A Price to Pay

Cyrille's Royal Palace was located in the middle of Cyrille's territory, so Melisa's group had to pass through residential areas if they wanted to return to their palace. Melisa heard the residents' happy exclamations as she and her brother passed through the town to reach the royal palace. However, once they finally arrived at the palace, Melisa felt that things hadn't been right since her brother's return from the Sigmund Kingdom.

"Melisa, come with me to see Father and Mother."

Melisa didn't know why she had to go with her brother. But when Melisa saw her brother's complicated expression as he spoke, Melisa could only nod and follow her brother in confusion. The soldiers and others were dismissed, as soon as the Crown Prince stepped out to face his parents. Even Teresa, who was usually always by Melisa's, side was forced to separate from her master at the Crown Prince's command.

"I, Oliver, return to stand before Father and Mother."

As soon as they entered the throne room, Oliver knelt, followed by Melisa, who stood behind him. In ordinary situations, they usually didn't need to be so formal towards their parents. But since this time, it was her brother who took the initiative to be formal. So, Melisa, who followed him, could only imitate what her brother did to their parents.

There was a strange silence after Oliver gave his parents a formal greeting. No one spoke at that moment. Only when King Marlon spoke did everyone finally breathe again.

"You can all leave this room. There is something I want to talk to my children about in particular."

Whether it was the prime minister or a servant, everyone left the throne room as soon as the king gave the order. King Marlon and his wife, Queen Agatha, seemed to wait for everyone to exit the room first before they finally got up from their seats to approach Crown Prince Oliver, who had suddenly started to tremble and sob.

"Oliver, what happened to you, Son?"

Queen Agatha was worried, especially when she saw her normally strong son suddenly crying in front of them. King Marlon was equally anxious as he witnessed his son's emotional collapse. They had heard that the peace treaty was going well. So, they didn't understand why Oliver was suddenly crying like this.

"Father, Mother, please forgive me..."

After Oliver gathered his courage, he started talking to his parents. They were a close family despite their status as the royal family. When Oliver recalled that he had just sold his sister with his hands, the pain cut his heart even more.

King Marlon furrowed his brows as he heard Oliver's words. In anxiety, he tried to understand what Oliver meant by his apology.

"What's going on here?"

Oliver gulped his saliva harshly. Then, while looking at his sister, who looked confused, Oliver began to speak in a guilty tone.

"For the sake of signing the alliance treaty between our kingdom and the Sigmund Kingdom, I had promised to let Melisa marry the Crown Prince of the Sigmund Kingdom."

When those words came out, the expressions of the others finally changed, including Melisa, who became the object of their conversation.

"King Dillion found out about Melisa, and he refused to help us unless Melisa was willing to become the wife of Crown Prince Alexius. I'm really sorry. I know I shouldn't have accepted that condition. But when I thought back to the situation at the border, I was forced to accept the terms."

The more Oliver spoke, the more choked up his speech became. Although being the wife of a Crown Prince sounded good, he knew better than anyone that Melisa's life would never settle down under the label of a tribute. Melisa was a free girl who was not suited to live in a conservative environment like the Sigmund Kingdom. If Melisa had to leave to become Crown Prince Alexius' wife, Oliver knew his sister would not be allowed to hold a weapon for the rest of her life.

Her life would be confined. The slightest mistake and their kingdom might have to taste the bitterness of war again.

However, without Melisa, there was no doubt that their kingdom would have reached its end. Dozen of years of unending war had put their kingdom on the brink. Without the protection of the Sigmund Kingdom, they might disappear from the continent forever.

"Melisa, please forgive your stupid brother."

Now, Melisa knew why her brother had been wearing a tortured expression all along. Even her parents could no longer smile after hearing her brother's explanation. Melisa took a deep breath. She knew the situation in her kingdom. Therefore, Melisa would rather smile than make her family feel even more worried and guilty.

"I wonder what's making you look so troubled. It's not a big deal, Brother. I just need to marry him, right?"

"Melisa, you know how the Sigmund Kingdom rules! They're a strict kingdom that always views women as inferior to men. If you go to that place... your life will never be the same again."

Oliver said worriedly, a little unbelieving that Melisa could casually smile and accept the news of her marriage. Melisa was the most precious yearling princess in their kingdom. Even if Melisa had graciously accepted her marriage, Oliver was still not willing for his sister to bear the responsibility that should have been shouldered by her.

"What's the problem, Brother? I certainly can't remain the same girl if I marry someone. I will become a woman. And I promise I'll try to be a woman worthy of this kingdom."

Melisa's confident words made her family grieve even more. Melisa was a little princess who grew up with their care and affection. For her, who had always lived under the protection of her parents, life as a tribute was not a bad thing at all.

They couldn't imagine how devastated Melisa would be if she got to see the outside world on her own despite their careful care. The figure of their beloved baby, in the end, they had to sacrifice for the peace of the people.

"I promise to find a way for you to live comfortably in Sigmund's Kingdom. Melisa, until then, please promise that you will stand by us."

Melisa smiled broadly, even though she did not know what kind of fate would befall her in the future. Melisa only knew that by smiling, her family could feel a little calmer. Therefore, Melisa promised herself that she would keep smiling so as not to make them worry.

"I promise I'll be fine there, Dad."

And with that, preparations for Melisa's departure to Sigmund's Kingdom were made as soon as possible.