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
โYou look just like Lucian.โ
As I sat there silent, His Majestyโwho had been stifling a chuckleโsaid something rude. Well, heโd been rude from the start today, but this took it to a whole new level.
โJust like a son who punches his father in the face with a fist?โ
โIn what way?โ
โThe look of utter disgust on your face. Especially the way the wrinkles gather between your eyebrows.โ
โโฆโฆMy apologies.โ
Seriously?
Did it really show that much on my face? I knew I looked grumpy, but I was in front of His Majesty. I do have some self-control, so I didnโt think I looked that bad.
I touched my brow with my thumb, and there was a deep wrinkle thereโฆ Seriously?
Perhaps that gesture amused him even more, because His Majesty laughed cheerfully. It was extremely against my will, but if His Majesty didnโt seem to mind, then that was fine. My younger days aside, Iโm not exactly the life of the party these days. What good am I if I canโt even put on a good front?
His Majesty swirled the dark red wine in his glass and downed it in one gulp. The corners of his mouth were turned up unusually high.
โIt seems youโre quite incensed.โ
โโฆโฆWell, I suppose so.โ
Iโm not talking about myself. Iโm talking about Lucian.
Setting aside the fact that he hit him, I could understand why His Majesty was so angry.
Lucian is the third son. And the youngest, at that.
Among the children of the nobility, the later one is born, the lower their standing. Lucian was no exception; he had always been treated as a spare in case something happened to his two older brothers.
Iโve told him that myself, and Iโve raised him that way.
Itโs the fate of being born into a noble family. Lucian understands that fullyโฆ or so I assume.
โUnderstanding and accepting are two different things.โ
โI am well aware of that.โ
โIs that so?โ
His Majesty seems to be enjoying this immensely. Or rather, isnโt he? What a nasty personality.
โHaaโฆ I suppose you never really accepted being treated as a spare.โ
Itโs only natural for a nobleโs child, but Lucian had a stubborn streakโhe hated the idea of being a substitute for someone else. Or rather, heโd say he hated it outright, and it showed on his face.
Couldnโt he have phrased it a bit more diplomatically, or with a little more tact? Heโs not a child who canโt control his emotions, after all.
โThatโs why he was planning to leave home, wasnโt it?โ
โIs that so?โ
His Majestyโs voice rises a notch.
Having dismissed the servants, His Majesty leaned forward as he poured himself a fresh glass of wine.
โWhat does that mean? Are you planning to renounce your noble status?โ
โโฆIf youโre going to put it so bluntly. I suppose youโre thinking I might be considering thatโthough thatโs just a guess.โ
It was nine times out of ten a certainty.
Given his personality, he wasnโt the type to just sit quietly in the mansion, treated as a spare.
โTo be prepared to renounce your noble statusโฆ thatโs quite bold of you.โ
โHeโs a thoughtless fool.โ
โThatโs fine, I suppose. Charging headlong into things is a young manโs privilege.โ
Though itโs me, his father, who has to put up with the trouble.
In fact, I believe this mindset is what led him to reject the engagement proposal for Princess Iris with a single word: โNo.โ He hates playing along with others. He really isnโt cut out to be a noble.
Though, if weโre talking about being in a position of authority, maybe thatโs actually a good fit for him.
I glance at His Majesty, who is opening bottle after bottle of sake and guzzling it down, using the conversation as a fun accompaniment.
โHm? What is it?โ
โNothing.โ
With pressure coming from all sides, all that comes out of my crushed mouth are sighs.
I feel sorry for myself, being tossed around like thisโฆ I try to lament as if I were the unhappiest person in the world, but Lucian must feel the same way.
Just when I thought Iโd met the princess merely to make up the numbers, somehow I ended up as a potential fiancรฉ, and eventually, a candidate for the throne.
Iโm being tossed around. Thatโs probably how he felt.
What would I have done if I were in his shoes?
I thought about itโฆ and concluded I would have swallowed my pride. Even if I was angry, I would have done it. Thatโs why I took the throne.
โWhat do you think will happen from here on out?โ
Faced with His Majesty, who seemed cheerful as ever, I could only sigh once again.
ใใโใโใโ
โIโve done itโฆโ
Lying in bed, I was consumed by regret.
That I hit my father?
No, itโs not that trivial nonsense. While I do find my father amusing now that heโs turned into a raccoon dog, I donโt harbor a shred of regret. If anything, Iโm thinking, โSince having just one eye looks awkward, maybe I should take care of the other one too?โ
So what am I regretting, then? It was the fact that I lashed out impulsively, without thinking.