favor your years."
Rinna, as always, followed royal manner. She arched a brow at him.
Leon raised the little box.
"I know it’s sudden," he said, "but I was hoping to speak with you. Alone. There’s something I wish to say... from the bottom of my heart."
’Shit, I sound so cringey!’
Leon wanted to die then and there.
Rinna’s eyes twitched.
’Again? Seriously?’
She sighed inwardly, already regretting not jumping off the balcony.
Still, she had to perform her princess manner.
Gaze fixed on the white box, Rinna asked, pointing,
"What... is that?"
"A gift," Leon replied. "Something simple."
He extended the box to her.
Rinna took it. As she did, the other girls began whispering.
"...what nerve..."
"...must be something gross..."
Holding it, Rinna opened the box slowly.
Inside was a small silver pendant. At first glance, it looked cheap and almost ordinary — but Rinna sensed the faint mana pulsing within the pendant’s blue crystal.
The crystal had a muscle-pain-relief enchantment. Its effect was near-instant; she could feel the tension easing just by brushing her fingers over it.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
’This... how does he know I needed this?’
The weight of her gown and the tightness around her ribs had been tormenting her all evening. She hadn’t told anyone, not even her mother.
Leon scratched the back of his head.
"It’s a small gift, and I don’t expect anything in return. I just... wanted to talk. I’ll wait for you in the garden."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Rinna stared at the pendant, then at Leon retreating toward the garden doors.
Behind her, one of the girls hissed,
"Ugh, he didn’t even kneel."
"He was treating the princess so casually."
"Hey... don’t tell me the princess will accept his invitation."
"What? No way."
Rinna sighed.
’He’s going to propose to me again, isn’t he?’
Still... a small part of her wanted to know what he’d say this time.
If nothing else, she could finally shut him down once and for all.
She looked down at the pendant again, then turned and quietly made her way toward the washroom.
"Excuse me, ladies. I must go now."
Rinna waved her hand politely, then vanished from their circle.
— — —
Inside the washroom, Rinna stood in front of the mirror.
She was unclasping the pendant in her hand before placing it gently around her neck.
The pendant had a silver chain attached to a coin-sized enchanted blue gemstone.
"I can’t believe I’m doing this," she murmured, staring at her reflection.
As soon as the pendant touched her skin, it emitted a warm sensation throughout her entire body.
"Haaahhh..."
’I feel much better.’
Rinna still couldn’t believe that Leon had found out she was suffering. She didn’t know he cared about her this much.
’Guess I should at least give him a proper rejection this time.’
Care or not, Rinna had no interest in Leon.
Just as she turned to leave, a familiar voice called out.
"Yo."
Standing there was a girl with the exact same appearance as Rinna.
Long white hair, ocean blue eyes, and a black gown with leather boots and gloves.
"Oh, sis," Rinna said, groaning. "Why do you always pop up at the worst moments?"
She was about to go and meet Leon in the garden.
Eula leaned against the wall. "What did that guy want?"
’She saw all that?’
"Probably another proposal," Rinna muttered.
Eula narrowed her eyes.
"Tsk, him and his damn brother. I’ll rip their faces off one day."
"Hey now, sis. A princess doesn’t say things like that."
Rinna giggled faintly, brushing her hair.
Eula’s eye fell on her sister’s neck.
"Did he give it to you?"
"Hm?" Rinna followed her gaze. "Oh, yeah. Apparently, it relieves the muscle pain."
"And? Don’t tell me you plan to go meet with him?"
"Wh—?" Rinna’s eyes widened. "Why do you think I would go meet with that guy?"
"Didn’t he invite you—?"
"You even knew that?!"
Her elder sister was always one step ahead of everyone. No matter the situation, she somehow knew exactly what Rinna was going through.
A quiet silence passed between the two.
Then, out of nowhere, Eula suggested,
"Switch with me."