I experienced a momentary lag.
It wasn’t because his pronunciation was unclear or because I couldn’t hear, but it took quite some time for me to process his words.
“So…”
I asked, adjusting the spoon that had slipped from my hand,
“Are you… worried about me?”
“You state the obvious.”
The response came immediately, simple and direct.
Oddly enough, it was me who was left speechless, thrown off by the situation.
I knew that Ian was deeply shaken by my injury, but I hadn’t expected concern instead of a warning.
Blinking rapidly, I quickly fixed my gaze on the soup bowl in front of me.
The soup had cooled down and no longer steamed, yet, for some reason, my face felt warm.
‘What the heck, seriously?’
I held onto the spoon tightly for quite some time before regaining my composure.
I reminded myself not to get swayed just because he was being a little kind!
Suddenly lifting my head, I cleared my throat and said,
“… Anyway, you’re saying you’re considering giving up your right to the throne?”
“If Her Majesty allows it. There’s no real need for me to keep it.”
Ian would never become emperor.
It wasn’t just because of his relationship with Elisio.
Ian had spent a long time under the influence of the inhumane empress, who would stop at nothing to place him on the throne.
And the moment the empress met her end, facing the consequences of her own misdeeds, Ian made up his mind.
He would never fulfill her wishes.
‘So there’s no way he’ll inherit the throne.’
Besides, the power that came with the succession rights to the throne was not something that attracted Ian.
He had no desire for power in the first place.
While stirring the soup absentmindedly, I asked for confirmation,
“So, as you’ve said, as long as I don’t get hurt, it’s okay for me to interfere in this matter?”
He looked up. His steady gaze met mine.
“You are the Grand Duchess.”
“……”
“As a member of the Grand Duke’s family, directly involved in this matter, you have the right to do so.”
His permission sounded very much like something Ian Cloud would say.
I smiled faintly.
“Alright, leave it to me.”
❖ ❖ ❖
After the meal, I went back to my room and took out the red ruby ring I had stored in the jewelry box.
This was the ring I received after half-threatening Kyle.
He had showered me with flattery, saying that if I wore this ring and called for him, he would rush over like a bullet.
It was time to test that out.
‘Come to think of it, Kyle said he was heading north today on Ian’s orders.’
I wonder how fast he’ll get here.
I slipped the ring onto my index finger and rubbed the gemstone three times in a circular motion.
“Kyle, come see me for a moment.”
And then 1 second, 2 seconds, 3….
“You called, Your Grace?”
With a flash of light, Kyle appeared, his robe fluttering dramatically.
“Wow.”
Exactly 2.5 seconds.
Impressed, I cleared my throat.
“So, I hope I didn’t summon you while you were busy.”
“I was outrageously busy— I mean, it’s Your Grace’s call, of course I had to come! Even if I were on the other side of the continent, I’d still be here! Absolutely~”
He grumbled under his breath, his lips pouting, but soon started rubbing his hands together eagerly.
As expected, his over-the-top flattery skills were still intact.
I wasn’t surprised anymore.
With a sigh mixed in my gaze, I looked him up and down before asking,
“I wanted to ask you something. Have you decided what you’ll put on the front page of next week’s Aria Gazette?”
“No, there haven’t been any noteworthy events this week. I was thinking of using some sensational material like usual….”
Kyle excitedly rambled on before realizing, “Oops,” and began cautiously checking my expression.
“Uhm… why do you ask?”
Why do you think?
I grinned.
“Perfect. Then I’d like you to run a follow-up column on the front page.”
“A follow-up column?”
Kyle’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Sometimes we do run follow-ups on major stories, but… what kind of follow-up are you asking for?”
“What do you think?”
“No way…”
“Come here.”
I raised one corner of my mouth and gestured for him to come closer.
Still confused, Kyle approached me and leaned in so I could whisper in his ear.
I lowered my voice, even though there was no one else around to hear.
Whisper, whisper.
Kyle’s eyes grew large.
Backing away, he looked at me with a wavering gaze and asked,
“…Is that really okay? Your Grace, that’s practically fiction…”
“You didn’t hesitate to write a fictional story about the Duke and me.”
“Ahem! Fiction is great~”
Kyle cleared his throat, averting his eyes.
I looked at him disapprovingly for a moment before patting his back.
“Anyway, you understand, right? I’m counting on you.”
A wicked smile spread across my lips.
❖ ❖ ❖
Monday arrived.
On the front page of the newly published Aria Gazette was an article with a flashy title:
Follow-up: The Grand Duke and Duchess, Their Love Shines Bright Even in the Grip of Darkness! Who Threatens Their Beautiful Romance?
I smiled in satisfaction as I unfolded the newspaper. The title was perfect.
…The Grand Duchess suffered a grave injury during the recent incident at the resort. It is said she was unconscious for three whole days. Upon hearing this tragic news, this writer could not help but sigh. According to reliable sources, the Grand Duke has spent every night since then in tears.
Ah, they are indeed a tragic couple of the century! When will they finally break free from the forces of evil and embark on their romantic rendezvous? May they continue to love each other without growing weary! Let no one stand in the way of their love!
The content of the article, written with a good mix of drama and exaggeration, was even more satisfying than the title.
Nights spent crying and romantic rendezvous—none of that was true, of course.
It didn’t seem like much before, but now that I looked at it, the Aria Gazette’s tone and exaggerations were quite similar to Kyle’s manner of speaking.
‘You really see things more clearly once you know.’
I smirked as I continued reading.
Additionally, according to information obtained by this writer, the recent attack was carried out by a faction seeking to check the power of the Grand Duke! This writer expresses deep regret over the foolishness of certain forces who sought to interfere with a peaceful royal family trip.
The content that followed didn’t explicitly name anyone, but it was obviously aimed at certain nobles from the pro-emperor faction.
‘As Kyle said, since we haven’t caught the perpetrators, directly naming the emperor’s faction would lead to bad press, not only for Aria Gazette but for our side as well.’
Besides, people weren’t fools.
Even a vague hint would be enough for them to eagerly latch onto the bait.
Just as I predicted, the opinion section was already filled with posts arguing back and forth.
—Oh my, the Ice Grand Duke stayed by her side day and night. It must have been serious!
—They said she was stabbed during a date at the night market. Of course, it was a severe injury. I did wonder why we haven’t seen the Grand Duchess since then…
—That’s so sad.
Yes, I deliberately didn’t go out.
—Honestly, what did the two of them do wrong? Can’t they just be happy together?!
—It breaks my heart.
—Exactly! What crime did the Grand Duchess commit? And honestly, who doesn’t know it was the emperor’s faction behind this?
—Even His Majesty the Emperor has shown obvious affection for the Grand Duke. Who exactly is the emperor’s faction loyal to?
—They’re just eliminating threats to imperial authority. People in their position can’t be swayed by the emperor’s personal feelings.
—True. Just because they get along doesn’t mean the Grand Duke isn’t a threat to the princess’s succession. Have you forgotten what his mother did?
—The Levantine Empire abolished collective punishment long ago.
—Claiming it’s the emperor’s faction’s doing is just speculation. The article didn’t say anything like that.
—Do you think we’re idiots?
Yes, keep fighting, keep fighting.
I watched with great interest as new posts popped up every second, chewing on the end of my quill instead of popcorn.
Among them, there were some who voiced complaints of a different nature.
—But honestly, why is this even getting a follow-up column? I couldn’t care less about someone else’s love story.
—Was Aria Gazette bought off…?
—Oh, come on, why are you being like that? I think it’s fun. It’s practically like a romance novel.
—Aren’t they the most interesting couple in the Empire right now?
—But what about Duke Roger, then?
—Read the room.
Duke Roger, I won’t let you off easy either.
“…Hmm.”
There were occasional posts attacking the Grand Duke and me, but most seemed moved by the dramatic love story and were quite favorable towards us.
The problem, if there was one, was that a few seemed to be grinding their teeth.
But doesn’t the saying go that to be a true celebrity, you have to drive both your fans and your critics crazy?
Ignoring the negative comments, I lifted my quill.
In truth, the content of the follow-up article didn’t matter.
What I needed was attention and sympathetic gazes directed at Ian and me.
‘This is enough.’
The stage was set, and I still had my trump card to play.
—But isn’t this all because the Grand Duke still holds the right to the throne?
It was time to manipulate public opinion.
♧♧♧
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