To Leon's delight,
Princess Yumina didn't fall in love with him in the end. Although the two chatted cheerfully, he hadn't accidentally won her heart.
Still, her favorability toward him had improved significantly.
"Yumina, please come visit my home from time to time. I'm very interested in your eyes."
Leon said with a sincere smile, "It turned out to be a magic eye that can see into people's hearts. That's incredibly useful. You could even say it's a dream ability for a king."
He kind of wanted this girl.
"Yes, Your Highness Leon."
Yumina also blushed slightly.
To be honest, she was a bit unaccustomed to this... and excited.
Back in her homeland, her eyes had always caused trouble. Both ministers and maids deliberately avoided her.
After all, no one likes having their heart read.
Humans are creatures who cannot live without wearing masks, and Yumina—who can see into people's hearts—is essentially someone who rips off that [Personal Mask] and exposes the ugly truth underneath.
Even if that's not her intention.
"Your heart is beating really fast. Are you okay?"
"Huh? You can hear that? I'm fine, it's just that… aside from my parents, you're the first person who doesn't find my eyes disgusting. That makes me a little happy."
Yumina raised her hand and placed it over her chest. She realized her heart truly was racing. She then reached up to touch her eye sockets and said a little shyly:
"The color of my eyes is really unusual. Wouldn't Your Highness find them scary? A lot of people have told me that."
"Your eyes are as beautiful as gemstones."
Leon frowned, thinking those people clearly had no taste.
"Really?"
Yumina's eyes lit up with joy.
"You should be able to see with your own eyes if I'm lying or not. To be honest, I'm so jealous that I'd even trade with you. Isn't it super cool to have heterochromatic eyes?"
Although Leon had achieved many extraordinary feats, he was still a young man at heart.
With her magical eyes that could see the true feelings of others, Yumina scored top marks from Leon both practically and aesthetically.
And he liked unique things.
Leon hated what was considered ordinary.
Princess Yumina fit perfectly into his unique standards. The pair of magic eyes that others found unsettling was, in his eyes, the most dazzling trait she had.
It was almost like he had already claimed her as his own.
Yumina stared at Leon.
Her magic eyes told her that this man was telling the truth.
That realization made her already racing heart beat even faster. Incidentally, Yumina had been shocked when she first saw Leon.
Her magic eye reveals a person's true feelings through colors, and Leon's true heart shone brilliantly like a flawless diamond—pure and dazzling.
But, like any normal person,
Leon also had negative emotions in his heart.
In fact, his darker feelings were even deeper than those of the average person. Yet what was special about him was… even those black parts were beautiful.
Like a pure black jewel.
Yumina understood something.
This prince was truly special.
Someone who makes others want to get closer to him without even trying.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I think your violet pupils are even more beautiful than my mismatched ones. Haha, I'd trade eyes with you too, if I could."
Yumina said with a faint blush on her cheeks.
"Really? I could schedule the surgery. Is it actually possible to switch?"
Leon blinked innocently and asked, and Yumina froze for a moment, a cold sweat forming on her forehead.
"H-Huh? Did my eyes mess up? Why did he just assume I was serious?"
"That was just a joke, don't worry. But I really am interested in you."
"It's a great honor, Your Highness Leon!"
Yumina quickly nodded.
Not to mention that she already had a favorable impression of Leon, but even from a political standpoint as a princess, she had every reason to desire him.
After all, while the Kingdom of Belfast to which Yumina belonged was vast, its national power was weak.
And Leon wasn't just the future king of Palettia—he was a symbol of power, someone who had defeated dragons and destroyed an entire country.
Although Yumina didn't think too deeply about that.
She simply wanted to build a better relationship with the prince who said he liked her eyes and didn't find her disgusting.
"Then let's talk about it some more… Hmm~ Are we reaching the limit?"
"Yes, the gazes around me are starting to bother me. Let's wrap up for tonight. Your Highness, thank you for the invitation. I had a wonderful time."
"Likewise."
After exchanging a few more words with a wry smile, Leon gave a chivalrous gesture, and Yumina responded by politely lifting the hem of her dress.
She had taken up enough of his time.
The powerful nobles nearby expressed their displeasure with their eyes. If the two didn't end their conversation soon… no one dared complain to Leon, but Yumina would definitely be blamed.
At that moment, once the two finally parted ways, the powerful guests—who had long been impatient—immediately stepped forward.
But it wasn't just Leon.
Even Yumina found herself surrounded.
As ridiculous as it may sound, simply talking to Leon for that long had made her a target for flattery.
Everyone hoped to glean some insight from Yumina about Leon's preferences.
'Sylphine, help~!'
At the same time, as he was about to be swarmed again by these dignitaries, Leon looked in Sylphine's direction, his hungry eyes practically begging:
(Hurry, hurry, hurry! Introduce me to a daughter or princess who is beautiful, has a reserved and elegant personality, and some unique traits!)
And Sylphine didn't let him down.
With a discerning eye, she picked out a princess from the crowd who was beautiful, refined, and stood out from the rest—and brought her to Leon.
"I'll leave the next step to you. You and Princess Renner should get to know each other."
"I love you so much." Leon whispered softly to Sylphine.
Suddenly, he felt that she would make a great mother.
"This is my first time meeting you, Your Highness. I am Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself. Please take care of me."
"Well then, please take care of me as well, Princess."
Leon and Princess Renner shook hands amiably.
But this time, he didn't need to be introduced.
He'd known about this princess for quite a while. After all… she was from one of the three kingdoms he had originally planned to conquer—the princess of the warrior nation.
Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself.
The third princess of the Re-Estize Kingdom.
She was renowned for her beauty, both at home and abroad.
Praised as the "Golden Princess."
Leon's evaluation of her:
"This woman is truly interesting."
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."