Chapter 20 - 2-10
Krisina Mcgillis is walking through the crowded detached palace, exposing her aberrant appearance.
Her features are beautifully arranged, and her skin is white. The extremities of her body, particularly her fingers, the tip of her nose, her chin, and her ears, seem almost translucent. The reason this beautiful girl, born into a noble household, makes some people turn their faces away and others cry out in terror is that her hair is entirely white.
Likely a congenital abnormality called albinism, the only exception among her body hair is her eyebrows, which are a pale brown like worn-out wool, and her eyes are a pale grape color.
When Krisina was eight years old, she became Princess Lucy's lady-in-waiting by the designation of His Majesty the King. It is said that Krisina's mother—Marchioness Sairam—and the Princess's biological mother, the now-deceased Queen Dravia, had made such an agreement.
Because of this white hair, Krisina worried that the Princess would hate her, but it did not come to that. Both were children, and one of the Princess's few virtues was that once she knew a person's inner self, their outward appearance ceased to matter. Furthermore, the Princess's stepmother, Queen Yumeria, loathed Krisina's hair and made no effort to hide it.
The Princess must have rebelled against such a stepmother and gotten along with Krisina as a way of spite.
Currently, they recognize each other as irreplaceable friends. Princess Lucy's ladies-in-waiting are a large group of twelve for attendance alone, but Krisina is treated by the Princess as the head of them.
Passing through the end of the corridor, Krisina stepped out into the colonnade of the courtyard, keeping her face lowered so as not to make eye contact with anyone.
There, a boy dressed in dark clothing squeezed himself into her field of vision.
"Are you the one called Krisina Mcgillis?"
Krisina raised her face and nodded.
He was a boy with reasonably handsome features and a lithe build. His hair was black, his eyes were black, and the cloak he wore was black. She remembered seeing him somewhere.
"I have a request. I wish to be allowed to meet the Princess. I am—"
"The person who dragged the Princess down in the Great Hall, aren't you?" Krisina remembered. She had also been at the scene.
"Indeed. Yugis Necrat of Carossa. Cloden Danforth of Dint is a friend of mine."
"Cloden's..."
People were coming and going in the colonnade.
Krisina began walking toward the courtyard. Yugis followed. When she turned around after reaching the shade of an oak tree, the boy's expression was tightened in seriousness. Although his eyebrows, cheeks, and lips were stiff, Krisina felt she saw a wave of playful light run through the depths of his eyes for an instant.
Krisina became wary. After searching for a topic with the intention of testing the other's character,
"Did Cloden say anything about me?"
She had asked something she hadn't even considered.
"No. Only that if I waited here at this time, I would be able to meet you."
"He is my fiancé. Did he mention that?"
"This is the first I've heard of it."
"I thought so."
Daughters of nobles have their marriage arrangements settled almost immediately after birth, or in some cases, while they are still in their mother's womb.
This was not the case for Krisina. This was despite the fact that the political value of the Mcgillis house was not low. Since her parents believed Krisina's abnormality would be an obstacle to the marriages of her other siblings, they had raised Krisina in seclusion; thus, it was only natural.
In the midst of that, the Danforth house was the one that offered "by all means."
Krisina would have been fine being the Princess's lady-in-waiting for her entire life, and if that were not possible, she was prepared to enter a convent. However, when she heard of the marriage proposal, she felt she wanted to accept it. The other party's family rank was far lower. She was told that Cloden was a scrawny little man. Even so, her feelings did not change.
"How foolish," the Princess had said. "You are my favorite, you know?"
She meant that if that became known, the world would not leave her alone.
In fact, once it became known that "Princess Lucy is devoted to her white-haired lady-in-waiting," several marriage proposals sprang up. Because Krisina wanted to cherish the first connection, she asked her parents to refuse them all and began corresponding with Cloden.
From the writing, Krisina perceived that he seemed to be a kind person. Cloden wrote to her about stories from the city and the nature of Dint. In the last letter that arrived, feelings of gratitude were expressed. "Thanks to you, I was able to enter the King's School. I am heading to the Royal Capital. I cannot wait to meet you. When I see your hair, I shall remember the snowy mountains of my hometown. It would be good if you remember the sardines of my hometown when you see my face," and so on.
Until then, she had never met Cloden.
Knowing she could meet him made Krisina's heart flutter. It was an emotion she had felt for the first time in her life. Her heart exhibited an abnormality, and blood rushed to her pigment-deficient cheeks. She even shed tears.
She waited for the appearance of her betrothed.
A month has already passed while continuing to wait. He is already in the Royal Capital. However, there is no word.
"That person is ashamed that his fiancée is such an old woman."
Krisina stared at Yugis.
Yugis Necrat smirked and looked away.
"That is completely wrong."
"Is that so?"
"That guy isn't ashamed of you. He is simply, utterly embarrassed. And he's probably terrified as well."
"Terrified? What on earth—"
"He's fallen in love. With you. But well, he is undoubtedly a fool. I'll have him come see you. We will arrange it. In exchange,"
The boy stopped his unpleasant smirking.
"I want you to introduce me to Her Highness Luchentin. It seems I am to die tomorrow."