If I Don’t Get Married I’ll Die

It was Kalius who took me out of the banquet yesterday, so perhaps as a courtesy, he is checking in to see if I was able to return safely.

Kalius’ visit today, far from being rude or against custom, can be regarded as gentlemanly conduct.

It was Andrea’s reaction that was rather excessive.

‘There really must be something.’

Beyond an expression of dislike, Andrea looked terribly disgusted.

What on earth did Kalius do to Andrea?

‘I don’t know what it is, but isn’t that good for me? He hates him.’

Seeing Andrea’s reaction, I wanted to applaud my decision in choosing Kalius.

‘How mad Andrea will be if I marry Kalius.’

I, who used to think that marriage was horrible, began to look forward to it.

At my request to personally admonish the Marquis, Andrea made an excuse.

“Her Highness is not ready to receive guests, so ask him to come another time.”

I didn’t bother to stop the maid who went out on Andrea’s orders.

I didn’t have to because…..

“What are you doing!”

“You can’t enter without permission!”

I heard the guards making a commotion outside the door.

“I am entering. Your Highness the Princess.”

Open-.

Because Kalius appeared.

For a brief instant, I thought it was Cal who had appeared in front of me.

‘You look alike indeed.’

His well-proportioned features, delicate eyes that immediately caught people’s attention, and the golden irises contained in them were very similar to Cal’s.

Of course, compared to Cal who had a playfulness and innocence that can’t be hidden no matter his age, Kalius had a much more mature and somewhat intimidating look.

“I see Your Highness, the Princess. Your Highness the Prince is also here.”

My heart tightened as those eyes, like those of a beast’s, looked back and forth between me and Andrea.

Meanwhile, no one in the room dared to speak.

Everyone was frozen, as if the pressure from Kalius had temporarily stopped time.

Perhaps because he had experienced numerous battles on the battlefield for a long time,

It felt like a huge wolf had wandered into the room.

Having spent a long time on the battlefield where blood spilled, Kalius seemed like an invincible warrior.

He slowly walked this way. He had a disciplined gait without any unnecessary motions.

‘Except…..’

Compared to Andrea, who was lavishly dressed, Kalius was only wearing a modest black robe with a basic design.

Even so, his large, rock hard body, as he came closer, looked very nice, like an intricate sculpture.

‘I heard that the hanger is more important than the shirt.’

Is it just my imagination or does Andrea look like a small, ugly iron skewer in front of Kalius?

Unknowingly, I had been staring at Kalius for a long time, and when I came to my senses, he was looking straight at me too.

I was shocked. He, who had brought out this tension, curved his eyes and smiled.

‘What in the…..’

His smile instantly melted the frozen atmosphere and breathing became easier.

Andrea must have felt it too, as he couldn’t say anything until now and got angry late.

“Marquis Ro-Rodrian, in the imperial palace, it is polite to deliver a letter of your intention to visit to an imperial family’s attendant and wait for permission before entering!”

Kalius responded calmly.

“They left a man standing. I came in to ask how long I would have to wait.”

Andrea let out an empty laugh, at a loss at that absurd and impudent answer.

“If you know it now, be patient and wait outside until you are called!”

“I am a guest of Her Highness the Princess, I did not come to visit Your Highness the Prince.”

I quickly intervened in the conversation between the two.

“Marquis Rodrian, my older brother said he had something to say to you, and you came at the perfect time.”

“To me?”

Kalius looked at Andrea. It was an overwhelming gaze.

I could see Andrea’s throat bob at the tension.

“Th-That’s…”

“My honor was damaged because Marquis Rodrian gave me a flower yesterday!”

I spoke for Andrea and asked Andrea to agree instead.

“Isn’t that right, brother? What did you say? Because of that flower, people said that I was promiscuous and that the princess couldn’t behave properly, right?”

“C-Chloe, Chloe!”

Andrea hurriedly tried to stop me, but Kalius jumped in without listening.

“If anyone dares to attach such an insulting meaning to the flower I presented as a gift, I will take responsibility and punish them for defaming Your Highness.”

Kalius stared at Andrea.

“Should I bring the heads of those who said that and present them to Her Highness, the Princess?”

He was ready to take out his sword and go cut the nobles’ throats.

Afraid that, things would escalate. Andrea, who foresaw this, chose to scold me instead.

“Chloe, I didn’t say that they did, only that they could. You need to get your facts straight.”

“But brother said you would firmly punish Marquis Rodrian, the man who just defamed me……”

Kalius crossed his arms expressing interest.

His bulging muscles looked like they were ready to rip through his sleeves and would have no difficulty breaking Andrea’s thin neck.

“Chloe!”

Andrea hurriedly cut me off and awkwardly smiled as he turned to the clock on the wall.

“I forgot I had a prior engagement. Please excuse me as I will be heading out. Marquis. It is a very important appointment.”

***

“Pfft!”

When I came out to the garden with Kalius, I was finally able to let out the laughter I’d been holding in.

‘It will be messy later.’

I can already see how Andrea would criticize and blame me.

But I was extremely pleased right now so I didn’t regret my actions.

I laughed until tears welled up in my eyes, I apologized to the Marquis.

“I’m sorry, Marquis. The situation a moment ago was just hilarious.”

“It’s alright.”

Kalius seemed to have figured out what was going on, but he wasn’t laughing.

He just stared at me smiling.

‘…..?’

Feeling burdened by that gaze, I cleared my throat a couple of times and turned my gaze elsewhere.

“Shall we walk while we discuss what I couldn’t tell you yesterday?”

I lowered my voice so that the maids following me would not hear.

“At this distance, no one will hear our conversation.

“I think so.”

But even as we walked, Kalius’ eyes remained on me.

‘…..?’

Why are you staring at me like that? Like I’m some kind of entertainment.

I felt for my face to make sure nothing was on it.

‘I think it’s fine.’

I thought about telling him not to look at me like that.

I didn’t know why he was staring at me, but I didn’t see any malice in his eyes. Rather, they were extremely calm.

‘Is it just a habit?’

I didn’t feel any hidden intention in his eyes, so rather than being rude, it seemed that I was being overly sensitive about his gaze.

In the end, I pretended not to notice and brought up another topic.

“Ahem, have you decided to accept my offer?”

“Yes. I’d like to hear your future plans. I found out that you already have a fiancé.”

“That’s a small problem.”

“Yes. But the bigger problem is that Lonheim blood flows in me.”

Even if I didn’t have a fiancé, if we were to consider the mainlanders’ hatred of the Lonheimians, it was out of the question for me, the imperial princess, to marry Kalius.

It was obvious that my father, the queen, and Andrea would all be against this marriage.

Not for my sake, but for their own.

‘The imperial family won’t sit still and accept a Lonheimian as a son-in-law.’

The marriage of an imperial family member is a union of families for political gain.

Viscount Perseus, who was in the midst of marriage talks with me, promised to give the imperial family a huge amount of money.

The imperial family won’t let me get married unless they benefit from it.

‘Of course I asked Kalius for a gold mine as a wedding gift, but that will be mine, not the imperial family’s.’

I intended to keep the gold mine a secret.

Therefore, the imperial family would never allow this marriage.

I already thought that far when I brought up the topic of marriage with Kalius.

‘So I have something else in mind.’

As I walked side by side to avoid Kalius’ gaze even just a little, I then turned to look at him.

He was still staring at me. He didn’t take his eyes off me even for a moment.

I said to him with arrogance.

“I told you yesterday. I think you can take me as far away as you can, so we’re going to get married.”

“But?”

“It means that getting me out of the imperial palace is also included in the terms of the deal.”

“Aha.”

“I proved my intelligence and potential to you yesterday, so wouldn’t it be fair that you show me something?”

This was a trick I came up with. To leave things I couldn’t do to Kalius.

Isn’t it impossible to get revenge if I were to do everything by myself?

“If I am a person worthy of risking everything, show me your ability.”

As if he had been caught off guard by my arrogant gaze, Kalius smiled but still kept a relaxed attitude.

“Looks like you want to test me.”

“Because I also need a capable partner.”

His eyes bent gently.

He simply nodded his head.

“Very well.”

“Great.”

The straight gaze that wouldn’t separate from me made me feel odd. For some reason, my face tickled.

‘I can’t even breathe properly because I’m anxious about those eyes. Are you trying to kill me by awkwardness?’

I was so tense that I almost choked from swallowing dry saliva.

As I tried to resolve my internal situation as inconspicuous as possible, Kalius said to me.

“But more than how other people will acknowledge this marriage, there’s something else I’m curious about.”

“Then what’s the bigger problem?”

Did I miss something?

Kalius made a strange expression, like he was asking because he really didn’t know the answer.

“Is Your Highness truly fine with me being from Lonheim?”

“I knew that the Marquis was from Lonheim from the start.”

“Are you sure you gave it enough consideration?”

“Are you worried that I’ll regret it?”

“When you reach Lonheim, there will be a lot of things you’ll have to endure. Do you have the confidence to live through a barren environment you have never imagined? Also, Your Highness will hear what the people in this place are whispering about me.”

It seemed that he did not want me to take marriage with him lightly.

I was a little surprised that there was concern for me in it.

But there was no reason for him to worry about me.

‘Are you afraid that I’ll complain later and want to run away?’

Yes, it seemed to be that.

‘There’s no way he’s worried about me.’

He must be worried that he will be bothered.

Kalius didn’t know. What kind of marriage I endured for ten years.

I suffered from Viscount Perseus’ beating everyday, and when I finally fell asleep in fear, I’d have nightmares of being beaten to death by my husband.

And in the end, I was killed by Andrea, whom I depended on all my life. With the excruciating realization that it was the Andrea whom I trusted that made me lonely and miserable all along.

‘There couldn’t possibly be a worse future than that.’

I have already experienced the bottom, will there be a bottom to go down to even further?

“Don’t worry. I’m not taking this lightly like traveling or recuperation.”

Kalius raised one eyebrow in interest at my resolute words, then bent his waist to be on the same eye level with me.

“Then let me warn you in advance.”

“….What is it?”

As I stumbled back because the distance between us closed in an instant, he held me firmly and whispered in my ear.

“Do you think my cannibalism is a false rumor?”

“…..!”