"Is it true that you will marry Lobelia off?"
It was the 1st Prince Harold, for the 2nd times succeeded in entering my room after been rejected. Harold who heard about the end of the meeting, finally couldn't hold himself and ran to visit me. "I must have told you that I'm busy now..." "I asked if it is true that you will marry Lobelia to Lord Arzom!" This time Harold yelled in anger. "Yes." I lifted my head to look at him unbothered. "Crown Princess..!" With an anger face, he clenched his fist, holding himself. "The child is only 16!" "I know." "I don't know what you've been feeding the Empress Dowager but you will not go away with this," Harold warned. "It's already happening," I replied. "Just throw him some compensation gold and it'll be over," Harold said. "Unfortunately, this is what I already decided as the Crown Princess and the successor of the empire," I replied then looked down again to my papers. "Poinsettia!" Noah, who was standing next to me, ran quickly and caught Harold in his strong arms. "Please stop this," Noah told Harold. "Crown Princess!" Harold screamed desperately but I ignored him. "1st Prince, if you take more step, I will have to drag you out," Noah uttered. Just at the same time, the 2nd Prince Ulrich opened my door and entered as if he had heard the news.
"Right! Of course it's the bitch Poinsettia!" "...What are the outside guards doing? Bring the guards outside in." While Noah was holding on Harold and Ulrich, the guards that guarded the entrance of my room came in and lined up. "Sir Noah, please give me the sword." Noah looked worried but inevitably handed over a sword that was hung in the closet. It was a sword specially made in consideration of my physique, habits, and frequently used skills. Once I was trained in swordsmanship, but because I was always trained with a wooden sword, it was my first time I held a sword. Not that long until the room was filled with screams and blood on the floor, the 2 Princes were stunned in horror even for someone like Noah he still couldn't get used to this scene. "You're a monster," Ulrich said. "Yes, I'm a monster, so fear me." I wiped the blood off my sword as I glanced sharply at Ulrich and he was shivering. "Now behave both of you. Although I am a monster, I am still the Princess of this country. So please do mind your words." Before he could started speaking, I pointed the tip of the sword on the 2nd Prince' throat. "Do you still have anything to say?" I asked. "Put that sword away!" Ulrich yelled in fright. "Stop it." Harold stood in the middle of us as he was protecting his brother. "Mind your words too, 1st Prince. I don't care if we share the same father, our ranks are different. I will not be soft," I warned the brothers as I glared at them in turns.
At that time, one of the guard who was still breathing grabbed the 2nd Prince's ankle. "Sa...Save me, Prince Ulrich." "Uwaa! Let me go!" Ulrich screamed in horror like a kid and fell down on the floor as his legs gave up. I raised my eyebrows watching the scene, the 1st Prince exhaled and pulled Ulrich up, using his body to support Ulrich's weight and left my room. "I'll come again, Crown Princess." I took off my blood stained dress. Noah, who saw that, turned his head with a blushing face though I was wearing a white silk undergarment. "Noah." "Yes." Suddenly I thought I wanted to play a joke on him. I lifted his chin to face me and pressed my lips on his reddish lips. "Both of you are insane for kissing in an open room like this." "What is the Duke doing here?" Lawrence, staring at my face while gently wiping the stain of Noah's lips on my lips. "...I can't even come to see my fiancé?" "It'll be nice of you to contacted me in advance. Catherine, call the servants to clean up the room and tell the maids to prepare to greet our guest in the Gladiolus room." "Yes Your Majesty." "I'll come to see you after a bath, so please follow the maids and wait for me there." "..."
It was an hour later after a bath, I headed to the Gladiolus room. "Okay. So what are you doing here without a notice?" I asked him. "...What were you doing with him earlier?" Lawrence asked in return. "Kiss. Did you not see that?" I replied. "Aren't you shame of yourself? Aren't you scare if someone else going to see that?" Lawrence asked. "What kind of answer do you wish to hear?" I asked unbothered. "You are asking me? You are having a baby, my child. But I saw you kissed another man," Lawrence said with an anger tone in his sentence. "There were no emperors or empresses who had one partner so far." "What are you talking about so suddenly?" Lawrence looked confused and taken aback by my reply. "In the future, I do not know how many concubines I will have when I become the empress. Are you going to be jealous and envy from now on every times?" "What do you mean by envy and jealous? I am not jealous or envy so stop your nonsense." Lawrence denied all those feelings but his expression said the opposite. "So what now? Do you need anything else?" I asked. In my words, Lawrence saw himself on the window. "...Are you going to attend the swordsmanship contest next week?" Lawrence asked. "Why are you asking?" "Sharon decided to make a good luck alcohol. So I'm here to tell you that you don't need to make one for me," Lawrence said. "Are you coming only to tell me that? What makes you think that I will make one for you? Your hidden lover must be an alcohol maker better than me," I replied. "Why are you always say cruel things? My false for thinking that you can be nice even for once." Lawrence looked at me as if he was already had enough. "I'll make it." "Don't be." Lawrence expression looked like he was about to cry, sulking, hoping for more of my attention like a kitten. What a ridiculous face.
As the time passed, the day of the swordsmanship contest. This was a cruel game to get the position of the empire's top knight, all the royals and the prosecutors from other countries called Nanda Kanda gathered. The waiting room was located in the basement of the stadium. Perhaps I was too relax that I was shocked to see Lawrence visited me on the important day. "Is the engagement preparation going well?" Lawrence asked hesitantly. "Yeah." He said he didn't want to see me, but now he stood here asking about the engagement progress. "All you have to do is just to be there." "I'm glad that it goes smoothly." "Here. This is the good luck alcohol I made. It's not sweet but I think it tastes fine." He looked down at the liquor I had served. It was an elegant tassel embroidered with the pattern of the Duke of Oncidium with a golden thread on a black background. "Obviously what your hidden lover made will be more beautiful. I was joking that day so don't be angry anymore," I said. "I'm not angry." "That's good." "Thank you," he uttered softly. I went to Noah's waiting room and poured the alcohol I made as he ran to me like a cute loyal puppy. "What are you doing here?" He asked but his face looked excited seeing me. "I'm here to give you this." I gave him the blue liquor in a goblet. "Do not get hurt today and be careful. I already know that you are strong, so it's okay if you don't take risks and prove to your skills." "I'll keep it in mind!" I smiled and kissed Noah's cheek and left the room, then I heard. "Okay! Now, we will start the swordsmanship contest to select the empire's strongest, the best swordsman and the strongest warrior!"