"Your Highness, is this one also your prey?"
Sir Eli pretending to be surprised and lifted the curtain of the carriage for Gwen. He glanced at Lancaster, and a hint of wariness showed in his light brown eyes.
Gwen coughed softly and said earnestly, "I'll explain later. Let him ride in the carriage with me."
Lancaster was still a fugitive. Entering the city would be a troublesome affair with the security checks. Fortunately, no one dared to search her carriage.
Lancaster stared at the intricate patterns and lace adorning the curtain, his expression one of distaste.
"Your taste…" He faltered, refraining from uttering the words.
The elaborate pattern was the three-headed bird emblem exclusive to the princess. As for the lace, it was added by the craftsmen to please the princess.
"Must I personally invite you into the carriage?" Without giving Lancaster a chance to be coy, Gwen half-dragged him into the carriage.
The inside of the carriage was filled with a girlish charm, which was very different from Gwen's serious look.
This was Meryl's idea. Her Highness was only sixteen after all. A bit of pink and frills was normal, wasn't it?
Gwen's tone was calm but firm as she said, 'Take off your clothes.' She then sat beside Lancaster.
Lancaster: huh?
I know Your Highness is an ice mage and not afraid of the cold, but I am.
Taking off clothes in such weather? Do you intend to freeze me to death?
And why to take them off?
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Gwen noticed the resistance and confusion in Lancaster's eyes. Realizing her words might have been misinterpreted, she coughed again.
"Aren't you injured? I want to take a look."
She tried to explain, "After all, we are to be married. Well, I don't want you to have any lasting after-effects."
Reluctantly, Lancaster removed his clothes.
…She meant well, but it seemed like she was forcing him. Gwen carefully touched the bluish-black wound with her fingertips.
The edges of the wound had blackened and become festering. It was an indication of poisoning.
Judging from the wound's appearance, it was a poison called "Moon," a common sword poison in Linsey. Once it seeped into the skin, it caused unbearable pain and was extremely difficult to completely remove.
…It was impressive that Lancaster had endured it for so long.
As a member of the royal family, Gwen had received a comprehensive education in toxicology since childhood. Healing poisons was a piece of cake for her.
She checked the wound quickly and then wrote down the names of the needed herbs on a piece of paper.
She didn't notice Lancaster's burning ears.
This damsel... seems sorely lacking in the awareness of propriety between the sexes?!
Her blue eyes were always as calm as a placid lake, serious and composed. Few things seemed to affect her emotions.
Just sitting there, she resembled an untouchable statue of a goddess. With such a beautiful face, yet she was not at all endearing.
He silently watched Gwen's flawless and delicate profile, and his memory flashed back to that kiss.
He remembered her flushed cheeks and the helpless look as she bit her lower lip.
…She was much more charming then. At least she seemed more human.
Gwen handed the parchment out of the window to Meryl, who was riding alongside.
"Get these herbs as soon as possible."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Meryl peeked through the curtain and saw what was going on in the carriage. Then she got really angry.
What is this? What is Her Highness doing?! She was dumbfounded.
That man is so impertinent. How dare he undress in front of Her Highness? It's outrageous. I must tell Sir Eli later and have him beat this man to death!
Well… although this guy is Her Highness's fiancé?
Never mind. A fiancé can be replaced. Her Highness must not be wronged.
Meryl convinced herself, fuming with anger.
The carriage slowly entered the city of Wismin.
The guards merely bowed respectfully to the princess's carriage and did not approach for an inspection.
The princess had stayed in Wismin for three days, yet they had not even caught a glimpse of her face.
So, even though the carriage had already moved away, the guards still craned their necks, hoping to see the princess's face.
Wismin, a modest city situated upon the borderlands of the Kingdom of Linsey, was renowned but for a single edifice - the resplendent Wismin Palace, a hallowed abode reserved solely for the royal household's sojourns.
The common people in the city were proud to receive the royal family.
"Welcome, Your Highness."
Lord Alan Carlyle, the youthful Marquis of Carlyle, the ruler of Wismin, had been waiting at the entrance of the palace. After hearing the news of Gwen's arrival in Wismin, he had rushed over, only to be told that the princess had gone hunting at the border and had not returned.
The carriage stopped.
The first to step out was not the golden-haired princess.
It was a tall and handsome man with dark hair.
Then, a slender, fair, and delicate hand, rested on his palm.
Gwen put her hand on Lancaster's and out of the carriage.
"I didn't expect you to come to see me." She nodded slightly at Alan. "Please accept my condolences."
Alan's father, the old Marquis of Carlyle, had passed away half a month ago. Alan, who had just taken over the marquisate and had an unstable foundation, naturally came to seek her favor.
The late Marquis of Carlyle had been a supporter of Prince Tyr.
Alan's visit also had the meaning of declaring his stance to her.
The moment Alan saw Lancaster, a look of confusion appeared in his eyes. When Lancaster turned around, his eyes widened in surprise.
Isn't this Lancaster von Garcia, the eldest son of the Garcia family who had defected?
What was he doing by the princess's side?
"I understand your confusion." Gwen didn't give him a chance to ask questions. Her fine eyebrows knitted slightly, and a faint tinge of sadness shadowed her face. "But I couldn't just let my fiancé die, could I?"
As if she and Lancaster had a deep emotional bond.
To arouse Alan's sympathy, she even managed to squeeze out a few shiny tears from the corners of her eyes.
Lancaster: Emm?
When my whole family was killed, I didn't see any reaction from you…
And their engagement had been arranged ten years ago. In the past ten years, he had not seen the princess even once.
What was this act all about?
Alan's thoughts: Verily, how piteous. Her Royal Highness doth display a most profound affection and loyalty.
He quickly shut his mouth and only nodded to show his understanding.
What fugitive? Can the princess's fiancé be called a fugitive?
As long as the princess liked him, no one would dare to touch a hair on Lancaster's head.
"Could the Marquis please keep this a secret for me?" Princess Gwen's eyes were starting to fill with tears. "I... I haven't told my father about this yet..."
She lowered her head, and her eyes were filled with a charming allure.
Who could resist the fragile and beautiful pearl of the kingdom?
Alan immediately complied, saying that he would visit again another day to avoid upsetting the princess.
Fortunately, it was Alan. This guy had just taken office and was relatively easy to deceive… If it were those scheming old nobles in the capital, it would be a headache. Gwen was secretly relieved.
Convincing them to agree to this marriage would require careful planning.
Lancaster had clearly considered this as well.
Both of them sat upright in the palace, and the atmosphere was like a diplomatic negotiation.
"How can we get married smoothly?" Lancaster asked.
Gwen sipped her tea slowly. "My father and eldest brother will support me. This marriage was originally approved by them. The trouble is convincing my mother and second brother… and those old geezers."
By "those old geezers," she meant several powerful and influential old nobles in the city of Linsey.
"Without a reasonable excuse, Freud will surely make a big fuss about this."
In fact, there was almost no reasonable excuse for this.
The engagement was just a piece of parchment.
As the noble princess of the Kingdom of Linsey, why should Gwen be bound by it and have to marry a "traitor"?
So, in her past life, after weighing the pros and cons, she quickly requested the dissolution of the engagement from the Holy See.
After all, who could have predicted Lancaster's future achievements back then…
She had made one wrong step after another.
The marital relationship was the key to binding her and Lancaster together as a community of interests. She had to make this marriage happen.
Gwen looked at Lancaster intently and said, "I really want to hear your thoughts." Then she gently put down the white porcelain teacup, and it made a soft sound on the table.
Lancaster looked up and his expression confident.
"By the grace of the gods, all shall be rendered justifiable."
Gwen was taken aback. Lancaster's idea coincided with hers.
Having such a tacit understanding with this tyrant, was it a good thing or a bad thing… she wondered.
If the Holy See announced that their union was 'the will of the gods,' everything would be solved. No one would dare to say another word about this "sacred" marriage.
They needed a highly respected and bribable figure within the Holy See.
"However, do you have any connections in the Holy See?"
"None." Gwen was straightforward.
In her past life, as a princess without the right to inherit the throne, everything she did was to support her eldest brother Tyr's ascension to the throne.
So, she had not developed any forces that were solely loyal to her.
The so-called first princess was just a parasite attached to the prince, a most beautiful and useless ornament in the kingdom.
"Starting from scratch…" Lancaster murmured.
"Not entirely." Gwen smiled bitterly. "I… don't I still have you?"
Lancaster looked at Gwen and was silent for a long time.
She trusted him far too much… didn't she?
"Don't doubt it. I have my reasons." Gwen's smile was gentle. "Please stay by my side."
Does she even realize… with such a beautiful face and such misleading words. It was enough to make a normal man sacrifice his life for her…?
This woman was like a tempting siren. But no way, he wasn't going to be easily charmed! They were just allies, using each other.
Lancaster told himself this in his heart. But he couldn't force himself not to look at Gwen's sincere face.
Well… it seemed that his trust was still hard to earn. Gwen observed Lancaster's reaction.
His face still wore that aloof and indifferent expression.
Never mind. A good hunter is not in a hurry to claim his prey.