Duke Robley had a mistress. He didn’t openly show it off, but he wasn’t exactly hiding it either, so the Duchess Robley knew all about it.
At first, she was completely shocked. But soon, she accepted it. After all, no matter how much she disapproved, there was no changing her husband, who thought having a mistress was perfectly fine.
Being young, she didn’t want to go through a divorce and head back to her hometown. She had already gotten used to the attention and compliments that came with being a duchess.
Besides, she hadn’t married him out of deep love. As long as she could keep her title, she could put up with a mistress she never had to see.
“As long as I don’t have to see it myself.”
When she told him that, promising to be a forgiving wife as long as he respected that condition, the Duke was a bit annoyed but eventually agreed. From that point, the Duke and Duchess Robley lived without interfering much in each other’s lives.
But one day, a young woman showed up, claiming to be the Duke’s mistress and demanding to see him.
The Duchess, furious, sent her straight to her husband’s bedroom. What happened in there wasn’t clear, but word was that the young mistress left the room in tears and never came back.
At the time, the Duchess seemed pretty angry, but it didn’t last long.
“How can I stay mad when he buys me gifts every time?”
When the Duke gave her a necklace, the Duchess Robley acted like nothing had ever happened and forgave him.
After that, Britia figured the Duchess didn’t care what the Duke did, no matter how bad it got.
But hearing that she had run away, calling him a monster?
That was hard to believe. Yet Duke Robley didn’t deny it. He stood there, face red, glaring at the Duke Scandars like he had been caught.
“Got caught with another young mistress, didn’t you?” the Duke Scandars mocked, poking fun at Duke Robley’s well-known affairs. This caused those around the Duke to speak up in his defense.
“That’s going too far.”
Duke Scandars scoffed, clearly enjoying himself.
“Too far? If you ask me, what’s really outrageous is that Duke Robley did something so horrible that playing around with a mistress seems like nothing.”
He raised an eyebrow, watching for a reaction.
Rumors were already spreading among the western nobility that the Duchess Robley had returned to her family in Beamix.
“She looked like she was running away from something,” people whispered.
Hearing this, Duke Scandars had sent his wife to find out the truth.
“I swear, I had no idea he was such a terrible person. I swear to the goddess, I wasn’t involved, and I didn’t know anything about what was happening,” she had said.
Duchess Robley seemed too scared to even mention what had happened. Whatever it was, it was clear it could lead to serious backlash if word got out.
Duke Scandars saw this as an opportunity. If the situation was severe enough, he could completely remove Robley from the competition for the crown princess’s hand.
After that, Duchess Scandars visited Beamix several times, but Duchess Robley never said what her husband had done. However, they found out that she had asked the temple for a divorce, and, surprisingly, the temple had agreed.
“If the temple agreed, it must be something serious. Did he try to claim a child from outside the marriage as his heir or something?”
Duke Scandars kept an eye on Duke Robley as he asked. When Robley didn’t deny it, Scandars’s suspicions grew stronger.
“Either way, once His Majesty approves, you’ll be divorced.”
“I don’t need to hear any more of this.”
With his face flushed and teeth clenched, Duke Robley forced a smile before turning to leave.
“One piece of advice, since you’re feeling so confident. Annulments are faster and easier than divorces.”
With that, Duke Robley left the room.
* * *
Sig was completely confused.
“Have you picked up Britia Lockhart’s habit of staring blankly?” the emperor snapped, irritated by Sig’s silence.
“But, Uncle, why are you suddenly asking about where the heath fields are?”
“Don’t question me. Just answer.”
“They grow all over the North.”
“Do you think that’s why I called you here?”
Sig felt a bit unfairly treated. He had rushed over, thinking the emperor had something urgent to ask, but now he was being hit with strange questions. What exactly did the emperor want?
“In the capital, I mean. Within an hour’s distance—or, wait. Is there a heath field inside the palace?”
“I’ve never seen one.”
“Why not?”
Was the emperor upset because there was a heath field in the palace he hadn’t noticed? Sig wondered. He hadn’t seen any in the garden, though.
Just to clarify, Sig asked, “Is there a heath field in the palace?”
“No, there isn’t!”
Sig was bewildered. He had no idea why the emperor was so upset.
“Why isn’t there a heath field in the palace? You said those flowers are everywhere in the North!”
“Uncle, why are you asking me about this?”
Sig was even more confused. The emperor had never shown any interest in flowers before, and now he was going on about heath.
“If there isn’t one, why not plant some?” Grand Duke Camelon said as he walked up.
“No matter how old Duke Turas gets, it seems he’ll never understand what the emperor really wants,” he added mockingly, making Sig’s expression harden as he glared sharply at him.
He was an obstacle in the way of his older brother’s future, and Sig wanted nothing more than to get rid of him right away. But the emperor had a soft spot for his half-brother, so Sig couldn’t make a move too quickly.
Still, my brother will be the one to succeed our uncle as emperor, Sig thought, shooting a cold look at Grand Duke Camelon.
“How hard could it be to plant a heath field? If you tell me where you want it, I’ll make it happen,” Grand Duke Camelon said, placing a hand on his chest and bowing slightly.
“As always, you understand me best,” the emperor, who had been irritated moments earlier, now smiled, clearly satisfied with Camelon’s words. Seeing this, Sig grew anxious and stepped forward.
“If you want a heath field, I can do it too. Heath grows all over the northern plains,” Sig offered, suggesting he could transplant some. Standing beside him, Grand Duke Camelon chuckled.
“Are you really offering His Majesty wildflowers that grow like weeds? That’s the kind of cheap loyalty with no real effort behind it,” Camelon mocked.
At the phrase “cheap loyalty,” Sig’s temper flared.
“What did you just say?” he growled, baring his teeth as Camelon flinched and took a step back.
“I don’t need a lecture on loyalty from someone who doesn’t even know what it means.”
To Sig, Camelon’s ambitions for the throne were the height of disloyalty. On top of that, all of Camelon’s supporters did was spread rumors and insults about the empress.
Even though Camelon hadn’t directly insulted the empress, staying silent was as good as agreeing with them.
Sig was just about to grab Camelon by the collar when the Grand Duke glanced nervously at the emperor.
“Sig, didn’t I tell you to stop acting disrespectfully toward Camelon? He’s your uncle too,” the emperor said, his voice stern, his expression disapproving.
“That’s enough from you.”
Sig’s eyes widened in shock as the emperor clicked his tongue and dismissed him. All the past slights from the emperor came rushing back to him in that moment.
How many times had the emperor turned a blind eye to people insulting the crown prince and the empress, sometimes even encouraging them? And why was he always so kind to Camelon while being so cold to the crown prince?
Even when it came to Sig’s marriage with Britia, the emperor had initially refused to give his blessing. He only gave in because of the empress’s influence, but even now, he kept creating barriers between them.
I’m far more loyal than that sycophant Grand Duke Camelon, who just hides behind flattery, Sig thought bitterly.
“Are you really telling me to leave?”
The emperor glared at Sig, who was frozen in place, and ordered him out.
As Sig walked away, he glanced back at the emperor. He didn’t know what they were talking about, but the emperor was laughing and chatting happily with Grand Duke Camelon. That cheerful scene only deepened Sig’s bitterness.
It’s because our uncle keeps acting like this that people are starting to side with Camelon.
Sig stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, lost in thought, his lips pressed together.
“Sig?”
Britia’s voice snapped him back to reality. He hadn’t even noticed her approach while he was so wrapped up in his thoughts.
“What’s with the weird expression? Did the emperor give you a hard time?” the vice-captain teased, making Sig frown even more.
“Is that true?” Britia asked, and without answering, Sig pulled her into a tight hug. The vice-captain rolled his eyes at Sig’s clinginess and walked away.
“Do you need some cheering up?” Britia asked, gently rubbing his back.
“How about I give you a little present?” she added. At the word “present,” Sig’s mood instantly lifted. He pulled away and met her gaze as she took something neatly folded from her pocket.
“It might not be the best, but I really tried my hardest,” Britia said, handing him the eyepatch she had promised.
“The side with the heart faces inward,” she quickly explained, not wanting him to misunderstand the crooked heart.
“Can I try it on now?” Sig asked, already undoing his current eyepatch before she could even respond. Britia watched him closely, briefly tempted to take it back so she could see more of his face.
Maybe I should just tell him not to wear it, she thought.
“…Britia?”
Sig’s serious tone made her snap out of her thoughts.
Wait, did I say that out loud? Britia’s eyes widened.
“Can’t I wear it with the heart showing?”
His question completely threw her off.
“You made it for me, so wouldn’t it be better if I showed it off?”
“No way,” Britia said firmly.
If the heart had turned out well, maybe. But letting everyone see that lopsided, squished heart? Too embarrassing.
With a sigh of disappointment, Sig put on the eyepatch the correct way.
“Is it uncomfortable?”
“It’s perfect,” he said, his tail wagging so happily that Britia couldn’t help but feel proud. He looked like an oversized puppy, which made her emotions a bit complicated. But she convinced herself it was because he was just so cute.
“Britia, I don’t even know how to describe how happy I am. Honestly, what I really want to do is…” Sig trailed off, biting his lip as if he was holding something back. Feeling playful, Britia couldn’t resist teasing him.
“And what do you want to do to me? You’re not planning to eat me up, are you?”
“Would that be okay?” Sig asked, his eyes full of heat. Britia slipped behind a curtain and teasingly beckoned him with her finger. Sig followed, pressing up close to her. Britia held her breath, closing her eyes, fully expecting a kiss.
She waited for his lips to meet hers.
“…What?”
But instead of a kiss, she felt something else entirely. Her eyes flew open. Sig had opened his mouth and gently bit her head.
It didn’t hurt, but the surprise left Britia completely speechless. While she stood there, too stunned to react, Sig happily continued nibbling on her head, clearly enjoying himself.
