For a noble, marriage was an absolute duty. Through marriage, alliances were solidified and heirs produced to carry on the lineage. Only then could a family’s wealth and bloodline be preserved.
Born into the royal household, Kaela was not ignorant of this. She had merely thought it best to safely overcome her father’s death first, before seeking out a better husband prospect than Peon.
The best choice available to her was to remarry, though even finding a remarriage candidate was truly rare. Above all, Kaela had no desire to remarry. She wished to simply remain collapsed, without opening her eyes.
Having seen her father alive, could she not just die now? If she was to be forcibly taken to Lusenford, it would be better to die properly right now.
“Miss!”
The precious Princess of Ostein barely opened her eyes. The worried faces of her maids, a doctor, and her father who had remained by her side entered her vision all at once.
She also noticed the excessively calm morning light. With parched lips, she moved her mouth, but no voice came out due to the high fever.
“Yes, Kaela. Yes.”
But her father, who had personally raised his only daughter, immediately understood what she was trying to say and hurriedly leaned in closer. He answered, catching the whooshing sounds of her breathing.
“Three days have passed, three days.”
More than enough time for everything to be settled.
“I told His Majesty you became ill from the stress of taking on a major task for the first time. He was concerned and sent medicine and doctors.”
Well aware of what his daughter was worried about, Adeo gently reassured her regarding the emperor.
“Prince Elkanan also left a greeting and gift for you. He said he regretted not being able to bid you farewell before leaving.”
“Marriage…”
At the word his daughter forced out with her parched throat, Adeo gestured to the doctor.
“Let’s have you examined first, and eat something, before talking more.”
It was already too late for Kaela. If three days had passed, there was no way to stop the marriage anymore.
****
Of course, that did not mean she could do nothing and just give up. Furious, Kaela kicked off the bedsheets and bolted out of bed.
“Miss, please, you’ve been struggling with a high fever for three days. If you go out like this, you’ll fall ill again! You may even get pneumonia!”
Though all the household staff tried to dissuade her, Kaela had no other choice. She knew the Grand Duke of Lusenford, her husband-to-be, very well. He was not someone who would come just because she summoned him. She had to go see him herself, no matter what.
This time, she had to stop this insane marriage. It was a marriage that should never have happened in the first place. It would only bring unhappiness and tragedy for all.
“You can’t! Absolutely not! Please at least send a messenger to summon the person here!”
The maids, butlers, and knights who did not know who the Miss was going to meet fretted. But there was no stopping the highborn lady who was insisting on leaving her bed for the first time.
“Then please wait just a little while before going out! A guest is meant to arrive for lunch today!”
“A guest for my father, not me.”
Oh dear, our Miss’s voice is barely coming out and even speaking seems strained, yet she insists on going out somewhere. The butler was near tears.
“It’s your fiancé, miss! The Grand Duke of Lusenford is coming!”
She wanted to cry out ‘Who made him my fiancé?’, but it felt like her throat would tear.
“Butler, the Grand Duke’s horse is approaching!”
“Oh Miss, please. I beg you. Stay put, please?”
Of all times, the Duke of Ostein had hurried to the royal palace again to conclude negotiations with Keruzhan, so the butler had to plead with the Grand Duke of Lusenford to wait a moment.
After seeing the Miss reluctantly sit on the bed, the butler rushed out. Unlike the Ostein carriages, the Grand Duke’s horse was so fast that by the time the butler reached the entrance, he had already dismounted.
“Welcome, Your Highness the Grand Duke. My apologies, but the master has hurried to the imperial palace for negotiations with Keruzhan. He asked that you wait a moment.”
“And the princess?”
It was he who had immediately scooped up the collapsed princess in the audience hall.
“She awoke this morning but still needs to be monitored. She has been quite ill this whole time.”
The Grand Duke of Lusenford looked not at the butler, but up the stairs the butler had hurriedly descended from.
“Needing monitoring, yet walking around?”
“Pardon?”
The butler followed the grand duke’s unresponsive gaze and nearly fainted in shock. The Miss was defiantly standing at the top of the stairs, wearing just a robe with a shawl loosely thrown over.
“Take a look at me, Your Highness the Grand Duke.”
Speaking with the loudest voice she could muster, Kaela turned abruptly, staggering as she grabbed the wall from dizziness. But she had to quickly compose herself and face Peon, that unresponsive man.
She held her breath, waiting for the dizziness to subside. Though the maids fretted and tried to support her, she leaned against the wall until she could move her feet herself.
“Pardon me for a moment.”
With those low, heavy words from behind, her body was suddenly lifted up. Kaela blankly looked around, reacting a bit late. Having barely woken from her ordeal, her reflexes were understandably slow.
“Put me down. I’ll go myself.”
“Where is her bedroom?”
Peon asked the maid, ignoring Kaela. The bowing maid guided him there. Kaela started to protest again but held back. It was better to conserve what little strength she had left for now.
“Lie down first, Your Highness.”
“Is now the time to lie down?”
“I’ll stay by your side until you tell me to leave, so go to the bed.”
The maid tactfully hurried to pile up pillows for Kaela to lean against.
Quickly drawing back the bed curtains, she cleared away the basin with towels and medicine bottles. Peon calmly tucked Kaela back into the thick blankets, then dragged over a chair to sit.
“All of you, out.”
Even if it was the fully grown Miss alone with her fiance? The maids and knights looked uneasy but had no choice but to leave when Kaela remained adamant.
“A princess from Keruzhan is coming to marry?”
That was what Kaela had learned upon waking when her father was away. Her tone remained politely formal yet highly defensive as she abruptly asked. Peon quietly nodded.
“Yes. The crown prince is betrothed to the Keruzhan princess. Have you eaten anything?”
Crania was entering a marriage alliance with Keruzhan. A crown prince and princess befitted their ranks.
It was a far greater match than the indirect Prince Elkanan marrying the indirect Kaela. And Kaela was to marry the Grand Duke of Lusenford. Why?
“What was Your Highness’s response?”
After all, her father could not defy the emperor. Kaela knew that too.
The Ostein Duchy granted to her father by the previous emperor–he could not even muster the courage to pressure the cunning current emperor while clinging to that dukedom. For if he did, the emperor’s army would instantly destroy the duchy.
So the only one Kaela could believe in was Peon, who had fiercely protested even when forced into marriage before his death. He had been greatly suppressed in proportion to his great resistance, forced into that marriage.
Perhaps he did not realize the emperor relished giving greater humiliation to those who resisted more. But now, she needed that resistance.
“My answer cannot influence His Majesty’s will.”
“So you will marry me instead of Lady Ravalley now?”
