Awkwardness

Princess Louise wore a dignified Royal travel attire, a deep blue velvet dress embroidered with delicate Broomflower patterns, and a cloak trimmed with white fur.

However, her face was frighteningly pale, almost bloodless, and her lips were dry.

The long, bumpy journey and severe motion sickness left her unsteady on her feet, almost unable to stand, and she relied entirely on Alice and another maid who hurriedly got off the carriage to support her.

Louise tried to straighten her body and maintain royal dignity, nodding slightly to the kneeling crowd.

But just then, an overwhelming feeling of nausea surged up in my throat!

She could no longer control herself, and suddenly bent over, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, letting out a painful retching sound. Although she didn't vomit anything because she was on an empty stomach, her disheveled appearance stunned everyone present!

The members of the royal guard of honor were also shocked and somewhat embarrassed, especially the butler Albert, whose eyes were icy cold and almost spitting fire. He felt that the Princess's disrespect on such an important occasion was a disgrace to the royal family!

They selectively forgot that it was their relentless urging and inhumane itinerary that had tormented the Princess into this state.

The Carnford officials and soldiers kneeling on the ground looked at each other, somewhat at a loss.

At this awkward moment, Lady Eileen reacted extremely quickly.

She immediately stood up, whispered an order to the servant beside her, and the servant quickly ran back to the castle.

A moment later, Lady Eileen personally carried a steaming bowl of tea with a rich ginger aroma and quickly approached the Princess. Her voice was gentle and full of concern. "Your Her Highness the Princess, you must be tired from your journey. This is Ginger tea to warm you up and soothe your stomach. Please drink a few sips; it will make you feel better."

Princess Louise glanced gratefully at Lady Eileen and, with the help of her maid, sipped her Ginger tea.

The warm, spicy liquid flowing into her stomach did alleviate the nausea somewhat, and her complexion improved slightly.

She straightened up, first casting an apologetic glance at the nearest lady, Lady Eileen, her voice weak but clear. "Madam, my apologies, thank you."

Lady Eileen smiled and shook her head, "Your Highness need not worry, your health is the most important thing."

Then, with the help of her maid, Louise walked unsteadily to Karl was still kneeling on one knee.

She looked at the simply dressed, even somewhat rugged, young man with his head down; this was her future husband, the Lord of Carnford.

She took a deep breath and took out a beautifully decorated ceremonial short sword with a jewel-encrusted scabbard from a brocade box held by a maid beside her.

This is a "Sword of Protection" symbolically given to the Prince Consort when a royal Princess marries, signifying that the Prince Consort must use this sword to protect the Princess's safety.

"Lord Karl von Schmidt," Louise's voice was still weak, but she tried to remain steady, "By order of His Your Majesty and His Empress Dowager Mother, with this sword as a token, I wish... I wish that from now on, you and I will work together in harmony."

Karl raised his head, his gaze calmly meeting the Princess's pale and tired face.

He extended both hands and solemnly accepted the short sword, his voice steady. "Your subject, Karl von Schmidt, thanks Your Majesty and Her Empress Dowager the Empress Her Highness the Princess for your kindness. I will do everything in my power to protect Your Highness's safety."

The simple meeting ended in this slightly awkward and embarrassing atmosphere.

Lady Eileen stepped forward at the opportune moment, taking over the duty of supporting her future wife that should have been performed by Karl. She gently but firmly supported the still weak Princess Louise's arm and softly suggested, "Your Highness, you have had a long journey and are not feeling well. A quiet and comfortable resting room has been prepared for you in the castle. Please come with me and rest well."

Princess Louise glanced gratefully at Lady Eileen, who was indeed dizzy and almost unable to stand, and desperately needed a place to lie down.

She nodded weakly, her voice barely audible. "Thank you for your trouble, Madam."

Given the Princess's health condition, the original plan that might require Princess to walk a short distance so that the people could admire her had to be cancelled.

With the help of Lady Eileen and her maids, Louise climbed back into her luxurious carriage, which now felt like a prison to her.

The convoy slowly started again, heading towards Carnford Castle, which was not far away.

Karl, Edgar, and other key Carnford officials mounted their horses and led the way in the motorcade.

The royal guard of honor stood guard on both sides of the carriage, while the accompanying royal attendants and ladies-in-waiting followed along, cautiously observing their surroundings.

Especially Albert, the royal butler with a serious face and sharp eyes, whose gaze swept carefully across the Shantytown Area on both sides of the road, which, although they had undergone emergency renovations, still could not hide their shabby nature.

His brows furrowed slightly, carrying a condescending, scrutinizing air.

However, when he saw that although the Shantytown Area was dilapidated, the roads were relatively clean, there were no mountains of garbage, and most of the shacks themselves had been simply reinforced and covered up, so they were at least "acceptable", his tense expression eased a little.

Considering that Carnford had just experienced a devastating battle and was almost reduced to ruins, it was quite remarkable that this young Lord could achieve this much in such a short time.

It seems that he at least put on a show of sincerity in welcoming Her Highness the Princess.

In Albert's view, Karl barely managed to get away with this first observation regarding whether the Prince Consort consort valued the Princess.

He kept in mind Her Empress Dowager Mother's secret order to monitor the Princess and her Prince Consort's interactions and assess the true situation in Carnford.

Inside the carriage, Princess Louise leaned against the soft cushions, finally having the chance to gently lift a corner of the curtain of the carriage window and greedily breathe in the air flowing outside.

Although the air was filled with a complex mix of smells—dirt, smoke, livestock, and large crowds—that was not fresh and even somewhat unpleasant, strangely, Louise sensed a raw and genuine vitality in this atmosphere of human habitation that she had never experienced in the exquisite gardens of the Royal Capital.

This was the flavor of a busy, struggling, yet resilient life, which inexplicably brought her an unprecedented sense of peace and relief to her heart, which had been imprisoned in a glamorous cage for so long.

The kneeling citizens on both sides of the road were all carefully selected by Edgar and others; they were at least presentable citizens who came specifically to experience the royal family's boundless grace. Those who were too poor were not even qualified to kneel here.