CHAPTER 3: THE PRINCESS WHO RECUSED HER FATE
1156 Words
Amelia stepped out of her room with a calm expression.
Every step she took felt different.
The old Amelia would have walked toward the crown prince with nervousness and fear, desperate for his approval.
She would have lowered her head, smiled gently, and accepted anything he gave her.
Because that was what the original Amelia did.
She loved Crown Prince Lucien more than anything.
She begged for his affection.
She sacrificed her pride, her happiness, and even her family’s honor just to receive a little warmth from him.
But in the end...
Her love was the very thing that destroyed her.
The man she wanted to spend her life with became the person who ended it.
Crown Prince Lucien.
The man who was supposed to protect her.
The man who was supposed to love her.
The man who, according to the novel, became the reason Amelia Hart lost everything.
But she was no longer that girl.
She was Amelia Hart.
A person who had already experienced the pain of losing everything once.
And she would never allow the same fate to happen again.
As she entered the grand hall, her eyes immediately landed on him.
Crown Prince Lucien.
He stood beside the window, dressed in a perfectly tailored black and gold royal uniform. His silver hair reflected the sunlight, and his expression was as cold and unreadable as she remembered.
The same face that once made her heart race.
The same eyes she once desperately wished would look at her with love.
But now...
She felt nothing.
When he saw her, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Lady Amelia."
She bowed politely.
"Your Highness."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Lucien studied her carefully.
"You look different."
Amelia smiled faintly.
"Perhaps I have simply learned to see things differently."
His eyes lingered on her.
The Amelia he remembered was gentle, quiet, and always afraid of making mistakes.
She was someone who followed others.
Someone who placed everyone else's happiness above her own.
But this Amelia was calm.
Confident.
Almost like someone who had already faced the worst possible ending.
Lucien finally spoke.
"I came here today because I wish to discuss something important."
Amelia already knew.
Her heart remained steady.
The engagement.
The moment that started everything.
The novel described it as the happiest day of Amelia's life.
But she knew the truth.
It was the beginning of the chain of events that led to her downfall.
Lucien stepped forward.
"Amelia Hart, daughter of the Duke of Valerienne."
He paused.
"Will you accept my proposal and become my future crown princess?"
The room became silent.
The servants watching nearby held their breaths.
Everyone expected one answer.
A happy yes.
The heroine was supposed to accept.
But Amelia looked directly into his eyes.
"No."
The word shocked everyone.
Lucien's expression changed slightly.
"No?"
Amelia calmly shook her head.
"I cannot accept."
Whispers immediately filled the hall.
The daughter of a duke had rejected the crown prince?
Lucien stared at her.
"May I ask why?"
Amelia took a breath.
Because she couldn't tell him the truth.
Because she knew this engagement would destroy her.
Because she knew the person standing before her was the same man she once begged to love her.
"I do not wish to become someone who only stands beside the throne as a decoration."
Her voice was clear.
"I want to be valued for who I am, not simply for my appearance or my family's name."
Lucien was silent.
Those words were not what he expected.
In the original story, Amelia had cried tears of happiness when he proposed.
She had accepted immediately.
She had believed that becoming his fiancée meant she had finally won his heart.
But that belief led her to ruin.
This Amelia...
Was different.
Before he could respond, the Duke of Valerienne stepped forward.
"Amelia."
His voice carried warning.
Everyone knew refusing the crown prince could bring disaster.
But Amelia only looked at her father.
"I understand the consequences."
She then turned back to Lucien.
"I respect Your Highness, but I cannot promise my future without knowing the person I will become."
Lucien watched her for a long moment.
Then, surprisingly...
He smiled.
Not a cold royal smile.
A real one.
"Interesting."
Everyone froze.
The crown prince wasn't angry.
Instead, he looked curious.
"You are the first person who has ever refused me."
Amelia remained quiet.
Lucien continued.
"Perhaps that is exactly why I should reconsider this proposal."
She blinked.
"Reconsider?"
"I will not force you into an engagement based only on tradition."
He looked at her seriously.
"Give me one year."
Amelia frowned.
"One year?"
"During that time, you may decide whether you truly reject me."
He paused.
"And I will decide whether you are truly the woman I want beside me."
It wasn't what happened in the novel.
Not even close.
Amelia expected anger.
She expected punishment.
She expected the beginning of her downfall.
Instead...
The crown prince had changed the rules.
After a moment of silence, she finally answered.
"Very well."
Lucien raised an eyebrow.
"You agree?"
" to the engagement."
Amelia smiled.
"I agree to the opportunity."
For the first time, Lucien looked genuinely surprised.
---
After the crown prince left, Amelia returned to her room.
She immediately walked toward her wardrobe.
Rows and rows of beautiful dresses filled the space.
Elegant gowns.
Heavy skirts.
Tight corsets.
Beautiful...
But uncomfortable.
She picked up one of the dresses and sighed.
"How did women survive wearing this every day?"
She couldn't understand it.
The clothes were designed for beauty, not freedom.
Amelia had no intention of spending her new life trapped inside uncomfortable gowns.
She grabbed a piece of paper and began drawing.
The servants watched in confusion.
"My lady... what are you making?"
Amelia smiled.
"My future wardrobe."
She designed something completely different.
Loose trousers.
A comfortable but stylish top.
A fitted jacket.
Clothes that allowed her to move freely.
The servants stared at the sketches.
"My lady... women do not wear clothes like these."
Amelia looked at them confidently.
"Then perhaps it is time someone does."
Within days, the first outfit was created.
When Amelia stepped into the hallway wearing her new design, everyone stopped.
The wide-leg trousers moved elegantly with every step.
The top was simple but beautiful, showing confidence rather than trying to imitate traditional noble fashion.
She looked different.
Powerful.
Modern.
The Duke stared at his daughter.
"You abandoned dresses?"
Amelia smiled.
"I didn't abandon beauty, Father."
She adjusted her sleeve.
"I simply chose comfort."
News spread throughout the empire.
The Duke's daughter had rejected the crown prince.
The Duke's daughter wore strange new clothing.
The Duke's daughter had changed.
But Amelia didn't care.
For the first time in her life...
She was living according to her own choices.
And somewhere in the palace...
Crown Prince Lucien looked at the report in his hand.
"Amelia Hart..."
A small smile appeared.
"Just who are you?"
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD