As for Adel, who got a front row seat to the sight of her brother falling down so gracefully, she was now rolling on the floor of the carriage looking nowhere near what a princess should be looking like: "Hahahahaha! He… Fell… Butt.. Hahahaha!"
From where I was sitting, I could see the anger and embarrassment on Prince Lance's face growing by the minute. I knew that he was about to explode at any second. So I said nothing and sipped the tea in my hand. Sophie had scooted up next to me at some point and tried to make herself look as small as possible. Her ears and tail were sagging, making it seem like she was the one about to get yelled out.
"Adel! You did that on purpose!" Prince Lance yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Hahaha!" Adel was still laughing completely ignoring the red faced prince.
I sighed and placed my cup down. "Prince Lance, can you please keep your voice low. You are scaring Sophie and are attracting much unwanted attention."
"But Adel!" Prince Lance looked at me like a child being scolded by his mother. I was really not sure how I felt about this. Did my scolding from before hit some kind of button in his head?
Thinking about this, I decided to give it a try. "You are older than your sister, so you should be the mature one. Plus, she did not know you were pulling on the handle that hard otherwise, she would not have released the magic she had binding the door closed."
"But…." Prince Lance glared at Adel, who was now calming down from her laughing fit before snorting and looking back at me. "Faith, I would like to know if you would like to ride with me on the way to…."
"Absolutely not!" Adel shot right up and shouted. Her shout not only made Sophie and I jump but also Prince Lance.
"Sister, why are you blocking me!?" At this point, I really wish I could punch this prince and tell him hey, I want nothing to do with you. I do not like how he does things. He can treat some other noble lady however he wants, but I will never let myself be in a relationship with a man like this.
"Blocking? Dear brother, you need to take a look at yourself first. You are trying to act as if you own Faith. Has she said anything about liking you? Has she said anything about wanting to be near you? Are you assuming just because you are the crown prince that, she will like you like all those other tramps who want to climb into your bed in hopes of becoming a concubine and gaining some status? Do you know how many headaches I get from those girls who fake being friends with me while trying to get information on you? I will not allow my one true friend to be corrupted by you or harmed in some way by one of your crazy fangirls. Faith is mine and will never be yours." I think Adel just claimed me as if I was some kind of object but well…. Adel is Adel, so I will just let it slide. I mean, she is telling her brother off for my sake, after all.
"You!" Prince Lance gritted his teeth. He looked at Adel with flames in his eyes before turning to look at me. "What about you? Am I not good enough?"
I sighed… I really wish I did not have to do this, but it looks like I will have no other choice but to say this out loud. "Prince Lance. Although you are handsome and are the crown prince. And I am sure many girls wish they could even get you to smile at them, but sadly I am not one of them. I have no wish for becoming some princess or any wish that has much to do with status. I have dreams I wish to accomplish. While I know turning you down could cause you to be angered and want to block my dreams, then I would have no choice but to move on to a land that will allow me to see my dreams come to fruition, of course, I would bring my family along as well."
I did not wish to turn him down so bluntly like this, but I had no choice. I did not wish to be stuck in this tug of war and end up forced into something I did not wish to be forced into. When I saw how dejected Prince Lance's face had become after hearing my words, I did feel a little bad but only a little.
"This…. I would never…." Prince Lance lowered his head. He seemed to be lost in thought or maybe the shock of me actually turning him down was not even something he even thought about. "I see… I guess it would block your path…. Fine then."
To my surprise, Prince Lance raised his head and smiled at me. "I will support you in your goals, and maybe one day, you will see me in a better light. Adel, take care of Faith. I leave her in your hands."
"You can count on it." Adel said smugly, but at the same time, I could see a hint of pity in her eyes as she looked at Prince Lance.
"Then I will no longer bother you, ladies." Prince Lance gave a bow and walked away. Soon I heard the carriage in front of us begin to roll away. Only then did I let out a long relieved sigh and sit back in my chair.
"Faith, I think this might have been a shocker to my brother, who has always been used to girls liking him from the start." Adel said as she closed the door to the carriage and sat back down.
"What else was I supposed to do when he put me on the spot? I do not wish for some grand title or status as crown princess. I just wish to go to the academy and rise through the ranks of the kingdom's army until I can finally lead a unit of my own." While I know I turned him down, I do hope he will one day find someone who loves him for him and not because of his status. I hope he will also learn how to treat a girl properly after this as well.
