“Episode 19”
Richard’s proposal was meticulously detailed, like a military operation. It was suspiciously well-thought-out, raising questions about how long he had been planning it. However, the authenticity of his intentions was undeniable, given he had even provided divorce papers.
[Carriage accidents are not uncommon. If unlucky, they can happen at any time, so there will be no suspicion.]
He had written the letter with careful attention, ensuring Aris, who grew up in the palace and knew little about carriages, could easily visualize the plan.
[Rest assured. My horses, all of which have been through battle, can handle simple maneuvers. However, the carriage will shake, so make sure to secure any dangerous edges beforehand.]
The plan was straightforward. They would meet on the bridge where they first encountered each other. At that moment, the ducal carriage would fall into a weak spot on the bridge, causing the already agitated horses to bolt and collide with Aris’s carriage.
[From the outside, it will look like a severe accident, but it will merely cause a shake, and the horses will run off. Then, apply the ointment and claim that the injuries were sustained from the impact inside the carriage. The ointment will ensure the marks are gone within a week, so use it liberally.]
Aris remembered how Richard’s hand had turned red and swollen after applying the ointment. Just by applying it to her face, the palace would be thrown into chaos, and her chance of becoming Empress would be gone.
“To His Majesty, my only value was my beauty.”
It was a bitter truth. Despite being married, Patrick had valued her only for her looks.
“If that beauty is marred, His Majesty will never choose me.”
It was fortunate that the Emperor was foolish, just as Richard had said. Although Richard did not know, Aris was well aware of how ruthless the Emperor was. Patrick would have discarded her even if she had been Empress, had her face been disfigured.
[Once the date is set, I will execute the plan immediately. After the commotion dies down, I will formally propose, taking responsibility for the accident.]
His plan was meticulous to the end. Once she was ousted from the position of Empress, he would step forward, taking responsibility, making it impossible for the royal family to reject the Duke’s proposal.
[P.S. Please do not overfeed Fell.]
This part made her smile every time she read it. The stern man’s inclusion of such notes was endearing.
“Fell, are you leaving now?”
-Caw.
Today, too, Fell elegantly took his leave and flew into the sky.
“Such a polite bird.”
Aris closed the window. All that was left was to choose the date and send the letter to Fell with the signal whistle. But before that, there was something she had to do. After a moment of thought, she rang the silver bell.
“Princess, you called?”
Soon, Veronica entered the bedroom.
“Yes. Come, sit down for a moment.”
“I’ll make some tea.”
Despite the fact that preparing tea at night and attending the princess were tasks that could be left to ordinary maids, Veronica always took care of Aris herself.
“It’s chrysanthemum tea. I noticed you’ve been having trouble sleeping lately.”
She couldn’t very well say it was because of a polite bird visiting late at night.
“Just…”
“You’re anxious about the upcoming marriage, aren’t you?”
In a sense, it was true. Aris gazed at Veronica’s face. The head maid’s gently aging, kind face was dearer to her than anyone else.
“Veronica, I have something to tell you.”
“Yes, please tell me anything.”
Veronica had risked her life for Aris too easily. Feeling both grateful and guilty, Aris held onto her hand for a long time.
—
Ricard also found himself unable to sleep.
“Fell, you seem to be getting fatter.”
Ignoring his comment, Fell moved to his perch, which irked Ricard slightly. A highly trained black bird like Fell was worth as much as a castle. Yet, here was Aris, fattening the bird up.
“The Duchess has arrived.”
At the attendant’s announcement, Ricard nodded and shifted his gaze from the window to the sofa.
“Sister.”
Roxane sat on the sofa and fixed her gaze on Ricard. It was a peculiar sight, the siblings conversing from opposite ends of the large room.
“I heard about the plan from Dmitri. It’s a decent plan, but… will it succeed?”
“Do you doubt the North’s finest horses?”
“It’s not the horses I doubt, it’s the human heart.”
“The princess wouldn’t… ”
Roxane shook her head.
“The emperor and the Leon Kingdom are the variables. We can only guess at their intentions and cannot interfere with them.”
“As for the emperor, he shouldn’t be an issue. You know that well, don’t you?”
Though the ducal house had cut off external exchanges, they had not been idle. They had been secretly monitoring the Bernhardt imperial family for generations. Their spies were well-placed and undetected.
“He is the worst emperor in history. A perfectionist who judges everything by its utility. Do you think such a man would embrace a fiancée whose face has been disfigured, whom he hasn’t even formally engaged?”
“Indeed. Some men abandon their wives if they can’t bear children or fall ill and become disfigured.”
“And they haven’t even exchanged letters, despite her being the empress designate.”
“Yes, I heard this from the princess.”
Roxane scowled at that.
“Unpleasant man. He treats women like commodities.”
“And that’s fortunate for us.”
“The emperor aside, what about the Leon Kingdom?”
“Parents willing to hand over their daughter to a man who treats her like a commodity… aren’t exactly normal.”
Indeed, Roxane nodded. The Leon Kingdom was publicly proud of their princess being the empress designate. There were even rumors that they had borrowed a substantial sum against the dowry.
“Our North is wealthy. We won’t be outbid in terms of dowry.”
“And that brings me to my request.”
Ricard gauged the distance between himself and his sister. Even though it was about eight large steps, Roxane’s expression wasn’t very encouraging.
“Given my condition, it’s impossible for me to travel to the kingdom and propose.”
Someone would inevitably sense Ricard’s intensity, and that someone could very well be the king.
“Sometimes a woman must take the lead.”
Roxane replied with a haughty smile.
“Leave the proposal and the arrangement of the marriage to me. The budget is unlimited.”
Ricard nodded without hesitation.
“First, we must take down the queen.”
Roxane’s dark eyes gleamed intelligently.
“War isn’t solely the domain of men.”
There was a fierce kind of battle that took place under the guise of beauty and elegant decor.
“With force?”
At Ricard’s tactless question, Roxane glared at him sharply.
“Have you forgotten who is asking whom for a favor here?”
“…I retract my statement.”
“I’ll let it slide for the sake of Princess Aris. I really like her.”
Though she said that, her true motivation was to alleviate her brother’s heavy loneliness.
“To be clear, even if the princess didn’t have her unique constitution, I would still like her.”
“I feel the same way.”
Ricard blurted out involuntarily, then awkwardly turned his back. This made Roxane feel even more compelled to roll up her sleeves and get involved.
“Don’t worry, I’ll do my best.”
Already, behind the scenes, many people were striving to change Aris’s future.
—
A few days later, Aris sat in a carriage, clutching Veronica’s hand tightly with trembling fingers. The relentless rain only added to her anxiety.
“Don’t worry. We’ve cushioned all the corners of the carriage. After everything is done, I’ll remove them and hide them immediately. And wear this.”
“Okay.”
Both women donned hats stuffed full of padding. They were so large they covered their entire faces.
“We’re on the bridge now.”
Aris nodded, her heart pounding. She could feel the carriage moving over the stone bridge, a symbolic crossing of fate.
“Danger! The horse is… it’s bolting!”
Someone shouted loudly from outside the carriage. In an instant, the sound of a horse neighing nervously filled the air, and the carriage jolted violently. Though uninjured, Aris felt dizzy and nauseous.
“Princess.”
Despite the chaos, Veronica quickly removed Aris’s hat and hid it in the luggage compartment beneath the bridge. Aris then hurriedly applied the ointment to both her and Veronica’s faces.
“Ouch… it stings.”
Soon, red marks resembling bruises appeared on their faces.
“Princess, are you alright?”
By the time the servant opened the carriage door, having finally calmed the bolting horse, everything was already over.
