“There’s no middle ground. Are you aware of that?” Isabella said with a soft sigh.
“I’ve been thinking about it since I realized how I felt about you. I want our relationship to be more stable..”
“But isn’t marriage too soon, Your Highness? A couple had to go through four seasons before making that big decision.”
Summer in the North might feel like spring from other parts of the Kingdom, but Isabella was sure that they had four seasons here.
Winter was too cold, and the Autumn and Spring were a little less.
However, spring here felt like summer.
“Four seasons, huh? I guess we only have one autumn left, Isabella.”
Well, Duke Kyar told the truth.
Isabella first met him in the mountains during winter, and she stayed in Rubella Castle throughout the spring and summer.
She did have one autumn left.
“You should think about it until then, Isabella. My desire to marry you will remain the same.”
She would have married him without hesitation if they were actually in a long-term relationship.
However, the thought of actually doing it worried her.
Was this man okay?
Making her his wife was unrealistic.
She was a mere commoner compared to the Archduke.
Ria, the original female lead of this novel, might have been dethroned from her position, but she was still the princess of Lilith Kingdom.
Of course, she knew that Duke Kyar wasn’t the type of person to fall in love with a woman’s status, but she couldn’t help but worry about the future.
“We have to discuss ‘marriage’ carefully, Your Highness. You can’t just think about how you feel in the present moment and do something impulsive. Are you sure you that wouldn’t regret marrying me?”
“What regret?”
“You aren’t marrying into a royal family member or a daughter of a powerful aristocrat.” She explained seriously.
Duke Kyar burst into laughter.
“I am not greedy for power, Isabella. And let’s say if I was greedy, why would I expand my power through a pathetic marriage alliance? All I have is enough. My power is enough.” He uttered with such arrogance, and Isabella couldn’t agree more.
“I see, Your Highness.”
“Stop worrying about such nonsense. It’s a waste of time. If I were you, I’d rather think about something else.”
“What are you thinking about?”
Isabella asked, and he looked into her blue eyes.
“I was thinking about how much you love me and if you are willing to come towards me. Do you like me enough to get married or not? I would like you to think about that too.”
“Are you sure, Your Highness? Is your heart willing to move towards me as well?”
His dark eyebrows raised slightly as he wondered why she would ask him something so obvious.
“Sometimes, I think that if it weren’t for the love potion, we wouldn’t have been involved in the first place.”
“Isabella, you might think that what I’m going to say wouldn’t matter, but if I met you without the love potion, I would have fallen in love. I’m certain.”
It was confirmed that the love potion made Duke Kyar like her so much, but Duke Kyar’s soothing words quelled her anxiety.
She was relieved.
“I’m sure of my heart, Isabella. Now you only have to worry about your mind. Are you confident that you won’t regret marrying me? After we get married, I’m not sure I could let you go if you tell me to regret it.”
He paused.
Duke Kyar looked at her again and spoke. “I’ll give you till the 7th of September to decide.”
The unexpected date made Isabella’s eyes widen.
She told him that September 7th was her birthday, and he still remembered it.
“I can’t force you to decide immediately, Isabella. But you should know that I feel like I’m running out of breath every day until the date comes.”
A faint smile spread across Isabella’s face.
“I see. I’ll think about it seriously until my birthday, Your Highness.”
“We have 79 days left.”
Isabella’s eyes went round after he finished counting the days they had left in a flash.
He just didn’t have a good memory.
Duke Kyar was also good at Mathematics.
“Well, I’ll be patient until then. Now, hurry up and eat. The food is getting cold.” He glanced down at the iron plate, which didn’t sizzle anymore.
Isabella never dreamed of having such a sweet conversation with Duke Kyar at the restaurant while eating grilled meat.
Maybe that’s why she became more excited about their future.
Her relationship with him didn’t go exactly as she expected.
**
Rubella Castle had been quiet for a day, but it became noisy again when people started returning from their vacation.
Many people used the Teleport Tower, so the manager decided to present four free tickets in Duke Kyar’s name.
Duke Kyar handed them over to Isabella without hesitation, and her eyes sparkled at sight.
Now, she had the right to use the Teleport Tower four times without spending money.
Isabella came out of his office wearing a pleasant grin.
She planned to go to the capital with Ria on Duke Kyar’s next beast hunting expedition.
As she clutched the tickets in her hand, Isabella smiled brightly as she walked into her room and found Kyle standing in front of her instead.
It’s been two weeks since she last saw Kyle.
Kyle didn’t come down to Rubella Castle last weekend to prepare for his exam.
However, a strange little girl had stood next to Kyle with a height that didn’t even reach his chest.
The pink-haired girl looked lovely, with her large, round eyes occupying almost half her face.
She looked like a living, breathing doll.
“Sister, you’re here!” Kyle greeted her excitedly.
His welcome was warmer than usual.
“Kyle, when did you get here? I thought the Teleport Tower was rather difficult to use today.”
“I’ve never seen so many people, Isabella. I heard that Uncle, Duke Kyar, gave everyone in Rubella Castle a special vacation.”
“Yes, but is this your friend, Kyle?”
Kyle shook his head hastily at Isabella’s question.
“We go to the same academy, but we’re not friends. This is Princess April. His Majesty asked her to deliver a gift for Uncle. Duke Kyar. That is why she is with me.”
“Oh? Were you a princess? My name is Isabella.”
Isabella bowed to April and said hello.
“Nice to meet you.”
“You may speak freely, Princess.”
“I don’t like to speak comfortably to anyone who does that with Kyle,” April remarked.
The corner of her lips curled in amusement.
Kyle, April, and all the children here were extraordinary.
They were adorable yet quite pitiful, as if they were forced to grow up too early in their childhood.
“I might be a little late, but I bought uncle a birthday present. Can you take a look at it, Isabella? I don’t know if he will like it.”
Isabella nodded.
“Well, shall we go into the room?”
She opened the door and entered her room while Kyle and April followed her inside.
She couldn’t find Ignis.
Perhaps she went to the greenhouse with Ria.
“What do you think of this, sister?”
Kyle pulled out expensive golden cuffs, with the symbol of Kyar Household engraved on them, from the velvet box.
“Wow, this is cool, Young Master. I think His Highness would love this.”
“That’s a relief,” Kyle replied shyly while scratching his cheek.
April stared at Kyle and Isabella with eyes full of interest.
“Well, I should start looking for my uncle right now. Princess April, would you like to come with me?”
Kyle asked
April shook her head.
The poor girl looked scared.
“Please give my father’s gift to him, Kyle,” said April as she pulled a well-wrapped box from her bag. “I’ll wait here.”
Kyle’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“Here? With Isabella?”
“Yes. Aren’t you returning here?”
“That’s true, but….”
Kyle and April stared at Isabella at the same time.
April looked more desperate.
Isabella nodded quickly.
Indeed, children were her weakness.
“I’ll be with the princess. Don’t worry, Young Master Kyle.”
“Well, I’ll be right back.”
Kyle exited the room, and a small, lovely sigh came out of April’s mouth.
“Would you like some tea and cookies?” Isabella asked.
April shook her head, ‘no.’
“It’s all right, but I—-May I ask you a question?”
April looked at her expression carefully.
“Yes. Feel free to ask me anything.”
“How did you get so close to the Duke’s brother?”
April blushed in chagrin.
Her red cheeks were so cute that they tempted her to hug the princess.
Isabella smiled and asked. “Would you like to be acquainted with Young Master Kyle, April?”
April nodded quickly in response.
