Chapter 11
Three days passed quickly. Ethan was busy preparing the betrothal gifts, while Lena and Linden lived a far more leisurely life.
In their castle, only Alice had been brought along to handle daily chores. Lena spent her days waking up to either eat or play, then at night, they would lie together in bed, endlessly wrapped in each other’s arms.
At first, Lena resisted. Since she was a princess, how could she afford to indulge in romance? But Linden always had ways to convince her, and eventually, she gave in. Once she was carried to bed, she simply let go and gave herself over to it.
By the third day, the day of Ethan’s engagement, Linden, for some reason, seemed unusually vigorous. Lena half wondered if she would ever be able to get out of bed.
Near the point where her eyelids fluttered and sleep was about to claim her, she suddenly heard Linden’s low whisper.
“Lena, do you really have to go to his engagement banquet?”
She wasn’t quite sure why he asked that, but she honestly nodded.
“Since Ethan invited me, I should go see for myself.”
Unexpectedly, Linden tightened his hold around her. After a moment, just as she was about to drift off, she heard his resigned chuckle.
“If you go, will you change your mind? It’s fine. I have being the prince for a few days—no big deal. I’ll just give him back to you afterward.”
Her previously confused gaze cleared, and she thought again of her previous life. After marrying Ethan, Linden had gone to the border, earned his military honors, been titled Admiral, and remained unmarried until he died in battle.
At that moment, she seemed to grasp something and suddenly said,
“Linden, do you like me?”
There was no movement behind her, as if even his breath had softened. After a long pause, Lena finally heard his answer.
“If I said yes, would you let Ethan go?”
She smiled gently.
“So your way of liking someone is just bullying me all the time?”
It seemed the truth was out. Linden grumbled like a child.
“All my life, your eyes only ever looked at Ethan. If I didn’t do this, how else would you notice me? I’ve told you before–if you dared to divorce me, I’d indict you to the king.”
Lena couldn’t help but laugh. Though he called it bullying, Linden had always been good to her. Those annoying things he did mostly happened when she was frustrated by Ethan and needed cheering up.
Unfortunately, in her past life, she never noticed his feelings and spent her life drowning in the sorrow of Ethan’s presumed death.
Now that she knew the truth, she found the thought of being with Linden quite pleasant.
She curved her brows slightly and smiled softly.
“I’ve already let go of Ethan. Going to see his engagement, even his marriage to Flora, is just have fun and to see how far that perfect pair can go. As for marrying you… it was indeed a surprise at first. I just didn’t want Ethan and randomly picked someone, not expecting it to be you. But during this time, I’ve thought it through. Linden, I do like you too.”
Her voice was soft but carried enough weight to shake Linden. He had never imagined he’d hear such words from Lena’s mouth.
From the moment he first saw her as a child, he had fallen hopelessly for this little princess, but her eyes had always been fixed on Ethan. Every time, win even a glance, he had to resort to childish tricks just to get noticed.
As he grew older, he gradually accepted that Lena only loved Ethan and that her future husband would be him, not Linden.
So he hadn’t planned to come. He couldn’t bear to watch the one he loved marry another.
Yer fate had played a cruel joke–he had somehow ended up marrying her and now heard her say she liked him too.
He felt deeply grateful he had come that day.
Linden spoke softly.
Chapter 11
to
“I had actually decided that as soon as you married, I’d take my leave for the border, earn a few medals, and never set foot in Asteria again. That way, I wouldn’t have to suffer from missing you. When you think of me someday, you’d remember me as a decent young general.‘
”
Lena shivered slightly. That was Linden’s past life, wasn’t it?
Thankfully, this time, they hadn’t missed their chance.
