"What are you talking about?" Selena furrowed her eyebrows. "Why are you lowering your head, Your Highness?"
Flora smiled wryly. "Your highness, huh? As expected, you don't truly see me as just Flora, do you?"
"That's…" Selena might have called Flora, but lowering her head was a different matter. A royalty shouldn't lower their head so easily. That was why she couldn't help but remind her of her title.
As if she had expected it, Flora asked, "Is it because of Nathan?"
"…" Selena's expression darkened.
Seeing the concern on Selena's face, she raised one finger. "As a noble, you should know my position, right?"
"Of course. You are the first princess of this kingdom, someone who is said to have become the crown princess. You're the closest candidate to become the next ruler."
Flora nodded. "In that case, you should know what will happen if I marry a commoner, right?"
"!!!" Selena looked startled. "As the crown princess, your decision will be questioned by your followers. The identity of your husband will be frowned upon. However, because of your crown princess' status, you will still get the right to the throne. And there's no way other people will leave you be."
"That is, unless I've been stripped of my right to become the next sovereign." Flora shook her head.
"!!!" Selena stood up, not expecting that statement. "You…"
Flora smiled. "I know you're trying to fulfill Nathan's wish, but what if Nathan has a change of heart? I understand what impact it will bring, but I hope that you can trust me with this.
"If I can't really change Nathan's heart, I will give up. However, please… give me a chance. I don't ask for your support… All I wish is for you to give me some time with him."
Selena squinted her eyes before letting out a long sigh. "His decision is my decision. If he wishes to push you away, I will have no choice but to commit treason and push you away. But for now, I only see Flora, not the crown princess."
"Didn't you ask me whether Selena agreed or not? That's the story." Flora smirked playfully.
"What are you doing? Do you know how important your status is?"
"I know. That's the very reason you shove me away, isn't it?" Flora looked up. "As a princess, I know that my fate has been sealed the moment I was born into royalty.
"For someone without talent who wants to preserve their lives, they will be married off to high-ranking nobles or royalty from other kingdoms to make them happy or keep them in check.
"For someone with talent, they might get entangled in the succession battle. It's a suffocating battle. If I don't look tricky or manipulative, others will think of me as an easy opponent and mess around with my life.
"But if I lose, I will probably die in the process. Then again, I wonder if I have the right to complain. Even though it's suffocating, I have all the privileges that other people don't have.
"During the night, I have a warm blanket that can keep me warm, unlike the children in the street who have to shiver every night.
"During the day, I can eat until I'm full and receive all the education to continue onward instead of rummaging through trash to just find food to live another day.
"If I lose, it will be all over. This is suffocating, but imagine if a kid in a slum lived to the same age as me, who might die around my early twenties after losing a succession battle… I guess I can't really complain. I didn't suffer for over twenty years before dying. When I die, it will be an instant. I don't have to clutch my stomach for hours to clench my hunger, scratch my throat just for a single sip of water, or endure the constant ringing of my body."
Nathan couldn't help but look at her. Compared to the princesses he had read about in the novels, Flora was different.
It reminded him of the comment sections of a novel when they read a rich person's struggle. They always said, "At least they have a roof over their head" or "At least he can eat until he's full."
Flora understood her struggle but never ignored her privilege.
Flora looked back at him. "Aren't you ignoring my advances because you are afraid of getting entangled in politics? I have a solution for you.
"I will… never become the first wife."
"!!!" Nathan's body shook as though he didn't expect that answer. At the same time, he could see the reasoning behind it.
"Normally, even if I lose, as long as I can preserve my life, I will be married off to important nobles or royalties from other kingdoms.
"However, what if I exit the succession battle? Of course, my father can declare such a thing, but everyone won't buy it.
"I'm the crown princess, not just any random princess. Even if I'm out of the battle of succession, my influence and popularity are still too big to ignore.
"That's why the plan will never work as it is. However, things will be different.
"Normally, the main wife will be the one with the biggest status, which will be me. But it will change if I don't become the main wife. With the king revoking my status and me being reduced to being the second wife or even lower than that, they will believe I have fallen too low.
"In addition, your own status is big while Selena's father is a count. A princess has a lower position than a count's daughter of the same kingdom… There's no way to recover from it.
"With your strength, status, and relationship, no one really wants to put you into the battle of succession. You are strong and influential, but at the same time, you're just a commoner. They might offer you status for help, but if you declare to them that you don't have any intention in this, they will leave you alone."
Flora smiled playfully. "That's my solution. What do you think, Nathan?"