But what was inside the box wasn’t a knife, but jewels. There was a bracelet of interwoven citrines and diamonds emitting beautiful radiance, and a quite large diamond ring.
“It’s one of the Empress’s jewels. It’s still a marriage, so you should have an engagement ring when you propose, shouldn’t you?”
“…Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.”
“A man should provide the ring.”
There was a ring for Kaela before too. He was so indifferent that he couldn’t remember what it looked like or how he had obtained it. He only remembered that Kaela always wore it preciously.
He only remembered seeing her crying and searching for it from afar when she lost it once. A rumor spread in Lusenford that the Grand Duchess had put a spell on her wedding ring to communicate with the Emperor’s side.
‘It must have been Beatrice’s doing. The ring’s brief disappearance must have been intentional too.’
Lusenford was driven to extremes amidst the Lusenford nobles who were hostile to the foreign Grand Duchess and the Emperor’s spies. Who could he blame? In the end, it was his fault as the Grand Duke.
“It’s an honor, Your Majesty.”
He had become good at saying words he didn’t mean, even when it wasn’t particularly honorable. By appropriately using words that others often used, the Emperor looked after him as if he were his own son. It made him want to laugh hollowly.
****
What to do about this marriage. He had regressed, done his best to prevent deaths, and the Empress, his mother, had quietly collapsed.
Although much had changed, it was absurd that the marriage was still being decided, but in fact, Peon couldn’t refuse the marriage now according to his plan. Even at today’s luncheon, Duke Ostein had firmly grasped Peon’s hand.
[Please take good care of my daughter.]
Adeo knew well that Peon was currently the best groom Kaela could choose.
But Peon knew he was the worst of the worst. Kaela was angry, wasn’t she? Every time he faced her, Peon always felt how shabby and powerless he was before her.
No matter how much he thought about it, he could only conclude that he had to marry her to protect her, which made him feel even more pathetic.
“Your Highness, Lady Ravalley has entered the Soleil Palace again today.”
Sir Renard, who had approached discreetly, carefully looked at Peon while reporting Lady Ravalley’s actions, which now seemed too suspicious.
From the first report until now, Beatrice had been secretly entering and leaving the Soleil Palace, where the Emperor stayed, every single day without fail.
It’s shocking news that the flower of high society, not yet married, is regularly visiting the palace where the Emperor stays, avoiding people’s eyes. Peon, who had pointed out exactly where to capture this fact that no one else knew, actually laughed instead.
“She must be busy.”
Sir Renard had been sensing that his upright lord had changed a lot recently. Peon gave instructions with unclear purposes, and every time Sir Renard carried out these instructions, he would discover new truths and be shocked.
“What should we do?”
“Keep watching.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Darkness fell over Craine, and Peon found himself wandering near the Ostein family townhouse without realizing it. While Kaela was collapsed, he had been busy trying to prevent this marriage, but the diplomatic situation entangled with Keruzhan was too clearly aligned.
It was the empire’s collective thought that they couldn’t hand over the Ostein Duchy to Keruzhan. So the only heir to the Ostein Duchy must be tied to Lusenford.
‘The Emperor is already trying to control Princess Ostein’s marriage as he pleases.’
Even if Peon overturned this marriage, Kaela wouldn’t be able to have the marriage she wanted. In the worst case, Adeo might die again. That’s why Adeo had asked him to take good care of his daughter.
With this happening before he could gather his strength, there was little he could do. The political landscape he hadn’t understood before his regression was now easily readable at a glance, greatly disturbing him.
It was then, as Peon was passing through the darkness, that he saw someone slipping out of the Ostein family townhouse.
****
Objectively, Kaela was not in a state to run away right now.
She hadn’t fully recovered from her recent severe illness, and the ducal household was worried that the princess’s condition might worsen. Kaela had always been prone to minor illnesses since childhood.
‘But it’s all death anyway, isn’t it?’
That’s right. She would die if she was sick, the Emperor would put her in a situation worse than death if she refused this marriage, and she would die even if she complied and went to Lusenford.
She’s a cunning spy of the Emperor pretending to be docile! The people of Lusenford had decidedly viewed her as the woman who would make the Grand Duke unhappy, not Beatrice who would make him happy.
Hahaha, a clear laugh burst out. Although it was followed by painful coughing, Kaela was already out of her mind.
It would be better to have a troublemaking daughter causing worries for her father, who was already grateful just for surviving, than to burden him more when he was already tense every time he went to the imperial palace.
The close-knit members of the Ostein family were each struggling under their own burdens.
‘I didn’t think I could actually do it.’
Kaela looked back at the receding Ostein townhouse. As the Grand Duchess of Lusenford, everywhere was terribly quiet, and the winters were long.
Thoroughly isolated, she sometimes developed a habit of ruminating on the past with great regret, and her thoughts would sometimes drift into meaningless directions. For instance, ‘I should have done that then’ would become a more concrete plan.
Lonely in the biting cold, Kaela had specifically imagined running away before getting married. She had done it so many times that she could execute it immediately.
She stole a maid’s clothes, smeared soot on her face, and wrapped her platinum blonde hair in a headscarf. She had learned the harsh ways of the world brutally in Lusenford. Even if she fell to rock bottom, it would be less miserable than Lusenford.
‘If I’m caught, I’ll die.’
Or be dragged to Lusenford. Whatever she did, it was death anyway.
A painful death, a less painful death, but a terrible death nonetheless. Hahaha. Kaela laughed silently. So, she should do whatever she wanted until just before death, then die as cleanly and quietly as possible.
To the warm south. Unlike Lusenford with its creepily quiet and deadly snowfall, let’s go to the bustling, warm south. Kaela had always wished, even in Lusenford, to die in the warm south.
“Is the Gutilin gate closed?”
“I heard they’ve been closing early these days.”
It didn’t bother her at all to share a smelly hired carriage with others.
The northern tower where she last lay was much dirtier. After riding the hired carriage and getting off in a residential area where commoners lived, Kaela decided to walk a lot. She knew well that running away wasn’t something done while riding a fine horse or being escorted.
After walking, she just needed to get past the guards at Craine’s city gate. Which group of people should she blend in with to walk? As Kaela was carefully moving her steps, predicting the increased security due to the recent state of the Empress’s health,
“It’s dangerous to go any further.”
A voice that couldn’t even bring itself to call her ‘princess’ caught and pulled her away.
