Episode 93

“Princess?”

It was none other than Jamie.

Jamie spotted me and quickly approached, grasping my hands with an eager smile.

“What a coincidence meeting you here! Could it be fate?”

“Haha… What brings you here, Jamie?”

“This tea house is so famous that word of it even reached Devar. I was curious and decided to drop by. But more importantly…”

Jamie feigned a pout, her expression tinged with playful offense.

“Calling me ‘Princess’ again? Are we building walls between us now?”

Ah, I’d forgotten.

‘Right, I practically got swept up into agreeing to call her by her name.’

“My mistake, Jamie unnie.”

“You must keep calling me that from now on, okay?”

Jamie, who particularly loved being addressed as unnie, only just seemed to notice there was someone else in the tea house.

“Oh my, who do we have here? Grand Duke Karsian is here too.”

“Your Highness,” Ludwig greeted her with a slight bow, his gaze carrying the distinct air of a host addressing an unwelcome guest.

“I appreciate your visit, but unfortunately, today is our rest day. Perhaps you could return another time.”

“A rest day? Then why is the Grand Duke entertaining guests?”

“Because I’ve reserved the place,” Ludwig replied calmly.

Jamie blinked, momentarily at a loss, before her expression shifted to one of determination.

“Owner, how much is the cost to reserve this place for a day? I’ll pay it too.”

“There is no reservation fee. This establishment belongs to His Grace,” the owner explained with a polite bow.

Ludwig shrugged lightly, as if to say, What can you do?

Jamie’s eyes sparked with irritation.

‘Just like last time, these two really don’t get along.’

Considering their history, with a failed marriage proposal between their families, it wasn’t entirely surprising. Still, it felt like there was something deeper aggravating their dynamic.

As the subtle tension between them simmered, Jamie took my arm and, with a mock regretful tone, said, “Well, I suppose I’ll have to come back another time. Sierra, why don’t you join me at another dessert shop nearby?”

“Uh…?”

“This seems to be the Grand Duke’s private space, so we should leave and find somewhere else. Better to make do with what we can, right?”

Jamie’s breezy suggestion froze Ludwig mid-motion as he sipped his tea.

“Then, pardon us, Grand Duke,” she added, preparing to lead me out.

“Wait.”

Ludwig’s sharp gaze turned toward Jamie, his tone firm.

“Sierra is my guest. She’s welcome to stay here.”

“Oh, is that so? I didn’t realize being the Grand Duke’s guest granted such privileges,” Jamie replied with a saccharine smile.

“Then why don’t you make me a guest too?”

It was clear Jamie had no intention of backing down. Her audacious demand made Ludwig pinch the bridge of his nose, visibly annoyed.

“Ludwig,” I interjected cautiously, “Jamie seems to have been looking forward to this place. Would it be alright if she stayed for a little while?”

Caught between his frustration and my request, Ludwig sighed deeply.

“If it’s only for a short time, she may stay.”

“Oh, thank you! Then, I’ll have a cup of black tea, please,” Jamie said cheerfully, sliding into the seat beside me.

“But first, have you two had lunch?” Jamie asked, taking a sip of the tea the owner promptly brought her.

“Yes, we ate earlier at Vilnen Restaurant. What about you?”

I had treated Ludwig to lunch earlier as a gesture of gratitude for his help.

“I have an appointment later, so I haven’t eaten yet,” Jamie replied lightly, though her gaze lingered on both of us with a subtle, probing curiosity.

“An appointment, you say?”

“Just a casual meal with His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“Oh, with the Crown Prince…”

Though the Kingdom of Devar had long since freed itself from being a vassal state of the Empire, it remained subject to its interference.

During Jamie’s month-long stay in the Empire, she was obligated to meet with members of the imperial family, like it or not, to prove her worthiness as a future monarch.

“I heard there are talks of a marriage proposal with His Highness,” Ludwig remarked casually, prompting me to widen my eyes in surprise.

“Is that true?”

“Well, the topic came up, but we turned it down. If anything, it would only increase the Empire’s meddling.”

In the original story, Jamie had been portrayed as an antagonist, infatuated with Lucion’s looks and relentlessly pursuing him while tormenting Jenna.

‘Jamie doesn’t seem like the type to refuse a proposal from Lucion so casually… Something doesn’t add up.’

“His face is my type, I’ll admit,” Jamie said with a shrug. “But there’s something… off about him. Between us, he’s just not my taste.”

To my surprise, Jamie seemed resolute in her rejection of Lucion.

“Besides, it seems His Highness already has someone dear to him.”

“Someone dear?”

“It’s common knowledge among those in the know. His Highness and Lady Selber appear to share a mutual affection.”

In the original story, Jenna, as the Imperial Court’s purifier, targeted Lucion first. Around this time, Lucion was supposed to be nursing an unrequited love for her.

Moreover, Duke Millain had not yet returned to the Empire, and Ludwig had refused Jenna’s purification attempts. This left Jenna spending more time with Lucion.

Though they might not yet be in the kind of relationship Jamie imagined, it was enough to spark misunderstandings among onlookers.

“Still, with His Majesty the Emperor personally pushing for the marriage, it’s become quite troublesome. Even today’s appointment is one I’m being dragged to against my will,” Jamie said with an exasperated sigh.

She continued to complain about the Empire’s persistent meddling, emptying her teacup as she vented.

“I understand they covet a kingdom where digging the ground yields gold and breaking rocks reveals magic stones, but forcing marriage talks is too much, don’t you think?”

At that moment, Jamie’s attendant, who had been waiting nearby, approached and spoke.

“Princess, it’s almost time for your appointment.”

Jamie let out an even heavier sigh.

“It’s such a shame to leave when I’ve just met with Sierra. I’ll have to conspire with His Highness to somehow put an end to this.”

“I’ll miss you, Jamie. I hope we can meet again soon.”

Jamie stood, giving me a quick hug.

“Take care. Until next time,” she said before finally departing, though she turned back several times to meet my gaze as if reluctant to leave.

When the table returned to its earlier tranquility, her half-finished cup of tea was the only evidence she had been there.

Jamie’s concerns likely weren’t much of an issue.

Her marriage talks with Lucion were such a minor event that they weren’t even mentioned in the original story.

“Well… Shall we leave too? The weather is nice; I feel like taking a short walk,” I said.

“That sounds good. There’s a lovely park just nearby,” Ludwig replied.

With that, we both rose from our seats and left the tea house.

Not far from the tea house, as Ludwig had mentioned, there was a tranquil park.

The sky was strikingly clear, and a refreshing breeze swept through the park, carrying with it the scent of greenery.

“How is the former duke’s health?” Ludwig asked as we strolled leisurely.

“He’s much better now. He might even be healthier than he was before,” I replied with a small smile.

Having nearly recovered completely, my grandfather was preparing to move to Selbuk Estate, where the former dukes of Drenihan traditionally resided.

“That’s a relief.”

“It’s all thanks to your help, Ludwig.”

“No, it was my responsibility. The appearance of a dark sorcerer in my jurisdiction is not something I could overlook. For now… Queensbury is investigating Twilight.”

Ludwig already knew that I had encountered Twilight’s dark sorcerers twice.

It seemed he didn’t believe it was mere coincidence either.

I was about to thank him for his concern when a sudden gust of wind tore through, ruffling my hair and clothes.

Momentarily closing my eyes against the gust, I adjusted my attire and asked, “Ludwig, are you okay? That wind came out of nowhere….”

But Ludwig didn’t respond.

“Ludwig?”

He stood frozen, his gaze locked on something ahead as if entranced.

Following his line of sight, I saw a girl with radiant silver hair shining brilliantly even from a distance.

‘Jenna…?’

Far off, Jenna was walking with Lucion through the park.

Though she wasn’t dressed extravagantly, her modest attire only emphasized her pure and delicate charm.

The two of them strolled side by side, sharing laughter as they chatted.

‘What is Lucion doing here?’

Jamie had left in a hurry, worried she might be late for her appointment with him. Yet, here he was, leisurely chatting with Jenna, showing no signs of urgency.

If anything, he seemed to be slowing his steps, reluctant to part from her.

At that moment, Ludwig, who had been staring intently at Jenna, suddenly clutched his forehead and staggered.

“Ludwig, are you alright?”

I instinctively reached out to steady him, meeting his gaze.

His eyes were clouded, like a thick mist had descended upon them, and there was an eerie chill to his expression that sent shivers down my spine.

This wasn’t the Ludwig I knew.

For a fleeting moment, he felt unfamiliar—almost unsettling.

I unconsciously began to withdraw my hand from him, but before I could, Ludwig’s grip tightened around mine.

His eyes, which had been clouded and distant, refocused sharply as they met mine.

“Sierra,” he murmured my name softly, as though regaining his clarity after a moment of disorientation.

It seemed he had come back to himself.

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