“Did you really only bring one maid?”
The Empress’s gaze turned to Molly, who stood to one side. Molly flinched and quickly bowed her head when she realized the Empress was looking at her—completely different from the way she had been pestering me in the carriage earlier.
“Even for a baron’s daughter from the provinces, only bringing one maid is rather pitiful. Tsk tsk.”
The Empress clicked her tongue.
“You’re bound to be looked down upon the moment you arrive at the duke’s estate.”
As soon as I heard those words, the original story naturally came to mind.
Though this particular scene hadn’t been shown in the original, when Kayla first arrived at the duke’s estate, she was accompanied by two attendants. One was Stella. The other was a maid assigned by the Empress.
“So this is what happened behind the scenes.”
The maid placed by the Empress must have reported Kayla’s every move in the duke’s household. The Empress always seemed to know everything, as if she had eyes everywhere.
Kayla had thought the Empress was being considerate and had even felt grateful. When Stella had cautiously warned her not to trust someone sent by the Empress, Kayla had scolded her instead—telling her not to be jealous and to get along well.
Now, those scenes came faintly back to me. At the time, I hadn’t thought they were important.
“I can’t let this slide. I’ll assign you one of my clever attendants.”
“N-No, Your Majesty!”
My voice rose instinctively in protest. The sudden firmness in my tone startled both the Empress and Nox, who turned to look at me in surprise.
I forced an awkward smile and came up with a plausible excuse.
“I’m deeply grateful for the thought. But if one of Your Majesty’s people were to accompany me, I fear the Duke might misunderstand…”
“Misunderstand?”
The Empress’s gaze grew subtly sharp.
“Yes. Since this marriage isn’t one the Duke desires, if he finds someone from Your Majesty’s side at my side as well… he might not just refuse to acknowledge me as his wife, but also misunderstand Your Majesty’s intentions. Don’t you think so?”
I deliberately trailed off, raising my tone slightly as if seeking their agreement.
Fortunately, it seemed my hastily made excuse worked. The Empress’s expression darkened.
Not missing the opportunity, I quickly added more.
“One person is more than enough to serve me. Molly, who came with me, knows me better than anyone else. Isn’t that right, Molly?”
I turned to Molly with a smile. She gave a reluctant nod, looking neither like she was about to laugh nor cry.
The Empress still seemed displeased, so I drove in the final nail.
“After the wedding, if I find I need more assistance, I’ll be the first to ask Your Majesty. Now that I’m alone in the capital, Your Majesty is the only one I can rely on.”
I emphasized “only Your Majesty” with a sweet smile. Perhaps realizing she couldn’t press further, the Empress let out a sour chuckle and nodded.
“If that’s how you feel, I won’t force you.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
I bowed my head and let out a quiet sigh of relief.
With that, I had successfully cut off the Empress’s attempt to plant a spy at my side.
“You must be tired from your long journey. You should head to the duke’s estate now. Leave all the arrangements to me and rest until the wedding day. Since we’re in the middle of a war, the ceremony will be kept simple.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I respectfully said my farewell and exited the Empress’s reception room.
Although I had been nervous at first, the meeting with the Empress wasn’t as intimidating as I’d imagined. Maybe it was because I knew more about them than they knew about me. That confidence was gradually helping me steer situations in my favor.
“Then I’ll take my leave here. My men will safely escort the young lady to the duke’s estate.”
“Thank you, Sir Nox.”
I gave a polite nod to Nox, who had brought me here, and turned away. As I walked toward the carriage, the coachman opened the door for me.
Once inside, the tension started creeping back in.
“I’m finally going to the duke’s estate.”
I stared out the window, trying to keep my wits about me. In contrast to my turbulent emotions, the weather was clear and bright.
A rich scent lingered throughout the dim but lavish room.
“She’s clever. Communicates well too. With a little training, she’ll play her part just fine.”
Delzaya examined her reflection in the mirror, holding an emerald-encrusted hairpin to her head. In front of her was a box filled with glimmering jeweled accessories.
“Yes…”
Nox answered, though there was hesitation in his voice—unusual for him.
He couldn’t shake a sense of unease.
“If you don’t want to die, you’d better watch how you act.”
When she had warned the maid with such decisiveness in the carriage, he had simply thought she was a smart and composed young lady—perhaps even appropriately strong-willed, given she was to marry the Duke. After all, it wouldn’t do for her to run away the moment things got hard.
She had even seemed aware of her precarious position, like a candle flickering in the wind.
But what had just happened was different.
“I’m grateful, but if someone from Your Majesty’s side were to accompany me, the Duke might misunderstand…”
To refuse the Empress’s offer on the spot without offending her—he had been genuinely surprised.
Even daughters of prestigious noble houses could barely meet the Empress’s gaze, yet Stella Enrio had clearly voiced her opinion while lowering herself just enough to stay respectful—and in the end, got her way.
Her behavior was too calculated to overlook.
“She’s no ordinary young lady. Let’s hope the Empress hasn’t made a mistake in trying to weaken the Duke’s power.”
Nox could no longer be sure whether bringing Stella Enrio to the capital instead of Kayla Enrio had truly been the right decision.
Campfires dotted the field under the setting sun, where rows of military tents stood tall.
In front of the largest tent fluttered a banner with a black lizard insignia. Inside, the atmosphere was heavy.
Garry nervously watched the back of the man reading a letter under the firelight.
The Emperor’s illegitimate son. Commander-in-chief and a war hero. The man known by many titles was none other than Ricardo Genkish, the duke to whom Garry had pledged his loyalty.
From the way Ricardo silently crushed the letter in his hand, Garry could sense the man’s deep-seated hatred toward the Empress.
“Is it about the marriage again?”
Garry broke the silence first. This was no longer a reality they could avoid.
Without a word, Ricardo tossed the crumpled letter into the brazier, where it was quickly consumed by flames.
Even before deploying, the Empress had told—no, ordered—him to prepare for a wedding as soon as he returned. She had already chosen his bride.
A political marriage with someone he had never met was nothing new, but the Empress’s motives were crystal clear.
“She probably wants to keep the Guineiro family in check. Even knowing that Lady Yelena has feelings for you, she’s still forcing the marriage.”
The Empress had no intention of marrying off her second son to a daughter from a powerful noble family. Ricardo, whom she hadn’t given birth to, was too competent for her liking—so she was constantly on the hunt for flaws to criticize.
It was obvious what kind of woman the Empress would choose as his bride.
“Still, to interfere even in your marriage…”
Garry was indignant. The man he served deserved nothing less than the most distinguished and beautiful bride in the Empire. And yet, he had to suffer this humiliation just because he had fallen out of the Empress’s favor.
If he felt this angry, he couldn’t begin to imagine how his master felt.
But Ricardo Genkish was a man who knew how to endure until he achieved his goal. Like a predator silently waiting for the perfect moment to strike, even with prey in sight.
“A mother’s order is something a son must naturally obey.”
Unlike Garry, who couldn’t hide his frustration, Ricardo turned with a calm expression. Though flames raged within, he kept his face perfectly composed.
He rested his arm on the large strategy model at the center of the tent, gazing over it as if calmly plotting his next move.
Lifting a red flag that symbolized his army, he slowly twirled it in his fingers, seemingly contemplating where next to plant it.
Watching him, Garry thought:
The place his master would stake his next flag wouldn’t be enemy territory—it would be the imperial palace.
And at its highest point—the Emperor’s throne.
He couldn’t even begin to fathom the storm of fury boiling beneath the Duke’s still surface, but the thought of him one day taking revenge for these humiliations sent a thrilling chill down Garry’s spine.
