He was so close that she could hear his breathing.
“…Let’s do that,”
Hilane said hesitantly, her heart suddenly racing.
“Could you repeat that, please?”
Aachen asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
“I said, we can go… see it sometime,”
she replied, feeling her cheeks heat up. To hide her blush, Hilane quickly bowed her head.
Aachen, noticing her sudden shyness, called her gently,
“My Lady?”
“I think that’s enough sightseeing for now. Let’s go back,”
she said, avoiding eye contact with Aachen as she turned away.
“…!”
Suddenly, Hilane stumbled as the eagle swooped down and circled around them with a loud cry.
“My Lady,”
Aachen quickly reached out and caught her by the waist, steadying her.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.
“Yes, thank you. You can let go now,”
she replied, standing up straight with his help.
“It’s dangerous near the stairs,”
“……”
“I will come to escort you to the banquet later,”
he whispered in her ear, his deep voice sending shivers down her spine.
“I’m worried because it seems like you often get hurt. Please be careful,”
he added, referring to an incident on their journey to the territory.
Hilane quickly collected herself and stepped away from Aachen.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“I’ll stay a bit longer,”
“Then… I’ll see you later,”
she said, lifting her dress slightly to avoid tripping again.
“How cute,”
Aachen murmured, watching her retreating figure.
Her flushed ears, just like when he held her in the piano room, lingered in his mind.
He could easily guess what she was thinking.
The sight of Hilane blushing was almost too endearing to bear.
Aachen rubbed his face with a smile.
‘It would be nice if she remembered soon,’
He had intentionally played the lullaby she used to hum, hoping it would help her recall their past.
‘If she remembers that day, maybe she won’t avoid me anymore.’
* * *
Hilane returned to her room, a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead from walking quickly.
“How was the tour with the Grand Duke, Your Highness? Oh my, Your Highness!”
Elisha, who had been organizing Hilane’s luggage with the maids, rushed over, alarmed.
“Your face is so red. Did something happen?”
she asked, concerned. Hilane nodded, then quickly shook her head.
‘It’s hard to say nothing happened, but…’
“The room… it’s warm, that’s all,”
she said, searching for another excuse to change the subject.
“We should lower the fire in the fireplace… Oh!”
“Elisha, are you alright?”
Hilane exclaimed as Elisha accidentally burned herself while tending to the fireplace.
“You should be getting ready for the banquet…”
Elisha tried to hide her injured hand, worrying about Hilane.
“Is that important now? We can call other maids for that. Go get a cold cloth immediately,”
Hilane ordered, pulling a bell cord to summon help.
Shortly after, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Elisha opened the door, and three maids entered, each introducing themselves in turn:
“Lily greets Her Highness, the Grand Duchess!”
“I’m Daisy, Your Highness. It’s an honor to serve you at Hestur Castle.”
“I-I’m Lucy.”
As Hilane observed them, she thought,
‘Lily seems lively, Daisy is calm, and Lucy is a bit shy.’
They made a good first impression.
“Lucy, take care of Elisha. Lily and Daisy, help me get ready,”
With Elisha and a maid named Dahlia tending to her injury outside, Lily and Daisy discussed how to style Hilane’s hair.
“Daisy, how about leaving it down?”
“No, we should go for a neat look since it’s her first meeting with the vassals.”
“Maybe we could gather it to one side?”
“That could work.”
Once they decided, Daisy skillfully styled Hilane’s hair to one side, while Lily trimmed three blue roses from a vase to decorate it.
“With these, you’ll look even more stunning, Your Highness,”
Lily said, humming as she arranged the flowers in Hilane’s hair.
“You’ll outshine Lady Rosanna!”
“Hmm?”
Hilane asked, curious.
“Oh, Countess Leor’s wife has been managing the ladies’ reading club since her husband’s death two years ago,”
Lily explained, sighing.
“She acts like she’s the mistress of Hestur Castle. It’s so frustrating,”
“Didn’t you say the reading club is something the castle’s mistress should host?”
Hilane asked, puzzled.
“That’s right,” Daisy confirmed.
“But Lady Leor has been filling in, especially since she’s a princess from Daphne, a western region known for its trade ties with many houses here in Belzette.”
Hilane realized the political nuances at play.
“So, because offending her could disrupt trade, no one dares to voice their complaints,”
she surmised.
“Exactly,”
Daisy agreed, adding that Lady Leor even acts like the Grand Duke’s mistress, though she’s not. Lily chimed in,
“She even spread rumors of being his mistress because she was rejected by him before marrying Count Leor.”
Realizing she had said too much, Lily quickly apologized.
“I-I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
Hilane reassured her, “It’s fine. You’ve been very helpful.”
‘It’s better to know these things now than to hear them from someone else later,’
She thought, wondering if there was any truth to the rumors about Lady Leor and Aachen.
As she pondered this, the door across the room opened, and little Chevelyn, clutching a bunny plush, slowly walked in and nestled her face in Hilane’s lap.
“You may all leave now.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“We shall take our leave, Your Grace.”
Kissing Chevelyn’s cheek, Hilane dismissed Lilly and Daisy.
“She’s just so adorable.”
“Quiet, Lilly.”
Lilly and Daisy’s voices, praising Chevelyn, were heard from beyond the door.
* * *
After feeding Chevelyn a snack, the sun began to set.
Aachen arrived in Hilane’s room just in time for the banquet.
“The vassals have already arrived in the dining hall.”
“Really? Let’s go.”
Aachen offered his arm, which Hilane hesitantly took.
They walked together to the dining hall, where the vassals had already gathered, making lively conversation.
“Your Highness, Aachen!”
The attention was drawn to a flamboyantly dressed noblewoman who entered, drenched in a strong perfume.
“Lady Rosanna is here.”
Aachen sighed as he noticed Rosanna’s presence, his voice tinged with fatigue.
The vassals tensed up, holding their breath. Some even clicked their tongues in disapproval.
‘Could she really be the Grand Duke’s mistress?’
Rosanna caught Hilane’s gaze but quickly shifted her focus, addressing Aachen with a coy voice.
“I’ve been eagerly waiting for Your Highness, Aachen. It’s such a delight to meet again.”
“I thought you weren’t coming.”
Despite Aachen’s tired expression, Rosanna continued to flutter around him, unconcerned.
“How could I miss the goddess’s banquet when Your Highness is present?”
“Enough. First, pay your respects to Lady Hilane. Lady Rosanna.”
Rosanna pouted, seemingly upset that Aachen wasn’t addressing her more familiarly.
“Your Highness, you promised to call me by my name last time. Don’t you remember?”
Aachen ignored her plea and pointed out her oversight in acknowledging Hilane.
“Today’s banquet is to celebrate Lady Hilane’s arrival at Hestur Castle.”
At Aachen’s reminder, Rosanna reluctantly gave a slight nod.
“…Princess Rosanna of Daphne greets Your Grace, the princess of Peztaine.”
Rosanna introduced herself not as Lady Rosanna but as the princess of Daphne.
‘Hmph, so what if she’s a princess of Peztaine? In Belzette, people bow their heads to me, afraid of offending Daphne.’
She emphasized her status as a princess of Daphne to assert dominance over Hilane.
Rosanna was furious when she heard that Aachen was to marry Peztaine’s fourth princess.
‘How could he choose someone else over me, Lady Rosanna?’
Rosanna had married the Count for Aachen, choosing a wealthy but elderly man over other powerful nobles.
She endured this marriage, hoping to stay close to Aachen, whom she had admired since seeing him as a crown prince.
Though Aachen was now Belzette’s Grand Duke, the Emperor of Calliosa still considered him the crown prince.
Rosanna dreamed of becoming Aachen’s wife and future empress of Requier, but now, another woman held that title.
“It’s a surprise to see Your Grace, the princess of Peztaine, here in Belzette.”
“Surprising? Why so?”
“You’ve only recently divorced, haven’t you?”
Rosanna feigned innocence, her eyes blinking, masking her condescension.
Despite her efforts, Hilane had secured the position Rosanna had long coveted.
‘So, she’s the daughter of an empress, adopted by Empress Isabella after her mother’s death.’
Rosanna gritted her teeth behind her fan.
‘As the adopted daughter of Empress Isabella, she’s nothing more than a concubine’s daughter. How dare she cling to His Highness like this after barely getting divorced?’
Rosanna couldn’t stand seeing Hilane holding Aachen’s arm.
Despite Hilane’s beauty, Rosanna believed herself superior.
‘I am the only legitimate princess of Daphne. This illegitimate daughter of an emperor isn’t on the same level as me!’
She snapped her fan shut with a loud click.
“Lady Rosanna, your words are quite disrespectful.”
Aachen interjected, noticing Rosanna’s lack of decorum toward Hilane.
“Your Highness, how could you treat me this way?”
Rosanna was dismayed at Aachen’s indifference towards her, focusing solely on Hilane.
“Aachen, wait a moment.”
Hilane recognized Rosanna’s one-sided feelings toward Aachen.
‘This situation shouldn’t end with the Grand Duke merely reprimanding Lady Rosanna.’
Gently pressing Aachen’s arm, Hilane stopped him from saying more.
“…Hilane?”
Aachen looked puzzled, but Hilane smiled and turned to Rosanna.
Rosanna didn’t fully grasp who Hilane was.
Hilane had been observing, waiting for the right moment to act.
Although she had already formally taken her place as the lady of Hestur Castle and the Grand Duchess of Belzette, Rosanna’s treatment suggested otherwise.
If Hilane didn’t assert her authority now, she would struggle to command respect as the Grand Duchess.
It seemed the vassals were testing her, observing if she was fit to be their lady.
‘Lady Rosanna has unintentionally given me the perfect opportunity to solidify my position here.’
Hilane had finished calculating her next steps.
“Lady Rosanna.”
“…?”
“I am not yet familiar with the customs here.”
Hilane smiled calmly.
‘Why do I feel so irritated?’
Of course, she was angry not just because of Rosanna’s rudeness but because Aachen clearly had no affection for her.
Despite knowing this, Hilane’s emotions were hard to control.
‘It’s only natural to feel upset when another woman fawns over your husband right after the wedding.’
Hilane felt a mix of emotions.
‘If I don’t establish authority now, Chevelyn will be disrespected in the future.’
That was the root of Hilane’s discomfort: the potential disrespect toward Chevelyn.
Having identified the cause, she felt more at ease.
“Please continue to guide me, Lady Rosanna.”
Hilane gave a faint smile, looking directly at Rosanna.
Rosanna, not understanding what Hilane meant, furrowed her brow.
“Continue… to guide?”
Hilane maintained her elegant smile as she added
“I thought it was the norm to ignore eye contact with superiors during conversations.”
Rosanna’s face hardened at this refined rebuke.
“I’m just joking. Even if one doesn’t know, there’s no need to learn from someone below them.”
Hilane continued, causing Rosanna’s fingers to tremble with humiliation.
“If anything, superiors should correct the inappropriate behavior of their inferiors. Is that not correct?”
“…”
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