Chapter 119: Ten Years Ago (1)
And so, an awkward silence lingered in the room.
It was understandable. They were a man and woman who had almost gone through with it—truly just moments away.
If it weren’t awkward for the two of them to now sit side by side on the bed, half-dressed and pulling their clothes back on, that would be the stranger thing.
57
“…So, um.”
“Hm?”
Leopold, too, seemed to dislike this awkward silence.
The moment Astrid opened her mouth to say something, he responded almost as if he’d been waiting.
It was curious how he, someone completely unaccustomed to dealing with women, had managed to summon such courage—even if he had been carried away by the mood.
“There’s something I’m curious about…”
“Y-yes. I’ll answer anything. Come to think of it, there’s something I’ve been wondering too… But you go first, Astie.”
Astrid paused to catch her breath.
She didn’t know if this was the right time to ask—but maybe if she didn’t ask now, she never would.
It might be something even the real Astrid would never have been able to answer. And now, no matter how much she scoured Astrid’s diary, there wasn’t a single clue to be found.
“…What exactly happened ten years ago?”
“Ten years ago… How do you even know about that?”
She had first learned about “ten years ago” through Astrid’s diary.
More precisely, all she had learned was that something had happened ten years ago—what it was, she couldn’t tell. But starting from that one day, Astrid’s diary had been filled with enormous fury directed at Leopold.
And after that, something else must’ve happened, because her love for Leopold grew to the point of overwhelming excess. It just didn’t make any logical sense.
“I read her diary.”
“Diary? Astrid’s diary?”
“Yes. Astrid’s diary.”
A drawer packed tight with more than a dozen diaries.
As she read through them one by one, she came to understand how Astrid had lived her life over the years.
There was no denying it had helped her greatly.
“She kept a diary? That’s… unexpected.”
“…She had a delicate side. Don’t say it like that.”
“Mmm, alright. Let’s go with that.”
“So, what exactly happened ten years ago?”
“…Hmm… ten years ago, huh.”
***
Leopold von Einthafen.
Crown Prince of the Einthafen Empire.
Ten years old this year.
Astrid von Miterien.
First daughter of the Miterien Duchy, which guarded the northern front of the Einthafen Empire.
Also ten years old.
Astrid’s appearance had already been well-known, even from her early childhood.
Her silver hair, mint-colored eyes that sparkled with intelligence, and her lips, tinted with a hint of ashen gray, always firmly sealed.
Sitting on a sofa in her banquet dress—a red gown adorned with layers of white frills—she looked so breathtakingly beautiful it was as if someone had set a doll there.
But in truth, the girl herself was seated there simply because the hem of her skirt was far too long, dragging on the floor and making movement a hassle.
“Astie, are you enjoying the banquet?”
“Father. Yes, I am enjoying it.”
Her voice was cold—far removed from anything gentle.
But Wolfgang didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the tone of his daughter’s reply.
“My, how can you say you’re not enjoying the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet? You shouldn’t say such things, should you?”
“I just said I am enjoying it, since I am. Is there a problem with that, Father?”
“No, no problem at all.”
Wolfgang slowly sat beside his daughter.
His beloved Astie.
Though she hadn’t inherited even a trace of her father’s looks, she had taken after her mother so perfectly that her appearance was angelically beautiful.
Thankfully, her personality had been copied straight from Wolfgang, which was a relief.
“The Crown Prince will be arriving soon. Aren’t you waiting for him as well?”
“Of course. He is the guest of honor at this banquet, after all.”
Wolfgang watched Astrid chirp those words like a bird, a contented expression on his face.
Astrid von Miterien.
She had received two blessings around the time she first learned to walk, and when it was discovered those blessings were Divine Power and Divine Arms, Wolfgang had felt as if the heavens had opened.
Not from shock—but from joy.
He had been overjoyed that such blessings had been bestowed upon the Miterien ducal house, convinced nothing better could ever happen.
At the age of seven, she went on her first expedition, and as he watched his daughter calmly slaughter barbarians, he believed without doubt that she would one day become both the empress and the guardian deity of Einthafen.
And now, at the age of ten, today’s banquet had finally been arranged to announce her betrothal to Leopold.
“Astie, do you know what today’s occasion is truly about?”
“Is it not a banquet to celebrate His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday?”
Still, her reply was sharp and precise.
It was exactly the kind of answer expected from Astrid, who had been known for her brilliance since childhood.
“Yes, but there’s something else… though let’s keep that as a surprise. Now then… Oh, it seems His Highness is about to enter.”
Wolfgang looked toward the entrance to the Eastern Palace.
The guards had thickened their formation at the entrance connecting the banquet hall to the Crown Prince’s quarters, also known as the Eastern Palace, and the court attendants were moving in orderly rows.
It was obvious to anyone that someone of high status was about to appear.
“His Highness the Crown Prince is arriving—!”
The steward raised his voice, announcing the appearance of the Crown Prince, Leopold von Einthafen.
Conversations among the nobles filling the hall quieted in an instant, and all eyes turned to the entrance.
Hair like melted gold, dazzling and radiant.
Lips curled into a soft, fluffy smile, as if he had no worries in the world.
Eyes arched like crescent moons, smiling as they leisurely swept over the gathered crowd.
“…Leopold, Your Highness…”
Astrid’s gaze was fixed solely on him.
Her eyes never wavered for a second, trained directly and entirely on him.
Noticing that unwavering gaze, Wolfgang let out a dry chuckle.
‘Once the engagement is announced, I already know exactly how this girl will react.’
He couldn’t help but feel a little bittersweet.
Leopold von Einthafen, too, had turned ten this year.
This was no ordinary child’s birthday. As the future heir to the Einthafen Empire, Leopold’s tenth birthday held immense significance.
And though the children involved didn’t know it yet, another event was to unfold today, making the atmosphere all the more festive.
“Esteemed nobles, the very pillars of Einthafen, thank you for gracing this occasion.”
The banquet was in full swing.
Nobles lined up to offer their congratulations to Leopold, declaring that such handsome features surely came with a brilliant mind and that he was the blessing of the empire.
Then, Emperor Kreutz von Einthafen stepped up to the dais.
His voice was not loud, yet it carried such weight that the entire hall instantly turned their attention toward him.
Clad in a robe embroidered with golden dragons, fists calloused and firm, Kreutz looked around the room with a warm smile.
“Duke Miterien!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Seated until then, Duke Wolfgang von Miterien had risen the moment the emperor took the dais, and he responded loudly when called.
The announcement was finally beginning.
Kreutz pulled the Crown Prince Leopold closer to his side and raised his voice again.
“Let us welcome the second protagonist of today’s celebration to the stage!”
“As you command, Your Majesty!”
With those words, Wolfgang grabbed Astrid’s hand with his large one.
He tried to lead her toward the dais—but strangely enough, she didn’t budge.
“Father, please explain. What is this about?”
Her mint-colored eyes were fixed on Wolfgang.
One foot planted firmly on the floor, resisting his pull as though it were nothing, Astrid didn’t move an inch.
Astrid von Miterien, unmoved even by Wolfgang’s strength.
A bearer of Divine Power.
“…Daughter, just come with me. It’s a good thing.”
“Not unless you explain first—Ah?!”
Rather than pulling her, Wolfgang simply scooped her up in his arms.
Caught off guard, Astrid struggled—but—
“If you keep that up, your dress will tear. That would be quite the disaster, wouldn’t it?”
At those words, she could do nothing but allow herself to be carried.
And so, finally, the four of them—Kreutz, Leopold, Astrid, and Wolfgang—stood side by side on the stage.
“You must all be wondering what this is about, no?”
Though no one responded aloud,
Most of the nobles had already caught on.
Just seeing Leopold and Astrid standing together like this on stage was enough for everyone to guess what it meant.
“Very well, the Imperial House of Einthafen has reached a decision.”
Kreutz began, placing a hand on Leopold’s shoulder.
Then, taking a few more steps, he placed his hand on Astrid’s shoulder.
“To unite the Einthafen Imperial House, which has conquered and unified the once-chaotic continent, with the Miterien ducal house, which played a critical role in those wars yet humbly chose to withdraw from power and become the northern shield—”
He then moved beside Wolfgang and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
“I hereby announce the engagement of Leopold von Einthafen and Astrid von Miterien. The engagement shall be formalized upon their coming of age, and marriage shall take place when they are deemed ready. This is already decided, so I ask you all to accept it and join me in celebrating this joyous day with even greater fervor!”
““““Wooooooooh!!””””
A thunderous cheer erupted throughout the banquet hall.
There could be no opposition.
The military achievements of Duke Miterien were so great they had been recorded in history books. None would dare challenge the formation of blood ties with the Imperial House.
“Now then, the two of you—go and greet the nobles and receive their congratulations.”
Amidst the roaring applause, Kreutz and Wolfgang gave a gentle push to Leopold and Astrid’s shoulders.
Still dazed and overwhelmed, neither could show open displeasure, and so—starting with Astrid—they didn’t resist the guiding hands.
Then came Leopold’s step—
And he stepped on Astrid’s skirt.
Riiiiiip—
With a loud tearing sound,
Only those with sharp ears might have caught it—
But Astrid’s dress ripped down its long seam—
And the already loose-fitting gown slipped down from the nape of her neck, cascading to the floor.