CHAPTER 4- First Rejection

In the morning~~

Lilia wakes up with the fieriest of spirits. She spends heavenly hours just to get ready for Oldenburg's house. After some eons, she seems to be satisfied with her looks now. Lilia never fussed about appearance before, given that she was a knight, she didn't really mind her outfit, but Evelyn and her mother gave her an earful every time she would attend a party or banquet wearing her formal uniform rather than a dress.

Now it seems different, she wants to wear fancy dresses, the most beautiful and sparkling pieces of jewelry, shoes with heels and lace, and any form of hair accessories. She just wants to present her best appearance in front of the duke like a normal young lady of a noble family.

Lilia finished her preparation and went to fetch her carriage in a hurry. The nervousness hit her. She didn't decide at first what she would tell the duke when she arrived, the girl was just struck by a realization. She is too excited and forgets to think about the most important things when she faces the duke. Yesterday, she blathered about a lot of ideas and any topic to converse about, but it seems like those great plans vanished into thin air during her sleep. Worse, she never thought about that again after waking up because she was too focused on dressing herself for this occasion.

When Lilia was focusing on her nervousness, the carriage was stopped. She gulped hard. What if she was banned from entering the household? When the coachman finished his introduction, the carriage was in motion again. Lilia let out a relieved sigh, at least they did not reject her yet.

Lilia comes out of the carriage, greeted by the head butler, Walter. The girl smiled brightly.

"Walter, how are you? It's been a long time, right?"

"Indeed, your highness, it is a pleasure for this old man to still be able to greet your visit, Please come in."

"Sorry for the sudden visit Walter"

"I've customized your highness's pattern of visit, it's fine... but, what is the urgent matter that makes you visit the household this early in the morning, I believe young master Luke is still tucked in warmly in his room."

Lilia stops her step and fidgets while laughing awkwardly.

"My purpose for visiting today is not for Luke... Eung..."

"Then… young lady Alicia? But she is at the palace in the meantime."

"Yes, I know she is residing at the palace now… she is a Crown Princess after all."

"Did you want to meet Young Lord Ed-"

"No, Walter, it is not! I would never have any intention to meet or visit him, I want to meet the Duke, okay, so... lead the way," Lilia said, averting her gaze to hide her embarrassment.

"My apologies... But... the duke?" Walter asks one more time to ensure what he heard the first time.

"Yes, the duke... I want to … to… Meet him, don't ask my reason! Hurry up, Walter!" Lilia ushers him to quickly escort her to the duke's office. She is already restless and wary about the worst possible response she'll get, but she can't back down now. Just like Evelyn told her yesterday, she needs to keep pushing forward because she already confessed to the Duke. No matter what, she won't give up and will definitely make the Duke love her back.

That was her resolution, but reality loves to prove how wrong she is. Lilia was sitting in front of Duke Oldenburg in his office. The atmosphere was unbearable, and it felt difficult to just take a breath. Before her confession and ruckus, she was able to have an ordinary and warm conversation with the duke, but it seems since yesterday the duke's opinion of her has changed.

"Your gra-"

"Princess, I really demand an honest and sincere explanation for your action yesterday at the palace," the duke said in a demanding and cold tone. He looks deathly serious and ready to kick the girl away if her answer can't satisfy him. The man shows his displeasure clearly over yesterday's event. His gentle and sharp look seems to be seriously upset, with a deep scowl framing his face.

Lilia gulps hard, her body trembling slightly, it sounds similar to when he scolds his children for their wrongdoing. She was suddenly unsure of what she would say to temper the Duke's fury. Her confidence simply evaporated in the tense atmosphere around her. She feels rather nostalgic, though, and the duke also treated her this way when she first informed him that she would take part in the war at Vetera three years ago. Lilia then begins to gather her scattered confidence and strengthen her resolve once again.

"Your grace… Everything that happened yesterday was true, and... that was my intention from the start... I-"

"Do you think marriage is an easy matter? As easy as eliminating your enemy? Princess… Marriage is a very serious matter in someone's life. It is not as simple as a matter of liking or loving; marriage is more complicated than that, and I hope you are aware of that fact.

The duke cut off her explanation with a stern voice. He is furious, she saw that. Lilia seems shocked and terrified; she tries so hard to gather up her courage and is thinking of a way to convey this to the Duke without getting on his nerve. She was late, though.

"I apologize, Duke, but I am well aware of anything regarding that matter. And I know there was another issue besides the marriage problem. I know if you accept the proposal, it will automatically sound like a declaration to the other nobility that the Oldenburg duchy was ready to take the crown prince's side, ignoring how all this time you've been on the neutral side even after Alicia's engagement…" Lilia explains it in one breath, afraid that the duke would cut her off like before, but the duke keeps quiet and all ears for her whole explanation.

"The most important thing... you've said to me once in the past, that I should pave my way by myself and be happy with someone I love, whomever he is... because it is my life and I deserve to be hap-"

"Princess, do you think you would be happy if you got married to an old man past his vigorous age like me?" The duke asks, feeling slightly desperate and ashamed.

"You ought to choose between my two sons, princess, this choice was more reasonable than choosing their father," the duke shows his displeased and disturbed feelings.

"What good comes from marrying an old widower with three children like me?"

"Duke... I don't care about your status or your age, I truly love you, you ought to believe me…" Lilia pleads with a sad expression. She stares at those two blue eyes with a smoldering gaze. The duke exhales loudly.

"What a twenty-year-old girl knows about love! You just-" the duke snapped, slamming the table rather loudly and startling Lilia. She saw his hurt and furious face, he didn't even finish his statement.

"Duke … please… I-"

Before Lilia finished her sentence, the door to his office was opened.

"Father, I need to discuss something urgent," the young lord of Oldenburg comes in, ignoring the fact that his father was in the middle of a serious matter with Lilia. Lilia throws a sharp glare at him, but the man ignores it completely, approaching the duke.

"It is about the mine," he whispers close to the duke. The duke swiftly turned his gaze to Lilia and told her to leave his room.

"Seems like our discussion ends here, milady, it is nice meeting you, have a good day. Walter will escort you out," he said in a harsh tone and turned his back towards her, completely ignoring the pitiful girl. Lilia walks out of his office with a defeated expression. This time, she lost the argument.

Lilia was escorted by Walter, with devastated feelings loitering around her. She was on the brink of tears, but she held them back. She must be strong, it is just the beginning of her story, and she is one hundred percent sure that she will succeed. No, it was Evelyn who said that, but thanks to that girl, she won't stumble at this rejection.

She tells Walter that she would like to say hello to Luke before she returns. Lilia storms around the corridor that connects the main house and training field. When she spots spiky auburn hair in the air, she quickly approaches him and tackles the man to the ground.

"Lilia, what the hell are you doing? Get up from me!" Luke grunted in displeasure. Lilia laughs and quickly gets up, and then they laugh together.

"Did you... visit my father?" he asks.

"Well... yeah... I am... Before I get kicked out because your prick of a brother disturbs us," Lilia grumbles in a sour voice. Huffing and scoffing showed her annoyance.

"But... what you said yesterday, it is quite a real shock for us, and father's condition was worse, you know, I'm just glad he didn't get a heart attack."

"What... that's worse?" Lilia was worried about the duke. Luke chuckles and pats her head lovingly.

"It was like being struck by a bolt of lightning combined with the screeching voice of an angry owl. You didn't see how pale the crown prince was. It was like his life span decreased by half," Luke explained with the utmost enticing and mocking tone.

"I don't care about Raphael, how was the duke?" Lilia asked worriedly.

"You met him before, you can see his recent condition."

"I can't make it out... He just looks furious and displeased." Lilia sulked, putting her head down with a defeated expression.

"What do you expect from that? A warm hug and a loving compliment? You just staked your marriage proposal to someone your father's age, this is a very common reaction. It is a relief that yesterday the audience was limited to us, Alicia and Evelyn, only. Can you imagine if the other officials were present?"

"But still... Is it truly impossible for him to accept me?" Lilia asks him innocently, and Luke is just stunned. The almighty captain of the imperial knight's first division can be this hopeless and bashful just because of love.

"Who in their right mind would marry a girl the same age as their youngest daughter? You are insane, Lilia," Luke spat the bitter fact countless times today.

"Okay, okay, stop it. I know it was kind of strange, but it is not like it was impossible and inevitable. I mean, did you not cheer on me?"

"What? You? marrying my father? No way in thousands of years, Lilia, did you not think about the aftermath, How can I have a stepmother that is 4 years younger than me? No kidding, but it was disgusting."

"Luke, you're too much!" Lilia stands abruptly and strives away from the training ground, which she takes to leave in a hurry. She is hopeless, but she can't just give up. She knows her act was childish and lackluster, and she is also aware of that. Lilia never throws out her logic and realistic side on every occasion, but if it has something to do with her heart and is precious to her, she will lose all her reasoning.

Her feelings were sincere, and she needed to prove them to everyone who objected to her. She will definitely catch the Duke. It was her oath the moment she realized what kind of feelings she beholds toward the old man, she definitely will make the Duke agree to marry her, no matter what it takes or how long it will take.