The Reason Why She Can’t Get Married - Chapter 93

Schedule: Thurs and Sun

Chapter 93

“Randy, His Highness the Crown Prince isn’t so forgiving.”

It hadn’t been long since Selena had clashed with Maximilian at the behest of Crown Prince Rio. Perhaps if a year had passed, it would be different, but he likely still harbored ill feelings. He would hardly give her a flower. In fact, he was probably fuming after hearing she was among the final three. “If I asked him to choose Lady Meyer, he’d do the exact opposite.”

“Then what should we do?”

“How about this? When His Highness tries to give the flower to Lady Raven, I’ll ‘accidentally’ bump into him and make him give it to Lady Meyer.”

“What if His Highness ‘accidentally’ bumps into you, too?”

“Oh, right. Never mind.” Selena waved her hand dismissively at Lucy’s plausible counterargument. Maximilian was certainly capable of such pettiness. Lost in thought, Selena finally spoke after a long pause.

“He tends to do the opposite of what I want. So, I’ll do the opposite too. I’ll pretend to support Lady Raven.”

“Not bad. Pretend to support Lady Raven, but actually push for Lady Meyer.”

The success of this endeavor hinged on manipulating Maximilian’s psychology. The strategy of reverse psychology seemed promising.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“I agree, Boss.”

With the final plan approved, all that remained was to face Maximilian.

Maximilian would personally present a flower to the chosen Summer Fairy. Therefore, the final ceremony was to be held in the small temple within the western forest of the Imperial Palace, the traditional location for the announcement. All ten candidates had been invited for the final day, even though the true final three had already been decided. This meant the temple staff were exceptionally busy from dawn, preparing the temple and managing the event.

“Jerome, can you come help me?”

“Just a moment, I just need to move this!” Jerome, a junior priest of the temple, called out as he struggled with something large covered in a white cloth.

“What is that?”

“A gift from the Kingdom of Gusta to commemorate the festival… Hey! Don’t touch it!” Jerome yelled, startled, as a fellow priest reached out to lift the cloth.

“Why are you so upset…?”

“Inside are mutated wolves found only in Gusta. They walk on two legs like humans and are incredibly aggressive. You’ll be in serious trouble if you touch it.”

“Whoa, really? Scary. Why did they send wolves?”

“I don’t know. Something about offering them as a sacrifice to the Sun God. We don’t do sacrificial rituals here.” Jerome grumbled as he carefully re-covered the cage. “They get agitated and go wild if they see light.”

“Are they securely bound? I’m scared they’ll escape.”

“Of course. They’re in a cage reinforced with a double magic lock. Don’t worry. They’ll stay in the temple until the Summer Fairy selection is over, then we’ll release them into the forest.”

“Mutated wolves? Are you sure that’s safe?”

“His Majesty ordered it. He said to set up a barrier in a specific area and release them there. Then they can live or die as they please.” It was the best way to deal with the troublesome gift from another kingdom.

As the other priest walked away, frowning, Jerome focused on moving the cloth-covered cage. After shoving it into a storage room in the temple, Jerome wiped the sweat from his brow.

‘This should do it. The Summer Fairy selection won’t take that long anyway.’ He dusted his hands and turned away. Busy helping the other priests move items for the ceremony, Jerome completely forgot about the wolves.

This year’s Summer Fairy selection was attracting more attention than usual. The three men designated to present the flowers were the Crown Prince, the Duke, and the Master of the Magic Tower, and the candidates were all well-known for their beauty or noble lineage. The Emperor’s presence further heightened the excitement. On the day of the ceremony, a huge crowd gathered at the temple, far exceeding previous years.

“Who do you think will be chosen as the Summer Fairy today?”

“I think it’ll be Lady Meyer. Good family, beautiful, and I hear she’s the most proactive of the candidates.”

“This isn’t just about proactiveness. I’d bet on Lady Raven. All the previous Summer Fairies have been exceptionally beautiful.”

“If that’s the criteria, then Lady Irving is the most likely candidate. She’s the most beautiful and the most capable of the three.” Everyone nodded at this observation. Selena Irving was indeed the most well-rounded candidate.

“I wonder which lady will receive the final rose from His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“I know, right…? Oh, it looks like it’s starting!” The Duchess of Bonnie was ascending the platform. The crowd fell silent and turned to watch. Standing in the center of the platform, the Duchess smiled and began to speak.