Chapter 100

“What are you thinking?”

His deep, sexy voice pulled her back to reality. Bianca, who was walking in the garden with Eckart instead of Apollonia, remembered her mission again.

“It’s nothing, Your Highness.”

“What’s going on? Suddenly, you sound like you’re distancing yourself from me.”

He was aware of how she felt, so Bianca became even more depressed.

“I have something to tell you.” His gaze was serious.

Was he trying to tell her that he was not going to meet her anymore?’

She took a deep breath and braced herself for his following words.

‘Yeah, it’s going to be over anyway. So let’s get it sorted out quickly. I don’t think there’s anyone more attractive than him, but if I find someone a little similar… But there isn’t anyone!’

While Bianca was trying to suppress her tears as she looked at his arm muscles, her favorite voice continued.

“I fell in love with you.”

“What?”

An unbelievable confession. She looked up and Eckart was already holding a rose that didn’t suit him. His eyes were shining brightly.

“I tried to suppress this feeling, but I couldn’t help it. I thought I’d regret it if I didn’t confess.”

“But…”

“I know that my engagement with the princess is a serious matter. So I tried to put up with it somehow. But I think there is a solution for this. If it wasn’t for you, I would have proceeded with the marriage… but it seems heaven has another plan.”

“What is the solution?”

“…You just have to trust me and wait a little longer.”

Bianca delicately received the rose from the huge man. The concerns she had a little while ago disappeared altogether. All she could see was the hunk of a man in front of her.

“All right.”

‘I’m sorry, princess. I can’t live without him. You might call me a traitor, but marriage is an important matter for me.’

To quell the guilt rising from her heart, Bianca gently held his hand.

***

“It’s almost done, isn’t it?” Apollonia looked at Uriel.

The night was shrouded in darkness, and they briefly met at the back garden of the royal villa.

The day Bianca received Eckart’s confession was coincidentally the day when she received the full contract from Count Aiter.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“For the next five years, no one in the empire can lay claims on the Dharmayu tea except for Your Highnes and Ran Island’s people. Of course, it was put under someone else’s name.”

Uriel was a great messenger. He delivered the news on behalf of Sid, who was away to take care of his wife.

“The rumor that someone was competing with the duchess to sign a contract with the count has already reached Bjern’s side. Also, the prince has lost interest, so rumors about the broken engagement will come from there.”

“Any movement from my father?”

“I don’t think he’ll accept it, so it’s likely he’ll try to cut another deal. The duchess is busy preparing for the hunting competition.”

It all went as expected.

Apollonia nodded contentedly. “The break-up should  happen before the detailed report reaches my aunt’s ears. The envoy will take care of that.”

“I asked Sid about how to deal with the Dharmayu tea. No matter how much money is poured out, it’ll be difficult to sell it within the empire in the future.” Uriel carefully phrased his concern.

The purchase that was enough to buy 20 years of production of the Dharmayu tea was too big of a cost just to avoid the engagement once.

Apollonia smirked. “Don’t worry.”

“Yes?”

“It’s going to sell very well.”

The documents obtained through Uriel showed a clear direction for Dharmayu tea business in Bjern. It was wise, precise and guaranteed a lot of profit. It was a plan that could not be acquired without accurately grasping the current trends. Apollonia herself was awestruck.

“My aunt came up with this plan, so the success is already guaranteed. We can just borrow her idea.”

“But the people of Bjern…”

“Soon, there will be a queen from this empire. Someone who enjoys drinking Dharmayu tea.”

“Does Bianca Keaton enjoy drinking tea?”

“No, but I’ll make her. I won’t let her go just like that, you know. She’s going to listen to me,” Apollonia said, looking up at Uriel.

There were many ways to win people’s hearts, and guilt and debt was the most powerful among them. And the future queen who received the crown prince’s heart must have felt guilty all this time.