Princess Audrey Zayla Glacia
One of the main heroines of the novel had crash-landed in Nefta Village.
She was the sole heir and Princess of the Glacian Kingdom, and destined to become one of the many who would fall for the main character.
Unlike the other heroines, her life was far from idyllic.
I could only recall pieces of her past, but she was primarily known as the "sore loser" heroine.
After ranking fifth in the Aethel entrance exams, she struggled to keep up with the other heroines in terms of romantic progress and noble connections.
This fueled her competitive drive, often leading her to go overboard in her efforts.
I remember reading scenes where she tried to force people to like her, but her efforts always seemed to backfire. It made me feel bad seeing how she tries so much.
Then at the age of eighteen, she would inherit a kingdom burdened with problems and diplomatic tensions.
To make matters worse, there was an organization called the Black hearts that had controlled her family since her father became king and threatened to strip her family of their royal status.
It was a harsh and unjust reality for her.
Eventually, Kaelan, the story's hero, would resolve these issues in no time.
Considering all Audrey had to do was just ask him for help.
Perhaps she should have asked his assistance sooner, but her stubbornness and sense of responsibility drove her to try to solve things on her own.
The typical tsundere.
**
When I pulled myself from under the carriage It felt like I was staring at heaven.
At first sight, I hadn't realised how her beauty standards matched with the other heroines.
But I knew that I wouldn't have been disappointed either way.
Her skin was almost as pale as it was white, her ice-blue hair shined and her eyes looked as cold as I expected.
I thought fixing the carriage was the least of my worries but now, my eyes were completely still as being caught in this awkward situation made me almost immobile.
My first impressions with people aren't generally good so I thought maybe in this life I could make myself appear better.
However I think I had already blew away my chances.
"...?"
I blinked trying to communicate with her and she seemed to have snap out of her trance.
My first impressions are usually terrible, and I had hoped to do better this time.
But I suspected I had already ruined my chances.
I blinked, trying to silently communicate with her, and she seemed to snap out of her trance.
Her expression shifted from cold to troubled, and her eyes darted around as she fidgeted.
CLANK!
Suddenly, she opened the carriage window.
"Um... excuse me, what's your name?"
As her head popped throughout the window, her eyes were widened with curiousty.
"Julian Ryker Uzziel. May I ask why you're asking for my name?"
"Because... I wanted to. Is there something wrong with that?"
Her eyes averted as she spoke, and I could only guess that my commoner status was the reason for her hesitation.
"No, not really,"
Still on the ground, I kicked the wrench upwards, catching it deftly in my hand.
As I prepared to leave, I could feel her eyes burning into my back.
"Ehem... so why are you fixing the carriage?"
"Does it really matter?"
I retorted back at her with the same remark.
"...!"
As she realised her blunder, A frustrated look crossed her face.
Almost like she was pouting, I found it quite cute.
"No,"
She gave me a cold expression and I simply shrugged it off.
"Then why are you here?"
"I was told to help,"
"Why didn't you say that earlier?"
This kid... she's asking a little too much with that attitude.
"I didn't want to,"
Then for a moment she went silent and I thought this interogration was finally over.
But she kept coming at me with these questions and I was just getting bombarded.
"Do you know when it's going to be fixed?"
"No."
"Are you from this village?"
"Yes."
"Have you learnt magic?"
"No."
Holy shit, my blood is boiling.
"Hey-"
"Look!, we're trying Prin-, I didn't want to do this so can you please just give me a moment?"
My voice had risen unexpectedly, and I realized I was staring intensely at her.
I realised that she was about to cry.
"Oh... uh... wait a moment."
Suddenly I Panicked and ended up scrambling away from the carriage and headed straight for the food market.
I dashed through the stalls, searching for Ezekiel and Mr. Nivel.
Eventually I spotted them enjoying skewers of meat by a wooden bench.
"Hey, Julian! We have some food left over for you." Ezekiel grabbed a small brown box beside him and opened it, revealing two skewers of the village's specialty.
"This food is amazing, so you can have this as payment for showing us around."
Sniff...
The aroma of the skewered meat made my stomach growl.
"Thanks," I said, grabbing the box. "I'll be back soon. I just have to do something."
"Okay, take your time!" Ezekiel munched on the meat and waved goodbye.
*
Returning to the carriage, I first checked the window Princess Audrey had opened earlier.
"Ah, man..."
Just as I expected, it was now shut tight.
Even the curtains were drawn, preventing me from seeing her shadow.
Now this was making me feel guilty.
I didn't realise raising my voice was enough to upset her.
So I think it's best If I just apologise.
Huup!
Standing on my toes, I knocked on the window.
Knock...knock...knock...
"..."
I waited for half a minute, but there was no response.
I knocked again, this time speaking.
Knock!
"Hey... can you hear me? I just wanted to apologize."
Creak...
A sound from inside the carriage caught my attention.
I noticed movement within the curtains, but then it stopped.
Was she really going to ignore me?
Well, I didn't expect any less from a Princess.
But I'm not going to let my pride consume this guilt of mine.
I'm going inside.