Chapter 12: Tell Them Who I am
Everyone in the palace was incredibly busy preparing for the ball, as it was only natural given it was the engagement ceremony of the country’s only crown prince. Marma’s nobles, who pathologically loved parties, planned to use this opportunity to celebrate until they collapsed from exhaustion. The ball was scheduled to last a week, with the engagement ceremony on the fifth day. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
The Head Lady’s Maid hadn’t appeared for several days, her pride wounded by Adeline—twice. Thanks to this, Collin’s expression looked much more relaxed.
“Would you like me to bring you a newspaper?”
Collin now fetched the newspaper on her own without Adeline needing to ask. She also made sure to bring the Royal Newspaper along with the weekly magazine circulated in the maid’s dorm. Because of that, Adeline was able to pass the time without boredom, lying in bed and focusing on healing her wounds.
On the fourth day of the ball, an unexpected guest arrived at the annex.
“Pri-princess…” Collin stuttered, trembling as she gripped the door handle. Her voice shook, her hand shook, and even her shoulders trembled.
Adeline could only see Collin’s back and, unable to see her expression, couldn’t tell if this was good news or bad.
“Collin.”
“P-princess. Well, th-that…”
“Collin!”
“Yes, yes?”
“Move.”
Collin walked shakily, like a broken doll. As a maid, she was supposed to enter first and announce the guest, but she was so flustered that she stepped back, allowing the guest to enter.Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
The bedroom door opened quietly.
“Adeline.”
The visitor was the Lion King. He had worn black armor before, and this time it was the same—black clothes and a long black cloak. However, this time his messy sand-colored hair was tied back, revealing his face more clearly.
“The Lion King.” Adeline nodded, meeting his green eyes.
Razie El Baltica.
Adeline knew his name, but since he never told her directly, she wasn’t about to use it. She would not call him the Lion of Baltica, the nickname given by desert warriors in reverence. Nor would she call him the King of the Desert, a title romanticized by immature girls, or ‘the hero’ idolized by ignorant fighters. None of those titles held any meaning for her—not even the nickname, Lion King. To Adeline Vita, Razie El Baltica was simply a stranger, nothing more, nothing less.
He had entered the room silently and stood there.
Adeline listened to Collin’s hurried steps retreating from the door and waited until she heard her running off. “The Lion King… So you’re the leader of lions, is that right? Well, that explains a lot. After all, you are a beast.”
He didn’t respond to her bold remark. He just stood there, unmoving.
Adeline found herself marveling at his imposing height and broad shoulders, which seemed to fill the entire room. She slowly let her gaze travel over him, from head to toe. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“Adeline,” he finally said.
“Speak.”
“Your father wants me to become the king of the principality.”
Adeline’s eyes widened slightly as she lay in bed.
The Lion King moved with surprising grace for his size, positioning himself behind the sofa, leaning casually against the wall. His expression remained unreadable. He was skilled at hiding his thoughts, making him a formidable opponent for anyone. His silence could be a test, a trap, or even a favor.
She decided to be blunt. “King of the principality… What a humble title. In the end, it’s still the king of a vassal state. You must know how selfish my heartless father is, and how hollow this country really is, right? You wouldn’t want to put someone else’s name on the vast desert you’ve defended with so much effort, would you?”
He still said nothing.
Adeline got out of bed, walking barefoot. The cold floor chilled her skin. With each step closer, his height seemed to grow more imposing.
He was truly enormous.
Even from their first meeting, the second time, and now today, one thought always crossed her mind: how had this man grown to be so large? It was a mystery how the barren and brutal desert of Odium had produced someone of his size.
As she drew nearer, the look in his eyes darkened, but the color of them remained strikingly beautiful—a wild, pristine forest green.
Adeline now understood the lewd jokes whispered by Marma’s crazed women about him. Any woman might be willing to act like an animal in heat, rolling in an open field with this man, just to experience his presence.
“So, what do you want to do?” she asked.
“Your father believes Marma is the largest country by territory on the continent. That’s a foolish idea to hold.”
He was right.
Adeline recalled something she once heard in Nova. “The desert of Odium is larger than Marma.”
His eyes flickered in surprise. “So you know.”
“If you add the surrounding islands to Marma’s land, maybe it’s comparable, but even then, the desert is still bigger. So… it seems like you’re trying to say, ‘What sense is there in a king of a principality ruling a larger land than his own country?’”
“Something like that,” he said, tilting his head slightly. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
The Lion King stood against the wall, arms crossed, as Adeline faced him across the sofa.
He lifted the corner of his mouth into a smile. “It should be your father who becomes king of the principality.”
“What?” Adeline was genuinely surprised, but then burst into laughter. She stood by the sofa, looking at him, laughing heartily. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” he replied.
Check out my Patreon to read advanced chapters!
