Chapter 35 The Fish You Missed Is Whale-sized？
(Well, just when people were starting to forget, why bring up old wounds like this?)
"Oh ho ho."
Rhiannon said, trying to hide her strained smile with a fan.
The broken engagement had actually been a scheme by Kaine to completely shatter Rhiannon's doom flag.
If that engagement hadn't been called off, Rhiannon would have surely been on the path to ruin.
In hindsight, the broken engagement had been a good thing for her.
Still, Rhiannon didn't want to remember the accident of spilling hot tea on the third prince.
(Oh, just thinking about it makes me want to roll on the floor in embarrassment!)
Rhiannon was filled with the desire to wrap up this conversation quickly and leave the room.
Unfortunately, the king didn't seem ready to let her go just yet.
He sighed.
"Werner clearly had no eye for talent. I did tell him to overlook some rudeness on my part, but..."
"That was more than just a little rudeness, wasn't it?"
"Oh, I have no intention of blaming Lady Rhiannon. Everyone makes mistakes. Even if it means spilling hot tea on our prince's head, it's not something to worry about."
Rhiannon felt herself fading away while still smiling.
It seemed the king had heard about her big blunder.
She wished she could just disappear.
No, she wanted to be buried right there.
The king stroked his impressive beard with his fingers while looking at Rhiannon, whose smile had completely frozen.
"However, you are indeed the daughter of my old friend Fellui. Your family background and character are solid, and your manners and behavior are impeccable. Moreover, I've heard you've been putting effort into charity work lately. That's quite commendable for someone so young."
"...I-I'm honored."
"Once again, it's a shame about that broken engagement. It's difficult to say since it was Werner who ended it, but if you're willing, I would still like you to consider re-engaging with Werner."
"Eh?"
Rhiannon briefly doubted whether the king was joking, as she hadn't expected such a statement at all.
It was that unexpected.
However, the king in front of her seemed completely serious.
It didn't appear to be a joke.
"...It is an overwhelming honor for me."
Rhiannon said in a barely audible voice.
This was surely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the noble lady Rhiannon.
The suitor was the selfish and tyrannical Prince Werner, but with the king's proposal, her treatment would change significantly.
In the Tortone Kingdom, a "bride chosen by the king himself" would have not only her noble family as support but also the king backing her.
This meant that absolute power was promised for the future.
Such an attractive offer would never come again.
(I understand that I should humbly accept this...)
However, Rhiannon couldn't respond immediately.
Although she understood in her mind that she was being offered an honorable proposal as a noble lady, her heart rejected it.
The first thing that came to Rhiannon's mind was Kaine.
The young man with beautiful golden eyes.
He was kind, strict, and though she could never tell what he was thinking, he always put Rhiannon first.
Over the past few months, she had met many noble gentlemen.
She had been sweet-talked a few times.
Yet, Rhiannon's feelings had not wavered.
She liked Kaine.
And she could no longer lie about those feelings, even if Kaine had clearly stated that he had no intention of reciprocating them.
Rhiannon straightened her posture and smiled gracefully.
"...Your Majesty is overestimating me. There must be more suitable young ladies in this kingdom."
Indirectly, but firmly, Rhiannon declined.
The king looked disappointed.
"...I see. I apologize for asking too much."
"I'm sorry I couldn't meet your expectations."
The king looked at Rhiannon with regret as she gracefully lowered her gaze.
"Well, the fish I let slip away is quite big. My foolish sons have no eye for talent at all. On top of that, it seems all three of them have fallen for the same woman... I was hoping at least Werner would have a decent fiancée, but..."
"...Are you talking about Sarah Belts?"
"Oh, Lady Rhiannon knows her. What a troublesome situation this is."
"Three of them, you mean the First Prince, the Second Prince, and Sir Werner as well?"
"Yes. I can't say for sure, but I've heard from the Chief Steward that even Werner has been getting close to Sarah Belts. Thinking about this has been giving me stomach pains lately."
It seems the King is quite aware of the love and hate drama surrounding Sarah Belts.
"I was willing to overlook a little flirtation, but this has gone too far to ignore."
The King muttered with a sigh.
Rhiannon nodded, feeling deep sympathy for him.
(Well, if this is what they call a little flirtation, it's gone way overboard... I've heard it's a full-blown fire everywhere.)
Now, the First Prince Serio and the Second Prince Roldán are said to be such bitter rivals that just making eye contact leads to a brawl.
Because of this, the royal palace has split into factions supporting Serio and Roldán, and daily clashes are never-ending.
This has also severely stalled the governance of the kingdom.
And now, with the Third Prince Werner also infatuated with Sarah Belts, it seems things could spiral completely out of control.
(Sarah has not only played the two princes against each other but has also brought the kingdom's governance to its knees...)
Rhiannon unconsciously furrowed her brow.
"We nobles are the rulers of this country. Disrupting the governance is absolutely unacceptable. Sarah's actions are, in my opinion, unforgivable for someone of noble status."
The King stared intently at Rhiannon as she spoke seriously, then placed a hand on his forehead.
"...Truly, it was a shame to break off that engagement. If it had been Lady Rhiannon, she might have been able to guide the princes in the right direction."
"......"
"Well, let's stop talking about what-ifs. Forget it. Now, have a good night."
With just that, the king lightly waved his hand and gracefully disappeared into the crowd of the party venue.
Rhiannon let out a quiet sigh of relief.
After talking to the king for so long, her throat was dry.
Even Rhiannon, usually composed, was quite nervous.
In the center of the party, dancing had already begun, with many men and women joyfully taking each other's hands and dancing elegantly.
Taking advantage of the moment when no one was talking to her, Rhiannon hurriedly made her way to the table filled with food.
She wanted a drink right now.
As she walked around looking for something to drink, a blonde server approached her directly with a glass in hand.
"Lady Rhiannon, here's your drink..."
"Oh, just in time. Thank you, I'll take it."
Rhiannon noticed that the server's hand, which was handing her the glass, was faintly trembling for some reason.
The server's freckled face also looked pale, as if all the color had drained from it.
Concerned, Rhiannon peered into the server's face.
"Hey, what's wrong? You look unwell. Are you okay? You shouldn't push yourself..."
"Ex, excuse me!"
The server, looking down, hurriedly left as if escaping.
Rhiannon watched the server's back in shock.
"What, what was that all about...?"
Tilting her head at the server's clearly suspicious behavior, Rhiannon brought the glass to her lips.
"Hey, wait! Don't put your mouth on that glass!"
Suddenly, a hand shot out from the side, grabbing Rhiannon's delicate wrist.
Startled, Rhiannon instinctively pulled her hand away from the glass.
The glass flew through the air and landed on the chest of the tall figure who had grabbed her wrist, splattering the drink on his pristine white shirt.
"──Once is one thing, but to splash me with a drink twice, you're the first to do that."
"...W-Werner!?"
The one who had taken Rhiannon's hand was Prince Werner, the third prince.
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