“No, Your Highness. Please punish my crime,” the boy said.

“Oh,” the princess thought, “This is new.” The people around her treated her comfortably since she was young, so nobody asked her forgiveness like this. She wanted to see him more, but unfortunately, this was the middle of the bakery. Hemelina shrugged her shoulders.

“What is your name?” she asked.

Ahem! She disguised as a serious princess. Of course, from her young look, it didn’t look serious at all.

“I am the fourth son of Court Esvier, Leiwarden Tel Prva von Esvier,” he said.

He looked similar to her age, but he had a pretty deep voice. He put his face down, but his voice didn’t blur.

“Well, Mr.Esvier. Get up.”

This time she became a somewhat more serious princess. Leiwarden got up. His red hair was very vivid. Hemelina blinked her eyes.

Soon, she touched her chin as if she fell in deep thinking. Her round eyes were shining. She made a “Hmm,” sound. She looked so lovely. Everyone in the store held their breaths as if they were watching a play and looked like they were thinking about the same thing. Neither Liam nor Feltnum did not take their eyes off her.

And Leiwarden—

“Bris,” she called the owner.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“You are done, right? Liam, pay for all this.”

“As you wish.”

—almost unconsciously, he received the bag of cookies that Hemelina handed over. He could smell sweet smells. He looked at the sweets in the bag once and looked at the princess once. Leiwarden looked clearly embarrassed.

Hemelina smiled.

“Well. Your punishment is bringing that,” she said.

“Yes?” he asked.

“Liam, Feltnum, Mr.Esvier…Hmm, I mean Leiwarden. Let’s go.”

She was the princess of Monterobis, but she was very friendly. Liam expected she might keep up appearances since she was in front of the noble, but he immediately gave that up. That didn’t happen.

Leiwarden followed the princess, who had called his name in five minutes after they met as if he was grateful. He had to.

That was the first meeting.

Leiwarden was the youngest boy of the Count Esvier. Count Esvier had vassalage in Wer Seine, which was a very fertile site. So, he could afford to have a house in the capital. As Hemelina saw at the banquets since she was young, Count Esvier’s family was the leader of the knights that protected Wer Seine for generations. He was simply an honest man as his reputation. She knew he had four sons.

But still, Hemelina asked to Leiwarden as if she didn’t know. “How are your brothers?”

The oldest brother was the head of the second knights. He was not even thirty years old yet, so he was in a very high position. She asked how that was possible, and apparently, he was the top for five years when he was in Ramon Lehus. The second brother was in Goghyongeta, Monterobis’ proud language research institute. Of course, he kept the top in Ramon Chater. The third brother, who made Leiwarden go to Radom by himself for the first time, he never missed the top position in Ramon Chater.

So, this was what happened. Leiwarden recently became 13 years old and was wondering about his career. He always had been. His father was the famous head of the knight. His brothers won fame in many fields. So, he had no idea what field he had to choose to raise the family name. Moreover, it was time to choose the school. Neither his parents nor brothers didn’t press him, but he thought they would still expect.

Then one day, he heard this news during lunchtime. His third brother ranked top in this exam as well in Ramon Chater. His mother smiled and said it was an obvious result. His father tabbed his brother’s shoulder as if he was proud of him. Leiwarden lost his appetite.

“I am already 13 years old,” he thought, “but I still don’t know what to do. I am just getting old, but I have no idea.”

He could not finish his meal, and he just went back to his room. He could not read a book and wondered what to do. His conclusion was taking a walk outside. So, he walked the streets of the inside of the fortress. The splendid houses made him feel worse. So, he thought about going outside of the fortress. It was the first time to go there by himself, but he wanted to.

The outside was not as gorgeous as the inside. He rather wanted to hide among these people. With a little bit of sentimentality, he walked towards where many people went and finally arrived Radom.

Suddenly, he remembered the cookies that his second brother used to buy from time to time. He heard Lamos or Lemons or something called like that was famous. It was quite sweet to his taste, but he thought sweets would make him feel better now.

So, he went there and met one girl.

The outside of the fortress was noisy and lively. Hemelina rested her chin on her hand, sat on the bench, listened to what he said, and thought something. She soon opened her mouth since she didn’t need to hide speaking.

“I felt a little grievous because my brother was born, but you are suffering from your older brothers.”

Leiwarden, who was bending his upper body, straightened up. He turned his face and looked at her.

Hemelina had a clear smile.

“Maybe, we are similar,” she said.

He never heard anything like this before. Moreover, she was the noblest girl in this country.

A lot of low and thick voices that passed puberty trembled a little.

“I think you are right, Your Highness.”

That was the beginning of the relationship. Since Hemelina always visited Ramon Vischeri, it was not hard to visit Radom time to times. Besides, she originally visited that bakery often. Leiwarden visited there often as well. Half of the year passed like that. As they spent time more together, the next meeting was something familiar, even though they didn’t make an appointment.

In the spring of the new year, Leiwarden entered Ramon Vischeri. “Why, Lei?” the girl asked. The princess and Leiwarden were now friends. He smiled and answered, “Any of my brothers went Ramon Vischeri. So, that is why. Yes, I am the outlander about art. So, I choose the five years course.” Hemelina smiled as well because they would see much easier now.

That was true. The day the girl entered and went to Ramon Vischeri gradually increased. Liam, who supported closest to her, was simply amazed that Her Highness visited Ramon Vischeri more often than ever before. The reason for the surprise was simple. “How she can visit more often?”

The queen always welcomed the princess. Soon, she was introduced to one boy.

“Mother. He is my friend.”

There was a time that her brother introduced somebody to her in a similar way. But she didn’t feel the same this time. Ashtie was very moved and barely suppressed her excitement and smiled warmly.

“Nice to meet you. Mr.Esvier. Please, be a good friend to Lina.”

That time, Leiwarden finally understood something; the reason that the princess was so sweet and generous, without constraint, as much as she would be called, she was not a formal at all.

Of course, Liam was the first one among the servants, who noticed the change of the princess. But he didn’t take any special action. Since His or Her Majesty, who would know the princess most well, he didn’t say anything.

But there was only one problem. The princess spent too much time in Ramon Vischeri with the son of the court, so her teachers had to wait for Her Highness for a long time. So, Liam almost had to blackmail her that he would tell His Majesty to make her go back to the lesson.

Three years passed like that.

It was early summer when the cool winds blew, and the hot sun was burning. The court held a big banquet for his son’s coming-of-age ceremony. The princess participated as his friend and also for representing the royal family. It was such a pleasant party.

She used to dance in Ramon Vischeri, sometimes even dragged Leiwarden in the dancing lesson and danced together. So, Hemelina was not expecting to dance with him in the banquet or something. But—

“Your Highness. Would you like to dance with me?”

—when she saw Leiwarden that reached his hand to her politely, she felt something.

His red hair was brighter than when they met the first time. His dark eyes shined like the night sky. He grew much taller. He was full of her sight.

Although she felt something unusual, she didn’t care much.

But—

“My father told me to choose someone to marry.”

—when she was told like that, she realized her feeling.

It was another level of weird feeling that she felt when Edinburgh was born.

That night, Hemelina went back to the palace without knowing whether or not it was a dream. She didn’t come out of her room for a few days as if her spirit went out. Her mother asked her what was going on, but Hemelina just shook her hand and lowered her eyes, and said she just had something to think about.

“Liam probably told her anyway,” that was the first conclusion she made, after staying in bed for two days like her spirit was out. It was rather fine and rational judgment. The second conclusion was the emotion that was judged by reflection.

She was looking for her mother with a weak step that no one would wonder why if she collapsed.

Ashtie, as usual, looked lovingly at her daughter.

“Lina.”

And she kissed on her daughter’s eyes that were about to cry.

“What are you worried about? You even didn’t eat. Michela is worrying you. Of course, I worry about you and your father as well.”

“Well…Mother.”

“Yes, Lina. Tell me.”

Ashtie led the child’s hand and held her on her lap.

Hemelina buried her face in warm arms.

“Mother…Well, I…”

“Yes? I am listening.”

This soft voice always patted her. Hemelina shut her eyes and told her.

“I have someone I like!”

There was silence. Hemelina opened her eyes because she could not endure curiosity. She wondered what face her mother would make. She looked at her. And her mother, of course, had the sweetest smile that the child loved. All the lights in the room were bright.

“Congratulations, Hemelina,” Ashtie said.

And she kissed on the child’s face.

“You have a first love.”

She kissed her again. The child’s red cheeks were full of warmth.

“This mother is just happy for you.”

Ashtie celebrated and encouraged her mysterious emotion that she would never experience before. Hemelina got more courage.

“So, mother. Umm… I want to engage…” and she said so. Ashtie smiled deeper. Her daughter was such a sweetheart. She didn’t even have to ask who it would be. The boy that she was talking about was the only one.

“So, will you tell your father?”

Ashtie recognized the blurry end. She just wanted to ask for a favor.

“How will he react about this?” Ashtie thought, “she never asked something first before. And the first thing she is asking is engagement.” She patted her daughter’s head, who closed her lips tight and nodded as if she was ashamed. Ashtie gave her advice.

“Then, Hemelina. Go to him and call him father.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t worry. If you do that, he will listen to you.”

“Uhh…But I never called him like that before…”

It was a rare reaction. Hemelina, who never doubted her mother, scratched her cheek. “Will it be true?” she thought.

Ashtie touched gently on her daughter’s cheek.

“That’s why it’s better, try it.”

Thus, she came to the king’s office. Hemelina took courage.

“…Father.”

“…”

“I have someone I want to be engaged to, Father.”

“Hemelina.”

“Yes.”

“What did you just say?”

“I have someone I want to be engaged to, Father.”

Hemelina particularly strengthened the last word.

“…Father?”

“Yes, father.”

And she saw the smile of her father. It was full of tenderness.

He was not one who didn’t have a smile. But no one doubted he only smiled in front of the queen. But he was deeply smiling at her, right at the moment.

“Okay… Who do you want to be with then?”

“He is the youngest son of Court Esvier.”

“I see. There would be nothing too difficult,” he said.

And he also added the word. “But, I think you should ask for consent to him first.”