Only the sound of hiccups occasionally echoed in the quiet study. How long had it been since the silence was so awkward for the three aides that it made them want to stick their noses into a piece of paper?
Ludwig looked at them blankly. The three aides engaged in a silent battle, glancing at each other, asking for a bell on the cat’s neck, without knowing who would go first, and in the end, the youngest aide ended up losing.
“Your Highness the Grand Duke. It’s a party to find a candidate for Grand Duchess tomorrow.”
The youngest aide unconsciously turned his head towards Asili. The bright blue eyes he met reflected his reflection like glass beads. His mouth suddenly became dry and saliva flowed down his throat. He couldn’t believe he had to bring up the story about the candidate for Grand Duchess in front of someone who, no matter how he looked at it, looked like His Highness’ lover. If she became the Grand Duchess in the future, it was obvious how he would be remembered.
The young aide glanced to the side with a tearful expression on his face, but the other two aides just turned away from him, looking at the distant mountains.
“That party.”
“Yes! That party!”
The young aide, who reflexively woke up at the sound of Ludwig’s voice, cried and tried to get him to eat it.
“Approval of documents for where the candidates for Grand Duchess will stay… cast.”
The voice gradually decreased until it was barely audible at the end, and the two remaining aides also put their hands together on their legs with solemn expressions on their faces. His Royal Highness hasn’t said anything yet, but it’s likely that she would become the Grand Duchess…
How long has it been since the breathtaking silence passed? When the aides’ heads gradually lowered until they almost touched the legs, the most senior aide with a determined face raised his head.
“Is the party canceled?”
The two remaining aides looked at him with shocked faces. No, just the main point without further ado? Straight to the point? Filled with astonishment, they listened intently to the dry voice that followed.
“If she is the woman who will become the Grand Duchess.”
Ludwig and Asili looked at each other. When the three aides’ eyes grew as big as trays and her clenched hands became damp with sweat, Ludwig took her hand. A smile that seemed to have been painted, literally painted, appeared on the corner of Asili’s mouth. Ludwig continued without taking his eyes off her.
“It’s just this woman.”
“That’s it! Eup!”
The young aide tried to stand up with his fists clenched, but was immediately stopped. Even though his mouth was blocked and it was difficult to breathe, his face was full of joy and joy.
“But the party will be held as is.”
“That’s right, cancel as expected! …yes?”
The young aide’s happy face quickly turned into a blank expression at Ludwig’s next words.
“Let the party be held as planned.”
By order of the unwavering Ludwig, it was decided to hold a party to find the Grand Duchess whose owner had already been decided.
* * *
May 24, 532, Imperial Calendar.
The day after the Grand Duchess’s party. At the Crown Prince’s Palace.
“What? Brother Ludwig, a woman?”
The crown prince opened his eyes wide, threw away the sword he was swinging, and walked towards his aide.
“Tell me more.”
The aide narrowed her eyes at the crown prince, whose eyes were sparkling like a mischievous child, and opened her mouth.
“Majesty. First, he is the Grand Duke of Caliente. Second, you should not refer to him as older brother. That is the third detailed story.”
Hearing the stiff aide’s words, the crown prince laughed out loud and patted his shoulder.
“Don’t say such old-fashioned things! Brother Ludwig is my brother! As long as I don’t say his name in front of my brother, it’s okay. No, will I be allowed to call him by his first name this time?”
“Majesty!”
The aide’s clothes exploded and he suddenly shouted.
It was in front of the crown prince. The next emperor of the only empire on the continent. How dare you roll your eyes and shout in front of him, even though you were his aide, you deserved to be dragged out and beaten right away.
“Ah, don’t get too excited. Then, he grabs the back of his neck again and moves on. “It would be very difficult for me if you disappeared, even if just by chance.”
“My God. Huh. Don’t you know, Your Highness, that you shouldn’t rely on anyone?”
When the crown prince said that he could not do it without him, the aide cleared his throat and continued his sermon, but his face clearly softened.
“You are my aide and closest confidant, so you are not just ‘someone.’”
The crown prince, grinning and putting his arm around his aide’s shoulder, asked again.
“So what are the details?”
“Ha… All right. It means that His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Caliente held a party yesterday…”
* * *
Around this time, the Crown Prince was listening with interest to what happened at the Grand Duchess’ party. Asili, the person responsible for the incident, was stretched out like soggy cotton on the sofa in the study of Ludwig, the Grand Duke of Caliente.
A sigh and a small voice came out from between her pale, purple lips.
“It seems so old.”
Although the words came out of nowhere, Ludwig was used to hearing them.
“When did you meet in your dream?”
“Huh. It was only a few days ago that I met you only in a dream…”
As she was caught up in the stormy situation of the past few days and was just drifting away without knowing where she was going, all of those dreams became distant, as if they had happened a long time ago.
-Sureuk.
Ludwig had already approached and brushed away Asili’s bright red hair that had fallen from her forehead with his fingertips. He got down on one knee and slowly bowed towards Asili.
The two, with their foreheads touching, were so close that each other’s breath could touch them, and they stared at each other without blinking.
“Are you measuring your temperature?”
“Okay.”
“How is it?”
“I have a mild fever, but there doesn’t seem to be any major problem.”
“I guess so. It’s just stress.”
“If it’s stress, is it the root of all diseases you always mentioned?”
“Huh. That… In addition, there will be a passion for knowledge.”
Although it had only been a few days since she came to this world, Asili was literally absorbing everything in this world. Starting from the most basic writings to etiquette, social systems, and economic structures. Everything was shoved into her head without giving her a moment to rest. It was also an effort to live up to the status he had given her as the daughter of the dukedom… In fact, it was closer to escaping reality. If you have time to lie alone and think about something without falling asleep or fainting, even for a moment… Then I felt like I couldn’t bear the current situation.
“I’m glad I got used to the text here quickly.”
The two continued their conversation very naturally, with their foreheads touching each other.
“If it’s hard, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have to learn everything. Even if it’s the Emperor’s presence, it’s enough to do it just like at a party.”
“No, I don’t want my manners to be flawed even in the slightest in front of the emperor. Moreover, he is an illiterate adult who cannot even read books. I don’t like that.”
Ludwig frowned at the clear hostility in her blunt voice that she seemed to have no intention of hiding.
“I told you not to laugh like that.”
Asili pressed her forehead against his forehead and immediately pressed their foreheads against each other.
“Even if you don’t look at me with such worried eyes, I will never say something like this when I go out. Whatever you say, don’t even show it.”
“No.”
He lifted her up from her bowed body, lifted her up and sat her on top of her legs. Asili asked back, leaning the back of her head against his hard chest.
“No?”
“Why are you showing so much hostility towards Your Majesty?”
“Of course.”
Asili, who was about to answer by asking why she was asking such a question, suddenly pursed her lips. Of course he was his enemy! Because there was no way she could answer that. His reality, and Asili’s dream. No, in the world of this novel, which has now become a reality for Asili, the main character is the crown prince, and the shadowy figure opposing him, that was, the villain, is none other than Ludwig. Therefore, it was natural that the Emperor, the Crown Prince’s father and his greatest ally, was Ludwig’s enemy.
And to Asili, hating the emperor was as natural as breathing.
“Of course?”
“Because he is the crown prince’s father?”
“Why does it end with a question?”
“Oh, I don’t know. You don’t need a special reason to dislike it. I just hate it.”
Despite her unreasonable answer, Ludwig did not question her further. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him and whispered.
“Actually, it doesn’t matter.”
“What?”
“It doesn’t matter if you openly say you don’t like it to His Majesty outside.”
“What?”
Asili opened her eyes at his words and looked up at Ludwig.
“Because you won’t be in danger standing next to me like that.”
Asili’s mouth opened slightly at his calm but extremely firm words. No, of course he was the Grand Duke. A man who bowed to no one in this empire except the emperor. A man who was said to have no one on all three fingers stronger than him across the entire continent. But wasn’t he definitely a subordinate of the emperor?
No way…
Asili didn’t hold back any of her questions or doubts like ‘maybe’ or ‘maybe’ and asked right away.
“Are you plotting treason?”
Who would dare say the word ‘treason’ towards the Grand Duke, who is second only to the Emperor in power? Just by uttering those words, it was certain that your impure intentions would be detected and dealt with without even a rat or a bird knowing. No, even if you just throw it away as a joke without any malicious intent, you will at least be taken to an interrogation room and have to endure all kinds of interrogation and arduous interrogation. But Asili had no qualms at all, and neither did his partner, Grand Duke Ludwig. He simply answered as if it was nothing.
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
If you like my work please support me with Ko-fi or Patreon. Next post will be released on May, 8.
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