Episode 101. A Changed Daily Life (1)

So, it was a funeral that day—the funeral of the Duke of Stewart and the day Percy Stewart became the new duke. The Duke, resting in eternal peace, looked so serene that the atmosphere at the funeral was different from that of an ordinary one. Moreover, rumors had spread just before the funeral that it was Percy who had killed his father, which added to the strange mood.

Grania, despite being expected to attend the funeral, had hidden herself away with a book instead, avoiding the heavy atmosphere.

‘There’s no point in going out there, I’d just be treated like an outsider anyway.’

The Duke of Stewart had been kind to Grania, but he never gave her the Stewart name. Since she wasn’t his biological daughter, Grania hadn’t expected it, but being treated as an outsider still hurt.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been reading when a shadow fell over her. Then, golden hair, shining like a halo, came into view.

“You enjoy fairy tales, don’t you, Sister?”

It was Percy.

“Wh-what?!”

Why was the chief mourner here? Startled, Grania blinked and dropped the book she was holding.

Percy calmly picked up the book and handed it back to her. His expression was neutral, devoid of any emotion.

“Here.”

“Th-thank you.”

Grania accepted the book awkwardly, her eyes wide with surprise. This wasn’t the time to be thanking him!

‘Why is he here?’

As the only son, shouldn’t he be sitting at his father’s funeral, wearing a sorrowful expression? But Percy’s face remained as calm as ever, as if all emotion had been stripped away.

Grania, who had been staring at Percy’s face in a daze, lowered her head and responded quietly, “Actually, it’s not exactly a fairy tale. It’s a story about a prince.”

It had too many words and no pictures to be a fairy tale. It was a love story—a story where a dashing prince rescues a poor common girl.

‘Just like the Duke of Stewart.’

Grania hadn’t believed in stories about princes before, but her opinion changed after meeting the Duke of Stewart. He had extended his hand to her mother, who had a daughter from a previous relationship, and willingly became a father to Grania.

But she couldn’t share this story with Percy, his biological son. She bit her lip and hunched her shoulders.

Percy’s red eyes glanced at the book she was holding. His cold voice echoed in her ears.

“A prince? Do you like such things?”

“Don’t all girls dream of a prince?” Grania replied hesitantly.

“I wouldn’t know,” Percy responded flatly.

Despite him being her younger brother and someone who treated her kindly, Grania could never feel completely at ease around Percy. It was a discomfort she knew would likely persist in the future. Normally, she would have let the conversation drop, allowing the awkwardness to pass until Percy withdrew on his own.

But for some reason, today, she felt an impulse to speak. Perhaps she wanted to offer some comfort to this cold, distant brother who was almost like a stranger to her.

“There must be a beautiful princess in this world who’s just right for you, Percy.”

Percy flinched at her words, his body giving a small, involuntary shudder.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.’

Grania thought, feeling a pang of regret. She hunched her shoulders awkwardly, unsure of his reaction. But then, for the first time, Percy’s lips curved into a soft smile.

“That’s unlikely,” he said.

It was a rare smile, but instead of appearing joyful, it seemed to lack energy, almost as if it was weighed down by something. Seeing this, Grania felt a surge of emotion, and she spoke more firmly.

“Why do you think that? There’s no one left to force you into anything now. You can choose someone you love.”

“Choose someone I love…”

Percy echoed, blinking as if the concept were foreign to him. He shook his head slowly.

“Even so, I’m not sure I would know how.”

Watching him, Grania bit her lip, a wave of memories flooding back. She remembered the first time she set foot in the Stewart estate, and the kind, handsome Duke who had said to her:

—You don’t need to bear the name Stewart.

Maybe, just maybe, those words meant more than simply not wanting to formally adopt her. Perhaps they carried a deeper meaning.

The thought made Grania’s eyes sting with unshed tears, and she bit her lip harder, trying to hold them back.

* * *
As I sat sipping the warm tea the maids had brought and nibbling on some sweet pastries, Percy suddenly appeared, speaking in a serious tone.

“I still think the wedding should be grand,” he declared.

I nearly choked on my tea. I thought I had made myself clear, so why was he bringing this up again?

“Cough! Cough!”

I tried to protest, but the tea had gone down the wrong way, making me cough uncontrollably. Percy, ever attentive, gently dabbed at my mouth with a handkerchief and then sat down beside me. After a few more bouts of coughing, I couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out in exasperation.

“What are you talking about? What about the ceremony we already had at the banquet?”

“A rehearsal?”

“Can you stop saying ridiculous things with such a straight face?”

Who even does a wedding rehearsal like that? And if that was a rehearsal, I want no part of it—it was like risking my life!

Beth was now locked away in the imperial prison, and Daniel Bohan had regained his senses. I knew there was no one left to threaten me, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling lingering in my chest.

As I furrowed my brow, lost in thought, Percy sighed softly.

“Or perhaps think of it as a reception. In any case, I’m against letting it pass by so easily.”

The man who usually went along with whatever I said was surprisingly adamant this time.

‘What’s his angle?’ I wondered, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Why are you so insistent on this all of a sudden? I thought you didn’t like grand events.”

“I don’t,” he admitted.

“Then why?”

If he didn’t like grand parties, what could he possibly gain from pushing for one? Shouldn’t he explain so that I can at least understand or be persuaded?

As I stared at him, Percy did something out of character—he bit his lip and lowered his gaze slightly, mumbling as if embarrassed.

“But women…”

“What?”

Why was he acting like this? The more he spoke, the less he resembled the Percy I knew. My frown deepened as I watched him.

Percy let out a big sigh and finally said.

“But don’t women like such things?”

“What?”

I blinked at him in surprise, then couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

So, he was saying that even though he didn’t care for it, he wanted to do something extravagant because he thought it would make me happy.

‘He’s become so adorable.’

This wasn’t like the Percy I knew!

I wrapped my arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. His crimson eyes gazed at me quietly. I playfully furrowed my brow and said.

“That’s such a stereotype. I don’t like it.”

“But in society, isn’t it important to appear grand?”

“Everyone’s different. If we’re going by what others do, then should we start changing your wardrobe to those tight-fitting tights other knights seem to prefer?”

“Ah… I think I’d rather not,” he replied, a bit sheepishly.

Not that I was seriously considering making him wear tights, but he would certainly look good in anything—even those.

Seeing that he finally seemed to understand, Percy nodded slowly. Still, he looked unconvinced as he added.

“But I don’t want to neglect anything related to my wife.”

“I didn’t know you were so thoughtful,” I said, still a bit taken aback by how he’d hidden this side of himself all along. I gave him a curious look.

As I struggled to process this newfound care from him, Percy raised his hand and gently cupped my face. His eyes met mine, and he smiled with a warmth that made my heart flutter.

“They call it a hidden charm.”

“You’re full of surprises,” I replied, smiling back.

No matter how much he wanted to please me, I just couldn’t bring myself to enjoy the idea. I shook my head.

“I don’t like parties. Crowded places give me headaches, and I especially hate being the center of attention. I’d probably faint if I were the star of the event.”

Back in school, I had always dreaded things like school plays. Even though the point was to show off to our parents, the mere thought of standing in front of so many people felt like torture.

Percy seemed amused by my confession.

“You think you’re a shy person, but that’s not true at all.”

“What are you talking about? I’m extremely shy. My heart feels like it’s going to burst just from looking at you.”

“Ah, well, that part is true.”

He pulled me close, wrapping his strong arms around my waist. The sudden closeness made my eyes widen.

With a soft, gentle voice, he said, “When I hold you like this, I can feel your heartbeat reverberating through my entire body. Especially…”

“Enough! Stop talking!” I cut him off.

This man!

My face flushed bright red as my heart started to race uncontrollably, just as he said. It was as if the sound of my pounding heart was echoing in my ears.

“See? Even now…”

Realizing what he was about to say, I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted out, desperate to change the subject.

“A honeymoon is better than a wedding!”