I Just Wanted to Call Off the Arranged Marriage With the PrincessโSomeone I Could Never Possibly Be a Match ForโBut for Some Reason, She Took a Liking to Me and Is Now Closing in on Me
I couldnโt believe it. I thought it must be some kind of mistake.
Still, the fact remained that a letter from the princess had arrivedโeven if the contents wereโฆ wellโฆโso I was heading to the capital to go to the castle and confirm the truth.
My butt hurts from the bumpy carriage ride.
โFather, this must be some kind of mistake, right? Couldnโt we just send a letter?โ
โHow do you plan to ask?โ
How?
โIโll say, โYouโve got the wrong address!โโ
โIโll never let you write a letter again.โ
Why?
Since the contents are that kind of thing, itโs fine if Iโm that kind of person too, right? When I started waving the letter around, I was scolded, โStop that! Itโs rude.โ
After traveling to the castle these past few days, Iโm starting to wonder if this might actually be a prank. Thereโs no way this is an official marriage announcement.
โAnyway, weโll be in the capital soon. Donโt do anything unnecessary; just behave yourself.โ
โThe most unnecessary thing was you making me go on that blind date, wasnโt it?โ
โWho would have thought it would turn out like this!โ
Yeah, youโre right. Iโm sorry.
ใโใโใโ
โIโm exhausted.โ
Iโve been sitting for so long that my back is stiff. It even cracks when I arch it. Traveling to the capital isnโt easy. We were in a hurry this time, so we barely stopped to rest in any of the towns along the way.
As I was rolling my shoulders to loosen them up, Father returned from going to get permission to enter the castle.
โThey say we can have an audience right away.โ
โHuh? Weโre going to meet His Majesty?โ
โOf course.โ
In what world is that โof courseโ? At any rate, it wasnโt the world I knew. Sure, weโd sent word by fast horse, but this isnโt like going over to a friendโs houseโthereโs no way weโd be able to see him the moment we arrived at the castle.
โโฆโฆIs the king just sitting around with nothing to do?โ
โDonโt you dare say a word, you hear me?โ
He gave me a look of deep, genuine anxiety.
No, I wouldnโt say anything to his face either. Iโm not that out of touch with reality. Really, I swear.
ใใโใโใโ
โโWelcome, my son!โ
Huh?
Iโd been waiting a bit in the room I was shown to when a middle-aged man suddenly walked in and started treating me like his son. He grabbed my hand firmly and shook it vigorously up and down.
He was so overjoyed he looked like he was about to cry, and I couldnโt keep up with the intensity of his emotions. He does seem to resemble His Majesty in a wayโฆ
โWho is this old man?โ
โDo you want to set the date for my execution!?โ
My father was screaming. Heโs full of energy.
โYour Majesty, my foolish son has committed a grave offenseโฆ!โ
โDonโt worry about it. Anyone would be startled if a middle-aged man like this suddenly grabbed their hand with such a beaming smile.โ
โThat is not the case at all!โ
While the middle-aged man laughed cheerfully, my father was prostrating himself so deeply his forehead nearly scraped the floor.
Huh? Is this for real? Was that really His Majesty?
No, I knew he looked like him, but I expected someone more solemnโsomeone with real dignity. In contrast, the man right in front of me, laughing heartily, gave off the exact opposite impression. He wore no crown or cloak, dressed in a rough, unpretentious style far removed from the pomp of the nobility; it wouldnโt have been strange to find him getting drunk in a tavern in the slums.
โThe real dealโฆ? So, does that mean Iโm getting my head chopped off today for being rude?โ
โItโs fine. just a regular old guy, so youโre not wrong.โ
โOh, really?โ
โYeah.โ
Even though I was talking to myself, I got a reply, so I turned my head to see who it was. There stood the Third Princess, with her black hair and black eyes, staring at me with her hands stuffed in her pockets.
โHey.โ
โHey.โ
I replied in the same casual tone without thinking, but waitโIโm actually in the royal castle meeting royalty, right? This isnโt like Iโm just visiting a friendโs house, is it?
In this chaotic situationโso far removed from any sense of etiquette or formalityโIโd completely lost track of why Iโd even come here in the first place.
I meanโฆ canโt I just go home now?