Javier’s hands shot up, palms open, his eyes wide with panic as he stared at her.

"No, no! That’s not what I wanted to discuss!"

Celine remained calm, glancing up at him with a faint, accepting smile.

"I understand your hesitation. I am a princess from a foreign land, and you are a commoner. But I assure you, I will not be a burden. As long as you provide for me and protect me, I will ask for nothing more. I do not expect wealth or luxury, only adequacy. I will be a faithful wife to you."

Javier narrowed his eyes, exhaling slowly before shaking his head.

"I can’t."

Celine’s smile didn’t waver. She reached inside her outfit, pulling out a small, ornate gold dagger. She unsheathed it slowly, the blade glinting in the light.

"What... are you doing?" Javier’s eyes narrowed, his voice cautious.

Celine’s voice was soft, serene, as she gazed at the blade.

"Since I have been defiled and now rejected by the one who touched me... as a princess of Divinity, there is only one path left for me. It is our custom. A princess who has lost her purity and is refused by the one who took it must... die to restore her honor."

She moved her hand, pointing the dagger toward her own chest.

"Eeekkk! Stop! Stop!" Javier lunged forward, grabbing her wrist and wrenching the dagger from her grip. He stood, looking down at her, his expression a mix of frustration and concern.

"What are you trying to do!?"

Celine looked up at him, a faint, sad smile on her lips as tears welled in her eyes.

"If you do not want me as your wife, and I cannot return to my country in this state... then I would rather die with honor than live in shame."

Javier scratched his head, letting out an weary sigh.

"Ugh! It’s not that I can’t take you as my wife! It’s just... I already have six future wives! And for your information, I’m not really a beggar. I’m a delegate from Armand. This disguise is just... a hobby, okay?"

Celine’s eyes softened with relief, a small sigh escaping her lips.

"Thank goodness..."

But her expression grew serious again as she looked up at him, her voice steady.

"Even so... if you truly cannot accept me as your wife after what you have done, then I have no choice but to follow my country’s custom."

She reached inside her outfit again, pulling out another small, ornate dagger from the other side.

"Eeekkk!!" Javier rushed forward, snatching the second dagger from her hand.

"Fine! Fine! Ughhh!! I’ll take you as my wife! But don’t regret it! I already told you I have six future wives..."

He turned his head away, mumbling under his breath.

"Ugh... Liana is going to kill me for this. Sigh..."

Celine smiled faintly, her eyes softening as she glanced up at him.

Javier narrowed his eyes, his voice cautious. "What?"

Celine clasped her hands neatly in her lap, her voice soft and formal.

"Since you have agreed to take responsibility and make me your future wife... as a wife, I must seek your permission for all matters. Whether I may stand, speak, or move, I must seek your approval. A wife’s duty is to obey and respect her husband’s wishes in all things."

Javier exhaled, shaking his head.

"You don’t need to wait for my permission to stand up or do anything. Besides, it’s not even official yet, and I haven’t even spoken to my first future wife about this."

Celine fell silent, her eyes lowering to the ground. Slowly, her hand drifted toward her thigh, where another concealed dagger was hidden.

Javier’s eyes caught the movement, and he let out another weary sigh.

"Ugh, fine! Fine!"

He mumbled under his breath, his voice low with frustration.

"I came here to check on her, to investigate her, and now I’ve ended up in this mess..."

He looked at Celine, his expression softening slightly.

"Alright, listen. You don’t need to wait for my permission for everyday things. Just... use your common sense. If you need to stand, stand. If you need to eat, eat. Just don’t do anything reckless, okay?"

Celine smiled softly, bowing her head as she spoke in a gentle, formal tone.

"As you wish. I shall do as you say."

She slowly and gracefully rose to her feet, dusting off the dirt from her dress before offering a proper, elegant curtsy. Her voice was clear and composed as she introduced herself.

"It is an obligation for a wife to properly introduce herself to her future husband. I am Princess Celine of Divinity Nation, first daughter of King Garreth. It is an honor to finally know the name of the one who will be my husband."

Javier exhaled, narrowing his eyes for a moment before his shoulders slumped in resignation.

"Fine."

He straightened his posture, reaching up to swipe his disheveled hair back, revealing his sharp features beneath the beggar disguise.

"My name is Javier de Armand. I came here to escort you to our nation, Armand. Pleasure to meet you."

"Javier... de... Armand..." Celine repeated the name softly, a gentle smile spreading across her lips. She glanced up at him, her eyes curious. "So you truly are not a beggar?" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Javier paused, his posture stiffening slightly before he averted his eyes.

"No... I’m not. This disguise is just a hobby of mine whenever I travel outside my nation."

Celine nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. "I see... Then, may I ask, are you from a noble house? Since you have multiple future wives, I assumed you must be of noble birth."

Javier’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face.

Is she for real? I already introduced myself as Javier de Armand, and the nation itself is named Armand. Isn’t that obvious?

He let out a quiet sigh.

Well... whatever. She’ll find out later. No use explaining everything now.

He met her gaze, his voice steady.

"Yeah... you could say that. I’m the youngest son of my family. I have two older brothers, two half-brothers, one older half-sister, and two little half-sisters."

Celine bowed gracefully, her voice warm. "Thank you for sharing that with me."

She paused, tilting her head as she studied his face. "If I may ask... is that dirt on your face real?"

Javier blinked. "No, it’s not."

Celine smiled softly, reaching into her sleeve and pulling out a delicate silk handkerchief. She stepped closer, raising it toward his face.

Javier instinctively pulled back, raising a hand to stop her. "No, it’s fine. It would be a waste to clean it off now."

( End Of Chapter )