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For a moment, a subtle flicker of emotion crossed Vasily’s face, which had been expressionless until then. He stared at the box with wide, surprised eyes, before his lips curled into an intrigued smile.
“Very well.”
“Brother!”
“Brother!”
Everyone looked as though they might faint from shock as they tried to stop Vasily, but I did not.
I, Larisa Nikolaevna Novarov, as the second daughter of the Ohala Empire, was taught that I must maintain a calm demeanor and never lose my elegance, regardless of the time or situation. That would not change even if I were standing before the head of an enemy general.
‘Fine, I’m not afraid. Let’s do this.’
Tensing my entire body, I glared at Valentin with eyes full of apprehension.
And yet, my opponent seemed even more nervous than I was. Did I ever imagine Valentin could make a face like that? Once again, I felt the strangeness of this situation.
As I suspected, something was off.
Look at the set of Valentin’s mouth. Those lips, which had been so infuriatingly confident, were now frozen in place as if taxidermied to his skin. And his eyes—he had been blinking far more frequently and rapidly than necessary for a while now. So, this is how Valentin looks when he is rigid.
While I was unconsciously distracted by this new discovery, the box opened.
For a heartbeat, it felt as though my heart had stopped.
My breath, which had ceased, slowed once more upon realizing that the object inside the box was far removed from the severed head of an enemy general. However, the scent wafting from within—a fragrance so dense it threatened to scatter my senses—caused my heart to regain its pace as if it had never slowed. No, it actually quickened.
‘Ah.’
Unless I was daydreaming while standing, I could see it, sparkling purely amidst a lush bed of golden zinnias.
It was...
“I know I am late and have no excuse. But if you would give me just one more chance, I will devote my entire life to serving only you, forever.”
The identity of that object was, undoubtedly...
“I love you, Your Highness Larisa. Please, marry me.”
A ring.
‘...My god.’
My god.
My god, my god, my god, my god! Valentin’s gift was a ring! A proposal ring, no less! Heavens, I couldn't believe it. It wasn't Libertan's head? What lay inside that lovely box wasn't the head of an enemy general, but a ring for a proposal?
“How...”
With a vacant expression, I stepped toward the box. Surely... there isn't a head hidden inside those flowers, is there?
“How?”
“...Are you wondering where I obtained the flowers? If one searches all of Makhachkala, one can find at least one greenhouse that grows golden zinnias.”
“That’s not what I meant. The head... didn't you say it was Libertan’s head?”
Valentin spoke with a look that suggested he found it utterly unbelievable, yet he asked anyway just in case there was a slim chance.
“Do you wish to have that man’s head?”
“Absolutely not!”
I shrieked the answer and glared at Ivan, who looked just as dazed.
“Explain this, Ivan. You said it was Libertan’s head! You scared me to death saying he was bringing a head!”
Ivan looked down at the zinnias with eyes more confused than mine.
“No... I clearly heard him mention a lover's gift and that he had cut it off? Chenko, did that bastard actually lie...”
“Whether it be true or not, I don't think we need to linger here any longer.”
Rising from the sofa, Vasily walked toward the door and gestured with his eyes.
“Don't you agree, Tanya? And Ivan.”
Only then did the chaos in my mind gradually settle, and the ring nestled among the lush bouquet caught my eye.
Libertan’s head doesn't matter.
Right now, I’ve been proposed to. And by Valentin, whom I have longed for.
A proposal. It felt like a lie; I didn't know proposals actually existed in this world. And I was the one who received it. Heavens, and from the man I love, at that...
Rising a beat later, Ivan had a deeply complicated look in his eyes. He stared at me as if saying 'the inevitable has happened,' patted Valentin on the shoulder, and left.
Tatyana looked as though she had a great deal to say, but in the end, she kept her mouth shut. She glanced at the zinnias with a look of disdain, then glared at the ring in the midst of them as if something that shouldn't have come had arrived, before leaving the bedroom.
Which meant that, finally, only Valentin and I remained in this place.
The silence did not last long.
“A head, indeed.”
He let out a short, incredulous laugh and shook his head.
“I think I finally understand why you wore such a solemn expression.”
The gaze meeting mine was just as kind and warm as I had missed for so long. It was a look that proved my delusion—that he had abandoned me and fled far away—was nothing more than a delusion.
A sense of relief washed over me, but that didn't mean my resentment had vanished.
“Why haven't you contacted me all this time?”
Valentin shifted his slightly awkward posture to face me fully. His attitude showed he was ready to listen to everything I had to say.
“I waited for you, Valentin. I was too afraid that I might hinder you, so I couldn't bring myself to reach out first. I thought you would come when the time was right. That you would send at least one letter... thinking that, half a year passed. Why were you so quiet?”
“I, too, was waiting for Your Highness's contact.”
“Waiting for what? You should have been the one to do it first! How could I recklessly send a letter without any caution?”
“Still, I thought you would send one. Since you must have had a vague idea of my situation.”
“You were the one who told me to wait.”
“Yes, I know. Because I know, I regret it deeply. Whenever I had a spare moment, I should have taken Your Highness Ivan's hand and told him to find you. If I had, we would have seen each other at least once every time the season changed.”
Suppressing my anger, I asked tentatively.
“...Would that have been okay?”
“Is Your Highness not a brave soul who does not even fear Libertan’s severed head? I am sure there would have been no problem. And even if a problem arose, I would have been by your side. There are some weak-hearted people who occasionally vomit their insides, but please do not worry, for I would have caught your insides with my own hands. That is... if such a day were to come again.”
“....”
“Is there anything else you are curious about? Please, ask whatever you wish. I feel a bit nervous, as if I am in a job interview.”
“I truly have a lot to say to you. As you know, you were so sly. So, what was the deal with Oksana? Did you actually intend to marry her?”
“She was... to put it simply, a means to attract the attention of Brunette III. As Your Highness knows, I no longer know the future. Living in a world where Libertan does not exist is a first for me in this moment, and it will be the last.”
“....”
“In a few years, I plan to retire from my position as the prophet of gabrielism. I have been steadily expressing this intention for about five years, and I attempted to settle in Ohala under the guise of marriage, borrowing the name of the Illin family. However, Brunette III still requires the influence my name holds. When I tried to put into action what had previously been mere mentions, he became utterly terrified. He acted as if he would give me his own liver. Not that I actually took that old man's liver, but in exchange for postponing the marriage and keeping my current position for two more years, I received a promise of the Papacy's cooperation in driving out the rebels. The public prayer meeting was part of that.”
“So... in a word, it was all a deception?”
“Yes, but Your Highness is always the exception. I would rather bite off my own tongue and die than commit such an insolence against you.”
“....”
“....”
“...Don't look at me with those eyes! Don't go expecting things so recklessly. What I'm holding is a bouquet. I haven't accepted the ring yet.”
“Yes. And what else are you curious about?”
“....”
“....”
“Something else I'm curious about is...”
“Take your time thinking.”
“....”
“....”
“...Did Libertan really hate me? Did you ever ask him the reason? Why he specifically targeted me. His hostility was so clear, even as a child, that it often bothered me.”
“The reason Libertan targeted Your Highness is simple. It is because Your Highness is his natural enemy.”
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