“I didn’t think someone who knows that would come to congratulate me before the wedding.”
“… “
Tahar’s forehead lightly wrinkled when Daniel responded as if it wasn’t a big deal.
I thought the Grand Duke would harden his expression if I brought up the story of Frey or forced marriage, but the reaction was more lukewarm than I expected.
‘I don’t think he likes that princess.’
The Grand Dukes of Prause, who were responsible for maintaining the order of time, had always possessed good and gentle dispositions throughout generations.
There was no way that Frey, who had pushed him into a marriage against his will, would not have been rebuked by the Grand Duke’s subjects.
Never.
“It’s not uncommon for nobles to enter unwanted marriages, but few situations are as forced as yours.”
Tahar paused and looked at Daniel with pity.
It was quite amusing that even the Grand Duke of the North, who was considered the second-in-command of the empire, could not disobey the emperor’s order.
‘If I ascend the throne, this person will also be under me.’
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to gain control over him in advance for the day I sit on the throne.
Besides, wasn’t he a being with divine power?
He could prove useful in the future if a situation arises where the divine power needs to be utilized after taking the throne.
Originally, I was planning to use Count Vliette’s daughter to approach him, but things didn’t go as I wanted because of the right of absolute obedience.
That was why Tahar sought out Daniel late at night.
“Grand Duke Prause, you probably know that unsavory things tend to happen at big events like royal weddings.”
Daniel looked at Tahar with impassive eyes.
His dark blue eyes burned with mischievous intent.
‘Are you thinking of ruining the wedding?’
The royal family faction had made numerous attempts to break the right of absolute obedience, but they all ended in failure.
However, if something were to happen at the sacred wedding where even the high priest was involved, it could serve as an excuse for a later divorce.
The Crown Prince and the Duke of Gelon would seize any small mistake by Frey and magnify it into a significant flaw.
He just had to find fault with it.
Then the marriage would end quickly and neatly, just as he hoped.
‘But why…’
Daniel furrowed his brow heavily.
For some reason, he saw a scene of his future self, who had pathetically clung to Frey, glaring at him with eyes full of resentment.
Am I going mad at last?
Daniel’s expression turned stern.
Tahar asked him as if to confirm.
“Grand Duke Prause, you would fit in well with the royal family faction.”
Tahar’s eyes contained a smirk.
It was because Daniel didn’t refuse when Tahar mentioned helping him divorce Frey the moment he took the throne.
Tahar passed by Daniel after interpreting his response to his satisfaction.
“Then, Grand Duke, I’ll see you at the chaotic wedding.”
“…”
After Tahar left.
Daniel, who couldn’t hide his displeasure, used his magic and spoke to Luke.
“Tell me, Your Highness the Grand Duke.”
“Tomorrow, closely observe the prince and his aides for any suspicious movements.”
“What?”
It was as if he was asking why he was saying that.
Daniel’s expression wrinkled as he did when he saw his future self clinging to Frey.
“I think the prince sees Prause as a guard dog.”
* * *
The day of the wedding that will finally save this world from ruin has dawned.
As usual, I was stretching on the bed and the maids approached, bowing their heads.
“Princess, would you like breakfast first?”
“I have prepared rose-petal water for washing.”
“Tell us when you want to take a bath.”
After my mother died, Emma was the only maid kind to me, but now there were six of them in front of me.
‘Looking at their polite attitude, they must have had some fun selling the dresses.’
Seeing the eyes that sparkled beneath their darkened eye circles, it was evident that they had all spent the night selling dresses with Emma.
They might be tired from lack of sleep, but the satisfaction of having the equivalent of several years’ salary in their hands in just a few days made it all worth it.
‘As expected, nothing pleases people quite like wealth.’
I seemed to have successfully learned that I was a woman of bad temper but a good deal.
“Yes, I’m glad everyone seemed to accept my parting gift with happiness. And what about me?”
When I asked, the maid who served me pointed to the thick pocket.
I liked that it was heavy to hold, but I had to put it down on the table quickly.
I took out a gold coin and looked at it affectionately.
The calculations were just right.
‘This will be perfect for an emergency fund.’
I asked them to place the money in a magic bag to take to the North and began relishing in the luxury.
With just a few gestures, the maids skillfully washed and dressed me.
‘Wow, even the maids who had always wanted to enter the Queen’s Palace suddenly changed their attitude.’
Money was great.
There was no point in feeling unfair about why they hadn’t taken care of my convenience earlier.
It was obvious that The Crown Prince and Queen had their eyes opened, and if they came to help me, their career path would be blocked.
No matter how much my father favored me, the queen’s influence was far-reaching.
I wondered if the maids who served the queen were paying attention.
‘Thanks to that, I’ll be comfortable until I leave the imperial palace.’
{Tok-tok}
A small animal knocked on the window as I was inspecting the dress that barely fit.
“Huh? Is it a lizard?”
It looked like a lizard with wings attached, but it was very cute with a red, smooth and soft body.
Although its expression was sullen.
It was only when I saw the horns on both sides of its head that I was able to identify this creature.
‘Seeing that it looks like a dragon, it must be a messenger from the Grand Duke Prause.’
I had also heard stories that dragons followed the Grand Duke.
“Come in. Did the Grand Duke send you?”
It nodded.
The red serpent nodded briefly and held out his feet tied with a small note to me. I opened it and checked the note.
[Be careful not to let anything unsavory happen at the wedding. – Daniel Prause.]
The elegant handwriting was unmistakably Daniel’s.
I looked at the note for a moment and stroked Imugi’s head with my fingertips.
{Imugi: a small dragon like a snake.}
“You can communicate with Grand Duke Prause, right? Tell him I appreciate his concern.”
“Kyung.”
Oh, that’s cute.
Daniel might not have a deep affection for me, but I had a hunch as to why he sent such a note.
“Did you find any circumstantial evidence that someone would slander me?”
Grand Duke Prause’s judgment would be more accurate than mine, considering I had no source of information.
If that were the case, it was necessary to have a preemptive countermeasure in place, so that no matter what the opponent did, he would not be harmed.
I stroked Imugi’s smooth, soft cheeks a few more times and took out my pen and paper.
After writing a note and tying it to Imugi’s leg, I whispered in a low voice.
“Deliver this to His Majesty the Emperor. Can you?”
“Nn?”
“This paper was custom-made by me and has a distinct fragrance. My father will know I sent it once he sees the paper and handwriting.”
“…”
“It will be beneficial for the Grand Duke. Please.”
“Kyung.”
After persuading, Imugi responded as if it understood and flew out of the window.
Somehow, with a face that seemed to say that it hated me.
‘Come to think of it, there was a red-haired knight following the Grand Duke.’
It was understandable that a servant of the Duke would dislike me.
Once I finished preparing, I got up from my seat, wearing a simple dress.
“Princess Frey, are you going to the garden where the waiting room is?”
“No, I have a place to stop by before that.”
I headed to the garden where the queen used to invite acquaintances for tea.
* * *
In the opulent garden attached to the queen’s palace, women were enjoying their tea time.
One of them spotted me approaching and quietly covered her mouth with a fan.
The distance wasn’t too far, so sadly, I could hear all of their words.
“Oh, Frey is here.”
“Did she think we would welcome her if she showed up on her wedding day?”
“To be greeted in the morning by the daughter of a concubine… I worry about today.”
I didn’t like the whispers that pierced through me like a cold awl, but but their expressions were genuinely painful to witness.
[“Your mother doesn’t seem to come to see her children’s faces even during holidays.”]
It was so similar to the cynical eyes I would receive when relatives gathered for holidays in my previous life.
[“It’s been a day or two since we celebrated holidays with a child abandoned by her parents.”]
Once the family got together, I would hear even harsher words. It made me despise family gatherings,, but I found it really funny too.
I enjoyed the chatter that arose when people gathered.
Whenever I felt the invisible bond and warmth between family members, my heart ached and tears welled up.
Of course, my family didn’t allow me to feel that way.
[“What are you staring at? If you look at me like that, do you think I’ll give you pocket money?”]
I couldn’t say it even more when they insulted me with such words.
You guys don’t treat me as a family, but I didn’t hate being in the same space as you.
It’s heartbreaking because this warmth was not mine.
‘If I said that out loud, I would only have been ridiculed.’
My heart ached as I remembered how miserable I had been during my most sensitive teenage years.
But even with such depressing experiences, there was always something to be learned.
Thanks to that, I had learned how to treat people who did not acknowledge me as one of their own.
“Frey, you’ve walked a long way.”
As soon as I reached a distance I couldn’t ignore, the queen wiped her mouth in displeasure and responded.
Yes, I know very well that you regarded my mother as an eyesore.
However, due to the greed of the queen and Duke Gelon to seize power within the imperial family, the emperor turned a blind eye to the queen’s actions and poured his love to his mistress.
‘You killed my mother and my brother who was in the way.’
In addition, the queen even recommended tea to induce infertility to me, who was about to get married.
So that I would be alone.
***
