When exactly had she fallen in love with the prince? That was no longer possible to scrutinize.
The time spent with Faust had been so incredibly long that Viviana had grown accustomed to him being a natural part of her life.
But Viviana would always remember the day they first met. After a night of snow, her ten-year-old self was practicing swordplay in the manor, a habit she had kept since she was very young.
Before the uprising, the Roselin family had been an ancient lineage of knights within the empire, carrying the legacy of the path of the 【royal guard knight】. The requirements of this path were extreme diligence and self-discipline.
Consequently, Viviana had lived a life of ascetic cultivation from the moment she was old enough to understand things. Her talent was so high that even in the family's long history, no relative could stand as her equal.
Viviana remembered her father lamenting her talent more than once, praising her and saying she would surely achieve extraordinary things.
But regarding these accolades, Viviana had never really had any concept of them.
Everything she had done up to that point was simply following the rules and staying on the prescribed track.
She did it to respond to her parents' expectations and to win glory for the family, even if she didn't truly understand what those things meant.
Whether it was the praise or the envy of others, it was meaningless to the young girl. She simply did what she 'should' do.
She lived like a doll, knowing neither joy nor sorrow.
"Vivian, let's end today's training here. I'm taking you to the palace."
Her father's appearance interrupted her practice. Viviana looked at her father, who was dressed in formal attire, and asked, "Yes, Father. Is there something the matter?"
"His Majesty has adopted a son. It seems our kingdom will have a prince."
In Viviana's memory, her father was very excited then, almost talking to himself: "I had an agreement with His Majesty for a childhood betrothal. Originally, His Majesty only had a daughter, so I thought this marriage would be impossible to realize. I didn't expect His Majesty would actually..."
Her father suddenly choked up, covering his face as he wept. "Your Majesty, I never thought you would adopt a prince specifically for that promise. Your Majesty..."
Viviana couldn't quite understand her father's emotional state. She merely thought about it for a moment, then tilted her head. "Father, so... am I engaged?"
"That's right. Although it hasn't been officially settled, His Majesty will certainly have you get engaged to the prince in a few years. This time, we are going to meet your fiancé."
Her father stroked her head and spoke.
"Is that so? I understand."
Viviana accepted it obediently. She had no clear perception of what an engagement meant. Since her father and the King had agreed to it, then it was only natural.
"Sigh, your only flaw is that your personality is a bit too indifferent. You should at least act happy, or even show some resistance. Never mind, we'll fix that later."
So she quickly changed into a dress and followed her father to the palace.
It was not Viviana's first time at the palace. While her father went to meet with His Majesty, she leaned quietly against a corridor pillar, staring blankly at the grass in the garden.
Until she heard footsteps behind her, followed by a cheerful greeting.
"Hi there! Where did this fragrant and soft honey cake come from?"
When Viviana turned around, the scene that followed was deeply imprinted in the depths of her memory, impossible to wash away or erase.
He was clearly a boy of a similar age to her, yet his aura was so mature he didn't seem like a child. Against the backdrop of the sunlight, his handsome face wore a gentle and confident smile as he leaned in almost touching the little girl's face.
"Little... cake?"
Viviana's calm and clear purple eyes couldn't help but widen. She had never been called such a thing.
"Just a cute nickname. Don't you like it? Because you really are too cute."
The boy shrugged and then reached out his hand to Viviana.
"Of course, I know you are Viviana of the Roselin family. First time meeting you. I'm Faust. I just recently became the prince of this country. You can just call me Faust."
Viviana hesitated for a moment before taking the hand Faust offered.
"...Hello, Your Highness."
She slightly lifted her snow-white chin, observing the boy who was only a little taller than her.
'This is my fiancé.'
'The person I will spend my life with. The person I will mutually possess.'
For the first time, a ripple appeared in the girl's joyless and sorrowless heart.
From then on, Viviana became Faust's follower.
Under the deliberate matchmaking of the elders from both sides, the two were almost inseparable. Whether it was meals, training, studying, or even work, they were together. As they grew day by day, the originally vague and hazy concept of the engagement became clear in Viviana's heart.
It was a contract of a lifelong promise, a precious treasure they held for each other, and a love that shared life and death.
At the thought that Faust would become her lover and partner, Viviana could not suppress the throbbing in her heart.
It was as if she had been told she would receive a peerless treasure. A joyous ache pounded fiercely against her heart, leaving the girl intoxicated by visions of the future.
She had long since fallen in love with Faust, hopelessly so.
When and where?
Perhaps it was during a sunset when they sat in a small boat together, drifting on the lake as water birds sang;
Perhaps it was during a meeting filled with grand discussions, in the smile of the prince as he described a glorious future to her;
Or perhaps it was during every busy late night, when they leaned their shoulders against each other for a brief nap;
Or perhaps, it was simply at that very first moment they met.
Viewing herself as Faust's future partner, Viviana swore to be the person the prince trusted most. She worked hundreds, thousands of times harder than before, squeezing out every bit of her potential.
No matter what the prince asked for, she would give it without sparing any effort.
She would never let Faust down. It seemed that only by satisfying his every requirement could she be worthy of being called a qualified partner.
As long as Faust needed it, she would do her utmost to complete it. Regarding the political achievements the prince of Qingxi had made over the years, it was hard to say who had really put in the most effort.
Even though they had never been formally engaged and the prince's opinion had never been asked, in Viviana's eyes, this was not a problem at all.
'How could we, who are so close and inseparable, not love each other?'
So, when the King felt the time was ripe, he summoned them both and announced the news of the engagement.
Viviana still clearly remembered the joy she felt upon hearing about the engagement ceremony, and how she couldn't wait to look at the prince beside her, wanting to see the same delight on his face.
However, what met Viviana's eyes was Faust's dark and uncertain expression.
The prince looked as if he wanted to say something but stopped. He said nothing in the audience chamber, quietly accepting the news.
Although he hid it well, having spent so much time with Faust and being the person who understood him best, how could Viviana not see his resistance?
And so, the girl's originally ecstatic heart plummeted as if into an abyss.
Sure enough, after a period of time, Viviana was sought out by her father, who bowed his head apologetically to his daughter.
"I'm sorry, Vivian."
"We of the older generation really shouldn't have been so presumptuous. That engagement... let's just act as if it never existed."
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