Chapter 10. I Won’t Abandon You, Your Highness
There are just some days like this. Days when…
“Aaaah!”
You get the feeling that your luck is going to be really bad.
And today was exactly that kind of day.
I slipped on the rug and almost ripped my scalp from tangled hair.
Little things kept happening, piling up until I finally muttered, “What a cursed day.”
I sighed and poked at the food with my fork.
As always, I ate alone, sitting at the big table by myself.
“Huu…”
I sighed again.
“I’m done eating.”
No matter what I ate, it felt like I’d get indigestion. I got up.
And just like I feared, my bad luck hit again—hard.
“Your Highness. The Duke of Cloveus requests an audience.”
“Pfft!!!”
I spit out my tea without thinking.
It splashed right through Ailish’s body sitting across from me and soaked the maid’s dress.
[Wow… Even as a ghost, that’s disgusting.]
Ailish smiled slyly.
“…Sorry.”
I wiped my mouth with a napkin and spoke to the maid.
“Cough…”
“It’s alright, Your Highness. Shall I let the Duke in? He said it was urgent…”
“Cough…”
I avoided her gaze.
Ailish giggled like it was the funniest thing.
[If it’s urgent… then it must be about marriage. So, are you ready to meet your ex-husband?]
When I turned my head, Ailish floated over in the same direction.
[Well? Are you ready or not?]
“…You look like you’re enjoying this.”
“Pardon?”
I couldn’t help saying it, and the maid flailed in confusion.
I let out a big sigh and told her,
“It’s nothing. I was just talking to myself. Forget it.”
[Of course I’m enjoying it. It’s not happening to me.]
I rubbed my lips with my fingers.
If I could just hit that ghost once…
Of course, I knew I’d have to face this eventually.
But I didn’t think it would happen this fast.
For whatever reason, the Imperial Family was doing everything they could to sell off “Princess Ailish” to Duke Cloveus.
I hadn’t even been awake that long after saying I’d marry him, and the Emperor had already summoned him.
Honestly, it wasn’t such a bad thing for me.
It meant I could be closer to seeing Luisha again.
But just thinking about Ahntrus ruined the mood.
Still, if something can’t be avoided, it has to be faced.
“Haa. I’ll meet with the Duke. Prepare the reception room.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The maid bowed and left.
I guess today’s bad luck was leading up to this moment.
Because for me, Ahntrus was bad luck.
* * *
“Vi. Is everything going well for the tea party?”
“Yes, Mother. Countess Ratana has been very helpful.”
“The Ratana family’s garden estate is always useful for these occasions. The social season is in full bloom, Vi.”
The Empress smiled gently.
“I hear many nobles are getting engaged this season.”
“All thanks to you, Mother. The debutante ladies are said to be very beautiful—another sign of your guidance.”
Lenora flattered the Empress.
“But the most important engagement still hasn’t been settled.”
The Empress sighed in disappointment.
The biggest topic this season was the Duke of Cloveus.
When autumn arrived, the social season would end, and most nobles would return to their territories.
Some stayed in the capital, but without the social season, gatherings were rare, and it was harder to meet a partner.
Also, autumn was the harvest season, and lords had to care for their lands.
In winter, they needed to protect their people from the cold.
They also had to repair the estates left empty during the season and rebuild the trust of their people before spring.
That’s why, now that the Duchess seat at Cloveus was empty, many social climbers were desperately knocking on the Duke’s door.
The gossip papers were full of his face in close-up.
After his marriage to Elia Nerdebrown, he was once again on the marriage market.
Even as a second marriage, marrying Duke Cloveus was a dream for most noble ladies.
“Vi. We must make this marriage between Ailish and Duke Cloveus happen. I’ll need your help.”
“Of course, Mother. Just say the word.”
Lenora answered sweetly.
“…Ailish is lacking in many areas right now. If we rush into this marriage, our royal family will become a laughingstock. She’s been bedridden since she was 15, so it’s not surprising. But still, I want you to help guide and look after her.”
“I saw Her Highness in the garden yesterday. She didn’t seem to have trouble moving. I’ll find a proper etiquette tutor. Someone who won’t bring shame to the royal name.”
“It’s reassuring to have you, Vi.”
The Empress tapped her teacup with her finger.
Once she spoke with the Emperor, he had acted immediately.
Ahntrus couldn’t go against the will of the Imperial Family and accepted the proposal.
Now, all that was left was to find a priest for the wedding and prepare the outfits and ceremony.
But Ailish’s condition… was still too poor.
The Empress clicked her tongue.
“Really, she’s hopeless.”
“You mean the Princess?”
“She’s always been like that. I don’t know what’s wrong with her. We gave her the best tutors, but she always acted her own way. Just as expected from a half-blood royal…”
The Empress glanced at Lenora.
Thankfully, Lenora sensed the Empress’s slip and smiled politely.
“Will Her Highness attend the tea party?”
“Of course not. That half-wit still isn’t ready.”
The Empress shook her head firmly.
It wasn’t just that Ailish had recently woken up.
There were still reasons to be cautious.
The maids said she didn’t remember anything, but if she suddenly recalled what happened five years ago…
‘That can’t happen.’
The Empress clenched her teeth.
Ailish had to be sent to Cloveus before she remembered anything.
That way, she’d be trapped like a bird in a cage.
“She won’t attend any social events until the wedding. We can’t let the royal reputation be stained. Leak a story to the press—say the Emperor is so sad to give away his youngest daughter that he can’t bear to let her out of his sight.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Lenora sipped her tea gracefully.
She remembered the innocent face of Princess Ailish she had met yesterday.
‘She really didn’t seem to know anything.’
She felt more relaxed.
Lenora placed a hand on her belly.
Their first child didn’t have the traits of a proper heir.
But this time, the child had to be different.
She set her teacup down and lowered her gaze.
If Ailish had forgotten the palace’s darkness and cruelty, it was time to remind her.
‘Those who don’t know their place must be punished.’
A chilling smile formed on Lenora’s lips.
* * *
Ahntrus thought he could persuade the princess.
He believed she was just a naive royal girl making a mistake.
If he reminded her of their age gap and explained Elia’s condition, she might give up the idea of becoming Duchess.
But Ahntrus quickly realized how wrong he was.
“I will marry you and become the Duchess of Cloveus. No matter what.”
“…Do you even understand what you’re saying, Your Highness?”
“Yes, Duke Cloveus. I’m perfectly aware of what I’m saying.”
Ahntrus ran a hand through his hair.
For some reason, Ailish was being stubborn.
“I must marry you. It’s the only way.”
“…Please reconsider, Your Highness. I am already married and have a child. If you need help, you can ask me directly.”
“…It’s been a long time since Duchess Elia fell unconscious. According to imperial law, someone in a vegetative state isn’t considered alive. That means you’re free to remarry.”
“I won’t listen to such rude suggestions. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear them.”
“Even so, I won’t give up on you.”
Ahntrus bit his lip hard.
Thinking he could convince the princess was just arrogance.
She already looked like she was ready to risk everything.
That left Ahntrus with only one option.
He had to go to the temple and declare himself a priest.
Once bound to the gods, he would no longer be allowed to marry.
He planned to leave the palace soon, discuss it with his aides, and choose a day to visit the temple.
Nothing would change his decision.
If the aides found out, they’d cling to his legs and beg—but he was at the edge of a cliff.
On the day he married Elia, Ahntrus had made a vow.
His wife would always be Elia. Only Elia.
* * *
“This won’t work.”
[You’re giving up?]
“No. I need to try something else. Since Her Highness is okay with it…”
[What are you thinking?]
I smiled and said,
“I’ll offer Ahntrus a contract. A deal he can’t refuse. That man isn’t fit for marriage. So I’ll give him a contract that suits him.”
[That’s not a bad idea.]
Ahntrus was a cold and disciplined man.
Work came before family, and maintaining Cloveus came before everything.
So what if I became his ‘fake wife’?
“…I won’t share a bed with him. I won’t interfere in his daily life. And if Elia ever wakes up, I’ll step down immediately. Wouldn’t he accept those terms?”
[You’d step down?]
“Elia can’t wake up unless I return to my body. But neither I nor Her Highness knows how to do that.”
[What if you find a way back?]
Ailish asked nervously.
She seemed afraid that if I found a way back, I’d leave her behind.
It meant she had no one else to rely on.
“I would never abandon you, Your Highness. I promise.”
Sorry, Ailish.
That was a lie.
I clenched my fist behind my back.
Because there was someone far more important to me than Ailish.
My precious treasure.
