Chapter 241

Unlike a certain Freckled Prince whose room gleams with gold, one glance and you know it’s worth a fortune, the Princess’s bedroom is less of a bedroom and more like another office.

A huge desk that’s shockingly large, paired with bookshelves crammed full of documents in all colors, takes up nearly forty percent of the space. On the side of the desk stands an enormous drawing board, covered in dozens of ink-penned memos and reminders.

Next to the drawing board, an iron filing cabinet contains stacks of stamped and signed file binders. At the bottom lies a heap of blank paper almost half a person’s height, alongside countless unopened ink bottles—two of which seem accidentally broken, staining a wool rug black in a big patch.

She’s such a workaholic through and through…

Looking at the wrinkled azure-colored negligee draped over the chair, along with the thick blanket on the bed clearly slept in but not yet tidied up, Leon can’t help but blink. His impression of the princess falters slightly.

The poised and dignified Princess Veronica seen in newspapers, private… well, she’s actually a bit messy. Hmm… There are several coffee cups left unwashed on the table, some sitting for days now, their remaining coffee having solidified inside the cups.

“Please don’t misunderstand…”

Noticing Leon staring at the coffee cups, the maid quickly explains: “There are too many important things in Princess Veronica’s bedroom, so we’re usually not allowed in. It’s hard for us to clean up, so the princess usually handles everything herself.”

“But this time the trip was sudden, and there’s been a pile-up of work. The moment Her Highness returned, she was swamped, hence the mess. Normally, the princess is quite neat.”

Yes, the trip.

During the days when the princess “disappeared,” after adjustments by the Evil God’s Brain and the Illusion Vat, it had turned into a secret visit that suddenly started.

Apart from the princess as the party involved, and Joshua who got beaten three times due to the princess’s memory loss incident, no one else knows what truly happened during those days.

Without any turmoil or signs, directly and quietly modifying the memories of tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of people… This stuff really is terrifying…

“I see…”

Nodding toward the maid, Leon marvels at the frightening efficacy of the Illusion Vat while asking:

“Where’s Princess Veronica?”

“The princess went to change clothes in the inner room.”

The maid replies:

“You arrived a bit late. The princess was wearing a negligee, inappropriate for guests, so…”

“It’s not about being inappropriate for guests; I just took a nap earlier and sweated a bit, so I wanted to change clothes.”

With light footsteps, the door to the inner room opens, and the princess slowly walks out in her snug sleepwear, smiling as she tells Leon: “Besides, given our relationship, you shouldn’t be considered a guest anyway.”

“You’re joking…”

…

After the maid leaves the bedroom and closes the door, noticing the hint of white at the princess’s neckline, Leon awkwardly turns his head slightly, then speaks up:

“Your Highness, I’ve regained the lost memories from that period, so…”

“Call me Veronica.”

Correcting Leon’s address, the princess pulls him toward the balcony, sitting together on the sofa by the bed, then smiles and says:

“So, are you here to ask about the wedding date?”

“Hmm… Actually, I came to apologize…”

Instinctively moving a little away from the warm body beside him radiating heat, Leon takes a deep breath, his face serious amidst the soft iris flower fragrance: “Princess Veronica, during that time, I didn’t have my initial memories, so I didn’t know the ins and outs. But now I remember. Sorry, my proposal wasn’t sincere back then.”

Briefly explaining his relationship with the Lane family and how he used the marriage proposal to force them to replace the Lionheart Duke, Leon sincerely says:

“Princess Veronica, you’re indeed an outstanding woman, but from start to finish, this has all been a coincidence. Moreover, I haven’t planned to settle down. Therefore, regarding our engagement, please reconsider.”

“Alright.”

Carefully listening to Leon, the princess, upon being gently rejected, neither surprises nor gets angry but smiles and nods before counter-asking:

“I’m willing to reconsider, but could you not rush off? Sit here with me and think about it together?”

“…”

Ah, this… I meant let’s just forget about this, not literally consider it…

Looking at the princess deliberately “misunderstanding” him, Leon hesitates, unable to find a reason to refuse, so he nods slightly.

It doesn’t feel like she’s talking about her own marriage. Princess Veronica winks at Leon and smiles sweetly:

“First, I’m very confident in my looks and figure, so it’s definitely not because I’m ugly and don’t meet your standards, right?”

After hearing Princess Veronica’s words, Leon unconsciously glances at her.

The princess’s azure-colored negligee is designed solemnly and properly. Except for the not-so-deep V-neck collar, there are no “intense” designs—a highly conservative nightgown wrapped tightly around her, suitable enough to wear outside without issue.

But… For certain people, no matter the inherent nature of the clothing, when it appears on her, it always gives way to her personal charm.

Because of the princess lounging lazily against the back of the sofa, the originally classical and gentle shallow V-neck is forcibly stretched by an overly prominent curve. When sliding down to the edge, due to the snug tailoring, it creates an astonishing disparity.

Only after relying on the incredibly smooth fabric to finally ease the overwhelming difference and smoothly reach the waistline does a full moon abruptly rise without reason.

Even though this full moon soon sinks into the soft sofa, not fully revealing its true form, the bountiful and mature graceful lines revealed between the shadows of the sofa still make one involuntarily startled.

“You’re indeed very beautiful, but these matters are complex and aren’t simply about…”

“Mr. Leon.”

Gently calling Leon’s name and naturally interrupting his resistance, Princess Veronica slightly scolds: “We’re not debating; I accepted your consideration and invited you to seriously think together about our future relationship. So please don’t interrupt me, alright?”

“Alright…”

“Then let’s continue.”

Regaining control of the conversation, Princess Veronica cunningly smiles and says:

“Since you’ve acknowledged my charm and were even attracted to me, are you resisting our marriage because my personality is annoying?”

“No, but…”

“It’s fine as long as you don’t dislike me.”

Regaining the upper hand again, Princess Veronica smiles brightly:

“Since it’s not about looking down on me, is it because of my status? Or the possible troubles marrying me might bring? Or… do you think the reason I accepted your proposal was problematic, believing I wasn’t genuinely interested in you but valued the worth of the Lane Family behind you?”

“…”

These… actually somewhat apply…

Upon hearing Princess Veronica actively bringing these up, Leon sighs in relief and nods slightly, acknowledging her judgment.

…

Even ignoring my identity as a transmigrant, the differences between myself and Princess Veronica are unimaginably vast. The cognitive distinctions brought by completely different social strata and experiences almost predetermined that we wouldn’t have much common ground. It would be hard to even be close friends, let alone become partners.

Moreover, besides my job as a cleaner, according to the fatality rate of the Clearing Bureau, anyone daring to marry me would constantly teeter on the brink of widowhood. And judging by the state of the princess’s bedroom, she’s obviously a workaholic who treats home as a second office.

If we were together, even if we had common language, we’d inevitably be apart more often than together. Moreover, her status as princess means endless troubles. Seeing her relationship with Joshua, if I really got involved in the internal struggles of the royal family, there would be countless distressing situations.

Most importantly, the only reason she accepted my proposal is because she values the worth of the Lane Family and the support the title of Lionheart Duke can bring her. It has nothing to do with me personally—she wants the Lionheart Duke, not Leon Lane.

If I were just an old noble, she’d naturally be an excellent candidate for an alliance. But I don’t want to gain power through noble status, nor do I want my life with Anna and others to be completely disrupted. So no matter how wonderful the princess in front of me seems, she wouldn’t be the right person for me.

“I understand.”

Glancing at Leon’s eyes and vaguely guessing part of his thoughts, Princess Veronica ponders for a moment then nods:

“I roughly know why you don’t want to marry me. I understand your thoughts… However, I have one last question.”

Looking into Leon’s eyes, the princess slowly sits upright and softly asks:

“If I’m not your ideal wife, could you tell me what your ideal wife is like?”

(End of Chapter)