Anastasia (10)

Was this a dream?

For someone like me—raised since the age of eight to be a Queen and drilled in etiquette from the moment I reached the age of reason—the idea of falling in love was simply impossible. No matter how much I might have hated my position, and no matter how much I was despised, I had lived my life upon the blood and toil of the people. It was my duty to devote my very existence to them.

I never imagined in my wildest dreams that the capacity for love still remained within me.

And yet... here I was, able to be with the man I had come to adore.

Truly, it felt as though I were living in a dream.

Ahem.

Setting my personal feelings aside, I was genuinely astonished that the elves—who should have been profoundly wary of any human—had accepted Allen so completely. Just what kind of feats must one perform to win that level of trust?

Moreover, the Elven Princess herself had ventured into the dangerous human world just to invite Allen to their decennial Summer Festival. It seemed certain that the elves wanted Allen to settle down permanently in their village.

The Princess likely felt the same...

Despite that, they permitted me to be Allen’s partner for such a significant ritual, and Allen, in turn, protected me with magnificent grace until the very end. Not only were we blessed by the spirits, but we were even granted a Holy Blessing by Law the Light Spirit herself.

Even more shocking was the revelation that Law the Light Spirit was connected to Loringas the Unselfish Great Sage.

Loringas-sama was a legendary figure—a man who had poured his entire personal fortune into establishing orphanages for young children. He was also renowned as one of the world’s preeminent magic experts, a master of every conceivable element who could manifest spells without any incantation at all. Even now, he is a man of many admirers.

I am one of them. Whenever I read his biography, I was moved by his noble spirit and found myself wishing I could live my life in a similar fashion.

Furthermore, I had actually met Loringas-sama once when I was a small child; he had been my mother’s magic instructor. Even now, I can recall that meeting with perfect clarity. He had watched over me with such a warm, gentle gaze. It was a look so intense and kind that it left a lasting impression on my soul.

Perhaps Law-sama was a spirit born from Loringas-sama's earnest, dying wish to save the children trapped within the Forest of Bewilderment.

And it was this Law-sama who had blessed my love for Allen.

I think... I will stop suppressing my true self now.

To me, the Elven Village felt like an ideal society in a way. The residents cooperated with one another, contributing what they could within their own means. There was no hierarchy of high or low birth. Each individual existed there simply as an elf.

I want to build that kind of future with Allen.

Of course, such a thing is currently forbidden. It would be impossible unless I threw everything away and we eloped to the Elven Village together.

On the other hand, there is no doubt that my value as a pawn for political marriage has plummeted now that my engagement to the Crown Prince has been dissolved. Regardless of the fact that I was not at fault, it is incredibly difficult for a woman to secure an "upward marriage"—that is, to marry as a primary queen—after such a public cancellation.

Father is likely already assuming he will have to marry me off to a lower-ranking noble house that possesses significant practical power.

If I were to elope with Allen, there is no telling what Father might do in his rage, and I am certain Allen wouldn't want that either. Besides, Allen made me a promise. He told me that even if it takes time, he will definitely come for me.

Is waiting for him not part of my duty as his... w-wife?

However, that blissful time had to end the moment we returned to the Royal Capital. It felt as though I was being snatched away from a dream and dragged back into a dull, grey reality.

It was frustrating to admit, but I finally understood—just a little—how the Crown Prince felt when he became so infatuated with that woman.

Upon my return to the Royal Capital Residence, escorted by Allen, I was met with a severe reprimand from Father. He gave me a sharp tongue-lashing regarding the Fairy Hairpin I received from the Elven Queen, but he was absolutely livid about the ring on my left hand.

Yet, no matter what anyone said, I refused to take it off. Part of it was because Allen told me I didn't have to, but more than that, it was an act of my own will.

Even with my foolish head, I understood that hiding it would have been the "sensible" thing to do to avoid prying eyes and unnecessary conflict. But this was a ring placed on my finger by the man I love, accompanied by the most wonderful proposal. I simply could not bring myself to remove such a precious proof of our bond.

As expected, Father summoned Allen the following day. My mother, for reasons I didn't quite grasp at the time, led me to a hidden room to observe the "discussion"—which I expected to be nothing short of a public execution.

The meeting, however, yielded a result entirely different from my grim expectations.

While Allen was initially subjected to Father's one-sided fury, the winds shifted halfway through.

I was shocked to my core to learn that the ring I had been given was an Epic-grade magic item from the Wind Mountain Labyrinth—a treasure that royalty and high nobles across the land would hunt for with frantic desperation to protect themselves from assassination.

To put it bluntly, it was extraordinary. It was the kind of artifact that could potentially earn someone a peerage just by offering it as a gift.

Just how far ahead had Allen planned this?

Before I knew it, the man I loved had successfully forced Father to concede to almost every single one of his demands.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, and Mother pulled me into a gentle embrace.

"Mother, I... I'm so..."

I couldn't finish the sentence, but Mother just held me—gently at first, and then very, very tight.