I was momentarily stunned by the sudden, out-of-context remark that came up during our meal.
I neither put the fork in my mouth nor set it down, and in that brief moment, the pea stuck on it fell onto the plate and rolled around.
On the other hand, Ian looked more relieved than calm, as if he had chewed over the words for a long time before spitting them out.
“I thought it was something that needed to be said.”
After a brief pause, he added, and uncharacteristically took a sip of water, as if his throat was dry.
‘What’s with him, bringing this up out of the blue?’
Though it was a shift in mood that left me unsure how to respond, I couldn’t just ignore it, so I slowly nodded.
“Well, thank you for letting me know.”
Then I picked up the pea that had fallen onto the plate.
“Are you planning to accompany the princess to the separate palace?”
Before I could bring the fork close to my mouth, he asked.
I glanced between the pea and Ian, and shrugged.
“…It’s something His Majesty the Emperor personally proposed, so do I really have a choice?”
Though it was presented as a suggestion, it was practically a royal decree—refusing would be tantamount to treason.
“He wouldn’t punish you for not going. So, feel free to make your own decision.”
As if to remind me that he’s royalty.
As if to say it’s okay to refuse.
I put the pea, which was dangling precariously on the edge of the fork, into my mouth and asked,
“What about you, Grand Duke? Have you still not decided?”
“…I’m considering it.”
“You do know this, right? If you don’t go, I’ll be left alone between His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, and the princess.”
“…….”
My words, heavy with implication, left Ian looking troubled, but he didn’t offer an immediate reply.
‘For someone who says they’re considering it, it seems like he’s already leaning heavily in one direction.’
Well, of course, he wouldn’t want to go.
It’s not so much that he dislikes it; it’s more that he finds it burdensome.
In truth, I could have used social rumors or reputation as an excuse to hint that ‘if I go on this journey alone, what will become of the image of a harmonious couple we’ve built?’ But for once, I didn’t want to do that.
‘After all, the Imperial City is like a reverse scale to Ian.’
Ian’s biological mother, the former Empress, saw Ian not as a child to be loved, but as a pawn to solidify her position within the Imperial City.
She wanted more than anything to survive, to hold even greater power.
For such an Empress, Ian, who carried half the Emperor’s blood, was a perfect tool to keep the legitimate heir, Elisio, in check and pressure the Empress.
It was also the Empress who, if necessary, whispered to Ian to kill his closest allies, to feel nothing, to kill his emotions.
‘After that incident when he was ten, Ian completely…’
So it was only natural that Ian would consciously keep his distance from Emperor Elisio and the princess.
The closer he got to them, the greater the risk would become.
‘That tendency also became a barrier to getting closer to Diana.’
In the original story, Diana eventually persuaded Ian over a long period, creating a nuance that he might begin to get closer to the Emperor, which is where the story ended.
If Ian could overcome that sooner, it would be good for Diana, for Ian, and for the Emperor.
I briefly rolled my eyes before looking at him.
“…Do you have time today?”
❖ ❖ ❖
By the afternoon, the sunlight was unusually harsh.
It seemed that summer was truly on its way, as even in a light, short-sleeved dress with a thin shawl draped over it, I could feel the heat.
When I asked if he had time, Ian didn’t press for a reason, simply agreeing, and right after breakfast, we rode a carriage to the bustling market district.
We arrived at a place called ‘Melan Street,’ known for its various fabrics and materials.
After getting off the carriage, Ian looked around at the bustling street, filled with all sorts of fabrics and materials, and asked,
“Why did you come here?”
“To buy a birthday gift for the princess.”
I answered nonchalantly, and as usual, he raised one eyebrow in a habitual frown.
“…Here?”
He looked confused, which was understandable.
This place sold raw fabrics, gemstones, beads, and other materials in bulk and wholesale, not finished, pretty products. It was like deciding to go to Dongdaemun Fabric Market to pick out a gift.
‘But it’s not like the princess would prefer an existing product from the market anyway.’
And most importantly, there was something here that the princess would absolutely love.
Instead of answering, I gave him a slight smile and took his hand.
He seemed to freeze for a moment.
“I’m not going to bite.”
“…….”
“Follow me. The streets here are complicated.”
❖ ❖ ❖
‘Let’s see, at this time, the store should have just opened.’
I kept my eyes busy as we walked past stores tightly packed in the maze-like alleyways.
Ian, with his hand held in mine, didn’t seem thrilled, but he followed me surprisingly obediently.
After wandering around for about ten minutes, we finally arrived at our destination, and I beamed.
“Found it.”
Just as I thought, I arrived at the perfect time.
In front of me was a small cart shop selling various laces, satin ribbons, and other materials.
It had probably been about a week since it opened.
The state of the cart was so poor that it was pitiful at first glance, and the pile of ribbons and materials was arranged in a haphazard manner, without any sense of order.
The shop was so neglected that even flies seemed to avoid it, and the bearded shopkeeper was dozing off.
Confirming our destination, Ian looked at me with concern.
“Surely, you’re not planning to buy the gift from….”
“That’s right.”
“Just to be sure, you don’t have any ill will toward the princess….”
Come on.
“It’s not like that. Don’t assume things you don’t know.”
I dragged Ian, who looked like he couldn’t believe his eyes, to the cart.
“Excuse me, shopkeeper.”
“Ah! Welcome.”
The shopkeeper, who had been dozing off with his head nearly buried in the ribbon strings, jerked awake and wiped the drool from his mouth.
He was a burly man in his forties with a thick mustache and beard, and if it weren’t for the cart in front of him, he would have easily been mistaken for a street thug.
His eyes half-open, he glanced over our attire, and his face went pale with realization.
“Y-You seem to be people of high status. What brings you here…? Have I done something wrong…?”
His nervous gaze kept flickering to his cart.
‘We’re not here to take anything from you.’
After all, when nobles came to these back alleys, it was usually to demand land use fees or to chase commoners away.
I smiled innocently, making it clear that I had no such intentions.
“I’m here to buy ribbons. Why else would I be here?”
“W-What?”
“You’re selling ribbons and lace, aren’t you?”
“Y-Yes, that’s correct, but….”
His baffled reaction reminded me of the time I first visited Madame Zed’s shop.
I ignored his half-baffled, half-skeptical expression and turned my attention to the items on the cart.
“Hmm, are all these items for sale?”
“Yes, yes. They are, but…”
I picked up a lace ribbon from the pile and inspected it closely.
The ribbons, lace, and materials haphazardly placed on the old cart looked like scraps or leftover stock, but upon closer inspection, their quality was noticeably high.
Especially the lace, which had a unique pattern and style that couldn’t be found on the market.
‘So this lace was all handcrafted by that huge pair of hands.’
I glanced at the shopkeeper’s rough hands out of the corner of my eye.
‘Even knowing it, it’s hard to believe.’
Muttering to myself, I began to seriously pick out items.
“Grand D-… I mean, you. Do you see anything you like?”
Ian looked down.
“They all look the same to me.”
The shopkeeper’s face fell.
♧♧♧
If you want to support the translation and the translator, please buy a coffee 🐳
