In that case, I should help her wed the man she desires. As that thought crossed his mind, he heard—
“Sir Crisford Cortot, I...am in...love with...you!”
“Huh?”
There was a pause of silence. Doubting his own ears, he looked at Sonia to find her face beet red and her hands balled into nervous fists.
“I love you, Sir Chris. I know you love a fellow dame, but I wanted to tell...you...how I...feel...” Sonia said with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her attempt to hold them back only made her voice quiver.
Sonia had planned to start fresh after she told him how she felt and congratulate him when he should marry. But giving up on restraining the tears, she brushed them away as she continued, “You will never know how much your encouragement and cheerfulness saved me. I’m glad to have met you. If not for you, I would not be here safe and sound. I wish we could have spent the rest of our days together... But I realize you are in love with someone else... I won’t trouble you any further. I will treasure this night we’ve spent together for the rest of my life.”
“Hold up. Um, what dame...? Who exactly are you talking about?” Chris asked, interrupting Sonia with a look of pure confusion written on his face.
“Prince Henry told me about her yesterday! He said, ‘Chris is currently having an important discussion with the King and a dame!’” Sonia answered emotionally.
With that, the puzzle pieces must have clicked, for a look of exasperation washed over Chris’ face.
“Unbelievable! You don’t have to look so annoyed! Is my love for you really that big of a nuisance?!” Sonia yelled.
He was being mean! Big age difference or not, she had put her heart into conveying how she felt!
“Are you treating me like this because you think I’m just a child?!”
Surprised by Sonia’s interpretation, Chris protested, “I was annoyed with Prince Henry. When he said we were holding an important discussion, he was teasing you...and me as well.”
“...Huh?”
This time it was Sonia’s turn to be left in a confused daze.
“His Majesty was consulting us with regards to his plans to have Prince Severin train under someone. He has already decided where the training will take place and who will handle it, but he needed to decide how to handle the journey there. We decided to consider the journey part of the training and have two knights and a healer accompany him, making it a party of four. One of the four was the dame Prince Henry mentioned to you.”
“I see,” Sonia said, but her relief only lasted a moment, quickly replaced by sadness. “Since there will be two knights...does that mean you’re the other one...?”
“I was supposed to be, but I politely declined to go. I’ve spent two months trying to discipline Prince Severin...but I don’t seem to be getting through to him...”
Seeing Chris heave such a heavy sigh that it seemed like his body was deflating, Sonia could only imagine the hard time Severin must have given him.
“...Plus, I have something I fear I’ll regret if I don’t do it now,” Chris said, the expression on his face changing. He gazed at Sonia with such intensity it made her catch her breath. Sensing passion in his intent eyes, Sonia felt the pounding in her chest grow faster.
“Really, I’m the one who should have said this to you,” Chris said as he kneeled on one knee before where Sonia was perched on her bench. He gently cupped his hands over hers before he said, “I’m a man already in his thirties, and I’m only good at the art of war. But if you want, I will do my best to learn estate administration. If you don’t like all my body hair, I will shave it off each day. I’ll be careful not to grow a beard. I will never do anything to displease you. So I ask of you, please walk alongside me for as long as we both live!”
There was a long, drawn moment of silence. The tears had dried from Sonia’s eyes, and she now stared in bewilderment.
She finally brought herself to say, “...By any chance...are you proposing...?”
“By no chance at all, I am proposing.”
“No way...! I mean, don’t you just see me as a child? Sir Chris, don’t you prefer, you know? The more mature, ladylike type, like the Crown Princess?!”
“The Crown Princess?” Chris asked.
At first he seemed thrown off at the mention of such an unlikely candidate, but then he said, “Oh, that,” as he knowingly rubbed his chin.
“As I recall, there used to be a rumor to that effect spread among the ladies in attendance at the palace. I hate to say this, but it stemmed from a few ladies who were jealous of the Crown Princess.”
“What do you mean...?”
“It started when it was decided she would marry Prince Henry. The jealousy of the women he didn’t choose grew so vicious, Prince Henry could no longer overlook it and personally went before the whole lot of them. I thought the rumors quieted down after he reprimanded and warned the ladies who spread the rumors to be more mindful in the future...” Chris explained. He sighed in disbelief that the rumors were still spreading and growing.
“...So it was all a misunderstanding...” Sonia said with a long sigh, feeling exhausted. Seeing that, a great smile spread across Chris’ face.
“May I try this again?” he asked. Feeling him press down on her hands this time, Sonia’s heart began to race once more.
“I’m going to skip to the chase. Duchess Sonia, please marry me.”
The knight before her looked straight into her eyes with sincerity. He no longer resembled the bear she saw him as when they had first met. Even if he was hairy or had a beard, he wouldn’t scare her anymore. The man passionately proposing to her was one of the kingdom’s treasured knights.
He extended his hand in my time of need, without heed to peril. Along with the warmth filling her inside, tears spilt down her cheeks, this time from joy.
“...I’m so happy... Are you sure I’m good enough? Don’t I still come across as just a child?”
“What would make you say that? You’re a wonderful lady, Duchess Sonia! I could tell as much even from the short time we’ve been together!” Chris insisted vehemently.
Sonia squeezed his hands back. “Please look after me now and forever, Sir Crisford.”
Hearing Sonia accept, Chris broke into a broad smile. Unlike any smile he had shown before, it looked like a mixture of wanting to laugh and cry at the same time.