TER𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

lV

.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊˚✩.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ᰔᩚ.ᰔᩚ ⭑. ݁ ˖₊˚✩.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑
  Love Is a Luxury

Instead of her beautiful face, the woman looking back at her now was a totally different person. Viola’s slender chin had become round, and her face looked plain. Her hair was shaded a dull brown and she didn’t know what Rosha did but its texture now looked fragile and stiff. Viola touched her new, rough, straw-like hair and was startled.

“It’s temporary. Your hair will return to its original state once the dye is gone, so make sure to always keep it the same color. Also, regarding your face, the makeup is easily erased by water, so you mustn’t get caught in the rain. “

“Ah…”

“I’m sorry that we made your beautiful face like this, Princess.”

“No, this is for the best. It’s better to not stand out by any means possible.”

“Rosha, let’s press down the princess’ breasts too. She should look as plain as possible.”

“Yes!”

It wasn’t enough to just sabotage Viola’s looks. The nanny also had to cover up Viola’s womanly figure. Yet, no matter how bad they made her look, they could not hide her enchanting eyes.

“We can’t do anything about your eyes, and they are the most beautiful part of you.”

The nanny was disappointed since Viola no longer looked special now that she had a plain appearance.

“The training period is six months, so please endure it using any means possible and avoid being chosen by the crown prince. Don’t fall in love with him.”

Viola planted such words in her mind, “To me, love is a luxury.”

“Please, come back and become our queen.”

“I will.”

The nanny knelt in front of Viola and kissed the back of her hand as if she were greeting the king.

“I will come back for sure.”

♛

A grotesque scream reverberated loudly through the entire forest. It was not a human scream.

A startled man staggered a few steps backwards. He nearly soiled himself with fear. In front of him stood a huge body covered in dirt with blood dripping from its mouth. It was a ludicrous sight. In its hand, it wielded a huge, stone axe. The creature standing before the man was an orc.

It raised its arm and furiously smashed its stone axe downward; however, it failed to kill the man in front of it. Instead, the creature suffered a counterblow. A spear had flown from somewhere at a terrifying speed and pierced the orc’s body. A gruesome cry rang out at the same time as the sound of the spearhead piercing its flesh.

Saved from the brink of death, the man looked at his savior, his eyes widening as he realized who it was.

“Thank … Thank you, Your Highness.”

“I told you, if you fall off your horse, you die.”

“Sor-sorry.”

“Get back on your horse and grab your weapon. If you don’t want to become their target again, you’d better hurry.”

“Yes!”

He pulled his reins all the way up, and all the knights turned their eyes towards him. This man was Lustian, the crown prince of the great Arpen Empire.

His posture was dignified, upright yet nimble at the same time. The way he carried himself was both beautiful and elegant. No matter who was looking at him, none could mistake the royalty in his appearance. A blue, silk cloak was draped over his shoulders, and his garments, which reached down to his knees, were also woven from blue silk and lined with silver threads. His red boots were sewn from fine leather and looked soft yet quite firm at the same time. The hilt of the sword in his hand was made of gold and silver, flashing brightly under the sun.

Above all, his looks were the most astonishing part of his appearance. He exuded masculinity: tousled hair, black eyes, high nose, and lips that were closed in a straight line. His wide shoulders and broad chest were made of strong, solid muscles that were apparent even from under his clothes.

So handsome was the crown prince that all the women in high society adored him. Indeed, it would not have been a stretch to title him the most beautiful in all the Arpen Empire.

Lustian raised his sword high. A buzzing sound emitted from the blade before it became swathed in a blue aura. The sound coming from the sword made every animal in the vicinity tremble with fear. The whole forest shook with the cries of animals, turning the atmosphere bleak and grim.

“I’ll let you rip fresh meat tonight.”

♛

Viola looked at the mirror with cloudy eyes, then she cast her gaze to the window that was dense with darkness. The stars embroidering the night sky were beautiful, but the thought of not being able to properly see them made her feel more determined rather than bitter.

She would leave her homeland tomorrow morning as a Crown Princess Candidate to the Arpen Empire.

Viola once again stared at her reflection in the window. There stood a girl with brown hair and yellow skin. She had camouflaged her white skin with cosmetics and dyed her golden-blonde hair brown. As if that wasn’t enough, she had also bound her chest with cloth to make it appear flat.

She had never really been the type to care about her appearance, but she couldn’t bear the suffocating feeling of having her chest wrapped so tightly that she couldn’t breathe. Viola would have preferred to don attire meant for males than put up with this.

“I’d rather wear men’s clothes.”

“Please, just endure it for a bit. You won’t have to do this in the future if you fail the preliminary training for crown princesses.”

“…”

Viola picked up the teacup and momentarily placed it at her lips before suddenly leaping up and heading towards the dressing room. It only took her a moment to garb herself in men’s clothing.

“Princess?”

“I’ll feel much better after a quick ride. I’ll be right back, so don’t you worry.”

Viola couldn’t stand the frustration. She jumped out the window and onto a tree, as if she had done so many times before. She could see Rosha looking worried by the window, but all she did was wave at her. It was easier for Viola to climb onto a tree than it was for her to drink soup, and riding a horse was even easier.

She ran to the stables and lifted herself onto her steed and kicked it hard on its sides.

The clattering of hooves echoed loudly through the kingdom’s forest.

She rode so much faster when she was able to wear men’s clothing. As they galloped through the woods, she felt an equal amount of relief to her previous frustration.