Abandoned Princess [Old version]

Chapter 16

The abandoned princess watched her family from the distance. They were smiling together that she wonders if she could smile like how the new princess does.

"Is she perhaps your daughter, Sir Lucas?" A short man with long sideburns approached us. His height reaches the captain's elbow.

A dwarf. . ?

I stared at the flowers on his arms. A flower that I was very much familiar with.

"I would like to have a wife first, Art." Lucas laughed but I could hear the bitterness on his voice. "She's the second child of King Edmund. Princess Elaine Gwyneth Arias."

The short man immediately bows in fear. "A–Apologies, pri–pri–princess! I am still ignorant because I'm new here, I beg your forgiveness!"

He was trembling in fear.

"Be at ease, Art. The princess is nothing like the king—I think."

I glanced at Lucas who seemed to be used to seeing people panic at the name of the king but he wasn't helping at all. The man was looking about to faint.

"Princess, this is Art. A gardener from Seonyon Kingdom. He was a gift from the Seonyon's king," Lucas said to me with an easy smile.

On the other hand, Art the gardener stiffened.

"Why?"

"Let's just say that the Seonyon royalties made a wrong move towards your father. Before more damage could happen the Seonyon king gifted us their best gardener since King Edmund was intrigued by their garden."

I felt a sudden chill. Art wasn't a gift but an offering in exchange for forgiveness.

Art went pallid.

Trying to change the dreaded topic I asked the gardener, "What kind of flower is that?"

"Now that I think of it. I haven't seen such flower," Lucas added.

"It's called Ryllis, they don't bloom beautifully like these in our land. The Ryllis was rather plain looking next to the other flowers back in the royal garden. It must be because of the soil. I'm glad that I brought some of the Ryllis seeds with me," Art said looking slightly relieved.

Ryllis. The same name of the flower in the holy land.

"Say. . What are you going to do with those? You see Art, today is the princess's birthday."

"Cong–congratulations on your birthday, your highness! It's small compare to the other gift you receive but please take these!" He pushed up toward me the flowers.

It wasn't small at all though, it was one of the best gifts I received on my birthday. But why was he too afraid?

When you looked at it, it's like he was being forced to give me the Ryllis. Isn't this bullying?

It would make it worse if I decline the flowers but a bad taste sat on my mouth when I received it. "Thank you, Sir Art. I'll treasure them," I said forcing a small smile.

"It's an honor, your highness," Art said a little less afraid.

"Princess, let's present the flower to your father," smilingly the captain said.

Not only Art paled once again but I was too.