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“Please leave me out of this. Unlike some people, I’ve already had my engagement ceremony, haven't I? I'll wrap things up immediately after Lara gets married.”
At Tatyana's words, my father let out a short laugh.
“I wonder what the other two are thinking. Especially you, Ivan.”
“Wouldn't my brother's marriage be more urgent than mine? For all I care, I could get married when I'm an old man.”
“That is, if you're fine with rumors of impotence being spread far and wide.”
“I'm perfectly fine with that. ……Sigh, I think I should run far away before I hear any more nagging. How about a match, brother?”
“Sure.”
The opportunistic brothers left us behind and headed toward the arena.
I cautiously gauged my father's mood as I moved toward Tatyana. That damn marriage talk—it's always tedious because no proper answer ever comes out, so I'd rather just watch the match….
“Tanya.”
Tatyana, who had been smiling softly while watching my movements, looked toward my father.
“Did you call me?”
“Do you remember that a delegation from the Kingdom of Oblonsky arrived a few days ago?”
“Yes.”
“They mentioned the engagement between the Crown Prince and Lara quite explicitly.”
The Crown Prince of Oblonsky? Hmm. Who was that again? I couldn't remember what he looked like.
Tatyana replied with a voice laced with mockery.
“Is that fellow still unmarried? I recall similar stories being told about me the year before last.”
“Royals of your age who haven't had an engagement ceremony are very rare. Even if they exist, it's usually because there's a major problem with their reputation, or they aren't marrying for the first time.”
“It's not just Oblonsky. Tanya, since your engagement, the number of royal houses wanting Lara has snowballed. Once she has her coming-of-age ceremony, the talk of political marriages will begin in earnest. Do you know that over seven royal houses have already requested Lara's portrait?”
I felt a strange sensation. Yes, of course, I knew I had to marry a suitable partner, even if only to strengthen the Imperial Family, so I had no intention of stubbornly refusing marriage…. But perhaps because I hadn't had my coming-of-age ceremony yet, it didn't feel real; it sounded like a story about someone else.
“Oh, dear. I could have just skipped my own engagement and gotten married. It was my mistake to have the ceremony just to appease Father. I didn't anticipate this far. To think that proposals will flood toward Lara because the number of unmarried princesses has decreased to one. All that's left is for her to kick them away ruthlessly.”
“That sounds like you're saying there isn't a single prince who meets your standards.”
“Father, did you forget what Larisa said last time? She said she doesn't want to live outside of Ohala. If she marries a prince, she'll inevitably have to move away. That's why I haven't even looked into them properly.”
As she spoke, Tanya—who had become engaged to the Prince of the Kurkan Kingdom, which faces the eastern border of Ohala, two years ago. Not the Crown Prince, but a Prince. There were five main reasons why she chose the Kurkan Prince.
[First, he's gentle and listens well. Second, his wealth and power meet my standards. Third, his looks aren't eyesores. Fourth, he's close to Ohala, and fifth, he is favorable toward Brother Vasily and our Imperial Family.]
In short, he was a man who perfectly fit the ideal partner Tatyana had always wanted. Tatyana gave me a light kiss on the forehead and spoke to my father and mother as if making a demand.
“I hope Lara doesn't change her mind. If she marries within Ohala, it'll be easier to meet, and she won't be forced to adopt the culture and etiquette of a newly allied royal house.”
“Since she is your sister, she is a child who will become a Queen just like you. Is that the only reason you're trying to demote such a child to a mere noblewoman?”
“Mere? I'm going to make sure Lara lives like a Queen, not as a noblewoman or a Queen Consort. I feel sorry for the next Empress, but I can just be even better to my brother, can't I?”
At her confident declaration, my father let out a long sigh. As for me, since she was offering me power greater than that of a Queen or Empress, I had no reason to refuse, so I just stayed still and let her pet me.
'But I think I heard that 17 years later, Tatyana becomes Vasily's strategist and a Grand Duchess, rather than a Princess Consort….'
I think I see why. Tatyana has no intention of settling in the Kurkan Kingdom. It seemed she intended to be granted a dukedom directly from Vasily and bring the Kurkan Prince to Ohala.
'Hmm. But if that's the case, there's no advantage to marrying the Prince of Kurkan….'
Was she planning to have the Prince granted a dukedom as well? It was a scheme typical of Tatyana.
With a small sigh, my father's expression turned serious as he commanded the Chamberlain.
“Count Mikhail, bring what was prepared.”
“Yes.”
Following the Chamberlain's instructions, several grown attendants brought out large portraits one after another. Lining up before my father and mother, they held up the portraits at eye level; each one depicted a young man.
“What is this?”
“These are the princes who requested your portrait. I've lined them up by looks for now, so take a look.”
“Father, really. I told you Lara is going to marry within Ohala.”
“If you truly care for Lara, do not try to exclude possibilities. You want Lara to be happy too, don't you? Right, Tanya?”
While Tanya shook her head, Vasily and Ivan stopped their match and stood beside us. The curious brothers examined the portraits even more intently than I did. There were eight in total, and as my mother said, it was indeed a significant number.
'So these men are planning to propose to me.'
I'm not particularly interested. I wonder why.
'Emma definitely said that the period just before and after becoming an adult is the most fluttering time of one's life.'
She said the process of weighing rational attraction against marriage conditions to make a better choice was heart-pounding. She also mentioned that the moment you receive the undivided attention of handsome gentlemen, your heart feels like it will burst.
Yet, I felt no excitement at all, as if I were browsing through someone else's list of prospective grooms. I recalled a few pieces of advice Emma had left for me last winter, as I approached adulthood.
[If there is a gentleman who catches your eye, be sure to dance. Holding hands and making eye contact while talking is the best way to evaluate a partner in a short time. Sharing warmth can spark an interest that wasn't there before.]
[Don't just dance once; you must dance at least twice at different banquets. Rather than a man who is skilled at everything, keep an eye on the men who escort you with sincerity, even if they are clumsy. A man who is too skilled at handling women can become exhausting later on.]
Synthesizing this advice, the problem seemed quite clear. It was likely because I had only checked their faces through portraits—whether real or fake—and hadn't engaged in any plausible conversation or physical contact. It seemed I would have to go through my debutante ball and dance with men.
“Hmm, this prince has a usable face, but his height looks too short.”
“I don't know, it's not that bad.”
“Look at the background. If you roughly estimate the ratio of the fireplace height to the prince leaning on the chair… he can't be over 170cm. No matter what, we can't pick a man shorter than Lara.”
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