I Didn’t Save You To Get Proposed To - Chapter 2
I had a habit of warming up by yoga every morning, but simple stretching was too much for this body.
Elsia has always been obese because she had a habit of binge eating due to stress from the Kingdom of Artise.
I thought I needed to improve myself for my health and do yoga again, my hobby and job.
But to do that, I’ll have to deal with urgent matters first.
“Sera, when is the 3rd prince’s birthday banquet?”
“Are you talking about Prince Ixion?”
Sera smiled and answered.
“It’s today.”
Then the assassination will take place today.
Now, as he wandered around the battlefield and the place to defeat the monsters, there were few days to stay in the imperial palace, but he couldn’t help but attend his own birthday party.
I, The Princess of an enemy country who got locked up in the imperial palace, had no choice but to attend the banquet.
“Sera, did you get an invitation to a banquet a few days ago?”
“Ah… Right.”
Sera looked surprised. That’s because Elsia hasn’t attended a banquet since the victory banquet three years ago.
The invitation was just a formality.
There will be no one to talk to at the banquet anyway.
It was natural for Elsia to eat delicious food in the small room of the Imperial Palace rather than being insulted in the banquet; since there was always plenty to eat in the Palace.
“It’s late, but I’m sending a reply. I’m going to attend the banquet.”
“….Pardon?”
There was really no time now.
Even if I hadn’t died, the plan for the assassination of the Prince would remain unchanged.
For Decan, I was, ‘Just in case there’s any interruption, we’ll kill her first.’
“Wow, Princess, you’re going to the Royal—banquet?”
Sera’s pupils shook wildly.
“Princess! We only have a few hours left, right? Besides, you need to—”
“Do as you please.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“But—but! A-are you sure you want to go?”
“Yeah, I’m going. So let the person in charge of the banquet know quickly. I’m going to attend.”
Sera stamped her feet and ran out.
And when she came back, she was holding something in both hands.
“We don’t have time—but..”
Sera’s hands were full of crude cosmetics, combs, hairpins, and cheap perfumes.
I admired the naive Sera’s favor, but I didn’t expect much of an outcome.
Sadly, when I opened the closet, there was only one dress to wear. It was a red dress with a frill running excessively, and the light was all faded.
Since Elsia was trapped in the palace, she has become fatter due to severe binge eating, so she did not fit properly with the dress, but she had no choice.
‘No matter how hostage you are, you were once a princess, but how does this look like this…’
No matter how much Sera picked up her hairpin, her hair was unkempt, so her hair kept sticking out.
In addition, Sera was unfortunately dexterous.
“Princess, are you—really going to attend?”
Sera wept and cleared up my clothes until the end.
I didn’t know what was going to happen because I’d already had enough eyes of great surprise when I walked down the hall before.
I’ll have to hear a lot of laughing at me. Of course, there was no man to escort me either.
It had to be a good sense of security to bite at the banquet.
“I’ll be back.”
“But—”
“Sera.”
Sera was stamping her feet, scared I’ll be hurt.
I gave her a laugh.
“I need to lose some weight for my health in the future, but it is not that their appearance or position evaluates people’s value.”
In my previous life, I always said this to a member who was worried about body type when I was in a yoga center.
“Why do you spend every day like a ‘gift’ looking at others’ eyes? I can go on my own way confidently. If I’m strong, I won’t get hurt. Don’t worry.”
For Elsia and me, it’s been a long life. There were far more critical things than reputations and insults.
In the original book, Elsia described in quite depth when she fell in love with Ixion.
*******
(The Previous Elsia’s POV)
Three years ago, Elsia had no ability not to participate in the victory banquet.
Because it was a place to announce that she came as a hostage.
“Oh, my God. Hey, look at the dress on the back of her waist.”
“Are you saying that Artise doesn’t even give the Princess basic self-care?”
“I can’t even see her face properly— I guess she didn’t even learn manners.”
The basic disregard for the defeated Princess and the outright criticism of her appearance—.
Elsia shrank even more, bowed her head, and spent all that time alone.
She couldn’t leave until she was declared hostage.
“Who will Prince Ixion dance his first dance with?”
“Who knows, because he doesn’t attend banquets very often—.”
“This is the victory banquet of Prince Ixion, so he had to come.”
The reason why the Kingdom of Artise was defeated was because of Prince Ixion. He ended the war in an instant.
Elsia also knew him well. A creepy handsome war genius.
“Artise won’t make trouble again, right?”
“No way, they even brought the royal family hostage.”
“But the condition is—”
“I don’t think it will be regrettable at all in Artise—?”
Elsia was holding on to her humiliation. She held back her tears, looking only at the patterns on the floor. It’s what she expected since she got caught here.
“Shall we make a bet? How many men will ask that Princess dance?”
“I’ll bet there’s no one.”
“Me too.”
“So do I.”
“Oh my, that doesn’t make a bet.”
Then, a large hand carefully stretched out into her blurred vision.
“Princess Elsia Artise.”
It was a low and dry voice.
“May I ask you for one song?”
Elsia looked up in disbelief.
The calm blue eyes were looking at her. And she felt all the attention of the banquet hall.
“I understand your loss. I’m sorry for making this situation like this. But Eastheim is also a place where people live, so you will have good memories here. Don’t be offended by the light talk of the poor.”
In a way, it was the Prince of the enemy who was the cause of the defeat. But Elsia felt her heart pound.
Even as a result of sympathy and guilt, it was respect and goodwill that she had never felt in her home country.
So when Elsia was assassinated and dying, she notices Decan’s real goal was Ixion, and she is more depressed by Ixion, who’s in danger, than the fact she’s dying.
Even though she never saw him for the next three years, she couldn’t forget his favor—.
******
Instead of living her life, I once again vowed to fulfill her wishes.
‘Let’s save Ixion.’
And I had to live, too. If I stay still, Decan will try to kill me again.
‘And I have to end this damn imprisonment in the Imperial Palace. I will escape somehow.’
On my way to the banquet hall, my mind was spinning for future plans.
******
Socialite, Eastheim’s best love counselor, and various banquet sources, Aiden Zibeth also had a happy time surrounded by the young lady at the 3rd Prince’s Birthday banquet.
Although Ixion, the main character of the banquet and the idol of all the young lovers, was just sitting at a nearby table with a face that shows everything was boring.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Maybe you have a young lady in mind?”
Aiden smiled bitterly. Perhaps Ixion was not interested in this banquet and was thinking about the next monster subjugation instead.
3rd Prince Ixion still has no fiancee.
He did not contact nobles in case he was kept in check by the Crown Prince.
And since he never pays attention to women, it also played a part in it.
“Not really.”
As if Aiden wasn’t worried, he made a gentle smile at the young lady around him.
“Don’t worry; he’s so neat about women.”
The problem was that it was so neat that there was nothing. Aiden grinned and raised a glass of wine.
“By the way, how about Marquis Evgeny’s first son’s fiancee?
“Ah, let me explain! I heard it a few days ago at tea time.”
“There are rumors about breaking up again this time.”
When Aiden, who turned the conversation into an exciting topic, listened to his curiosity, the banquet hall door suddenly opened.
“Princess Elsia Artise is entering the hall!”
Everyone stopped talking to the unexpected name and turned to the door.
Aiden sighed without knowing it.
Dresses that are out of style, walking that look anxious, messy hair that’s already sticking out of the way—.
‘Why did the hostage of the enemy suddenly appear here?’
It’s started.
“Oh my, Princess Elsia?”
“It’s the first time since I had seen it three years ago—”
“She looks fatter, don’t you think?
“Look at the hair. I wouldn’t even do that on the street.”
“Why did she come here?”
“No way, she doesn’t think Prince Ixion will dance as he did three years ago, right?”
“Look at the dress—the frill is so old-fashioned. It’s a bit dull.”
“Look at the steps. There is not a single manner in there. Why is it so fast?”
Ixion was the only person who glanced at her and turned his head as if he wasn’t interested.
Because Aiden couldn’t take his eyes off her either.
Maybe because it’s old-fashioned? Because it doesn’t suit this fancy banquet? Because she’s a very unexpected person?
It wasn’t.
Aiden, who has an excellent memory in this kind of work, quickly found a crucial difference from the last Princess Elsia he saw three years ago.
Even in this messy, she’s keeping her head up.
It was a wrong step, but she was straightening her back.
And the eyes—her red eyes were shining. As if their gaze had nothing to do with it as if there was only one thing that mattered to her.
“Today, something really strange is going to happen.”
Aiden muttered unknowingly. And that strange thing happened in an instant.
Elsia stood in front of Ixion without hesitation despite the eyes of others; she gave out her hand.
“May I ask for one song?”
Everyone was stunned to the point of opening their mouths.
