920 SINGLE-BLESSEDNESS
RUFUS tried hard not to show it, but he was surprised to hear from Hanna that she broke off her engagement with the Crown Prince.
[No, it's His Imperial Majesty now.]
On the other hand, Amber failed to hide her shock.
Yes, this was a family meeting.
They were still in the Imperial Palace, though. To be precise, they were in the guest room that Amber had been using all this time.
"I'm sorry, Mother, Father."
Rufus' heart broke when Hanna apologized. "You don't have to apologize, Hanna."
Why should his daughter apologize for something that she had no control over?
[Besides, my poor baby looks broken. Even her eyes are still red and puffy. It's obvious that she cried her heart out.]
Thinking about how Hanna was so heartbroken at the moment made Rufus angry.
[I don't care if he's the emperor now. That boy still hurt my daughter…]
"Father, Mother, please don't hate Emperor Nero too much," Hanna pleaded as if she could read Rufus' mind. "Emperor Nero didn't want to break off our engagement. It was my decision to end things between us for my own sake."
For her own sake.
Right.
Hearing that appeased Rufus a bit.
[I'd rather Hanna get her heart broken now than let my poor baby get stuck in a hellish marriage.]
"You did well, sweetie," Rufus said, proud of his daughter. "You made the right decision."
Hanna smiled as if she was relieved. "Thank you, Father."
"Sweetie, you went through a lot," Amber said with a sad smile on her face, then she gently caressed Hanna's face. "You should go and rest in your room. We'll continue this talk later."
Hmm?
[Something feels off with Amber's reaction…]
Hanna nodded politely. "Thank you, Mother."
After that, their daughter bid them good night before leaving the room.
"Honey, do you think our Hanna made the right decision?"
"Amber, don't worry too much," Rufus said to his wife. "Hanna is a strong lady. She'll get over her heartbreak soon. We should be glad that our daughter made a choice for her happiness."
"I know that, but I'm still worried about our daughter's future," Amber said in a frustrated voice. "It doesn't matter even if it was Hanna who broke off her engagement with the new emperor. People will still think that the wedding was called off because our daughter was lacking."
"Let ignorant people talk. We shouldn't get affected by the likes of them."
"Honey, you don't understand. Our daughter might not be able to find a good husband now that she's known as the woman abandoned by the emperor."
09:50
Rufus knew that his Amber could be narrow-minded sometimes because of her upbringing.
And he was fine with it because he could help his wife broaden her mind.
However, this time, he couldn't help but feel disappointed in Amber.
"Honey, to me, it doesn't matter whether Hanna chooses to get married or not in the future. She can stay unmarried if she wants," Rufus said sternly. "I just want our daughter to be happy and healthy. That should be enough. And I hope you feel the same, too."
Amber face's turned red as if she was embarrassed. "I'm just worried about our daughter's future," she said in a cracked voice. "Are you mad at me, honey?"
Seeing his wife's tears made him feel like the most horrible husband in the world.
[As expected, I'm weak to Amber's tears.]
"I'm not mad, honey," Rufus said softly, gathering Amber in his arms. "But please try to understand that a woman's happiness doesn't depend on her marriage. Let's unlearn the wrong things engraved into our minds by the older generation, hmm?"
Amber only nodded and buried her face in his chest.
***
HANNA knew that her mother was disappointed in her decision to break up with Nero.
Fortunately, her father supported her decision.
[At least, one of my parents believes that I made the right choice.]
Moreover, she knew that her mother only wanted her to be happy.
[The problem is Mother thinks a woman's happiness only revolves around her marriage and family.]
Still, Hanna couldn't blame her mother for that mindset.
[Mother was raised by my strict grandmother, after all.]
Hanna sighed, then she looked up at the starry night sky while strolling around the garden.
She couldn't rest properly because the silence in her room was making her insane, so she decided to take a walk to clear her mind.
"I think Mother would cry if I told her I just want to stay unmarried forever."
"Princess Hanna?"
Hmm?
Hanna was a bit surprised to see Lewis on the pavilion by the pond.
Her feet brought her there because it was Neoma's favorite spot in the palace. Hence, that place was off-limits to most people. She thought she could have the entire place to herself for a short while.
But she didn't expect to find Lewis there.
"I'm no longer a princess," Hanna said, smiling. "I've broken up with His Imperial Majesty."
Lewis nodded approvingly. "Good job, Lady Hanna."
She laughed softly while shaking her head.
[Here's another person who believes I made the right choice.]
She was grateful, of course.
"Why are you here?" Hanna asked as she approached Lewis. "I thought you'd stick to Neoma like glue."
She didn't visit Neoma yet because she didn't want to interrupt her time with her family.
[And I know she needs to rest.]
"Commander Ruto is there."
"Ah," Hanna said, nodding. Then she stood next to Lewis, leaving a decent space between them. "Lewis, do you have any plans to get married and build your own family in the future?"
"No."
She smiled at how fast Lewis answered. "Should I just stay single for the rest of my life, too?"
"No."
"Hmm?"
"I know it's your dream to get married and have your own family in the future, Lady Hanna," Lewis said in a soft voice. "And I believe you can achieve that dream even if it isn't with the emperor."
"Do you think I'll be able to find a good husband even after I'm labeled as the woman "abandoned" by the emperor for being lacking?"
"A good man wouldn't think of you that way, Lady Hanna."
She just smiled at Lewis' naivety.
[He has no idea how cruel high society is to women who have their engagements broken off…]
To be honest, she could already see herself being the laughingstock of high society.
The empire may be at war right now, but since the enemies weren't attacking anymore, she was pretty sure that the nobles who were safe at home had time to gossip again.
It was only a matter of time before the news about her failed engagement spread.
[I need to prepare myself for the criticism my family and I will face later.]
"Can I say something really bad, Lady Hanna?"
"Go ahead."
"I'm not invalidating your feelings for the new emperor by saying this, but I genuinely believe that you won't have a hard time finding a better man than His Imperial Majesty, Lady Hanna," Lewis said in a low voice. "His Imperial Majesty only has his face going for him, and Princess Neoma often says an attractive face isn't all that."
Hanna burst out laughing.
It was funny because Lewis looked so dead serious while giving his advice, and it was funnier to see him looking all confused after she laughed.
"I'm being sincere, Lady Hanna."
"I know, Lewis. I'm not laughing at you or your advice. I guess I'm just relieved that you don't think I'm lacking."
"I'll never think you're lacking in any way, Lady Hanna," Lewis said sincerely. "I know I don't have a right to say this as someone who's also suffering from an unrequited love, but I'll say it anyway: there are plenty of fish in the sea."
Aww.
[Lewis rarely talks this much but when he does, he always makes sense.]
Hanna didn't expect it, but now she felt better.
[Plenty of fish in the sea, huh?]
The sea.
[I'm supposed to be a Pirate Princess in the first timeline, right?]
"I suddenly want to go fishing…"
She just said that randomly, so she didn't expect that Lewis would respond.
"Should we go?" Lewis asked, his golden eyes sparkling like a child excited for their birthday. "I have a collection of fishing rods, Lady Hanna."
Hmm?
That surprised Hanna.
[Lewis is really unpredictable.]
Hanna couldn't help but laugh softly. "Alright, let's do it."
***
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