How to Raise a Dumb Wolf - Chapter 78

“The man I’m going to marry is Prince Edward Gerden of the Kingdom of Bisnis. He is two years older than I am and the only son of the king, so he is certain to inherit the kingdom one day. He is handsome and healthy. He studies political theory at the finest academy in the capital of Bisnis and has also trained in swordsmanship. His interests are reading and horseback riding. He has no bad habits and is an upright man… For me, he is a very good match.

“I have met him before… perhaps eight times? He truly is as charming and polished as the rumors say. I could hardly ask for anyone better. My father and His Majesty Cowpert Gerden of Bisnis have long intended to join our families in marriage. If Edward and I were not the closest in age among our generation, the opportunity might never have fallen to me. My sisters are far more accomplished…

“We were originally meant to become engaged when I turned fourteen, but Edward refused because he had not yet completed his studies. He finally graduated this year, so… wish me happiness, Aisha. We are no longer children. Once we’re engaged, the wedding may follow very soon…”

Even after Aisha returned to the warmth of home, Elizabeth’s words would not leave her mind.

The princess had smiled throughout that long explanation. Yet Aisha noticed that her brows remained faintly drawn together from beginning to end. The words of congratulations refused to emerge. After they had lodged in her throat for a long time, Aisha finally asked, “Then the person you… like is Prince Edward?”

“Yes.”

Elizabeth gave her a brilliant smile, as though she were truly happy.

“I’ve known since childhood that I would marry him, so of course I’ve tried hard to fall in love with him.”

Was that… how it worked?

In the past, Aisha might have believed such an explanation. Now that she had fallen in love herself, however, she knew that truly loving someone felt entirely different.

Elizabeth had been the one to raise the subject of “someone you like,” yet her expression did not seem to contain much love. She certainly displayed a young woman’s shyness when discussing her fiancé and engagement, but she seemed to lack one thing.

Passion.

Ryan and Bisnis did share a particularly close relationship within the Federation. On the day Tina returned in triumph, the king of Bisnis himself had come to Ryan to welcome them and had conversed happily with the king of Ryan. A marriage alliance between their families was entirely reasonable and very plausible.

Thinking back, Aisha even remembered that the one time she had seen the king of Bisnis, he had casually mentioned that his son already had a prospective fiancée. She had paid little attention then, never imagining that the woman in question was Elizabeth.

“Aisha, what’s wrong?”

Tina’s concerned voice broke through her thoughts.

Aisha started and realized she was having tea with her mother. A teacup remained in her hand, and a small slice of cake sat before her.

“You’ve been drifting off constantly lately,” Tina said with a smile. “You look positively lovestruck.”

“N-no-no-no! Of course not! I don’t even… know anyone in Vitas!”

The comment nearly made Aisha jump from her seat. Her teacup lurched, spilling fragrant black tea onto the cake and staining a small patch of cream.

“Hahaha, I know.”

Tina laughed at her daughter’s panic. She loved seeing how a little teasing could throw Aisha into helpless confusion. It was both innocent and entertaining.

Aisha was supposedly not in love, yet her face had turned crimson and she was staring at Tina in terror. It made Tina want to pinch her cheeks.

So she did.

She did not pinch hard. Once she finished, she reached into her pocket, produced a small envelope, and handed it across the table.

“As it happens, there will soon be an excellent opportunity for you to meet people in Vitas.”

Aisha stared and accepted it hesitantly. “What is this?”

“An invitation to the Federation ball. People will come from every country, not merely from Vitas. This ball has a particularly strong political purpose, so there will be many royals, officials, and soldiers. Nobles without official positions are relatively unlikely to attend.”

“Hm…? Is it really all right for me to attend something like that?”

“Of course. In fact, you’re rather important. His Majesty intends to present you with a medal during the ball.”

“What? What kind of medal?”

“A Federation Medal of Commendation, thanking you for saving a large group of innocent girls—including Princess Elizabeth—at the palace in Dimska.”

Aisha was utterly shocked. “Now?!”

That had happened more than a year ago! She had believed everything relating to the darkfolk war was settled shortly after the postwar tribunal ended.

Tina nodded gravely. “Yes. You know how Federation departments are. Getting them to produce anything is always difficult. The approval process alone has more than ten stages. Besides you, over a dozen soldiers will receive Federation Medals at the same ceremony. It happens that you came home in time to attend. Otherwise, I would have had to accept it on your behalf…”

At that point, Tina fell into thought.

The soldiers receiving Federation Medals were all young, handsome men with promising futures. Accomplished young men inevitably grew overconfident and became more aggressive in seeking partners, while her daughter looked harmless and adorable…

It appeared Tina would need to visit the army before the ball.

How hard should she beat—no, train them—to restore their confidence to a normal level?

Aisha interrupted Tina’s solemn calculations.

“But Mother…”

“Oh, of course you needn’t worry that you won’t know anyone. Your father and I will both be there.”

Tina returned to herself, temporarily abandoning certain thoughts that would have been unkind to her soldiers. One look at Aisha was enough for her to guess the difficulty.

After speaking, Tina considered the matter and added, “Naturally, you don’t have to remain tied to us on an occasion like this. Princess Elizabeth will attend too. As you may know, she will soon be engaged.”

Aisha turned quickly toward her mother.

At some point, Tina’s smile had vanished. In its place was a faint trace of concern. After several seconds, she said, “His Majesty Richard arranged things this way because he wants Elizabeth to meet her future husband once more before the formal engagement. The prince of Bisnis will also attend.

“The strict tutor His Majesty recently found for Elizabeth has been teaching her etiquette and deportment again, all so she can manage the marriage as soon as possible. You understand that Elizabeth’s health was poor before, so they couldn’t push her too hard in her education. She has grown much healthier over the past few years…

“Personally, I don’t approve of it. Princess Elizabeth is still young—not much older than you—and she has spent her whole life inside the palace. To give her a little rushed instruction, arrange an engagement, and then marry her off seems far too soon.”

In fact, Elizabeth was more than a year older than Aisha and had recently turned nineteen. But she was small, shorter than Aisha, and her pale, helpless appearance sometimes made her look like a child.

Aisha had already entered a relationship with Major General Wolf, but truthfully, she could not imagine her own marriage at all. She would inherit her mother’s title one day. Major General Wolf appeared to possess both a title and a fief in Beast already. If they wished to marry, countless obstacles would surely stand before them.

Still, perhaps there was no need to consider all that yet. They were still learning to overcome the differences between their races and cultures.

With that thought, Aisha suppressed the faint unease in her heart and returned her attention to Elizabeth and her future husband.

Elizabeth and Edward Gerden might face no conflict of race, but cultural differences existed even among the countries of Helman. And from what Aisha had heard, they had never had any opportunity to develop genuine affection. Elizabeth was young, and because she rarely left the palace, she might know even less of the world than other women her age.

Aisha pressed her lips together in concern.

…

Before she could think much further, the day of the ball arrived.

That afternoon, Les went alone to bathe in the forest. After shaking his fur dry, he returned to the Killott residence in beast form and deftly pushed open Aisha’s bedroom door with his head.

There she stood before the mirror in a magnificent gown.

At the sound, Aisha turned, adjusted her hair, and smiled with shy embarrassment.

“Do I… look pretty?”