“Lady Liliana,” he began, “there’s something I wish to tell you.”
Liliana’s eyes lit up. It was finally time to discuss the important things, and she urged the prince on without a word.
“You’re a candidate to become my fiancée. Have you heard anything about that?”
Liliana nodded, recalling her father’s letter word for word.
Riley lowered his voice. “Father said that you might lose that status if your voice doesn’t return within the next four years—and that Duke Clarke knows this.”
Liliana responded with another confirming nod. The letter had said as much. It put her at ease to know her father had already discussed the matter with the king. As things stood, she would invariably be removed from the candidacy before the start of the game. What happened next would depend on Duke Clarke, but things would surely have changed enough for her to avoid the grim fate she had witnessed.
Not that she intended to share any of that with the prince.
Riley sighed. “But my father—His Majesty—wants me to marry you. Duke Clarke insisted on revoking your candidacy, so this four-year grace period was the compromise they reached.”
The prince’s confession caught Liliana completely off guard: if she took him at face value, her father was actively opposed to the engagement, whereas the king wanted it to happen whether her voice returned or not. Normally, it would be the other way around. The royal family would oppose the idea of a crown princess without a voice, while Liliana’s father would push for the engagement to expand the influence of House Clarke, already one of the three most prominent ducal houses.
What’s going on? Liliana wondered, her brow slightly furrowed.
Riley spoke matter-of-factly, stifling his emotions: “It goes without saying that my choice of partner isn’t entirely up to me. I understand that well enough. But even so, I...”
Hesitating, the prince hung his head and bit his lip. Then he looked up, his uncertainty giving way to resolve. The sudden intensity of his gaze took Liliana aback.
Riley may have been earnest, but he was also demure and unassertive—traits some nobles deemed too unreliable for a crown prince. In some ways, he resembled the Riley from the start of the game, amicable toward everyone despite the gloom within him. Yet the boy before Liliana now was unmistakably different.
Liliana strained her eyes, searching for subtle clues about the prince’s true feelings. Before losing her voice, she had never tried to infer someone’s true intentions from their expression or manner—their words had always sufficed. Now, she could tell what another person was thinking just by looking at them.
The strength drained from Riley’s shoulders almost immediately. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have told you all this,” he said, smiling awkwardly. “It’s just...I’m not sure about choosing my life partner solely for the advantages she might bring. That’s what troubles me.”
The prince’s last words came out hoarse. His voice was barely audible, yet Liliana understood—he was caught between his duty as royalty and his own feelings.
In truth, Liliana found the entire predicament absurd. She retrieved a pen and some paper from her secret pocket and quickly wrote a message, despite the difficulty of writing in their current location.
“We ought to act in accordance with pride and self-respect. That is more important than feelings or personal desires.”
Riley waited, unsure what Liliana was writing, then took the message she handed him. Surprise overtook his features, and he could only look up at her, dumbfounded.
“You—”
Liliana couldn’t understand the prince’s reaction; to her, she had only stated the obvious. She waited for his next words, but another voice cut him off.
“Are you here, Your Highness?”
Riley responded in the affirmative, and a refined-looking woman came into view. Liliana knew her well—she was Mrs. Finch, a home tutor from the marquesal House Finch.
“Forgive my interruption,” the woman said politely.
“Mrs. Finch. It’s not time yet, is it?” Liliana noted a hint of displeasure in Riley’s voice, though she couldn’t tell why.
The woman dipped into a bow and remained there. “With all due respect, I must inform you that Master Austin has arrived.”
“Austin?” Riley looked confused.
Liliana cocked her head in puzzlement, having stepped slightly away from the crown prince. Though she had never met Austin, she knew of him. He was the second son of the ducal House Ealdred and one of the game’s romance options. If all went as expected, he would become Riley’s personal guard and only right-hand man. But considering how young he must’ve been, he couldn’t yet be a knight of the royal guard.
Were we already acquainted at this point in time in the game? I’d rather not run into him.
Even in Austin’s route, Liliana hadn’t been spared an unfortunate fate. In the good ending, he had cut her down with his sword. In the bad one, her control of mana had been stripped away, and she had been exiled from the kingdom. She had almost certainly died in the aftermath.
Liliana looked at Riley, trying to think of an acceptable way to excuse herself, but he spoke up before one came to mind.
“While you’re here, Lady Liliana, why don’t you come meet him? He’s a childhood friend of mine, and as good-natured as they come. I’m sure he’ll help you out someday.”
Considering he kills me in the game, I very much doubt it.
Riley followed Mrs. Finch along another path between the flower beds. Liliana brought up the rear, straining to keep her face from twitching as she abandoned any hope of escape. It wasn’t long before they arrived at a cozy gazebo built for rest, where a red-haired boy stood waiting.
“Well, I shall take my leave,” Mrs. Finch announced, having apparently been tasked with fetching the crown prince. She bowed and departed, leaving only Liliana and the two boys.
Still escorting Liliana, Riley wasted no time in approaching his redheaded companion. “Hi, Austin. It’s been a while. I heard you’ve been in the duchy for some time.”
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Your Highness. Yes, I’ve been busy helping my father.”
Austin’s politeness drew an awkward smile from the prince. “No need to be so formal. Speak as you normally would.”
No sooner had the words reached him than Austin broke into a chipper grin—his true self, no less. It was amazing how a simple change in expression made him look so much more his age.
House Ealdred, Austin’s family, stood alongside House Clarke as one of the three largest ducal families. Its domain lay in northwest Slivegrandia, far from Hudore, in the fertile region of Arcacia, the rest of which belonged to relatives of Duke Ealdred. By contrast, Duke Clarke’s duchies lay south of Hudore, among numerous domains held by the royal family.
“Austin, meet Lady Liliana, the daughter of Duke Clarke and a candidate for my fiancée,” Riley began, glad to see his friend behaving naturally. “Lady Liliana, this is Austin Ealdred, my longtime friend and future knight of the royal guard.”
Liliana bowed politely, while Austin looked flustered.
“Your Highness,” he said, his tone reproachful.
The prince grinned and shrugged casually. “Don’t worry about it. She won’t tell anyone.”
Liliana couldn’t tell whether Riley’s attempt to calm his friend was haughty or masterful. Evidently, Austin hadn’t wanted him to reveal things not yet certain, his future as a knight of the royal guard chief among them. The prince, on the other hand, seemed to either trust Liliana or simply not care. Of course, she wouldn’t tell anyone—and she met Austin’s stern gaze with a light nod in reassurance—but she couldn’t understand why Riley had entrusted her with the secret in the first place.
Austin looked conflicted for a moment, but he regained his composure and bowed to Liliana. It was the bow of an ordinary noble child, lacking the knightly flair he had in the game—understandable, since he wasn’t yet a knight.
“My name is Austin Ealdred. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Since we share a mutual friend in His Highness, I trust this won’t be our only meeting.”
It was a polite introduction, but Liliana had no voice to respond. She returned a ladylike bow, much to Austin’s confusion.
“Lady Liliana hurt her throat and can’t speak right now,” Riley explained.
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,” Austin said, rising from his bow.
Liliana shook her head, silently signaling that no concern was necessary.
“Call me Austin,” the aspiring knight insisted, his tone suddenly carefree. “Can I call you Lady Liliana?”
Liliana blinked a few times in surprise. Evidently, having finished his introduction, Austin felt comfortable dropping the courteous demeanor he’d maintained. She nodded at his question, finding no reason not to.
Riley shot his friend a sidelong look, displeasure flickering across his face. Austin merely grinned before inviting Liliana to sit. The crown prince settled down beside her.
“You’re so lovely, Lady Liliana,” Austin remarked. “It’s a shame. If you weren’t a candidate for His Highness’s fiancée, I might’ve sought your hand myself.”
“Austin...” Riley said, his tone sharp with warning.
“I mean it. You have such charming features, Lady Liliana, and eyes that sparkle with wisdom. I can hardly look away. If you ever lose your status as one of Riley’s fiancée candidates, let me know—I’ll make you my betrothed in a heartbeat.”
Faced with Austin’s sudden advances, Liliana tilted her head in mild confusion. Glancing at Riley, she saw him snap back to his senses, his sullen expression giving way to a half smile.
“That’s enough wooing my fiancée,” the crown prince said. “Sorry, Lady Liliana. He’s always like this.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Austin shot back. “I don’t talk like this to just any girl.”
“Sure, and I’m already king.”
“I mean it!”
Their relaxed banter spoke to how close they were, though Riley still seemed a little upset. He sighed and turned to Liliana.
“My apologies. I thought it would be nice for us all to spend time together, but I see now that I’m too narrow-minded.”
In other words, Austin’s frivolous remarks made him jealous enough that he wanted Liliana to leave. That suited her perfectly. She was grateful, even. Riley had already risen and offered to help her up, which she accepted with a nod, and the three of them left the gazebo, continuing through the courtyard.
Before long, Liliana spotted a maid waiting for her. It was her cue to part from the boys, so she bowed to them both before going on her way.
Well, that was strange.
There was still plenty of time before the events marking the start of the game. Liliana knew little of what had come before—just scraps of backstory and the characters’ personalities—so she couldn’t tell if anything had changed from how it was meant to be. Still, a gut feeling told her something was off.
Dwelling on it won’t help. I’ve got four years to shed my status as a fiancée candidate.
Nothing mattered more to her than escaping her gruesome future—the many roads to her untimely death. With her resolve renewed, she turned her mind to the spellbooks she was eager to read when she got home.