It was around that time that the Grand Duke of Retraki visited Rosenta.
Driene had heard that the Grand Duke had been acting strangely recently. Even though he was partially confined, there were still people who brought news from outside the capital.
The Grand Duke was said to have purchased land from Milleen. Although Millesen was a weak kingdom, it was not easy to give up land, so it was unclear what the Grand Duke had offered in return.
The land acquired was named “Land of the Little Queen.” Hearing this, Driene thought that it might not have been the Grand Duke but rather his sister who wanted the land. “Little Queen” was a nickname for the Princesses of Rosenta, referring to an island that belonged to them.
However, Juliet’s letters never mentioned the land at all. Driene considered asking her about it but decided against it, thinking she might not want to talk about it.
The Grand Duke claimed he came to seek permission to connect the acquired land with the Rosenta border.
However, it was clear to everyone that this was just a pretext. Initially, this could have been resolved with a few letters and delegations. A man of his position did not have to come all the way for such a trivial matter.
The Grand Duke reached the border at a speed unimaginable to ordinary people, and he did not seek any special treatment as a guest. In fact, the only people who knew of his arrival were Driene, the King, and a few officials.
Driene was momentarily confused whether the Grand Duke had been sent by his sister or if it was a visit she was unaware of, but he realized when he saw the man requesting a private meeting.
The Grand Duke had come to Rosenta without Juliet’s knowledge.
That’s why he was so anxious. He was worried that Driene might not listen to what he had to say.
If Juliet had instructed him, he would not have been so anxious. Juliet would have the confidence that Driene would listen to whatever she said.
So, if she had sent someone, she would have given them the same confidence.
However, the Grand Duke did not show any sign of such confidence. Driene read anxiety in his tone, expression, and actions. He was vastly different from his eerily calm brother.
He’s not cut out for politics.
That was Driene’s assessment of the man sitting before him. The Grand Duke, despite his endlessly stoic expression, was showing every sign of agitation. It was enough to make one wonder how he could do that.
Driene was the first to speak.
“Why did you request a private audience?”
The man blinked his blue eyes twice at the question, which held no courtesy. Driene was slightly surprised by how large and clear his eyes were.
In fact, he looked more like the last heir of a fallen family than a member of the Nasant royal family. While Kinas Nasant, with his red hair and dark eyes, was a typical Nasant royal, the Grand Duke had blue eyes and silver hair, fitting for someone named Inovis.
But what did it matter? To Driene, the two brothers were essentially the same—equally tiresome and annoying.
“If you have nothing to say, then leave.”
Driene, who was exhausted from being extremely busy the day before, leaned back and closed his eyes. Despite the blatant disregard, the Grand Duke remained seated stubbornly.
Driene did not address him again. Although the Grand Duke was much younger and deserved some pity, Driene didn’t feel like showing him any.
Ultimately, it was the impatient one who broke the silence.
“Juliet is ill.”
Oh, that was precisely what he knew best. Driene responded with a hint of mockery.
“I know.”
He knew everything—her pain, loneliness, and the illness that plagued her.
He was always the one who understood Juliet best.
The Grand Duke continued.
“And she’s looking for her family.”
“She has always been like that.”
Though Juliet did not reveal much in her letters, Driene knew. Juliet had always missed Rosenta and her family.
The numerous letters she wrote never mentioned the Grand Duke or his land. Juliet always reminisced about the past and talked about it.
It wouldn’t be easy for someone who loves people so much to act otherwise.
Even knowing that, Driene could not view the man in front of him favorably. He gazed at the man with a mixture of annoyance and contempt, his eyes lingering on the man’s bright blue eyes.
“Is there a reason you’re stating the obvious?”
“I don’t ask for much.”
The man’s Adam’s apple shifted. It moved in a way that could be mistaken for pain if one only glanced at it.
With his eyes cast downward, he said,
“Please come to see her just once.”
As soon as Driene heard those words, he felt a surge of anger rise up within him.
He was the one who wanted to do that more than anyone else.
Yet the Grand Duke’s words seemed to imply that Driene was deliberately neglecting his sister on purpose.
However, before Driene’s anger could take over, he thought of a way to use the Grand Duke to his advantage. Even though he sometimes acted impulsively, Drien was also a politician.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to keep him in the dark.
Driene thought as he looked at the young man sitting before him with a lost expression. The more ignorant someone was, the easier it was to manipulate them. If the man was only a few years older than his sister, it was even more so.
Moreover, the Grand Duke’s only connection to the royal family was his marriage to Juliet, who was struggling to survive in a distant land.
Recalling that fact, Driene felt he could use the man without hesitation.
With a calm and collected demeanor, he whispered to the Grand Duke,
“I wish I could too.”
“If so,”
“But I am the Crown Prince of this country, and my father is aging.”
Aging or not, the old man was still a figure who would have many demands even in his tomb, but Driene said it casually. In his mind, he had already buried his father many times.
He spoke in a soft voice.
“My elderly father will not allow me to leave the capital. I cannot do anything without his permission. You know that, don’t you? If I had the power, I wouldn’t have let my sister go so easily.”
The man’s expression hardened when he heard the final sentence.
Driene felt a sense of disgust at the sight, as if the man was feeling guilty. Although he had intentionally said those words to provoke the man, Driene couldn’t help but feel a sense of revulsion.
He skillfully hid his emotions and continued speaking.
“Therefore, if you want something, you must plead with my father, not with me.”
It was a tone that was so gentle that it made one wonder how it could be. The bewildered man stammered and answered. However,
“But I am not skilled at such matters.”
Ah, that was exactly what he had hoped to hear. Driene’s eyes narrowed as he smiled, a smile that was eerily reminiscent of his sister’s.
“Don’t worry about that. I am the Crown Prince, aren’t I? I can teach you what you need to say. You just need to follow my instructions.”
At that, the Duke blinks slowly.
“Yes.”
It was an incredibly naive response.
ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
Driene whispered the prepared words into his ear.
‘Go to my father and beg him to let me go with you. Of course, he won’t be pleased. It’s only natural that he wouldn’t trust a foreigner.’
You will have to pay for the words you have spoken. Speak before my father loses interest in the conversation. Say that you’ll offer something as collateral to guarantee my safety.
It is only natural for a person to accompany another, but you have not brought a suitable companion. Therefore, you must offer something of equivalent value. It may be something you are reluctant to part with, but it must be worth the safety of the heir you have invested so much effort into.’
“But isn’t my sister’s wish more important to you?”
It was a sudden and unexpected question. But the man nodded meekly. Yes.
At that moment, the young man seemed as if he was under a spell, and Driene did not feel the need to pull him back to reality.
Driene whispered,
“Then give whatever it takes and fulfill her wish. How easy could that be?”
He chose his final words deliberately. It was to imply that failure was not an option.
The last sentence was intentionally chosen to be persuasive. And yet, the man agreed without hesitation. Yes.
And he truly kept his promise. The Grand Duke went to the King the next day and recited exactly as Driene had instructed.
Revealing one’s neck in such a manner was something only a young beast would do. Driene, sitting next to the King, looked down with cold eyes at the inexperienced man. Even though he was exploiting the weakness for his benefit, he felt no guilt.
Kinas Nasant and his brothers were no different from their own misfortune. Driene could have pushed them off a cliff if necessary. It was akin to burying his father in the ground.
