The king looked at his daughter and saw that she was slightly agitated. He assumed that his words about marrying her off had frightened her.
"The king of Nixel has a brother; They share the same mother. I’ve heard he is highly favored by King Edward..." he paused, observing his daughter. "Moreover, he is in poor health. He likely won’t live past a few more years. As long as you marry him and bear a son before he dies, you’ll be able to live a comfortable life. With our kingdom backing you, Nixel will treat you well," the king explained.
Katrina pursed her lips. She wanted to see him again. She knew that only by marrying into Nixel would she have the chance to meet the handsome man once more.
"I agree," she said. Just thinking about seeing him again made her decision easy.
The king was surprised; he hadn’t expected his daughter to agree so readily.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Father, I am a princess because of Gube. I’ve lived well since birth. It’s only right that I do something for the kingdom in return," Katrina answered. She could not tell her father she wanted to go to Nixel just to see a handsome man.
"You are truly my daughter," the king said proudly, pleased with her response. The two spoke for a while longer before he asked her to return to her chambers.
"Go and rest. I will agree to the advisor’s proposal. Don’t worry—even though you’ll be married into Nixel, it’s only a month’s journey by water. You have the kingdom’s full support," he said with a warm smile.
"Father, you should rest too. This is my duty as a princess," Katrina said, rising and bowing before leaving. The king felt even more pleased. He was tempted to summon his first daughter to witness how her younger sister conducted herself.
His eldest daughter had always been jealous of the attention he gave Katrina. When he arranged her marriage to the F Kingdom, she threw a tantrum for days. She had cried and pleaded not to be sent so far from home, despite knowing the kingdom’s dire situation at the time.
If only she had been half as considerate, the king sighed. He felt that the love and attention he had showered upon Katrina over the years had not been wasted. He could tell that she wasn’t entirely willing, yet she knew how to shoulder responsibility.
Meanwhile, Katrina returned to her chambers with mixed emotions. She was excited at the thought of seeing that handsome man again. Ever since she had seen him two years ago in the company of other military officers, she had developed a liking for him. She had even paid to investigate his background, only to be disappointed to learn he was the son of a mistress. The source of this content ɪs ɴovelfire.net
At the time, Katrina had thought that even if he came from a small noble family, it would be acceptable. She planned to tell her father she wanted to serve as a spy in Nixel through the marriage. But she knew well that her father would never allow her to marry the son of a concubine—especially one who lacked status and favor.
Although her information was limited, she had learned that he came from a very noble house, yet began his career as a foot soldier in the royal army at a young age. The more she thought about it, the more bitter she felt. She hated the idea of being someone else’s bride when she saw him again.
Katrina laughed at her own thoughts. Their encounter had been an accident. That day, she had changed out of her royal attire, planning to sneak out of the palace.
The king had instructed that she was not to leave, as there were foreign visitors in the palace. But she had been rebellious and wanted to attend a play. She couldn’t use a noble carriage, so she had kept her head lowered to avoid recognition—and then bumped into him.
If not for his quick reaction, she would have fallen.
"Are you okay, miss?" the handsome man had asked, helping her regain her balance. But she had been too stunned by his face to answer.
"Miss? Miss?" he repeated. Only after he called several times did she snap out of her daze. Embarrassed, she finally stood upright, but her eyes remained fixed on him.
That moment had happened two years ago, yet it remained vividly in her memory. Though she should have been embarrassed, she had been captivated. So she had returned to the palace and later saw him in the company of other soilders from Nixel.
Would he still remember her? she wondered. But then she mocked herself, perhaps the moment had meant nothing to him.
Katrina frowned. She considered herself a great beauty and refused to believe that any man could forget her so easily, even if their meeting had been brief.
She hugged her pillow, feeling lost.
A month later, the envoy from Gube arrived at the royal city of Nixel. King Edward had already received word that the King of Gube was seeking a marriage alliance. However, there were no specific details.
King Edward, Anastasia, Mary, and the second prince gathered in the palace to welcome the envoy. Since it was a matter concerning a royal marriage, the envoy was led by the Crown Prince of Gube, accompanied by two royal chancellors.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince of Gube’s convoy has arrived," an eunuch announced.
"Let them in," King Edward said. He was genuinely curious about whom the King of Gube was offering. After all, the late King George had once hoped he would marry Gube’s second princess about a year ago. But just before the proposal could be made, they had heard that the King of Gube had no intention of marrying his second daughter away.
So King George had never pursued it further, especially since it was widely known that the King of Gube deeply doted on her. Now, a year later, the possibility of a marriage alliance had reappeared.
King Edward wondered if perhaps the King of Gube had recognized an illegitimate daughter and was offering her instead. After all, Edward himself was already married, and only his two brothers remained unmarried. His younger brother was gravely injured, and it made no sense that the King would offer his beloved daughter to a dying man—nor would he offer her to an illegitimate prince.
Despite his many speculations, King Edward could only wait to hear what the Crown Prince had to say.