Chapter 20. She Was Truly Adorable…
“……”
Samuel, who had been watching the whole scene with a familiar yet uncomfortable expression, finally spoke up, feigning nonchalance.
“By the way, the princess is probably having tea time with Her Majesty the Empress Dowager around now.”
At that, Kardin, who had been burying his face in his hands, suddenly lifted his head and corrected him firmly.
“No, she’s probably out for a walk.”
“A walk?”
“Yeah. I told Mother before I left that I’d be stopping by the temple.”
Having spent the whole night altering her dress, his mother would have woken up late for their tea time and found the note he left behind.
She had always believed there was no need to reveal that Anette wasn’t her biological daughter. So he had dropped that bombshell without permission, which must have upset her.
‘Still, she’ll take care of the rest in the end.’
Most likely, the Empress Dowager would take Anette to the royal greenhouse to subtly explain the secrets of the imperial family.
“I hope the princess enjoys her walk.”
As Kardin predicted, Anette was now heading to the greenhouse where Serina had guided her the day before, this time at the Empress Dowager’s suggestion.
Truth be told, she hadn’t felt comfortable setting foot there yesterday.
But today was different.
‘Because I’m now officially part of the Alkhan imperial family…’
That thought wasn’t simply because she assumed the engagement was finalized by now.
More fundamentally, the anxiety that had followed her like a shadow had vanished as if by magic after meeting Kardin.
It was only natural. He had clearly stated that he had no intention of breaking off their engagement. In fact, he had said that from the beginning, the person he wanted to marry was Anette Hayworth—her.
‘Of course, I still don’t know why he wants me, but…’
That was something she could learn over time.
And Kardin had said he had plenty to tell her too.
While Anette’s heart had grown much lighter, Empress Charlotte remained deep in thought.
She couldn’t understand why the Empress Dowager would suggest a walk at this particular moment.
With Anette’s identity still a secret, the only safe option was a place only royals could access. But surely the walk wasn’t the true purpose.
The official name of the place they were heading was The Secret Greenhouse.
It was a location protected by strong barrier magic, restoration spells, and soundproofing enchantments to keep secrets sealed for generations. It wasn’t used for simple affairs, meetings, or schemes.
It held the deeper secrets of the imperial family—specifically, their powers.
These powers, said to be blessings from the gods, always carried darkness with them.
The hidden history of the Alkhan Empire was filled with cruel obsessions and bloodshed surrounding these powers, and the greenhouse had quietly safeguarded those truths.
Charlotte wondered if the Empress Dowager truly intended to reveal such secrets to Anette so soon after the engagement.
It wasn’t that she objected—she only worried it might overwhelm Anette, who already had so much on her plate.
Charlotte herself had been shocked when she learned the truth upon becoming the official crown princess, including the fact that Lucius’s hated Kardin wasn’t his real brother…
Ah.
That’s when Charlotte realized the secret might not be about the powers, but about Kardin himself.
Still, wasn’t it too early for that as well…?
“What did you decide about your residence?”
The Empress Dowager suddenly asked Anette in a casual tone.
Charlotte quickly picked up on the subtext.
Normally, after a formal engagement, the bride-to-be would reside in the palace until the royal wedding, learning the proper court etiquette.
But with no wedding date set and etiquette lessons impossible to conduct publicly, it was likely Kardin planned to take Anette to the grand duchy to recover first.
The Empress Dowager, who had likely imagined dressing Anette up in lovely clothes and feeding her tasty treats, was probably anxious that Kardin might whisk her away right after arriving.
But Anette, rather than dwelling on that, was thinking about the nuisance of managing the palace staff every time she moved around.
She might have put her heart at ease about becoming part of the imperial family, but she still worried about being a burden.
“That’s why I’ve decided to postpone the wedding until my health recovers. I’ll be staying at the grand duchy for now to monitor my condition.”
She added that the imperial mage Martin, who had collected her blood, would be accompanying her—something Kardin had mentioned.
“When exactly…?”
“Someone from the grand duchy is on their way now, so probably within a few days…”
“A few days?”
The Empress Dowager’s eyebrows shot up sharply.
Anette, confused by the reaction, quickly added, “It could be sooner.”
Clearly displeased, the Empress Dowager let out a long sigh.
Charlotte, observing the scene, let out a small chuckle and said,
“The Grand Duke must be in quite a rush. But with so much to prepare, he shouldn’t move so hastily. I’ll have to send him a word myself.”
She imagined Kardin had already redecorated the grand duchy at lightning speed for a wedding, but the bridal suite couldn’t be used immediately. Rooms would have to be rearranged, and new clothing and items fit for Anette’s current condition would need to be prepared.
“And Anette must be feeling anxious too. Going to an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people right away must be stressful.”
“Huh?”
Anette blinked in surprise at Charlotte’s words.
Technically, she had only been in the palace for two days herself and had just begun to get used to unfamiliar faces.
“Well… that’s true,” she admitted.
She truly liked the Emperor and Empress, who had accepted her as family from the start.
What solidified her decision to marry was the kindness of everyone she met in the palace.
That’s why she was a little afraid. While Kardin clearly cared for her, she wasn’t sure if the rest of the grand duchy would feel the same.
After all, it was the place she would live for the rest of her life. She should want to go there sooner rather than later… but—
“I just thought staying in the palace might be too much trouble for everyone.”
It sounded like she wanted someone to stop her from leaving.
“That’s not true at all. In fact, thanks to you, the quiet palace feels lively again.”
Charlotte glanced quickly at the Empress Dowager as she spoke.
Realizing Anette wasn’t eager to leave either, the Empress Dowager’s expression brightened.
Now would be the perfect time to say a few words to keep her here—but instead, the Empress Dowager just cleared her throat.
Charlotte watched her with mild exasperation.
The Empress Dowager, once the eldest daughter of Duke Aegis, had been chosen early on to become crown princess. She had practically ruled the empire in place of her incapable husband and raised two sons to perfection.
She had the decisiveness to simplify complicated issues and a level of human compassion that was hard to believe.
Charlotte deeply respected and admired her mother-in-law, but she also recognized the woman’s emotional awkwardness—likely a result of her long years in the palace.
“Your Majesty, you feel the same way, don’t you?”
The Empress Dowager flinched at Charlotte’s question and turned to Anette.
She knew it was the perfect moment to say she wanted Anette to stay.
But could she speak honestly?
After swallowing hard, the Empress Dowager finally looked at Anette—who gazed up at her with those charming eyes—and opened her mouth.
“The palace may seem grand, but unless there’s a banquet or some event, it’s quite dull… Especially for an old woman like me with no duties.”
Anette gave her a strange look, because the Empress Dowager was far too healthy and sharp to call herself an “old woman.”
Wondering if she hadn’t said enough, the Empress Dowager grew flustered.
Charlotte gave her a subtle, encouraging glance.
Taking another breath, the Empress Dowager added,
“Lately, I’ve felt even more bored—maybe it’s my age. I feel like if I had a cute child by my side to dress up, feed well, and watch play… life would feel worth living again. Ahem!”
Oops. Too honest.
Realizing she had gone too far, the Empress Dowager cleared her throat in embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Anette thought of Crown Prince Mikhail, the Empress Dowager’s only grandchild and the palace’s only other child.
She didn’t imagine for a second that she was the “cute child” the Empress Dowager meant.
“Come to think of it, I met His Highness the Crown Prince yesterday. He was very cute…”
He was a bit narcissistic and had a strange way of speaking, though.
“If it’s alright, maybe I could invite the Crown Prince to join us for tea time.”
Anette thought it odd that the Empress Dowager missed her grandson so much despite living in the same palace—but if seeing Mikhail made her happy, she’d be glad to arrange it.
And she wanted to properly introduce herself to him. Their last meeting had ended on a strange note.
Just as she was saying this, and the Empress Dowager was looking confused by the sudden mention of her grandson—
“Sir Roytz…?”
Charlotte, who had been eyeing a figure approaching from the greenhouse’s entrance with suspicion, suddenly recognized who it was and opened her eyes wide.
