The next day, Felix really did come looking for me. Now he sat calmly across from me, sipping a cup of tea from Nora.
I was rendered speechless. To be honest, I never could have imagined Felix coming. I had thought he would never come to my palace.
After all, in my previous life, Felix had been reluctant to come here. Even after our engagement was announced, he never visited or met me. It wasn't until our wedding day that I finally got to see him.
"I apologize for arriving so suddenly without notice."
Felix's voice broke the silence between us.
I gave him a faint smile. "It's no problem. I'm actually honored that a hero like Sir Felix would come to my palace."
Felix slowly rubbed the back of his neck. For some reason, he looked nervous in front of me.
"I'm glad to hear that, Princess. The truth is, I came here to confirm something. Was our engagement canceled because you hate me?"
My eyes widened. Why would Felix think that? It had never even crossed my mind to hate him. If anything, Felix was the one who might hate me.
I slowly sat down. "How could I possibly hate you, Sir Felix? I actually feel guilty. That engagement could have damaged your reputation."
I remembered the cruel things people had said to him. Some claimed Felix had become engaged to me because he had seduced me. After all, Sir Felix wasn't from a famous, high-ranking noble family.
He was merely a minor noble from a remote region.
So there were many people who resented his success, especially the high-ranking nobles with their immense pride.
To them, Felix was unworthy of holding a position at my side. When in truth, I was the one who didn't deserve to stand beside him.
"It never occurred to me that it would damage my reputation. Could the engagement have been canceled because I'm from a minor noble family?"
I shook my head. "Of course not. I only thought the engagement would burden you. I didn't want you to have to endure that, Sir Felix."
Felix tilted his head, confused.
"I don't feel burdened, Princess. I'm actually deeply honored to have been given the chance to become engaged to you."
I stared at him in disbelief. Felix couldn't possibly feel that way. I still remembered the cold look in his eyes as he gazed at me in the past. If it wasn't hatred, then what was it?
I sighed. Maybe he was only saying that to be polite. I calmly met his gaze.
"But that doesn't change the fact that I forced you into an engagement with me without discussing it with you first. I'm truly sorry. I hope that someday, you'll be able to become engaged to the person you want without being forced into it."
It had been my fault from the beginning. If only I hadn't begged Father to let me become engaged to Felix, none of this would have happened.
"It seems there's been a misunderstanding between us, Princess. I came here to clear it up," Felix said suddenly.
I furrowed my brow, confused. I didn't understand what he meant.
"What misunderstanding, Sir Felix?"
I asked as Felix smiled faintly. That smile made my heart melt all over again. To be honest, in my eyes, Felix was still the most handsome man I'd ever met. I looked away, hiding the blush spreading across my cheeks.
"Yesterday, I met with the King to refuse the title of Duke and the Northern Territory he granted me. In exchange, I asked him to restore the decision regarding our engagement to how it was originally."
My mouth fell open reflexively. I felt as though I'd just heard something impossible from Felix's lips.