I finally put down the napkin I had been holding tightly and responded.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I met the Princess at the season party held at the Brilluze mansion.”
“The Princess spoke so much about you; it seems she took quite a liking to the Duchess.”
“The Princess was kind enough to think well of me during the party. I’m simply grateful.”
As I answered politely, the Emperor, after taking a sip of water, smoothly joined the conversation.
“Up until then, had the two of you not had much interaction?”
“No, Your Majesty. Other than our wedding and a few official events in the capital, we hadn’t had the chance to meet.”
To be precise, it was because Eloise distanced herself not just from the Princess but from all the nobles.
“The Princess mentioned that she introduced you to her personal dressmaker this time.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It was another opportunity given to me thanks to the Princess’s favorable impression. My dressmaker was also very pleased.”
Hearing my courteous response, the Emperor narrowed his eyes playfully.
“We’re lucky the Princess didn’t throw a tantrum, but don’t be too modest.”
“Oh, no. The Princess complimented my dress that day, and out of gratitude, I offered the introduction myself.”
Putting down his glass, the Emperor added,
“At any rate, I’m glad the Princess seems to have taken quite a liking to you. It’s rare for her to show affection; usually, she’s more prone to dislike.”
“Haha…”
“Isn’t that right, Empress? Even the Duchess of Brilluze struggled to properly manage her, delaying the crown prince’s appointment.”
“The Duchess of Brilluze is doing a fine job, Your Majesty.”
Yes, like Pavlov’s dog, practically.
I swallowed the words that came to the tip of my tongue and maintained a calm smile.
It seemed that despite receiving education from the Duchess, the Princess had caused quite a bit of trouble everywhere. It wasn’t difficult to discern the true meaning behind the Emperor’s elegant words.
The Emperor, who had been gazing at me intently, spoke.
“That reminds me, I’d like the Duke and Duchess to accompany us to the southern palace on the Princess’s upcoming birthday celebration.”
“Pardon?”
I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in surprise. The Emperor continued in a casual tone, as if expecting my reaction.
“The Duchess of Brilluze was originally supposed to accompany us, but something important came up. Since the trip is scheduled for a week, she said it would be difficult for her to be away for so long.”
The Emperor shook his head regretfully.
“Since it’s a royal event, the Empress and I will be attending, but as you know, we’ll still have a lot of work to do at the southern palace, meeting with the lords of the southern lands.”
He turned his gaze to Ian.
“So, could the Duke and Duchess assist us?”
“Ah…”
Caught off guard by the unexpected request, I blinked in surprise.
At the same time, I realized that this was the real reason the Emperor and Empress had summoned us.
‘Though he phrased it as a request…’
It was practically an invitation to an official royal event for me and the Duke. And the pretext was that the Princess had taken a liking to me.
It wasn’t something we could refuse.
‘Besides, this isn’t really about me…’
I glanced sideways at Ian, who was seated next to me. As expected, his expression had noticeably hardened compared to earlier.
‘Well, there goes the pleasant atmosphere.’
Internally sighing, I subtly placed my utensils down.
While the Emperor’s words seemed to be directed at me, the real target was Ian.
If he had asked him directly, he would have undoubtedly refused outright, so he had used me as a convenient excuse.
‘So that Ian wouldn’t be able to decline.’
An uncomfortable silence briefly settled over the dining hall. After a moment, Ian spoke up.
“If assistance is needed for the Princess’s trip to the southern palace, there are certainly other noblewomen who could help. There’s no particular reason it must be the Duchess.”
“But who else, besides the Duchess, could handle the Princess as well?”
“…If that’s the case, then invite the Duchess for three days. Meanwhile, I’ll remain in the capital to attend to my duties…”
“Now, now, how could a husband send his wife off to the south on her own? That’s far too cold-hearted, brother.”
The Emperor cut Ian off with a sly smile.
“That’s not what I meant—”
“But it is. Just as rumors are beginning to spread about how close you two have become, how would it look if the Duchess were sent to the south alone?”
“……”
“Isn’t that right, Duchess?”
The Emperor subtly directed the question toward me, while Ian’s gaze locked onto me as well.
‘Why are you both doing this to me?’
I broke into a cold sweat, caught between the two siblings. I couldn’t side with the Emperor, nor could I support Ian by opposing him.
“In any case, I hope both of you will accompany us.”
Though it was phrased as a request, it was essentially an imperial command that couldn’t be refused. Ian’s expression grew even more rigid.
“I appreciate Your Majesty’s invitation to join the Imperial family on holiday, but…”
He set down the cutlery he had been holding.
“There are many eyes watching. For a duke, who is no longer part of the Imperial family, to accompany such an event would not look good in the eyes of the other nobles…”
“Ian.”
Once again, the Emperor cut him off, his previously playful demeanor replaced with a serious gaze as he stared at him.
“Just because you’ve taken the title of Duke doesn’t mean you’re no longer part of the royal family.”
Ian pressed his lips together, falling silent. After holding his gaze for a moment, the Emperor smiled again and raised his glass.
“So, don’t worry too much. The Princess is looking forward to the Duchess’s company, right?” he winked at me.
“Haha… yes, Your Majesty,” I replied awkwardly, raising my glass with a nervous smile.
The Emperor took a sip of his drink nonchalantly before turning his gaze back to Ian.
“So, what’s your answer?”
“…I’ll consider it.”
“Good, I’ll be waiting for a positive response.”
Looking at the smiling Emperor and Ian’s darkened expression, I thought to myself,
‘This won’t be easy….’
❖ ❖ ❖
The rest of the meal was finished in an awkward atmosphere.
Despite the deliciously aged beef main course, no one other than the Emperor seemed to enjoy their meal.
Ian appeared visibly displeased, the Empress was preoccupied with making sure the Emperor didn’t get upset by Ian’s mood, and I, stuck between the three of them like the filling in a sandwich, could barely breathe.
After what felt like ten hours but was actually just one, the attendants quickly cleared the dessert plates, and Ian immediately stood up from his seat.
“Thank you for inviting us. We’ll take our leave now.”
“D-Duke…?”
I called out to him in a whisper, glancing between the Emperor and Ian, but he ignored me and grabbed the jacket he had draped over the chair. The Emperor, who had been lazily watching, grinned widely.
“Well, my dear brother must have important duties to attend to, so you should get going. But, Duchess?”
“…Yes?”
Ian stopped in his tracks as the Emperor directed his question toward me.
‘Why am I always the one held hostage…!’
Suppressing the urge to scream, I forced a trembling smile.
“Is there… something you need?”
“I have some matters I wish to discuss with you. It’s been a while since we last spoke properly, hasn’t it? Not since the wedding.”
Matters, he says. Since when were the Emperor and Eloise ever in the habit of having conversations?
Sensing the tension, the Empress turned to Ian with a smile “While they chat, how about you and I share a cup of tea before you leave?”
The couple’s teamwork was flawless, almost frighteningly so.
With the Empress joining in, Ian couldn’t very well refuse outright. He sighed, resigned, and followed her out of the room.
“I’ll see you shortly, My Lady.”
Even as he left, he made sure to emphasize “shortly,” clearly signaling that I should wrap things up quickly.
How meticulous…
♧♧♧
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