Please Answer Me - Chapter 120

“Princess Rosetta is coming.”

At those words, the waiting maids at the entrance all knelt and pressed their foreheads to the floor. It was a grave offense to look upon a member of the royal family without permission. Thus, it had long been customary for palace attendants to adopt a posture where they couldn’t see the royal family during their processions.

Soon, light footsteps echoed on the marble floor. With each step, the jewelry she wore jingled, producing a clear sound. The maids only lifted their heads after the sound had completely faded. In the distance, they saw the slender figure of the princess walking away. Once the princess was entirely out of sight, the maids stood up. Amidst the dispersing maids, one whispered to another.

“Is the princess going to start preparing for her wedding now?”

“Probably. It’s only two months away.”

“Then we’ll start seeing merchants coming into the palace.”

The princess’s wedding had been quietly and smoothly prepared. Now that she had returned to the palace, only the essential items that the bride herself needed to decide on remained. These included jewelry and a crown for the ceremony, as well as the fabrics she would take to Hezen.

“I heard the merchants have prepared some extraordinary items this time.”

“Of course. The king cherishes his youngest daughter so much. The merchants will offer their most precious goods. Who else would buy such expensive items if not now?”

“I wish I could at least see them, even from a distance.”

“Me too. Is there any way to get a glimpse?”

“You there! Why are you still standing around instead of working?”

At that moment, the head maid’s scolding voice rang out. The two maids jumped and quickly scattered.

“Rosetta!”

Meanwhile, Rosetta, who had been walking through the seemingly endless corridors, turned around at the sound of someone calling her name.

A young man with the same bright blonde hair as Rosetta was running toward her. He soon enveloped her in a tight hug, almost squeezing the breath out of her.

“My little sister is finally back! I thought you were dead since we hadn’t heard from you!”

“Brother, I told you I wouldn’t be sending any messages.”

At Rosetta’s exasperated response, Arman gently pinched her cheek. He still treated Rosetta like a six-year-old child.

“Yes, but I didn’t expect you wouldn’t send a single letter. You naughty sister. I was worried and almost went after you, but Tanit stopped me just in time.”

Arman released Rosetta from his embrace and examined her closely. His eyes were as bright and deep blue as the sapphires adorning Rosetta’s hair.

“Hmm? You seem different.” He circled Rosetta like a dog sniffing around, trying to figure out what had changed. To him, Rosetta was still his cute little sister, but somehow she seemed to have grown significantly in just a month.

“Did you get taller?”

“What nonsense.” Rosetta laughed and took his arm, leading him along. Despite being half his size, Arman was practically dragged by her.

“Where’s Iselle? I heard he returned with you.” He looked around.

Rosetta’s gaze softened. “I told him I wanted to see our parents alone today.”

“You could have greeted them together. Anyway, I can’t believe Iselle went all the way there to fetch you.”

Arman burst into laughter. “He must have been really anxious. He couldn’t stand being apart from you for even a moment and went to fetch you himself. I laughed so hard when I heard he went to your retreat.”

Arman whispered to Rosetta, his blue eyes twinkling, “Be careful, Rosetta. He’s already this possessive before the wedding; it might get worse afterward. He might not let you set foot on the ground. Ever since you were sick as a child, he’s been excessively worried about you.”

“Arman.”

“Yes?”

“Speaking of which, why was I sick as a child?”

Arman looked at Rosetta, puzzled. “Well? Weren’t you just born with a weak constitution? Why do you ask all of a sudden?”

Rosetta quickly shook her head and changed the subject. “It’s nothing. By the way, where is Tanit?”

“She’s busy as usual. In a council meeting.”

“On behalf of Father?”

“Yes.”

“Since when did she start attending council meetings on behalf of Father?”

Before Rosetta left, Tanit had been attending the meetings with their father.

“Oh, right. It started after you left. She has been attending council meetings for a while now. It was bound to happen.”

Tanit was appointed as the crown princess when she turned twenty and had been diligently preparing to take over the throne for the past five years. Now, at twenty-five, she handled much of the kingdom’s affairs independently. Attending council meetings in the king’s stead showed she was ready to assume the throne at any moment without issue.

Yes, Tanit was already twenty-five. Considering that most royal and noble women married in their mid-twenties, it was clear that Tanit was somewhat late in getting married.

“Brother, you said you wanted to meet many women and delay marriage, right?”

Arman flinched at her sudden remark. “W-why bring that up out of the blue?”

“Do you still feel the same way?”

“Ah, Rosetta, please don’t nag me too. Mother’s nagging is more than enough.”

Arman covered his ears with an exasperated expression. He had met countless women, too many to count. With his handsome looks and bright personality, he was always popular with women.

“Even if that’s the case for you, why hasn’t Tanit gotten married?”

Arman seemed to think deeply for a moment but then shrugged it off as if it was nothing. “She probably hasn’t found a man who meets her standards. You know how she views men as if they were mere stones.”

Arman chuckled as he guessed ahead. “Why? Do you feel guilty about getting married before your siblings? Don’t worry. As long as you are happy, that’s all that matters. I’m glad it’s Iselle who’s your partner. If it were anyone else, I’d lose sleep worrying about you.”

“You really like Iselle, don’t you?”

Arman nodded at Rosetta’s words. “Of course, we’ve shared so many years together.”

As Arman said, Iselle had built memories and affection with them since childhood. It was unlikely that Tanit or Arman would easily reject him. The fact that Iselle planned to kill so many people of the Quat tribe might not even be a big deal to them.

Therefore, Rosetta’s decision not to marry Iselle was like facing a massive wall. Her parents likely wouldn’t think any differently.

“Rosetta.”

When Rosetta entered the room, the king and queen were sitting at a table, chatting. The queen called Rosetta’s name warmly. The king stood up and approached Rosetta. Seeing their faces after so long, her heart filled with emotion.

“Father, Mother!” Rosetta ran to her father and hugged him around the waist.

He laughed heartily and embraced her. “My, Rosetta. It’s been so long since you’ve run and hugged me like this.”

Rosetta was usually gentle and obedient but not very affectionate, so it was rare for her to hug her parents first. Today, she wanted to be as affectionate as possible with them.

“I missed you. Truly.”

Her father suddenly became flustered. “I-I must cancel my appointment with Marquis Ailsa immediately!”

Her mother widened her eyes and looked at him. “Your Majesty, what are you suddenly talking about?”

“Today, I will cancel all my appointments and listen to Rosetta’s travel stories.”

“But Your Majesty, you’ve already made him wait an hour with the news of Rosetta’s arrival. If you suddenly cancel now…”

“What’s so important about an appointment with an old man!”

The queen’s face immediately showed disbelief. Arman chuckled beside them.

“Mother, it seems Father doesn’t want to share his youngest daughter with us now that she’s finally home.”

“Arman, weren’t you supposed to meet with Marquis Ailsa as well?”

“If Father isn’t going, why should I?”

The queen took a small breath while looking at her cheeky son. Rosetta could predict what she would say next.

“Pasael, Arman Akkad Lysa!”

When she called her husband by his name, and when she called their children’s full names, it was a stern warning to stop.

“Both of you must go to meet Marquis Ailsa right now.”

The two men looked at the queen with very pitiful expressions, but she was resolute. “You can talk to Rosetta during dinner later. Can’t you go now?”

In the end, the king and Arman were promptly sent away by the queen. She then turned to Rosetta with a gentle smile.

“Finally, we’ve gotten rid of those unnecessary men. Sit down. Shall we talk slowly, just the two of us? So, how was the trip?”

Rosetta thought back to the journey. She could sum it up in one word.

“Wonderful.”

For the first time in her life, she met someone she loved. Every connection she made there was precious. It was like a happy dream she never wanted to wake up from.