The Bride-Hunting Tale: I’ve Failed 20 Marriage Proposals Already. I Don’t Need Titles Like Dragon Slayer or Hero Who Saved the Nation—All I Want Is a Cute Wife!
“Haa~…I’m so tired.”
After my audience with Emperor Lifzen—well, if you could even call it that—I couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh and mutter under my breath as I walked down the hallway once again guided by the imperial guards.
Hearing my voice, one of the guards walking ahead glanced back at me.
Oops, I thought, but the guard merely gave me a sympathetic look with a wry smile.
“You must be exhausted.”
“Ah, uh, sorry about that.”
“No need to apologize. His Majesty has a bad habit of teasing his subordinates for amusement from time to time. Of course, he’s selective about who he teases, and there’s no malice intended, so don’t worry too much about it. It just means he holds you in high regard.”
The fact that this guard spoke so frankly suggested he held a fairly high position.
The Imperial Guard, tasked with protecting the Emperor and the royal family, are the cream of the crop among the Empire’s soldiers. They are chosen not only for their noble lineage but also for their unwavering loyalty and exceptional abilities. Unlike the knights or regular military units, they serve directly under the Emperor, earning immense trust. However, their responsibilities are enormous; should they cause any trouble, not only would they face consequences, but their entire family could be executed as well. In times of emergency, they even have the authority to issue orders to administrative officials, knights, and military units, bypassing rank.
In the military academy, many noble sons and daughters aspire to join the Imperial Guard. Since they also protect the Empress, the palace, and the princesses, there are quite a few women among them. In fact, they hold the highest rank among soldiers. Although they eventually retire from active duty after reaching a certain age, either returning to their estates or taking on rear-line duties, they receive generous pensions, ensuring a stable future. Truly enviable.
And I’m sure they’re popular with the ladies too.
The guard didn’t say anything more and continued walking ahead until we reached the grand hall of the palace. Just as I was starting to think I’d soon escape this oppressive atmosphere, it seemed my ordeal wasn’t over yet. As we descended the stairs, a voice suddenly called out to me, freezing me in place.
“Well, if it isn’t Fodilt . Were you summoned by Father?”
“Prince Clive. Yes, that’s correct. Please excuse me.”
“Wait, wait! No need to run off.”
Prince Clive stopped me just as I was about to make a quick exit to avoid further trouble.
“I was just heading to the Imperial Castle myself. My aunt is visiting, so I thought I’d go meet her.”
With an innocent smile, Prince Clive turned his carefree expression toward me. But that smile… it was always trouble.
Clive Voll Aglis.
The third prince of the Agrand Empire and the eldest son of the Emperor’s concubine. Though she’s a concubine, she’s the former princess of a neighboring kingdom. Thanks to the alliance between our nations, her standing within the Empire isn’t low. Thus, Prince Clive holds the third position in the line of succession. While the chances of him becoming Crown Prince are slim due to the two higher-ranked successors, he’s received advanced education in statecraft since childhood and is considered quite brilliant.
As you can see, he has silvery-blue hair, strikingly clear green eyes, and a bright, charming demeanor. At just 14, he still carries some childishness, but he’s already beloved by noble girls as the quintessential “prince.”
Unfortunately, his personality… well, it’s a bit quirky.
“Since we’re here, why don’t you come along, Fodilt ? Auntie wants to see you, and besides, you’re such fun to tease.”
“Please stop playing with me.”
Though he’s a prince, my speech toward him had grown rather casual by now. He’s not the type to get angry over something like this, and honestly, being overly polite just bores him.
To my dismay, Prince Clive, a year my junior at the academy, seems to have taken a liking to me and constantly tries to bother me.
When he keeps quiet, he truly does seem like the ideal prince everyone admires. But the moment he opens his mouth, he spouts venom, teases people, and loves surprising others. Now that I think about it, this personality of his is probably inherited from the Emperor himself.
He looks exactly like his mother, though.
I try to avoid him as much as possible—I refuse to be his plaything—but he’s sharp-witted and perceptive. If he spots me, I almost always fail to escape, so I’ve learned to spot him first. The smarter someone is, the harder they are to deal with.
“By the way, I heard Brother came after you again yesterday? Was that why you were summoned today?”
“Well, yes. His Majesty was kind enough to offer some comforting words.”
“Aw, too bad. I wanted to see it. I skipped school yesterday because of Auntie’s welcome ceremony, but maybe I should’ve gone to watch that instead.”
We nobles aren’t officially recognized as full-fledged members of the aristocracy until we graduate from the academy, so naturally, we aren’t invited to official imperial events.
But royalty is different. Even as students, they hold the status of princes and princesses, so they may be required to attend national or royal ceremonies when necessary. This time, it was likely due to an official visit from his mother’s homeland.
Of course, unless it’s something extremely important, skipping such events is never permitted, especially not for reasons like avoiding what the second prince might do.
“So? Surely you beat Brother up, right? Right?”
“No way! Does Your Highness want me dead?!”
When I denied it, Prince Clive puffed up his cheeks and pouted like a child, clearly dissatisfied.
His actions were undeniably childish, yet strangely endearing. Still, I knew better. This guy calculated every move he made. I fell for his tricks countless times when we first met.
“Man, I wanted to see Brother getting all riled up by the knight instructor and then crying pathetically.”
“You two really don’t get along, do you?”
Anyone could see that Prince Morjif and Prince Clive didn’t get along. The first and second princes, children of the Empress, despised Prince Clive, the son of a concubine. Or so Prince Clive claimed. He said that Morjif often insulted him and even tried to physically assault him when no one else was around.
Whether or not that was true, it was undeniable that they disliked each other. At the academy, their encounters were always tense. Though the eldest prince and Prince Clive weren’t close in age, they maintained decent relations, which suggested that Morjif was the real source of the animosity. Perhaps Prince Clive used me to vent his frustrations.
“In any case, let’s hurry. I don’t want to keep my busy aunt waiting.”
With that, Prince Clive briskly started walking again.
If he was in such a rush, I wished he wouldn’t drag me into it, but disregarding others’ convenience seemed to be a trait of those in high positions.
With another deep sigh, I trudged heavily after the prince.