chapter 12

Just now, he suddenly kicked off the table, stood up, and ran towards the flower garden. Elizabeth, with her mouth wide open as she watched  the Crown Prince, who had then settled down.

She had to follow Leonhardt’s orders to come quickly, but she still had her worries about whether she should really be doing this.

But he told her to come, what should she do?

Elizabeth got up from her seat and started walking at a brisk pace across the lawn.

It’s soft.

She could feel the texture of soil and grass under the thin leather sole. Elizabeth walked slowly, savoring the sensation, and started running towards Leonhardt as ordered.

Running was a much more enjoyable experience than I had vaguely imagined. As she accelerated, the sweet spring breeze ruffled her silver hair, as if whispering that she was doing well. Her breath rushed up to her chin, and she was a little overwhelmed, but she didn’t mind.

“Your…Highness…haa…Crown….haa…prince..?”

As she ran, blood pressure rushed up to her face, making Elizabeth’s slender face blush like a blooming flower. Seeing that, Leonhard felt a sting on one side of her chest.

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment before she finally took her seat, cautiously settling down next to Leonhardt.

Leonhardt was beside her, wiggling his fingers intently.

What was he doing?!

Elizabeth tilted her head, and Leonhardt, noticing it, held out his hand in front of her.

The clover plant, which she had seen in a book, was rolled up and fixed into a ring of flowers.

“Wow, it’s very beautiful. How did you do it?”

“Elizabeth.”

“Yes, his highness the Crown Prince.”

“…When it’s just the two of us, call me Leon.”

“Your Highness?”

Leonhardt pressed his lips.

Crown Prince, or His Majesty the Emperor. In his whole lifetime, she’d only called him by two titles. Now that he’s turned back time, wouldn’t it be okay to be greedy?

Leonhardt thought and urged Elizabeth again.

“Come on. If you call Leon, I’ll give you this. No, do you want me to teach you how to make it?”

Elizabeth pondered for a while.

Is it really okay? Could it be that her mother or father was trying to test her with the Crown Prince?

But she wanted the flower ring.

And she also wanted to call out Leonhardt’s name.

“Le… Leon… .”

“Well done.”

Leonhardt raised Elizabeth’s hand with a broad smile.

The moment he touched Elizabeth’s hand, she flinched for a brief moment. How the hell did the duke and his wife raise their daughter? Leonhardt groaned inwardly and carefully grabbed Elizabeth’s left hand and said to her.

“Right now, it’s only a flower ring, but… Lizzy, if you want, I’ll bring you a ring that is passed down from generation to generation tomorrow. So, Elizabeth Isolde von Elysium, will you be my companion?”

‘Isolde. You are destined to become an empress from birth. By that means the Crown Prince will not have to propose to you. No one will ever propose to you, so don’t waste time day-dreaming and get to studying etiquette.’

Upon reading the prince’s proposal for a wedding in fairy tale books, she  kept wondering if that would happen to her someday, her mother always said that it was natural for her to become the empress, so she would never receive a proposal from anyone.

But it actually happened. She received a proposal from the Crown Prince himself!

From the day he visited the duke’s residence, miraculous things occurred endlessly. First, the corset then she received low-heeled shoes, and now she got a proposal.

She’s sure it was full of delightful things, but why did she feel like crying?

“Uh… Le- Leon, Leon… If I receive this ring, sniff…Will I… really… become..Leon’s companion?”

As the proposal was only made with a flower ring, Leonhardt was imprinted with the thought that she would definitely decline it. However, contrary to what Leonhardt had expected, Elizabeth seemed to have accepted it sincerely.

Leonhardt began to appease Elizabeth while trying to hide his bewilderment.

“Of course! So don’t cry… Handkerchief, here is the handkerchief. Lizzie, Elizabeth, blow your nose, huh!”

“hic!”

After a while, Elizabeth was able to stop crying and calm herself down.

The princess who received the prince’s proposal in fairy tales was always beautiful. Even though she didn’t look in the mirror, she could tell how ugly she was now. She felt like she wanted to dig a hole to hide due to shame.

However, whether or not he knew Elizabeth’s feelings, Leonhardt placed a flower ring made of clover on the ring finger of her small white left hand with the utmost respect.

“Now you put one on mine.”

At Leonhard’s words, Elizabeth carefully placed the ring on the ring finger of the Crown Prince’s left hand, just as he had done.

It was an exceptionally warm spring day. The clouds that flowed through the sky were scattering softly like angel feathers. All kinds of colors that had disappeared from the ground in the cold winter, each one of them took up their seats once again, and filled the area with colors like that of a rainbow.

The sound of buzzing bees and butterflies’ flapping wings let them know that it was not a painting or a dream-like scene, but reality.

On such a beautiful day, Elizabeth felt the corners of her chest throbbing and tickling.

Could she possibly be ill? It rattled and she was terrified. What if she’s got a fatal disease?

“What’s wrong?”

Elizabeth’s large eyes began to fill with tears again.

“It hurts here, here. It stings. It’s tickling again, just… .”

“Elizabeth.”

Leonhardt hugged Elizabeth tightly. Other than that, he couldn’t think of any other way to appease her.

Other than that reason, he wanted to let her know.

That he is also experiencing the same ‘symptoms’.

“If you allow me, can I love you? I promise. I will make you happy for the rest of your life.”

The sound of thumping hearts pounded loudly between their breasts.

Elizabeth nodded earnestly. She felt like she should.

She didn’t know what love is, but if she loved him, it seemed like this magical and indescribable day would last forever.