The unexpected declaration caught everyone off guard, with startled gasps and murmurs rippling through the crowd as they stared at Emily and Marshall. The princess struggled to think of a way to defuse the situation, but it was challenging with the overwhelming attention they were attracting, and her face flushed red. She finally uttered,
"You might be desperate to marry because of your tarnished reputation, but I am not. You, sir, are not a man worthy of even standing in my presence, let alone proposing something that exists solely in your imagination, for it will never happen."
"There's no need to be ashamed, Emily. We will raise the child with—"
Emily looked around, searching for something—anything her eyes could land on—when she felt a gentle nudge against her hand. Julia, who stood behind her, extended the umbrella she had been carrying to protect the princess from potential rain, and her fingers curled around the handle.