Let’s rewind time just a little.
To the time just before Lynette met Françoise, when Dervel summoned her to his office, one month after his return.
“I heard you were looking for me, Your Grace.”
Hiding her unease, Lynette tilted her chin slightly with a gentle smile.
In doing so, a few strands slipped free from her high, haphazard updo.
Right now, Lynette could hardly be said to resemble a princess of a nation, not even as empty flattery.
The fluttering lace of her sleeves was crumpled, and the hem of her dress—tied up carelessly so she could move freely—was covered in dust.
And that her hair of hers?
Her luscious coral-colored waves were bound roughly with a ribbon, stray strands jutting out here and there.
She looked nothing like a Duke’s fiancée, let alone a Princess of the Holy Nation.
Yet Lynette’s fiancé, Dervel, rose without a word of reproach and pulled out a chair for her.
His eyes crinkled in a soft smile, the very picture of a man besotted with every last thing about his betrothed…
Lynette only raised her guard even higher.
“I’ve summoned you because I have something to ask you, it’s about the last two years while I was away subjugating demonic beasts.”
“Has something gone wrong?”
“Gone wrong…?”
Dervel gave the stack of papers a light tap and continued.
“Well. I wouldn’t say anything has gone wrong, exactly.”
Without taking his eyes off Lynette, Dervel picked up a thick bundle of documents.
“Please, speak freely.”
“Then I won’t hold back. A waterway construction project, bridge and road projects, crop seed improvements.”
As he ticked them off one by one, Lynette tilted her head, a somewhat solemn look crossing her face.
“That sounds familiar.”
“As it should. They’re all things you did. You even signed the documents of approval yourself. Quite nicely, too.”
“People often say my handwriting is elegant and refined.”
So that’s why he called me here.
Realizing Dervel’s intent, Lynette doubled down on keeping her expression in check.
Truthfully, he was slower to bring this up than she had expected. She originally assumed that Dervel Chrysian would summon her within two weeks.
It had been a month since he returned from that two-year-long demonic beast subjugation. He’d been so quiet she thought he might let it slide—but of course not.
While Lynette straightened with tension, Dervel closed the file he’d been reading, set it down, and narrowed his eyes.
What came next was a chilling voice, completely at odds with his gentle smile.
“I did give you authority over household affairs, both great and small, but I’ll admit I was surprised. I didn’t expect you to do quite so much for the Chrysian Duchy.”
“It just sort of happened once I got into it.”
Lynette smiled sweetly, feigning innocence.
Well, it’s not like she could confess she’d turned everything upside down just to search for a holy relic that was supposed to be somewhere on his lands.
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