To Princess Cecilia,
You’re alive, right?
I can almost hear your angry voice in my head: ‘Of course I’m alive, how could you even ask? Do you wish I were dead?’
Yes, I know too. Even if the barrier breaks and all sorts of monsters come rushing out, if there’s one person who could survive the western forest, it would be none other than Cecilia Winterton.
But still, I wanted to start the first letter to you this way. ‘Are you alive?’ is my favorite way of asking how someone is.
Although now that I think about it, maybe I should have asked the rabbits of Elfindel Forest instead of you. How many more did you catch after I left until you finally got out of the forest? I hope you didn’t wipe out the entire rabbit population in that area.
While chewing on rabbit meat, did you mutter to yourself, ‘Florian, I wonder if this has arrived yet’? Or perhaps, did you at least worry about your dear younger brother, Archie Albert William?
When I mentioned Princess Edwina’s bracelet, you worked harder than I did to find it, digging up the dirt around the hut. I had no idea someone could dig better than a bulldozer, and that you could even dig like that with a flat sword instead of a shovel.
We searched for the bracelet until your white hands turned completely black. My arms started to go numb, but since you were so dedicated to digging, I felt like I couldn’t stop even for a second. Just when I thought I was going to die from exhaustion, a letter arrived from my mother, sent by Archie.
It said that Lady Josephine had the last remaining bracelet. As soon as I read the letter, I jumped up and told you.
“Lady Josephine has the bracelet! Princess Cecilia, we need to go to her immediately!”
Upon hearing this, you stopped digging right away, whipped your head around, and glared at me.
“Well, I mean, maybe not right this second. If you’re hungry, you could eat one more rabbit before we go.”
Even as I muttered this, intimidated by your sharp glare, your eyes did not soften in the slightest. After staring at me for a while, you slowly walked over to me.
“W-why are you looking at me like that?”
When I asked, you raised your strong, toned arm and waved it above your head, asking,
“This?”
Only then did I notice the bracelet you were wearing.
“Wait, why do you have that, Princess?”
“Lady Josephine entrusted it to me last time. She said something about it being safer with me. I didn’t really get what she meant, but I took it anyway. She kept going on about how she met me when I was young and seemed a bit out of it, so I figured it’d be safer if I held onto it.”
“…Princess.”
“What?”
“I always thought you were a sharp and quick-witted person.”
“That’s right, I am.”
“Did you do this on purpose to mess with me?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know we’ve been tearing up the whole hut looking for the bracelet, right?”
“Yes, we’ve made a real mess of this place.”
“Then why are you only telling me this now?”
“This is the bracelet Lady Josephine gave me.”
“That’s true…”
“We’re looking for Princess Edwina’s bracelet.”
“Right…”
“Who didn’t explain things properly?”
“…Me?”
“And who made me go through all that trouble?”
“That would be me, too…?”
Unable to withstand the emptiness, I slumped down and dared to say,
“Princess, didn’t I tell you that Princess Edwina’s bracelet is made of three strands?”
“This is one strand, not three.”
I carefully examined the bracelet once more. It was indeed three strands twisted together to form a single bracelet. I mean, if I said it was made of three strands, shouldn’t you have at least thought, ‘Oh, could it be this one?’ Just now, from a place where you could never catch me, I make this protest once again. I was too scared at the time to say it properly.
“The colors are different, look at the colors. Three are all twisted together…”
“What’s different?”
“Well, this is why you shouldn’t only study imperial etiquette and whatnot but also take proper bridal lessons. How can you have such poor attention to detail?”
“What did you say?”
“Well, I mean… People can’t be good at everything, but…”
“So what?”
“Ah, no… It’s my fault.”
“That’s right, it’s your fault.”
“Yes, it’s your fault.”
“Exactly, it’s your fault.”
The way you kept repeating that was genuinely terrifying. Still, my frustration wouldn’t go away, so I sighed, and your handsome face twisted even more.
At that moment, I truly regretted it. I had only been thinking about how well you’d treated me, forgetting how cruel you could be.
I remembered Archie’s warning to be careful around you, and I regretted not listening to him more. As the memory of how the rabbit had met its end last night came to mind, my vision grew dark.
So, I tightly closed my eyes. Then something cold touched my cheek. It was cold but not sharp, so I knew it wasn’t a blade. When I opened my eyes, I saw that the thing touching my cheek was your beautiful and strong hand. You were looking at me with a serious expression, gently caressing my cheek with your rough hand. And then you said,
“Don’t be scared.”
Naturally, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of injustice. After all, you’d frightened me so much, how could I not be scared?
“…You scared me to death with all your yelling.”
The kind princess forgave my impertinent words, sighed deeply, and said,
“I won’t hurt you.”
“Really? No matter what happens?”
“What’s supposed to happen?”
“Well, nothing in particular. But if something serious were to happen, would you hurt me?”
“Do you really think I’d lay a hand on someone as small as you, like I would on a rabbit? What are you so afraid of?”
“I saw exactly how you killed that rabbit last night. And by the way, I’m a little taller than you, Princess.”
“You speak so well for someone who’s supposedly terrified. Anyway, I won’t hurt you, so stop trembling. Digging was actually kind of fun.”
“Fun?”
“Yeah, it helped me blow off some steam.”
You said that, your eyes wide and a smile on your face, which only made you more terrifying.
“…So you relieved your anger by stabbing the ground with a sword.”
I hid my trembling hands and pretended to respond calmly. Then, in a soft tone that melted my fear, you added,
“That’s right. So stop being so scared. You know I don’t hurt women.”
“Didn’t you just threaten me earlier, saying, ‘I’ll kill a woman too’?”
“Well, yeah. I said I’d kill, but I wouldn’t hurt you over such trivial things. I’ve told you that before.”
It was only then that I recalled the events from two months ago. The time when I was being chased by Prince Archie, who was trying to strip me of my clothes, and I fell out of a window. In that moment, I frantically signaled to the princess, and as she approached, I whispered in her ear.
I told her I wasn’t a man, that I wouldn’t get in her way, that I believed only she should become queen, and begged her to protect me.
I wanted to keep explaining myself, but the princess silenced my babbling mouth with her hand and immediately called for help. She had me treated, arranged a room for me right next to hers, and allowed me to live without a single attendant. She never exposed my secret to anyone, nor did she ask why I was dressed as a man.
In fact, I was the one who asked the questions. I was curious.
“Why are you being so kind to me?”
The princess simply said,
“I don’t hurt women.”
“…Why not? Because they’re weak?”
“They live tough lives without me hurting them.”
Hearing those words made me feel strangely emotional. Having read the sequel to *The Princess and the Knight* and knowing all of Archie’s story, I knew exactly what kind of hardships Princess Cecilia had endured to get to where she was. Trying to suppress my emotions, I asked once more.
“Princess Cecilia, aren’t you curious why I’m doing all this? Why don’t you ask me anything?”
With a face devoid of any amusement, the princess replied,
“A woman always has her reasons.”
I think it was on that day that I truly started to like the princess. Her aloofness, her habit of giving short answers, the way she was so harsh with Prince Archie but quietly cared for me—all of it made me admire her more and more.
Thinking back on all of this, I realized I couldn’t just take the bracelet and leave. After all, Prince Archie, before being my love, was your precious family—your beloved younger brother. I felt like I had to tell you that he had gone to my world and that this bracelet was needed for him to return.
So, I sat down and told you everything. From the story of Princess Edwina and Prince Reiner, to how Prince Archie and I began exchanging letters—I told you everything that had happened up until now.
Even though I knew you were far too busy to listen to such a long story, my tale stretched on endlessly like the chatter of Beder. I couldn’t seem to stop.
Whenever I tried to speed up, only to get out of breath, you’d press a water-filled glass into my hand and say,
“You can speak slowly.”
Encouraged by those words, I caught my breath and continued talking. By the time I finished, the sun had set. Even though it was midsummer, the forest night was rather chilly. You noticed me shivering as I talked and got up to gather firewood.
I still remember how, even while busily lighting the fire, you nodded continuously, showing that you were listening closely to every word I said. Because of that, I was able to confide everything sincerely.
Before long, the fire began to crackle, and my story slowly came to an end.
“And so, that’s how it is, Princess Cecilia. Archie is over there, and I’m here. There’s only one bracelet left. I want to take this bracelet and go there. I want to be with Archie.”
You lowered your head as if deep in thought.
“Princess… Is that okay?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Huh?”
“Whether you want to be with Archie forever or whatever, that’s something you should ask him.”
“Oh, right. Yes, that’s true. I should be asking Archie about that. But still… If I go there and stay with Prince Archie…”
As I hesitated, you asked me again.
“What’s the problem?”
“Well, you see… Wouldn’t it be better for Prince Archie to come back here?”
“Why?”
“If we live there, you might never see him again.”
“Who wouldn’t? You? Are you staying here?”
“Oh, no. I want to go there.”
“Then go. I’ll ask again. What’s the problem?”
“It feels like I’m taking Prince Archie away from everyone. Won’t you miss him, Princess Cecilia?”
“No.”
“Pardon?”
“I won’t miss him.”
“But, still, what about other people?”
“That brat doesn’t have many friends.”
“What about Brother Beder?”
“He’s going to die soon.”
“…You mean from old age, right? You’re not saying you’ll kill him soon, are you?”
“If you want, I could.”
“Princess Cecilia!”
“I’m joking.”
You bared your teeth and grinned, as if trying to prove that it was truly a joke. Though your expression sent chills down my spine, I knew you were trying to put me at ease with that smile. So I swallowed my fear along with my gulp.
It was as if you had read my thoughts entirely when you patted my back. That hand, unlike you, was gentle and a bit awkward. But the words that came out of your mouth afterward were entirely like you—firm and clear.
“Florian, Archie’s future is for him to decide. You do whatever you want. If you want to go back to your world, go. Give him the bracelet and let him decide. If he thinks he can live without you, tell him to come back.”
“What if Prince Archie doesn’t want to come back?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, you replied.
“It’s fine.”
“What?”
“I said it’s fine.”
“You might never see him again…”
“I said it’s fine.”
“But he’s your younger brother.”
“It’s fine.”
“What if you can never see…”
“I’m completely fine with it.”
The look on your face as you said this was resolute. The flickering firelight reflected in your blue eyes, shining like a quiet passion. I stared at you, taking in your image. If I could remember you in a single moment, I wanted it to be this one.
After a long while of gazing at you, I stood up. Then I gave you my final farewell.
“Princess Cecilia.”
“Don’t do that.”
You turned away from me, annoyed.
“Huh? No, I wasn’t about to ramble on with nonsense. I just wanted to say goodbye, since this is the last time.”
“I know. That’s why I’m telling you not to.”
“You’re embarrassed by formal goodbyes, aren’t you, Princess? Fine, I won’t do it. I’ll just leave. After all, I’m leaving one of my bookshelves here, so I can always write to you.”
At that, you turned around again, suddenly speaking urgently.
“Don’t.”
“What?”
“Don’t write to me.”
“…But shouldn’t I at least send a message to let you know how I’m doing?”
“It’s fine.”
“Queen Adelaide will surely be worried about her son’s well-being.”
“I’ll let her know myself.”
“…What will you say to her?”
“I’ll tell her he’s dead.”
Once again, I tried to shout “What?!” in disbelief, but you were just smiling. That’s when I realized—this was how Cecilia Winterton said goodbye. So instead of making any promises about missing each other or writing frequently, I simply said,
“Thank you for everything, Princess Cecilia.”
Even that seemed too sentimental for you, as you shook your head with an expression of disgust.
“Florian.”
“It’s Cordelia, Princess.”
“What?”
“My real name. It’s Cordelia.”
“Sure, whatever—Cordelia or Florian, it’s all the same.”
“…Just call me whatever you like.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Wait, Princess, are you actually worried about me?”
“Stop with the ‘Princessss’ and listen up. Whether Archie comes back or not, don’t worry about it. I won’t either.”
“Yes, Archie can decide for himself. I get it.”
“No, that’s not why I’m not worried.”
“Huh?”
“You asked me to protect you. But honestly, while you’ve been a bit of a nuisance, I’ve never really had to work hard to keep you safe.”
“Prin…cess…”
“I told you to stop that. And stop looking at me with those sparkling eyes.”
You practically scolded me, covering my eyes as you spoke. But you didn’t back away or turn your back. Instead, you stood firmly, slowly enunciating each word with clarity.
“You didn’t need me to protect you. You knew how to protect yourself.”
When you removed your hand from my eyes, I saw your usual serious, piercing gaze. My heart swelled with emotion, realizing that someone as strong as you had acknowledged me.
I made an assumption too quickly. I thought your next words would be something like, ‘Since you’re strong, protect my brother.’
“I’ll protect Prince Archie,” I said.
“Archie will take care of himself. He’s not someone who doesn’t know how to look after his own life.”
Both of us blurted out completely opposite sentiments at the same time, then laughed as we looked at each other.
“This isn’t going to work. Everyone has to take care of themselves.”
Even though I wanted to say that I still wanted to protect the prince until the very end, I kept that confession to myself. It felt like the kind of secret I could hold onto, just one small thing to keep to myself. Besides, leaving in laughter like this felt lighter than adding more unnecessary words.
“I’m really going now. Princess.”
As I stood, ready to leave with the bracelet in hand, you spoke like an older sister scolding her younger sibling.
“Keep your head on straight and make sure you end up in the right place.”
“Of course. I’ll get there safely.”
“Don’t go off somewhere else like that brat Archie. Do it right.”
…Yes, that’s right. You did tell me to be careful, didn’t you?
If you found out that I’ve gone back two months, you’d probably burst out in anger again, wouldn’t you? But what can I say? When I thought about going to the antique shop with the green sign in Portobello and meeting the person I missed so much, the first thing that popped into my mind was the day I first met Liam.
And so, I went back to June. To the time when Prince Archie had become my Liam and was waiting to meet me, holding the bookshelf.
He was waiting for me, clueless about everything, but I didn’t have the luxury of explaining it all to him. The moment I saw his face, only one thought came to mind—I wanted to hug him.
When I actually did so, he, as if remembering everything, hugged me back, and we held each other for a long time. Moments later, his lips met mine, as if parched and thirsting for water…
Ah, you probably don’t want to hear about your brother’s private life, do you? I keep forgetting that you’re not just my wonderful princess but also Archie’s older sister.
Anyway, to get straight to the point, we spent that day in bliss, realizing that we had finally found each other after all this time. Before night even fell, we drifted off to sleep, and when I woke up, your brother was already waiting for me with a meal that smelled so good it made my mouth water.
A new life was beginning. Every moment in front of me was one I’d spend with the person I loved. But that happiness didn’t last long. As we sat at the table, he said this:
“Where’s the bracelet, Cordelia?”
“What?”
“We need to go back.”
Your words echoed in my head:
“Archie’s choices are his to make. If he wants to live without you, tell him to return here.”
Suddenly, my mind went blank.
Of course, from Archie’s point of view, it made sense that he’d want to return to Winterton. He must have been thinking about it for the last eight years.
While I’d spent a happy night thinking he would always stay by my side, it was just my delusion. From the start, we were people living in separate worlds, exchanging letters. Returning to where we belonged was the right thing to do.
But after feeling the warmth of his arms, after knowing the dreamlike moment of his quiet breath next to me, how could I live apart from him again?
Before I could fully comprehend the depth of my future longing, sorrow filled my heart. The sadness that had risen to my throat finally spilled out in the form of tears.
Only then did Archie, flustered, ask me,
“Coco? Are you crying?”
His gentle gaze, as he bent down to stroke my cheek, was so tender that I couldn’t even feel upset. Instead, I just felt sorry. Sorry that someone so kind would say he wanted to return to his world, and I hadn’t anticipated it sooner.
I hadn’t thought to consider his feelings, and it made me feel so selfish. The tears only came harder. Archie, helpless in the face of my tears, asked again,
“Is moving back with the bracelet really that bad, Cordelia?”
“No, you should go. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Yes, going back is the right thing to do.”
“It’s right for you to go back, but… but…”
“What? Who’s going back?”
Archie looked at me in surprise. Sniffling, I replied,
“You asked for the bracelet, didn’t you? So you could put it on and return to Winterton…”
“When did I ask for the bracelet? I just asked where it was.”
“It’s the same thing. You’re going to go back to Winterton anyway. I know that, too. I’m not saying it’s wrong for you to go. It’s the right thing to do, but…”
“…Why would I go back there?”
“No, Archie, I’m just emotional right now. You don’t have to say that.”
“Coco, what are you talking about?”
“I understand. You must miss Winterton, and you must miss Cecilia. You’ve been struggling here on your own, and it’s been hard to adjust…”
“What? Struggling? Hard to adjust? I even bought a smartphone!”
As he said that, Archie waved the phone we had bought together when Mark barged into my house last time.
Seeing him like that, so unlike a prince, I couldn’t help but let out a silly laugh.
“You really are my prince, and now you’re holding a smartphone.”
“Yeah, I’m completely addicted. I even take it into the shower. So no, I’m not going back to Winterton.”
“Because you can’t use a smartphone there?”
“No, because you’re not there.”
Cecilia, your brother says things like that without the slightest hint of embarrassment.
“And I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
With that, he kissed my forehead. The way he did it was so natural, and before I knew it, his soft lips moved from my forehead to the tip of my nose, then lightly brushed both of my cheeks. By the time his lips reached mine, they were no longer soft and gentle….
Ah, Princess Cecilia, I’m sure you don’t want to know such intimate details either. But I must say this: you really do have a brother who’s incredibly good at kissing. It took me quite a while to snap out of that kiss and finally ask,
“Wait, Archie. Then what do you mean by ‘we need to go back’?”
“It’s June right now. The very day when you and I first meet. If things go as they originally did, you’d read the letter in the bookshelf and rush over to Portobello in surprise. Then, after not gaining much, you’d return to Winterton and send me another letter. Only by that happening can I be here with you now. So, we can’t delay any longer, Cordelia. We need to leave soon.”
“Now that we’re here, can’t we just repeat that summer you mentioned? I’ll write the letters again.”
“And I’ll go back to being Liam, who doesn’t know anything?”
“You mean Liam who doesn’t tell me anything.”
“So we’ll write the same letters, and read the same ones again? That’s not going to be easy.”
When Archie said that, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“I’m an editor! Reading and rereading the same text is literally my job.”
Seeing my confident smile, Archie sighed in defeat.
“But no, Cordelia. Let’s just go to August.”
“Why, Prince?”
“Because I can’t do it anymore.”
“Can’t do what? Repeat everything?”
“Exactly. Do you expect me to watch you exchanging letters with some other guy every night all over again?”
“…Archie, you do realize that the ‘other guy’ is you, right?”
He gave a weak smile. I returned his smile and said,
“Archie, that time really felt like a dream to me. Even though it’s complicated that we ended up back in June, messing with our timeline, I think I could live through that summer again.”
“Yes, I too spent a dreamlike summer, a long time ago. And then endured what felt like an eternity of waiting.”
“Seven years must have felt long.”
“It did. But whether it was seven years or two months, I suppose it doesn’t seem like much to you since my good looks haven’t changed.”
Finally, this was the Archie I knew. But Princess Cecilia, you must know that when he makes jokes like that, it’s when he’s feeling the most anxious.
I chuckled, and he gently cupped my cheeks, laughing along with me.
“I’m sorry, Cordelia. I’m really making a big deal out of this, aren’t I?”
“No, I know those seven years must have been hard.”
“To be honest, it wasn’t all that bad. But now that June and August are right here in my mind, I’d rather repeat the last seven years than go through those two months again.”
Now it was my turn to sit down with him and ask,
“Archie, what was so difficult about it?”
“Coco, having you by my side but not being able to say anything.”
“Well, now you can tell me everything. At night, you can write letters to your other self, and during the day, you can come here and share every detail with me….”
“Then, what about this?”
As he spoke, Archie placed a small kiss on my chin.
“And here?”
This time, his lips brushed against my flushed knee as he sat beside me.
Well, that’s how things went, Princess Cecilia. By now, you’re probably crumpling up this letter in a fit of frustration, regretting not killing me when you had the chance. So, I’ll stop here. In short, I decided that rather than enduring another two months, I’d just put on the bracelet and make a second leap, all thanks to your brother’s sweet whispers.
I quickly told Prince Archie of my decision, which, thankfully, put a temporary halt to his plan of kissing every inch of me.
I found the bracelet and put it back on, determined to make no mistakes this time. I carefully went over my old memories, counting the days on a calendar. But then a thought occurred to me.
“Archie, when I came into the shop and hugged you yesterday, you knew, didn’t you? You knew you had to send me back to August. So why did you just hold me? Why didn’t you refuse when I kissed you? Why…”
I’ll spare you, Princess Cecilia, the exact details of our loving exchanges for your sake.
But the gist of it is clear, isn’t it? I asked him why he didn’t send me back right away but spent the night with me instead. And can you guess how your cheeky little brother responded?
“I waited seven years and two months for you to be in my arms. How could I resist that?”
“Good heavens, Archie Albert William!”
“Yes, my dear Coco. Call me that again.”
“I’m angry right now.”
“Go ahead, be angry. You’re adorable when you’re mad.”
Your brother tried to smooth everything over with such words, adding this for good measure:
“It was worth it. That night was worth the risk.”
And then he proceeded to shower kisses on my bracelet, my wrist bone, and every joint of my fingers. What could I do? Whether it was Archie’s slyness, wickedness, or mischief, I had no choice but to forgive it all.
As we shared one last embrace before I grabbed the bracelet, I looked at him as though I might never see him again, even though we were about to meet once more. He, too, treated me like someone leaving on a long journey, adjusting my collar and giving me a deep, lingering kiss.
“Archie, do you think I’ll make it to August properly? Timing is everything, you know. What if it’s all messed up and you’re not there?”
He laughed at my worry, so carefree.
“Coco, my Coco. Didn’t you once tell me that even if everything is about timing, the bond we share is too strong to be broken by something like that? We met that way, didn’t we? This bond won’t break easily.”
“How can you be so calm? What if everything’s gone wrong and you’re not there?”
Worried as always, I asked, and with that infuriatingly beautiful smile, he replied:
“It’s fine. I’ll find you again. No matter where or when, I’ll always come looking for you. You know that, don’t you?”
I clung to those sweet words and grasped the bracelet with my left hand. Princess, as I left for the end of summer, I realized that while you and your brother may not seem alike, you both have the same strong heart armed with that same simple ‘it’s fine.’
***
To Duke Florian,
This is Edmund, Head Steward of Arle Palace, reporting with respect.
Princess Cecilia is busy attending to her duties, and even if she were not, she wouldn’t be one to spend her time writing letters. Thus, she has commanded me to convey her message, which I do so faithfully as her head steward, Edmund, relaying Princess Cecilia’s words.
First, she says not to send any more letters.
Second, she insists again that you must not send any more letters.
Third, she strongly warns that if you send one more, she will personally destroy the bookshelf.
That is all. This message was addressed to both Lady Cordelia and Prince Archie Albert William from Princess Cecilia.
Sincerely,
Edmund
P.S. If Prince Archie is by your side, please tell him, from me, his faithful steward of 17 years, that life has become peaceful and pleasant in his absence. Though he left without a word—no farewells, no questions of whether I missed him, or whether I’d like to come along—this steward simply says, ‘It’s fine.’”
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