Ingrid took a deep breath to calm herself. It seems that this prince's life mission is to anger her.

"Before that, may your highness tell me which kingdom you plan to lay waste."

Aleric’s brow arched. The contempt in Ingrid's voice was evident. This took him by surprise.

Most people are indifferent to his exploits unless it affects them in some way. This is the second time that he has met someone who has expressed blatant abhorrence towards him despite having no connection to the people he killed or the countries he destroyed.

"The land where the sun doesn't shine," he revealed with an assessing gaze.

Ingrid's reaction did not fail him.

"Selite? But why? Don’t you know the situation there? That place has only one season: winter. Food is scarce, and people live in extreme poverty. So why bring war to such a place? You’ll gain nothing!"

Ingrid stood in rage. She couldn’t hide her distress as she paced back and forth. She knew very well how awful the living conditions were in that place.

The kingdom of Selite is extremely reliant on exported goods to survive, as agriculture is impossible. Furthermore, caravans are unwilling to do business in the kingdom as the risk is not worth the profit. Therefore, it was the kingdom's soldiers that risked their lives and fought against the harsh cold just to bring food back to their country.

"I heard you’ve made quite the number of donations to the Kingdom of Selite."

Ingrid raised her brow. "What of it?"

Aleric walked towards Ingrid and halted when there was only a few inches of space between them. He cupped her chin, feeling the softness of her skin against her rough palm. "Do you know whom you’ve fattened with your generous donations?"

A frown graced Ingrid’s beautiful face.

He’s confused. It doesn’t make sense how she, who was beautiful and spoiled, could grow to be this kind and good.

Prince Aleric had encountered a lot of her kind before—women who are beautiful and spoiled by their parents. None of them grew to have an agreeable personality.

Those women aren’t even a match for Ingrid’s beauty or the love and riches she is showered with, so he expected that her personality would be much more rotten than theirs. But none of the investigation results matched the bratty girl he imagined.

Sure she was a bit naive. But what he expected to meet was a hateful woman, not a kind girl, deeply loved by the commoners.

Aleric didn’t realize that he was staring for too long until Ingrid spoke. "I’m waiting; explain."

He let go of her chin. "Unfortunately, it’s confidential information not available to the rest of the world." Prince Aleric grinned slyly. "As of now, you’re a stranger to me, so I can’t divulge anything to you. But perhaps, when we’re married, we can talk about it in slow whispers as we lie in bed."

Ingrid turned as red as a tomato. "Y-you, how can you say something like that?!?"

"Something like what?" He asked innocently. "How are you already embarrassed? Once we’re married, we’ll do more than talk in bed."

"Your royal highness, I beg you to shut up," Ingrid pleaded while covering her flushed face.

Prince Aleric burst into a fit of laughter, his voice echoing in the four corners of the room.

Ingrid quickly covered his mouth in panic. "Are you mad? What if they heard you?" she berated while looking nervously at the door.

If her father finds the barbaric prince in her room, swords will be drawn. With her father's personality, he might even start a war against the empire of Aradhya. Just thinking about it is giving her a headache.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"Your hands smell like strawberries."

Ingrid pulled her hand away as though she were electrified and glared at Aleric. Why is it so hard to have a normal conversation with this annoying prince?

"Anyways, when do you plan on executing your war plan?" Ingrid asked while rubbing her hand on her purple dress with a disgusted face.

Prince Aleric couldn't hide his amusement. He had to admit he had quite the fun drawing emotions that are rarely seen on the young lady's face.

"In two years, all preparations will have been completed. I’d like to get your father’s agreement before that."

"Then we’ll have at least a year to convince my father."

Prince Aleric’s brow furrowed. "Convince him of what?"

Ingrid tilted her head to the side, a smile on her lips showing her set of pearly white teeth. Prince Aleric froze. "That the babaric prince of the Aradhya Empire, whom he despises the most, has smitten his precious daughter."

It was Ingrid’s turn to grin mischievously as she watched an expression she was quite familiar with reveal itself on the prince’s violet eyes. It seems that he is not as invulnerable to her charm as she thought he would be.

In that moment, Aleric sensed a kind of danger he had never once encountered. Before he realized it, he had already taken a step back, causing a myriad of complicated emotions to appear in his eyes.

For the first time in his life, someone managed to make him retreat. And it wasn’t some strong warrior or an army greater than his, but a woman. A woman so small and frail against him that if he wished, he could crush her neck before she could even scream. Yet he ended up losing to the temptation of her mere smile.

Aleric’s eyes narrowed. Ingrid Lennox may be even more dangerous than she seems.

"So what have you decided?" he asked, wearing his usual arrogance, as though his previous reaction was a mere afterthought.

"My father hates you. More specifically, he hates your kind of people."

"My kind?" Aleric frowned.

"Yes, your arrogant, self-serving, cruel, and malicious kind," Ingrid answered while staring straight at him. "War will ensue if you ask for my hand. So instead, I’ll ask for yours," she added with a wry smile.

Ingrid thought of a lot of ways to deal with this inescapable situation while ensuring her father's and her people's safety. And this is the best possible solution she could think of. If her father believes that she genuinely likes Aleric, then he would have to agree with their marriage, even if he doesn’t like it. After all, he promised that he would let her marry whoever she wished to as long as they were in love.

This time, she will turn into the pompous woman they all believe she is and chase after the most desired man on the continent.

"If that’s your solution, what do you need a year for?"

Ingrid looked away, but the fading glow in her eyes did not escape Aleric’s attention.

"They say arrogance comes with the crown. The more powerful the crown, the more arrogant the wearer becomes. The same goes for beauty, your highness." She looked at Aleric as though challenging him. "With this face of mine, how much arrogance do you think I have?"

Aleric recalled the thick paper his right hand, Vernon, handed him last night. It was a list of the names of the men who tried to win Ingrid’s hand—all of whom had their hearts broken after they were mercilessly rejected.

Prince Aleric knew that there was not one person in the world as arrogant as him. After all, he had the strength and power to back it up. So though he hates to admit it, he very well knew the amount of arrogance she, who was unparalleled in her beauty, possessed.

Now he understands what she needs a year for. He smiled bitterly. It seems that utilizing the imperial family would prove to be far easier. Though that plan includes far more risk. "So what’s your game plan?"

"Game?" Ingrid chuckled. "This isn’t a game. This is a play that I write and direct, and where I play the main character." She pointed at herself arrogantly.

Aleric grinned. He pulled Ingrid by the waist and crossed the remaining distance between them. He ran the back of his hand on her cheeks, his eyes looking at her as though he were memorizing every single detail of her beautiful face.

"And what is my role in your play?" he asked in a husky voice.

Ingrid’s mouth went dry. That sly grin—he's obviously trying to get back at her for using her charm against him earlier. But she couldn’t back down, not when her pride was on the line.

"Careful with your hands, your highness; as you said, we aren’t married yet," she said, her voice tempting rather than reprimanding, all the while slowly pushing Aleric away. "Once I get the ring, you can place your hands wherever it wants."

"That's a rather dangerous statement. But I look forward to it," he breathed, licking his lips before letting her go.

Ingrid shivered. The look of desire in his eyes made her regret everything she just said. She swallowed the familiar fear that slowly crawled up her throat, suffocating her.

"Ehem, anyway, for this to work, you just need to be where I want you to be when I want you to be. I hope your highness can cooperate."

Her sudden politeness took Prince Aleric by surprise. His eyes landed on her tightly clenched fist.

"Now, if your highness would kindly leave, I still have some things to do."

He didn’t ask any more questions and left quietly. It isn’t in his nature to force people into answering unless they are criminals sitting in his interrogation cell. And with the way she is turning her back on him, she surely wouldn’t answer even if he asked.

Ingrid fell to the floor the moment she no longer felt his presence. She gathered her knees close to her body and rocked herself back and forth while whispering. "It’s okay. I’m okay. I’ll be okay."