Hearing him shout that he loves me so passionately in front of all these important people was making me feel hot all over.
It’s so sweet…but I’m still really embarrassed.
I loved Eric with all my heart, so I was, of course, happy to hear him say he loved me back with such conviction.
“Hmmm, you’ve made yourself quite clear… I’m a little disappointed in you, Crown Prince Eric. Y’know, I hope to rule my own empire someday too…”
Silence.
“If you’re gonna rule a nation, you need to be willing to make sacrifices. The prosperity of your nation comes first. The way I see it, a guy like you who can’t give up on some broad isn’t fit to be king.”
Liu condemned Eric with his words and with his harsh gaze.
Liu’s way of thinking might be the correct way for the ruler of a nation to think. But still—
“It’s a difference of opinion, that’s all,” Eric told the prince calmly. “The way I see it, if a man can’t make one woman happy, he can’t possibly bring glory to his nation. An unjust human being is incapable of protecting their people.”
“Ooh…shots fired.” Liu sounded impressed, like he realized that it had taken Eric a lot of resolve to make his decision. For just a moment, his steely glare faltered. “Well, the world has all kinds of philosophies. Who’s right, you or me? In this case, it doesn’t really matter.”
Liu rose to his feet and slowly approached me.
I wondered what he was planning to do. He smirked at me and said, “Hey, Sainty, wanna come to the Ren Empire? Let Linny have your place on the throne beside this crown prince. You’re a smart girl—surely you understand that a princess like Linny is much better suited for the life of a queen than you, the daughter of a mere count. Do us all a favor and bow out gracefully.”
“H-how can you say such a thing to me?!”
Unworthy of being a queen—hearing the very words that had been gnawing away at my self-confidence brought my anger to the surface.
No, Leia. You have to stay calm.
I held Liu’s gaze without letting my emotions get the better of me.
“Ooh, I like that look in your eye. You’re tough. Now I like you even more.”
I continued to stare.
“See, the Ren Empire doesn’t have saints. If you came to my nation, I would petition the emperor to treat you well. And when I become emperor, I would make you my primary wife.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I will not go to the Ren Empire with you. And as Eric told you, neither will Lingsha.”
I couldn’t accept Liu’s proposal. I had to be firm. If I was unworthy of Eric, then I needed to make myself worthy. If I couldn’t do that, I should never have accepted Eric’s proposal in the first place.
I’m not backing down. No matter how much he wounds my ego, I can’t bend the knee to him.
“Ha ha! Ooh, you’re breaking my heart,” Liu chuckled. “But I’m not gonna give up. I’ll keep waiting until you say yes, Sainty.”
“Don’t waste your time. I won’t let anyone else have Leia,” Eric snapped.
The imperial prince’s face remained as smug as ever. He even looked amused. “Okay…then I guess you and I will have to work out a deal, Crown Prince Eric. As a fellow aspiring ruler, I look forward to Elshaid selecting its next king.”
A provocative smirk spread across Liu’s face. I got the sense he wasn’t going to back off easily. We would need to take more extreme actions to reject his demand.
“Naturally, we don’t expect you to reach a decision in haste,” Tailong added calmly. “Master Liu has come here to attend the wedding—that has not changed. We shall stay in Elshaid until then, so take your time to give your answer.”
Bottling up my anger was a true ordeal. The nerve, mentioning my wedding in the same breath!
While Tailong did seem more reasonable than Liu, he was just as intractable at the negotiating table. It was painfully clear that their demands were representative of the Ren Empire.
“Well, that is all we have for today. Master Liu, it’s time to go.”
“Ahh, fine, fine. But before we go…” Liu leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Hey, Sainty, ya got me fired up with that speech of yours. Renese men love broads with a spine. Now I really want you.”
I was screaming on the inside. He left the room. I had no idea if he actually meant what he said. All his actions reeked of duplicity—he couldn’t be trusted.
What is he even thinking? I can’t figure this guy out.
“Leia, don’t worry yourself over this. Dale and I will take care of everything.”
Eric’s gentle smile pulled me out of my thought spiral. His eyes were so soft and strong. Ever since Eric took me away from my family, his kindness always eased my troubled mind. My days had become so much more colorful since we met.
I needed my happy ending with him, no matter what obstacles stood in our way.
“Yes, we will handle everything, Miss Leia,” Dale said encouragingly. “I’ve actually got a knack for negotiations like these, so please rest assured.”
They’re right. I can’t fall into despair…
Eric and Dale would work together to resolve this mess. I knew that everything would work out in the end, no matter how dire the situation looked. All I needed to do was trust in them and help where I could.
“Eric, Dale, thank you for your kind words. But I am not unrelated to this matter, so if there’s anything I can do to help, don’t hesitate to tell me!”
“Leia, you got it, thank you.”
“You truly are a strong woman, Miss Leia.”
The two princes answered my impassioned plea with brilliant smiles.
That’s right, Leia, wallowing in self-pity and making others take care of you isn’t your way. You’re going to marry the crown prince. What kind of wife will you be if you can’t support him now? I thought as I looked at the door that Prince Liu had used to make his exit.