The Princess stood on the castle wall with her arms crossed, looking down indifferently.
Her face was hard to see, obscured by the backlight.
Declan, who had been staring at her intently, only withdrew his gaze after she turned away from the wall.
The monastery of Lopwell was a building as desolate as the land itself. Declan entered the monastery while exchanging greetings with the abbot and Theo. Declan’s ritual thanks and the abbot’s flowery praise were exchanged.
While quietly listening to the abbot’s endless praise, Declan suddenly asked Theo where the Princess was.
“I should pay my respects.”
The added excuse was somewhat weak. Nevertheless, Theo guided him without showing any signs of suspicion.
After telling Rio and his adjutants to take a rest, he followed Theo.
All the while, Theo, apparently delighted to see him after so long, chattered endlessly. Though Declan’s mind was elsewhere, fortunately, it seemed he didn’t show it outwardly.
Theo guided him to the door and excused himself, saying they should greet each other comfortably. As he stood there, unable to knock easily, he encountered her just as she was entering her quarters.
When she noticed him and stopped, Declan gave a silent bow.
“I pay my respects, Your Highness.”
A smile slowly spread across the Princess’s face as she saw him. His gaze, which had been quietly observing her face, moved downward.
Naturally, the Princess was dressed very differently from her time at the Imperial Palace. It wasn’t just a matter of shabbiness.
Rather than clothes made of worn-out fabric, she wore an outfit with a deeply cut neckline and tightly fitted waist and hips—attire somewhat unsuitable for someone of her position as Princess.
“Grand Duke.”
With a gentle voice, she approached him.
“I’m glad you’ve returned without serious injury.”
Declan slightly raised his eyebrows at the unexpectedly warm welcome. The Princess, paying no mind to this, smiled sweetly. It was beautiful but somehow awkward.
“We’ve seen each other a few times at the Imperial Palace, but this might be our first proper conversation, right?”
Declan stared at her tense smile before answering.
“Not the first time, Your Highness.”
At these words, her curved lips twitched slightly.
“Ah, is that so?”
The Princess laughed dryly. Declan followed with a weak smile of his own.
“Are you comfortable with your stay here?”
Instead of answering, Sienna showed a bitter smile. At her clumsy attempt at charm, Declan unconsciously let out a laugh.
He didn’t need to hear her answer to know it. Even with her smile, the subtle irritation evident on her face clearly showed that she hadn’t adapted to life here at all.
More than that, he was merely curious about what purpose this blatant flirtation served.
She cleared her throat briefly and got to the point.
“Will you be returning directly to the capital after passing through Lopwell?”
He answered, his voice still tinged with amusement.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I see.”
Sienna, nodding her head, slowly approached him. With each step she took, the trembling in her eyes was clearly visible.
“I know this is terribly shameless to ask, but…”
The Princess finally raised her head and met his gaze.
“Could you possibly take me to the capital?”
At the predictable request, Declan silently looked down at her without responding. She frantically grabbed his arm.
“I’ll give you anything I can offer.”
When he still made no response, anxiety crept across Sienna’s face.
“I can’t die here like this. After all I’ve endured at the Imperial Palace… after everything I’ve gone through…”
She panted and breathed heavily.
“Your Highness.”
“You’re the only one who can save me. The only one.”
Speaking frantically, Sienna gripped his arm tightly.
“If you just promise to take me with you, I’ll give you everything I can.”
“Is that why you’re dressed like this?”
Declan asked in a dry voice. At this, Sienna’s face turned red.
She glared at him briefly, clearly annoyed that he had so casually exposed her intentions. But eventually, she lowered her gaze and muttered in a voice still filled with resentment.
“It’s not such a big deal…”
Declan suppressed a cynical laugh as he thought.
Sex in a building that reeked of rotting corpses. It wasn’t to his taste.
He knew. He knew that all this woman had to offer him was her body, and that she must be in dire straits to abandon even her tremendous pride like this.
He could understand her desperate desire to return to the capital for revenge against her own flesh and blood. Hadn’t he himself survived the battlefield driven by vengeance alone?
But taking her would clearly incur the Emperor’s wrath. What he would have to risk was too great to exchange for just one night of cheap pleasure.
“If I were to escort Your Highness, it would go against His Majesty the Emperor’s wishes.”
He meant that he had no reason to take such a risk.
At these words, Sienna’s face filled with despair. As Declan quietly looked down at her, his lips suddenly curved into a smile.
“You said you would give me everything if I took you to the capital.”
He took hold of the hand gripping his arm and instead of letting go, stared at it intently.
Perhaps due to the dry, cold weather here, her chapped skin felt somewhat rough. She seemed conscious of this and tried to quickly withdraw her hand, but Declan wouldn’t let go.
He leisurely admired her hand. The pale, thin ring finger would look quite fitting with the Grand Duke’s ring on it.
“There might be a way.”
****
When the army returned, strange rumors spread through the capital.
Would you believe it, the exiled Second Princess had been spotted in the capital. While this implausible story was being dismissed as groundless gossip due to lack of evidence, another rumor spread that the Grand Duke, returning from war, had brought a woman with him.
Amid the mounting confusion, speculation about the woman’s identity suddenly became rife.
“It must be the First Princess. She was hunting at the Sendelk Mountain villa, so she probably came back with him.”
One noblewoman spoke with complete confidence.
“Everyone knows the First Princess has been in love with His Grace for ages. She used to light up whenever she tried to speak to the Grand Duke… Oh my… Her nose will really be in the air now.”
She fanned herself with a disgusted expression. The noblewoman beside her tilted her head.
“Could it be the Second Princess? You know, there were those widespread rumors about her being spotted outside Lopwell recently. Moreover, they say the Grand Duke stayed in Lopwell for several weeks before coming to the capital from the border.”
“That makes sense. My maid’s younger sister works at the Grand Duke’s residence, and she says she saw the Second Princess.”
“How scandalous! Did they fall in love at the monastery?”
A noblewoman who had been listening quietly clicked her tongue as if the mere thought was unsightly.
“Impossible. Unless he’s gone mad.”
The noblewoman who first spoke scoffed dismissively.
“That would be like making an enemy of the Emperor—how could the Grand Duke do such a thing?”
“True…”
At these words, the gossiping noblewomen nodded in understanding. Though they elegantly fanned themselves, their faces were filled with intrigue.
“Whatever the case, this year’s social season has found its main character.”
While all sorts of debates raged outside, the Monferrato Grand Duke’s residence remained as usual.
However, even though they didn’t show it outwardly, the Grand Duke’s vassals were just as confused about the situation as outsiders.
Though they couldn’t openly oppose the Grand Duke’s decision, their dark expressions showed that everyone questioned whether this was right.
Count Monches was no exception.
He had been the strongest opponent when the Grand Duke first brought the Princess from Lopwell. Even if the Grand Duke was human and susceptible to feminine charms, this was too much.
Marriage? And to this Princess, of all people!
If it had to be a princess, at least the First Princess would have offered some advantages. Being the Emperor’s full sister, setting aside personal feelings, there would have been clear benefits for the Grand Duke’s house. But this Princess offered nothing.
Though she was beautiful, she was known for her violent temperament, and while noble through her paternal lineage, she was also descended from traitors on her maternal side. She was unsuitable to become the Grand Duchess in many ways.
Count Monches shuddered as he recalled the woman with the arrogant gaze.
‘This is absolutely maddening.’
The Grand Duke, being a man, could be enchanted by a beautiful woman. But marriage among imperial nobles wasn’t a matter to be decided by mere emotions.
Moreover, considering the history of the House of Monferrato, his marriage required even more careful consideration.
Rather than the daughter of an enemy who brought only liabilities, he should marry a daughter from a powerful family that could strengthen the Grand Duke’s position.
The Count couldn’t understand why the Grand Duke was insisting on this marriage despite earning the Emperor’s displeasure and having to give up all his military authority.
Sitting in his office chewing his lip, the Count finally couldn’t bear it anymore and stormed out of his seat.
