Chapter 3
Ever since I met Alexander, it felt like my IQ had dropped. One simple "Fairy Lady" from him, and I was completely bewitched, doing whatever he wanted.
Whenever he felt scared, I would hold him while he slept.
He had a craving for lavender shortbread, which was ridiculously complicated to make. I got up before sunrise, picked lavender, spent the entire day baking only a few servings, and personally delivered them to him.
Watching him nibble away, I felt a satisfaction I could not even put into words.
After only one day of living together, I realized that no one from the royal family should ever be underestimated.
Even Alexander, who was only six and had grown up in a temporary palace, understood that this assassination attempt was a two-for-one scheme. It removed him as a potential obstacle while dragging the entire Garrison family into danger.
According to Alexander, the person with the strongest motive behind it was Bradley.
"Fairy Lady, will you stay by my side and protect me from now on?" Alexander looked up at me with those large, misty eyes, his gaze full of sincerity.
"Seriously, how many times do I have to say it? I am not Fairy Lady," I said. He knew I was Daniela from the beginning, but ever since I had accidentally saved him, he refused to call me anything else.
"You're a prince. You have an entire squad of guards watching your back. Why would you need a five-year-old girl like me to protect you?" I asked.
"None of them is as good as you," Alexander mumbled. "They are only here because they are afraid of getting into trouble if I die.
"But you actually care about me. You're really afraid I might get hurt," he added, sounding a little down. "They are only doing their jobs, but you truly mean it."
I handed Alexander a peeled apple. As he reached for it, I noticed his wrists were covered in scars, some still bruised and not fully healed.
"I did it myself," Alexander said quietly. "I spar with the captain of the guards every day to learn martial arts."
Suddenly, I realized how challenging it must be for a royal prince to grow up both safe and strong. But honestly, that was not my concern.
*****
The next day, Alexander took off the pearl pendant that marked him as a prince and handed it to me. In the bottom right corner was a tiny engraving of "Alex."
To keep things fair, he asked for the necklace pendant I wore. It was a matching pair that my mother had given Rayne and me when she was pregnant.
He told me to wait here until he came to take me to the palace. After meeting with the king, he planned to seek permission to propose to me.
I could not help laughing to myself. I figured he would probably forget all about me before even reaching the palace.
Three days after Alexander left, Bradley arrived in grand style, bringing the noble consort's greetings with a full entourage behind him.
I overheard my grandmother chatting politely with Bradley in the living room. When he asked to see me, she seemed uncertain and said I was a wild child, so she was unsure if I was even at home.
Bradley was ten years older than I was. Rumor had it he was built like the king, tall and broad-shouldered, and he inherited his handsome features from the noble consort. Every noble girl in Jinlesburg seemed to be swooning over him.
When my grandmother was about to send someone to look for me, I popped out from behind the door with a grin. "Grandma, no need to search. I'm right here. Did you bring me some delicious snacks again?"
"That is not very proper," she laughed. "You haven't greeted Prince Bradley yet, and all you can think about is food."
"Greetings, Your Highness," I said, bowing slightly. I kept my head down but sneaked a sideways glance at Bradley.
"Hello, Daniela," Bradley said, giving me a serious once-over. "Your name suits you well, but your personality suits you even better."
Great, he was totally mocking me.
"So, Your Highness, what brings you here?" I asked, feeling slightly annoyed. Who would start by mocking someone the second they meet?
"My mother sent me to see how my future princess consort is doing," Bradley replied.
*****
Eight years later, Bradley brought me back to Jinlesburg. When I drew back the carriage curtain, I saw Alexander standing right at the gate.
The mischievous little boy from years ago had grown into a teenager, though traces of his childhood still lingered in his features.
"Fairy Lady, didn't you promise you'd wait for me to come get you? Why did you come back without me?" he asked.
I quickly lowered my gaze, too nervous to meet his eyes and even more unsure how to answer.
"Daniela, is something wrong?" someone asked.
I looked up and felt as if a timely hero had arrived to save the day.
It was Bradley.
After traveling together day after day, I had come to see that Bradley was incredibly easygoing and genuinely good-hearted.
However, he wasn't perfect. He only cared about steering clear of unnecessary drama.
When he realized I was far wiser than most kids my age, he was taken aback and became noticeably friendlier toward me.
Right before we entered Jinlesburg, Bradley handed me a pearl pendant. It was almost identical to the one Alexander had given me, except this one had "Brad" engraved in the corner.
Bradley smiled and said, "With you as my wife, I couldn't ask for anything more. I'll keep my promise and marry you."
He added that he would do everything possible to ensure the Garrison family lived in comfort and prosperity, and that he would protect me, keeping me safe and happy for the rest of my life.
After twenty years as myself and nine more since arriving in this world, this was the first time an adult had ever laid his heart bare to me. Honestly, anyone would be moved by that.
On top of that, I was living in this borrowed body, trapped in this world, and already engaged to him.
We liked each other now, and if we ended up falling in love as husband and wife, it would be the best outcome I could ever hope for.