Run away 6

Chapter 6

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Once out of the water, Rosette roughly wiped the water off her body and began to put on her clothes. It wasn't perfect, though, and she struggled to get one arm into her clothes. To make matters worse, her long silver hair was still soaking wet and tangled. It was an ordeal for her.

Rosette gritted her teeth and pulled the dress on, and after what seemed like forever, she fled the scene.

It was only when she found the familiar light again that she finally caught her breath, her heart racing for a moment. She knew she would see him soon, but she certainly hadn't expected to see him like this.

His big, strong body. The red eyes that stared intently into her face. The unmistakable center of his groin.......

Rosette shook her head sharply, as if trying to shake off the thoughts that kept poking at her.

"Your barracks are ready, Princess."

A soldier, puzzled by her somewhat strange condition, showed her to her quarters. With that, Rosette trotted wearily into the barracks to rest.

* * *

The Emperor's carriage, which had been traveling at high speed since the day of her encounter with Theodore, had crossed the border into the Kaisen Empire, and Rosette, to her misfortune or fortune, had not encountered him once since.

It was partly because she was so reticent, but from her point of view, not seeing his face was a breath of fresh air, so she kept to herself, never leaving the carriage except to go to the bathroom.

The landscape began to unfold before her eyes, a far cry from the harmonious nature of Hercia. Unlike her homeland of wooden buildings, the city was filled with tall buildings of solid brick and marble.

Carvings of gods and goddesses surrounded them. It was only when she saw the ever-changing splendor of the landscape that she realized she had left her country and crossed the border. If this was the case in the outskirts of the empire, what would the capital and the palace be like? She could only anxiously fiddle with her sleeves. 

"Kolok, Kolok!"

A cough escaped from her throat, even as her beautiful diamond-encrusted eyes never left the window. She hadn't been feeling well lately, probably due to the long journey. She pulled the blanket over her knees, hoping it would make her feel better.

She didn't know how many more days they rode like this, until they were almost in front of Winterreus, the capital of the Empire.

The carriage she was riding in came to a halt and the door opened. It was the knight who had escorted her carriage the entire way.

“Please step out, Princess."

She still had a little longer to go to the palace, but what on earth......? Before she had time to wonder, something was clutched in her slender fingers. It was the flag of the Kaisen Empire.

"What is this?"

"It is the flag of the Empire, Princess. There will be a victory procession from now on. Please wave it to your people."

Rosette, princess of a small kingdom invited to the Empire through a friendly treaty, was told to wave the flag of her enemy, the Kaisen Empire, in front of the people.

Perhaps the unknowing Rosette of old would have refused, protecting her modest pride, but she was different now. She was determined to change the future with everything she had, and pride was a luxury for her.

What mattered most to her now was her survival and the well-being of her country.

In short, she was willing to make clothes, cloaks, and dance with the banner of the Empire, because her life and future were so precious.

After accepting the Imperial banner, Rosette rode atop a triumphal parade carriage that was open on all sides. The carriage, decorated with fresh flowers, was huge and ornate enough to fill the procession.

And then, at the very top of the carriage, Theodore and Rosette's eyes met. It was a fleeting glimpse, but his imposing presence drew her attention to him, and she quickly averted her gaze by turning her head away.

As soon as they entered the capital, a thunderous cheer erupted from the people who had been waiting for them.

Since his ascension to the throne, Emperor Theodore Alexius had been on a warpath of aggressive territorial expansion.

In this particular war against the Kingdom of Hercia, he used Princess Rosette's base to sign a peace agreement with the kingdom.

Initially captured, the kingdom returned the trade hubs of Cavallien and Hespain, located in the southwestern corner of the kingdom, in exchange for increased trade between the two countries.

After ascending to the throne, Emperor Theodore continued his aggressive territorial expansion, and it was said that he showed a benevolent side depending on who he was dealing with.

Furthermore, Princess Rosette Demianne, the most beautiful flower in the kingdom, was invited to join the empire as a sign of peace between the two countries.

Though some secretly called her a spoil of war, she was ostensibly welcomed into the Empire as an honored guest.

The people shouted and cheered as the Emperor returned to his golden homecoming.

A huge triumphal carriage, decorated with colorful flowers, began to make its way through the center of the capital. The white steed leading the chariot moved slowly forward, sending a cloud of cannonballs and pollen into the bright blue sky.

Behind him rode a silver-haired beauty, her hair as fine as silver and her eyes as clear as diamonds. She was the princess of the kingdom of Hercia, brought to them by the Emperor.

Her face was so bright, like a delegation of peace. As she waved the imperial banner and smiled brightly at the people, there was no sign of pain or bitterness that she had been forced to leave her homeland.

The people began to react even more enthusiastically to the sight of such a carefree princess, rejoicing in the victory of the Empire and wishing them well for the future.

"Look at her radiant smile. Isn't she beautiful?"

"She looks genuinely happy. There is no sign of sadness on her face."

"It's as if the goddess of victory is with us."

A beautiful woman smiled, revealing her white teeth. There was no shade on the beautiful Princess's face. Rosette seemed so engrossed in the march that one might mistake her country's victory for that of the Empire.

Theodore, momentarily distracted by the sight of Rosette, quickly returned his gaze to the front. One corner of his normally expressionless mouth quirked up slightly. It was a fleeting moment.

And so the endless procession continued to the center of the capital. The corners of Rosette's mouth, which had always been smiling, slowly began to twitch.

The grueling schedule made it even harder than it was when she was sitting in the carriage. As the hours passed, she broke out in a cold sweat and became dizzy and briefly faint, but she was able to overcome it all with her mental strength.

From the moment she started marching, Rosette had been trying her best to give them the image they wanted to see. She could have been called a princess with no self-respect, but she felt differently.

She had to change, starting with small actions. The end of Rosette's pride and dignity was death from the Emperor, and now that she knew that, she was willing to do whatever it took to ensure a comfortable future.

As her eyes shone with determination, she made eye contact again with Emperor Theodore, who was waving to his subjects, and he smirked as if he were laughing at her.

His sneer nearly drowned her out for a moment, but Rosette forced the corners of her mouth upward, smiling even more brightly at the crowd.

As she walked along the pollen-covered streets celebrating the enemy's victory, Rosette thought to herself that this would be like a second beginning for her, with nothing but flowery paths ahead.

She reached the palace and wiped the beads of sweat from her brow with the end of her sleeve. The palace was unlike anything she'd ever seen after traveling so far, but she was too tired to appreciate it.

What Rosette needed most right now was rest, and so she was carefully escorted from the carriage by a knight.

As she exited the carriage, she was about to make her way to her temporary quarters at the palace when she was suddenly stopped in her tracks.

It was none other than Theodore, who, unaware of her desperate need for rest, turned to face her. The backlight shone behind his large body as he loomed over her, slowly swallowing up her shadow.

Rosette looked up for a moment and frowned slightly as the backlight made it difficult to see his face. He even blocked her movements to turn around to get away from him.

Was there something about her behavior that he didn't like? Momentarily puzzled, she asked him as politely as she could.

"Is there anything else you'd like to say......?"

Theodore spoke slowly, his tone intrigued.

"I thought your act was very convincing."

Acting, in a way, was both right and wrong. But from his point of view, it was suspicious.

The woman smiled so brightly at the people who had been her enemies as soon as she left her homeland. Rosette spoke to him with as much bitterness in her voice as she could muster to clear up the misunderstanding.

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