Eltham met Brittany''s puzzled gaze with a light chuckle.
In fact, he had already met Brittany a year ago.
Not only that, but he was quite taken with her.
Her background, looks, and abilities were all top-notch, so when the Queen proposed the marriage, he agreed without hesitation.
"Ms. Lte, I know this is a lot to take in at once. We could get to know each other better."
But Brittany had no interest in getting to know Eltham.
She had hoped Eltham would reject her, but to her disappointment, he was in favor of the marriage.
She picked up her tea and took a sip: "The truth is, I already have someone I like. I hope you can understand and let me go."
"Ms. Lte, I regret that I didn''te into your life earlier, to be that person you liked," Eltham said, already aware of Brittany''s reluctance towards the marriage, which wasmon knowledge.
"This marriage isn''t just about our two families, but also a royal decree. You must understand, Ms. Lte, not even your father can change this arrangement. How could I convince my mother to change her mind?" Eltham made it clear he wasn''t going to cooperate, leaving Brittany feeling hopeless.
The dinner felt as if she was chewing wax.
Before leaving, Eltham presented a beautifully crafted velvet box to Brittany: "A gift for our meeting, Ms. Lte."
Brittany thanked him but didn''t ept the gift.
She got up to leave: "I should be going now."
After Brittany left, Eltham sat there, his gaze lingering on the velvet box, silent for a long while.
Eventually, a middle-aged woman in a ck uniform approached him: "Sir, if Ms. Lte can''t see the good in this, why bother?"
Being chosen by the royal family is a blessing she''s earned from a past life!
A marriage others can only dream of, and yet Brittany is so unwilling?
Eltham took the velvet box, caressing its patterns: "No matter, if she had epted too easily, I would have found it uninteresting."
The first time he saw Brittany, she was still Mrs. Salter.
He had seen the way Brittany looked at someone she loved and knew how much she was willing to give for love. The thought of one day earning her genuine affection filled him with unparalleled joy. "Enough of that talk," Eltham stood up. "Tell my mother I''m very satisfied with this marriage arrangement. The engagement can wait; I want to take some time to truly win over Ms. Lte''s heart." "Understood."
Back at her ce, Brittany was cornered by Yuri: "How did your talk with Eltham go?"
"He seems quite pleased with the marriage."
Brittany answered truthfully: "Dad, is the royal decree really that unchangeable?"
"Almost certainly."
Yuri didn''t tell Brittany that the royal family had leverage over the Lte family. At this point, opposing the marriage could endanger the entire Lte family, not just defy a royal decree. Brittany felt helpless.
The public only saw the Lte family''s uing royal marriage as glorious, making Brittany the guest of honor at almost every banquet. Brittany declined many invitations, focusing solely on changing the royal family''s decision.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.
Eltham invited her out several times, but she refused to meet.
Then, a decade-old scandal involving the Lte family was leaked, and Yuri was taken to the police station for questioning on the same day. As soon as the news broke, the Lte family''s shares plummeted.
Brittany immediately contacted Yuri''s personalwyer: "Is it true, what they''re saying about dad?"
Thewyer''s expression was grim: "Miss, the Lte family''s rise wasn''t spotless."
In this city, no one is entirely clean.
It''s just a matter of whether or not you''ve been caught.
"This case was long closed. Its resurfacing now likely means someone was offended."
Thewyer hinted but went no further.
Upon hearing this, Brittany knew it was a lesson from the royal family.
Her refusal to meet was a p in the face to them. Now, with Yuri under their control, the royal family was forcing her to yield.
After sending thewyer away, Brittany took the initiative to contact Eltham.
"Your Highness, let''s have dinner together tonight."