John followed the royal servant through the quiet corridors of Wilhelm Palace.
The sounds of celebration gradually faded behind him as they moved deeper into the royal residence.
Eventually, they arrived before a large wooden door.
“The king is waiting inside.”
John nodded and entered alone.
Inside, a warm fire burned in the fireplace while military maps covered the walls.
King Magnus stood near the window overlooking the capital.
When John entered, the king turned toward him.
“Prince John.”
John bowed respectfully.
“Your Majesty.”
Magnus gestured toward a chair.
“Sit.”
After John sat down, the king walked toward a large map spread across the table.
“Aerith Kingdom has many things Wilhelm values.”
His finger slowly moved across the map.
“Resources. Trade routes. Fertile land.”
Then Magnus folded his arms.
“And Wilhelm possesses something many kingdoms desire.”
“Fresh water,” John answered.
The king nodded.
“The greatest freshwater reserves on the continent.”
Magnus continued.
“I can provide Aerith Kingdom with access to Wilhelm’s freshwater supply.”
Then he pointed toward several military fortresses marked on the map.
“And military assistance whenever Aerith requires it.”
John remained silent.
Those were valuable offers.
The kind of agreements that strengthened kingdoms for generations.
But he knew there was a price.
“There is a condition.”
A slight smile appeared on Magnus’s face.
“Indeed.”
The king slowly sat down.
For a brief moment, silence filled the room.
Then Magnus spoke.
“I have a demand.”
John remained calm.
“What demand?”
The king looked directly into his eyes.
“Marry my daughter.”
The room became silent.
“Princess Elizabeth.”
John wasn’t surprised.
Somehow, he had already expected this.
In his previous life, this exact proposal had happened before.
Back then, he had refused.
At the time, he never thought much about it.
But looking back now, he could see how important that moment had been.
This time…
He needed to choose his answer carefully.
An answer that would satisfy the king.
An answer that would not damage the relationship between the two kingdoms.
As John remained silent, thinking about the past—
Elsewhere in the palace…
Nick stood alone on a balcony overlooking the snowy capital.
The celebration was still ongoing behind him.
Suddenly—
Clang.
Clang.
The sound of steel striking steel echoed through the night.
Nick frowned.
Someone was fighting?
Curious, he followed the sound through several quiet corridors until he reached a small training ground hidden behind the palace.
There, beneath the moonlight, a young woman practiced swordsmanship alone.
Nick watched quietly.
She was skilled.
But there were flaws in her movements.
Her balance was inconsistent.
Her footwork needed improvement.
Just as he was about to leave—
Crack.
A piece of wood snapped beneath his boot.
The woman immediately stopped.
“Who’s there?”
Nick sighed.
Since he had already been noticed, he stepped into the moonlight.
“I heard some noise and came to check.”
The moment she saw him, her eyes widened.
“Knight Nick!”
To Nick’s surprise, she immediately bowed.
He looked confused.
“You don’t need to do that.”
The woman shook her head.
“Without you, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Nick frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
The woman looked at him carefully.
“Three years ago. Near Aerith Forest.”
The memory slowly returned.
Bandits.
A merchant road.
A frightened girl.
Ten dead criminals.
Realization appeared on Nick’s face. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“You were that girl?”
She nodded.
“When those bandits attacked me…”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“They wanted to do terrible things to me.”
Nick remained silent.
“You arrived and killed every one of them.”
The woman smiled.
“Then you escorted me safely to a nearby village.”
Nick finally remembered.
“It was you.”
She nodded.
“I was the one who told King Magnus about what happened.”
Suddenly everything made sense.
“The king couldn’t see my face clearly from a distance.”
The woman nodded.
“That’s probably why he asked earlier who killed ten men three years ago.”
Nick sighed.
“And Prince John ended up receiving the credit.”
The woman smiled awkwardly.
“It seems so.”
After a moment of silence, Nick glanced toward her sword.
“Why are you training so late at night?”
Her eyes brightened instantly.
“Because I want to become a great knight.”
“A knight?”
She nodded confidently.
“Like you.”
Nick was genuinely surprised.
But he quickly hid it.
He studied her stance once more.
Then nodded.
“You have talent.”
The woman’s face lit up.
“But your technique still needs polishing.”
“Really?”
Nick stepped forward.
“Watch carefully.”
For the next hour, the quiet training ground echoed with the sounds of steel beneath the moonlight.
Back inside the king’s chamber, silence filled the room.
King Magnus patiently waited.
Finally, John raised his head.
His eyes met the king’s.
“Your Majesty.”
Magnus remained silent.
Then John spoke respectfully.
“I must respectfully refuse your marriage proposal.”
To be continued…