Gold Coin and Freesia

Cordelia gazed at the man before her, truly amazed.

This man—his face was extraordinary.

Both she and her brother, Lorenson, often received praise for their looks, but she knew some of that admiration stemmed from reverence for the royal family. However, Edwin Tride, sitting across from her, was a beauty worthy of pure admiration.

“It is an honor to meet the only princess of Rochester. I am Edwin, the eldest son of the Tride family. Please, call me Edwin.”

His dark chestnut hair, as elegant as fine wood, and his sharp emerald eyes were not just beautiful. His height, above average, and his broad shoulders added to his presence, making him resemble a magnificent and sturdy tree rooted firmly in the ground.

With graceful movement, Edwin left a kiss on the back of Cordelia’s hand. She hid her trembling fingertips within her sleeve and smiled, trying to mask her pounding heart.

“Nice to meet you, Edwin. Please, have a seat.”

Although Lorenson had promised to grant him a title soon, the Tride family was still considered commoners. She had no choice but to address him informally.

“I thought you might say you were too busy to meet.”

“No matter how busy, one must make time to meet someone important.”

Edwin replied with a gentle smile. Finally seated, their eyes met. Cordelia felt her heart pounding uncontrollably.

She couldn’t ignore her weakness for beautiful things, a trait she was all too aware of. Her anger towards the unknown Edwin had dissipated like steam from cold water.

“I was more worried that meeting me would be an inconvenience for you, Your Highness.”

Edwin spoke kindly.

Cordelia winced slightly, having forgotten she’d thought the same until just before meeting him. Knowing that this handsome man had such concerns made her feel a pang of sympathy.

“I’m alright. We cannot avoid this marriage, and people will celebrate it as the romance of the century.”

Cordelia encouraged Edwin’s confidence for this very reason. Although she wasn’t entirely satisfied yet, she couldn’t stand to see her future husband lose his spirit.

“…Well that’s understandable, given this meeting was held between a royalty and a commoner.”

She hadn’t yet realized that she had already labeled Edwin as her future husband.

“You must have been quite shocked when you first heard the news.”

“Not as shocked as you must have been, Your Highness.”

Edwin tactfully acknowledged Cordelia’s initial surprise. Rumors had already spread beyond the walls. Cordelia felt a bit embarrassed.

Maybe she hadn’t been that shocked after all. Or had she…?

“My father always promised to let me marry the man I loved. So, of course, I was surprised by this unexpected arranged marriage.”

She hid her distaste for marrying a commoner and instead offered a more palatable excuse. Cordelia wasn’t one to be rude or unrefined in front of someone. Besides, what she said to Edwin wasn’t entirely untrue.

“It’s well-known that the king dotes on his only princess.”

Even outside the royal family, using marriage for a family’s prosperity was common. Engagements often happened around the age of ten, with marriages by sixteen being the norm.

Yet, Cordelia had reached twenty without a single proper marriage proposal. That wasn’t solely due to her own will.

“I’m worried I might not meet your expectations.”

Edwin’s sincere concern troubled Cordelia somewhat.

“Time will solve everything.”

She could offer him comfort, but she couldn’t lie. Whether or not Edwin pleased the king wasn’t something Cordelia could resolve.

“I believe so too, but…”

Edwin’s bright eyes, watching Cordelia, softened with a languid light.

“Your eyes are truly like jewels.”

Finally, Cordelia couldn’t hold back her compliment. She prided herself on not letting on that she was mesmerized by Edwin’s face, but even that last bit of pride crumbled.

“Yours too, Your Highness.”

“…….”

“Your bright golden hair truly resembles a freesia. Now I understand why you have that nickname.”

At Edwin’s compliment, Cordelia’s face flushed. Though she prided herself on collecting and appreciating all things beautiful, she found herself uncharacteristically affected by his words. 

As Edwin naturally steered the conversation with various topics, their talk continued for quite some time.

“Your Highness, did you enjoy the conversation?”

After Edwin had left, the glow of sunset filtering through the greenhouse, Lady Remont approached the quietly seated Cordelia. Watching from afar, she hadn’t heard their conversation and was full of curiosity. However, seeing Cordelia smiling and talking for hours, she expected a positive answer.

“He’s quite articulate,” Cordelia murmured in response.

Lady Remont narrowed her eyes, looking down at Cordelia. She wanted to determine if the flush on Cordelia’s cheeks was due to embarrassment or the light of the setting sun.

“I was worried he might cause trouble with other women later, but do you know what he said?”

Cordelia’s eyes appeared enchanted, and the blush on her cheeks was more than just the sunlight. Lady Remont waited silently for her to continue.

“He said, ‘No matter what, the only one who can have me is Your Highness.’”

Lady Remont bit her tongue to stop herself from commenting. Cordelia was beaming.

“He really knows how to speak.”

Barring any sudden upheavals, Edwin would become Cordelia’s husband. And to Lady Remont, it seemed Cordelia had already fallen for him at first sight.

Given this, it was better not to upset Cordelia with unnecessary remarks. If she married while infatuated, she wouldn’t suddenly refuse the marriage or cause a scene.

Despite raising Cordelia like her own child, Lady Remont couldn’t escape the royal family’s power. Cordelia, though dear to her, was part of that power and couldn’t lead the royal family herself.

“You’re going to be a duke soon, but you don’t have the demeanor for it.”

Edwin, looking weary, loosened his tie and carelessly tossed it onto the cushion of the carriage. Aaron, who was already seated, frowned at him.

“Technically, Father, you shouldn’t be speaking to me so informally.”

Edwin responded to his father’s advice with a nonchalant expression.

“You street rat.”

“And who is it that wants to hand a princess over to this street rat?”

Aaron shook his head in resignation, realizing there was no point in arguing further. Edwin, equally uninterested in continuing the spat, fell silent. His mind was swirling with the numerous significant events that had occurred in just a few days.

“Marry Princess Cordelia.”

When Aaron had first brought it up, Edwin thought he was joking. He had nearly retorted that Aaron had lost his mind but had refrained out of some respect for his father.

“Then you’ll be granted the dukedom.”

But Aaron showed no such consideration when the tables were turned.

“I’m not interested in the title. We’ve lived well enough without it.”

“You think you can just grab a title whenever you feel like it?”

Aaron replied gruffly to Edwin’s dismissive comment.

“Even if I get the title, they’ll just treat me like a nouveau riche.”

“Good opportunities are still dominated by the nobles.”

Aaron explained that marrying the princess and receiving a title would not only allow them to expand their company but also protect Tride Co. from nobles who threatened them without merit.

“The king promised a dukedom and reduced tariffs as a reward for this marriage. If you marry the princess and receive the title, I’ll give you the successor position.”

This argument resonated with Edwin, who, despite his indifference to most things, was deeply attached to the company.

However, he worried about whether he could build a family with a transparent young princess. The concerns lingered.

“Your eyes are truly beautiful.”

Edwin recalled the princess’s face, admiring his own. Known as the “Freesia Princess,” she had a lively face that suited the nickname, her bright yellow hair reminiscent of a chick.

Though Cordelia might not have known, Edwin had already visited the palace several times on behalf of Aaron. He had met with high-ranking officials from other countries and negotiated deals. Seducing an innocent princess unaware of the world would be easier than eating cold food.

“Or do you want to empower Barton? He’s about to inherit a title as the son-in-law of Viscount Liberty.”

The initial condition Aaron had set for his children regarding the successor position was to expand their respective business fields. But with Barton becoming the son-in-law of Viscount Liberty, a title was added to the condition. Thus, Edwin and Barton had each fulfilled one of the conditions.

“No.”

“Then keep your mouth shut and accept what’s given to you.”

“……”

“Besides, Barton is already married. He can’t take the princess as a concubine.”

For the rest of the journey to their mansion in the capital, the father and son remained silent. Edwin had grown too resentful of his father to simply appease him.

“Sir, We’ve arrived at the mansion.”

The coachman announced their arrival as the carriage came to a stop. Aaron knocked on the carriage door, and a butler standing nearby opened it.

“Welcome, Master Aaron and Master Edwin.”

The butler greeted them with great politeness. Edwin raised an eyebrow. Maybe it was just his imagination, but the servants seemed to be holding their shoulders a bit higher than usual.

“Welcome, Father and Brother-in-law.”

At that moment, a woman appeared from behind the butler. It was Hayley Tride, Barton’s wife.

“Alright. I’m tired, so let’s save the greetings for tomorrow.”

Aaron waved dismissively as if the interaction were bothersome. Hayley looked at him with a hint of disappointment before stepping aside.

Edwin watched his father stride toward the mansion’s entrance, enveloped in darkness, and finally spoke.

“How unfortunate it is to have chosen a husband with no substance.”

Hayley, once known as Hayley Liberty, turned to face Edwin, her expression filled with contempt.