The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 109

The place where Tericia met the Voice didn’t exist in the real world. That’s why, even when they met, it was rarely in the realm of reality.

Except once—on the cliff.

That time, it had first appeared as a fox, then a deer, and had pushed her off the edge. Every other time, she encountered it while unconscious, beyond the boundaries of awareness.

A space of pure white. Empty. A place where nothing existed but her and the Voice.

Here, again, in a place not of the living world, Tericia stood alone.

“This is a dream.”

She spoke out loud on purpose. Her voice echoed faintly in the empty space.

“Is no one here?”

She raised her voice and called for it. But no answer came.

How strange. The being that always tormented her—teasing, scratching at her mind—was nowhere to be found. If only to mock her, it should’ve appeared by now.

“You’re here, aren’t you? Say something.”

She called out again, louder. But only a hollow wind drifted through the space.

It wasn’t just strange—it was unsettling.

Why aren’t you showing yourself? Why do I feel like this?

Wasn’t everything over now?

Rashid had returned alive. She had accepted his heart. Their engagement was just around the corner. Wasn’t that the end of everything? Weren’t things finally resolved?

“This doesn’t feel right…”

She murmured under her breath, looking around once more. The air remained still, the silence unbroken, and she was still alone.

“What do you want from me? Do you still need something? Is that it? Is that why?”

No response. Only silence.

After hesitating a while, Tericia slowly began walking. There was no purpose or direction—just a quiet step forward into the unknown.

The morning of the engagement ceremony dawned unusually bright. The chill of winter had finally lifted, and a warm breeze stirred the ribbons, lace, and flowers that adorned the venue.

“I was so worried it might be cold… but what a relief. Looks like we’ll be able to hold the ceremony in the corridor after all.”

“I know, right? It really is a relief.”

At Mandy’s cheerful words, Tericia smiled softly in agreement.

Over the past month, the estate had changed quite a bit. The burned forest couldn’t be restored, but the annex had been completely repaired.

Before, it had been small and modest compared to the main house. But now, it felt like a different place entirely.

The gardens—except the forest—had been redesigned so that anyone approaching had to pass through them first. Only once they reached the end would the beautiful new house reveal itself.

It wasn’t that much larger, but it had been transformed into a peaceful country-style home, perfect for a Duke and Duchess to retreat to for rest.

“I asked them to build it like a vacation home. I thought we might want to use it as a villa sometimes.”

That’s what Rashid had told her when he gave it to her as an engagement gift.

At first, Tericia had scoffed at the extravagance and tried to refuse. But when she saw the completed annex—like something from a fairy tale—she had been so enchanted she couldn’t speak.

“It’s yours.”

“…You’re making it really hard to say no. Thank you.”

When she said that, Rashid had smiled like he’d just won the world, and she couldn’t help but smile too.

It truly was a beautiful place.

“The Duchess’s bedroom is so stunning now too.”

At Mandy’s dreamy comment, Tericia let out an awkward smile.

After finishing the annex, Rashid had gone on to completely remodel the bedroom in the main house as well. And now, every time he casually hinted at when she’d be moving in, Tericia felt like she was carrying the entire world’s embarrassment on her shoulders.

“After the engagement ceremony… you’ll be staying there, right?”

“…Probably.”

She tried her best to answer casually, knowing that the more flustered she got, the more amused Rashid became. But this topic… was impossible to sound casual about.

Everything was going to change between them.

It was a little overwhelming to realize.

“Okay, I’ve finished everything. You can open your eyes now.”

At Mandy’s voice, Tericia slowly opened her eyes.

Mandy had insisted she keep them closed until her masterpiece was finished—so Tericia had spent nearly an hour with her eyes shut. The sudden light stung, and she squinted slightly.

“Do you like it?”

As Tericia stared silently at her reflection in the mirror, Mandy asked cautiously.

Her golden-brown hair had been braided loosely and adorned with tiny jeweled pins shaped like flowers. It looked like blossoms and gemstones had been scattered over her hair.

And whatever Mandy had dusted over it made her hair sparkle softly with every movement.

“You’re getting better and better at this, Mandy.”

“Right? I’ve been practicing so much!”

Mandy’s face lit up at the compliment.

Her lady had always been beautiful, but today—after putting everything she had into the look—she was simply breathtaking.

The off-shoulder dress was a rich teal, a color rarely used for engagement ceremonies, but the full, flowing skirt highlighted her slender waist perfectly.

To match Rashid’s outfit, gold embroidery adorned the waistline and hem, making Tericia look even more elegant and regal.

“Rashid’s going to love it, don’t you think?”

“These? You’re going to fall in love with them all over again.”

At Mandy’s confident promise, a soft smile spread across Tericia’s lips. Seeing it, Mandy smiled too.

“The earrings and necklace will be delivered by the Duke himself, so just wait a little longer.”

“Rashid’s bringing them personally?”

“Yes, he said he wanted to give them to you himself.”

Thump.

Tericia instinctively placed a hand over her chest. Was it excitement? Anticipation? Her heart was beating just a bit faster than usual.

As if responding to that sound, a knock came at the door.

“May I come in?”

Unlike his usual bold entrance, Rashid Hespelt’s voice came quietly from the other side of the door. Tericia’s heart skipped even more.

Trying to keep her composure, she answered calmly.

“Mandy, please show the Duke in.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The moment the words left Tericia’s mouth, Mandy quickly rushed to open the door.

Rashid entered, dressed in a black formal coat embroidered with gold, a floor-length cape draped elegantly over one shoulder.

As he walked toward Tericia, calling her name, he suddenly stopped.

He caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror—and let out a quiet breath of awe.

“Tericia…”

It sounded like a prayer.

Regaining his senses, Rashid stepped forward again, his eyes never leaving her.

“You look breathtaking.”

The words slipped from him like a sigh, filled with genuine wonder. Embarrassed, Tericia averted her gaze.

She too had been unable to take her eyes off him since he walked in. Of course, she’d known he wasn’t the little brother figure from long ago. But never had she felt so clearly that he was a man.

“Rashid.”

Hearing his name come from her lips made his chest swell with warmth—something full and overwhelming.

“I’ll fasten the necklace myself.”

He handed Mandy the jewelry box, then carefully opened it to retrieve the necklace.

“One with gems to match your eyes would be beautiful too, but this time… I wanted to give you something in my color.”

At the center of the necklace, the largest gem was a golden diamond—the exact hue of Rashid’s eyes.

“It’s a diamond.”

He gently placed the necklace around her neck. His touch was slow and delicate.

Normally, he might have brushed against her skin—just briefly, teasingly—but today, he couldn’t. If he let even a drop of personal desire slip through, he didn’t trust himself to stop.

He withdrew his hand with a quiet sense of restraint, his eyes meeting hers through the mirror. Her gaze trembled slightly—so stunning, it stole his breath.

He stared for a moment longer, then reluctantly stepped back.

“I hope this necklace always shines around your neck.”

Tericia tried to steady her breathing.

She had tried not to focus on his touch, but the way his fingers had brushed her skin, even so carefully, had made her heart race. She was almost disappointed when he pulled away so quickly.

She watched silently as Mandy fastened the matching earrings, but in truth… she had wanted Rashid to put those on too.

“…I’ll treasure it.”

At her quiet words, a soft smile spread across Rashid’s face—and just like that, her heart surged.

When Rashid had first proposed holding an engagement ceremony, Tericia’s feelings had been complicated.

Was this really okay? Was it right for her to take his hand? Would she become his weakness?

She had been afraid.

She still didn’t know what the best path was. Or what the “right” decision looked like. But seeing the joy in his eyes now… it made her think maybe—just maybe—this wasn’t the wrong one.

“Tericia.”

Rashid reached out his hand with a bright, warm smile. Tericia looked at it for a moment, then returned the smile and placed her hand in his as she stood.

The moment her fingers touched his, Rashid grasped them tightly, like he’d never let go.

“I’ll make you happy.”

“I already am. And this is just the engagement ceremony. The wedding’s still far off.”

“Yes… Honestly, I’m starting to regret not having the wedding first.”

He let out an exaggerated sigh. Maybe he should have pushed for a wedding right away.

“But at least with an engagement, I get to escort you from the very beginning. That’s something.”

“What kind of logic is that?”

Tericia laughed, her voice like a soft chime. Rashid chuckled too, then gently guided her hand to his arm and linked them together.

“Shall we go?”

“Let’s.”

As Rashid and Tericia walked forward, the door opened before them.

The long-awaited moment had arrived, the beginning of their engagement ceremony.

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