Chapter 19
#019. How to Treat the Most Precious Person
Late night in the Grand Duke's Residence drawing room.
"The young lady has fallen asleep."
Hana, having finished her report, left the drawing room.
Alone in the drawing room, the Grand Duke slowly exhaled. His sharply strung nerves began to ease little by little.
Just by the fact that Olivia Madelaine was in his mansion.
At sunset, he received a report that Olivia, who had left for the Imperial Palace, had disappeared.
Olivia disappearing alone from the heavily guarded Imperial Palace. The Grand Duke felt his vision blur white.
With eyes flipped, the entire force of the Grand Duke's Residence searched for her. When they finally found her, Olivia looked up at him, having lost her sparkling light.
"Why are you here?"
Olivia's face, pale white as she clutched the hem of her Robe, flickered before his eyes. As her voice, trembling as if holding back tears, echoed again, the Grand Duke's red eyes darkened.
He almost made her cry alone.
The thought alone was horrifying. Gathering his overflowing, dangerous murderous intent, the Grand Duke picked up the oldest letter from the pile on the table and checked the signature.
Liv Green.
The corners of the Grand Duke's lips curved elegantly. He recalled the first time he encountered this neat handwriting, a year and a half ago.
It was when he was drafted into the war against Heferti by the Emperor, who used the White Crystal Mine like a leash. Amidst the desolate mail, one day, a purple letter began to arrive.
Every time, it was the same sentence.
Please don't get hurt and stay safe. From Liv Green.
It was a letter from a sponsor sending relief supplies. When the letters exceeded five, the Grand Duke sent a perfunctory thank you.
It was only after the Grand Duke sent a reply that he learned that the sponsor's letter was also a mandatory requirement for relief efforts.
After a period of silence, a letter came from the sponsor. The sponsor's letter was a little longer.
A letter in which gratitude was pressed down. Starting with that letter, letters began to be exchanged with 'Liv Green.'
The recipient of the strange letter, full of worries, coldness, but also a lot of affection.
After about half a year of exchanging letters, the Grand Duke referred to Liv Green that way.
Every time he saw the letters, his curiosity about this mysterious sponsor grew.
Unlike the nobles who sponsored money and advertised their names, this person anonymously sent top-quality relief supplies. The day after Liv Green's relief supplies arrived, the always-lacking armor and tent cloths became abundant. Even blankets.
The anonymous sponsor, who sent what was practically needed, did not readily tell her story. Instead, judging from the glimpses she revealed, he could only infer that she seemed to be living a happy life.
Stories of praying with her beloved family for the safe return of the Knights. Or stories of being upset because her younger sibling was sick. Stories of dating with her fiancé and hoping that these happy moments would quickly return to the Knights as well.
The sponsor always wrote this in the last paragraph of her letters.
Wishing for the Knight's best to be achieved. From Liv Green.
It was an unfamiliar phrase. Every time he read the letters, the Grand Duke would ponder that strange word.
He roamed the battlefields to reclaim the White Crystal Mine that his mother cherished so much. He did his best for his family, which had been exploited by the Emperor and fallen to the ground.
If that was the case, his best should have been achieved to some extent.
Yet, strangely, the emptiness was not filled. After that, the Grand Duke thought about 'best' for quite some time.
Then one day, he witnessed Jade Madeleine, the deputy commander of the Imperial Knights sent by the Emperor, tearing up a letter in a fiery rage. He was used to the hot-tempered man being angry, but the face he saw fleetingly after his anger looked strangely sad.
It was not difficult to know who the sender of the torn letter was. The illegitimate child of House Madeleine. A half-Madeleine. The Crown Prince's fiancée. In the stories circulating around the barracks, the stories about Olivia Madelaine were always negative.
An arrogant woman who did not know shame and coveted other people's things.
He thought that was all there was to it. Until one day, when two letters came from the sponsor.
Sending two at once. Feeling strangely pleased, the Grand Duke realized that one of the letters had been misdelivered.
One was from Liv Green to him, a Knight on the battlefield.
The other was a letter from Olivia Madelaine to Jade Madeleine.
The same neat handwriting on luxurious stationery.
When the identity of Liv Green, who had hidden her story so much, was revealed, the Grand Duke was not pleased. Rather, his heart ached.
Liv Green, whose passing daily life was happy, was Olivia Madelaine. He wished he hadn't known Olivia's rumors. He felt sorry for the fact that the circumstances of Liv Green, whom he knew, and the reality of Olivia were completely opposite.
How should he reply? After pondering for a while, the Grand Duke had to suddenly move the battlefield before he could send a reply.
Something went wrong, and even if he sent letters, he did not receive a reply from Liv Green. Around the time the war ended in victory, the Grand Duke sent a final letter to his dear sponsor.
He said he would like to meet on Ruheirn Street.
Even if the letter was not delivered, it was okay. He would meet her when he entered society.
The Grand Duke headed to the meeting place. With a very small expectation.
And unexpectedly met a young lady.
A young lady with beautiful green eyes, who strangely caught his eye from the first time he saw her.
The moment he realized that the young lady was Olivia Madelaine, the Grand Duke felt a thrill.
The fool of the Imperial Palace grew up without lacking anything and could not recognize the most precious thing, but he was different.
If she came to his side, he was confident that he would treat her more preciously than anyone else.
The red eyes within the gracefully curved eyes became intense.
* * *
It was a dim dawn. Hana, who was gently opening the door and entering, widened her eyes.
"Young Lady?"
"Hello."
Olivia, who was sitting on the bed, smiled awkwardly. Hana blinked in surprise.
"You're already awake? You came in so late yesterday?"
Olivia shrugged. Waking up early was a habit. There were many things to do and only one body, so she had no choice but to reduce her sleeping time.
This was the first time she had done nothing in the morning. She always checked her diary like a routine and reviewed her life as a Princess Consort and looked after the house. Not doing the things she used to do made her feel strange.
"Would you like to go for a meal? Our chef is excited that the young lady has come. What kind of food do you like the most?"
Hana spoke energetically again, as if she had finally found something to do. A meal. It was the first time she had eaten breakfast without checking it herself.
Olivia slowly tried to nod, then paused for a moment. When Hana looked at Olivia as if she was curious, Olivia, whose face was slightly red, said.
"Does His Highness also eat breakfast every time?"
.
.
.
Olivia stood at the door of the dining room, peeking inside. The Grand Duke was not to be seen in the dining room, which smelled delicious.
"It varies from time to time. Some days he eats, some days he doesn't."
Hana's answer came to mind. Today seemed to be a 'day he doesn't eat'.
It was a relief. She had shown such a disgraceful appearance yesterday, and it would have been too embarrassing to see him again in the morning.
"Are you looking for something?"
"His Highness,"
Olivia, who was answering absentmindedly, was startled. The Grand Duke, who was standing behind her, smiled brightly and held out his hand to Olivia. Olivia raised her hand in a daze.
As if escorting her, the Grand Duke pulled out a chair. It was as natural as flowing water.
"Were you looking for me? I would have come earlier if you had told me."
The Grand Duke smiled slyly as he sat facing her. He acted as if nothing had happened yesterday. Olivia slowly parted her lips.
"Your Highness."
"Yes?"
"...Thank you for bringing me here yesterday."
Olivia spoke as clearly as possible. She knew that she should look into the other person's eyes when expressing gratitude, but she kept lowering her head out of embarrassment.
"I don't know to what extent, but I think I will be causing trouble to Your Highness for the time being."
"......"
"If there is anything I can do here, please let me know. I won't be useless."
She had managed the finances of the Dukedom and the Crown Princess Consort's Palace. She also had a history of solving the Princess's problems.
So she showed confidence that she could do anything, but the Grand Duke looked a little troubled.
For a moment, she was terrified. Had she done something wrong again?
Then the Grand Duke's face softened.
"You really said you can do anything, right? I have three wishes."
"...Excluding illegal things."
Olivia, who was a little scared, drew a line. The Grand Duke laughed softly. Olivia's tension eased at the gentle laughter that tickled her ears. A mischievous prank settled in the Grand Duke's eyes.
"First. Eat every meal regularly. Second. Get plenty of sleep. Third. Do whatever the young lady wants to do. It would be nice if you could use me a little."
"......"
"Can you do it?"
A sweet voice asked Olivia.
For Olivia, who was only familiar with calculating profits and losses, the appearance of a man who was willing to do anything for her unconditionally was really strange.
She didn't have to judge whether it was a joke or the truth, she knew that those words were sincere.
Her chest tightened. Even though she clenched her fist on her lap, her nose tingled.
She felt like she was really going to show a disgraceful appearance. Olivia muttered softly.
The Grand Duke listened carefully to the small, intermittent voice. The Grand Duke's face twisted slightly as he combined the words.
"...Are you asking me to leave right now?"
Olivia was startled and raised her head. No way! She was just a little embarrassed and wanted him to leave for a moment. Olivia was even more surprised by the serious mistranslation.
"Puhahahaha."
A hearty laughter echoed through the dining room. Olivia, who was startled, looked at the door. The brown-haired Knight and the servants were standing in a row, as if they had come unnoticed.
Everyone was holding back their laughter, but only the brown-haired Knight was laughing without catching the atmosphere.
"To bring her here with so much difficulty, hehe."
"......Winster Calter. What brings you here?"
When the Grand Duke slowly called the Knight with gritted teeth, Winster, who had been laughing as if sobbing, stopped laughing. And then, ahaha, he looked around.
"I came because you told me to greet the young lady on time. Hahaha."
"......Indeed. You listen well at times like this."
The Grand Duke swept back his hair as if he was in trouble. The jet-black hair scattered between his fingers looked soft, and the moment she thought so, the Grand Duke faced Olivia. The Grand Duke smiled softly.
"I told you yesterday, didn't I? Everyone at the Grand Duke's Residence is eagerly waiting for the young lady."
That was true. Hana and the servants of the Grand Duke's Residence were looking at Olivia with sparkling eyes. The gazes were ticklish, and Olivia burst into laughter.
* * *
Unlike the warm Grand Duke's Residence, only a cold atmosphere lingered in the Madeleine Dukedom.
It was because Esella, who had woken up, had locked the door. At the order not to let anyone in, the maid Veronica was pacing back and forth.
It was all because of that great Princess Consort. Veronica looked at Olivia's closed door with resentful eyes.
In Veronica's mind, the memory of Olivia hearing harsh words that night had completely disappeared. The same was true for the other servants in the mansion.
"Young Lady. A tailor has come from Madam Pluto's shop."
A maid ran up and whispered. Veronica glared at the maid irritably.
"Can't you read the atmosphere? Send him back quickly."
"That's... Olivia said that she called him to make clothes for Esella, so..."
The maid stammered. At that moment, Veronica's eyes sharpened.
Just then, the tailor came up the stairs. The tailor, who was carrying various patterns with difficulty, shouted proudly.
"Lady Olivia Madelaine has placed an order with Pluto for Princess Esella Madeleine!"
The atmosphere immediately turned cold. The tailor, accustomed to a welcoming atmosphere, looked around, bewildered.
"Is something wrong?"
"…I'm sorry, but not today."
Veronica was saying, rubbing her forehead.
The tightly closed door opened, and a dry, cracked voice spoke.
"What's going on?"
Veronica was startled. It had only been two days. Esella, who hadn't opened the door even when the Duke begged, had come out after two days with a gaunt, pale face.
Before Veronica, who felt tears welling up, could speak, the tailor answered.
"Greetings to Princess Esella Madeleine. Lady Olivia Madelaine sent us as a gift!"
Esella's face darkened. Veronica quickly spoke, as if scolding.
"Is she trying to come back in this way after leaving?"
At Veronica's words, the maids glanced at each other and began to gossip about Olivia.
"Using material things to cover up her mistakes!"
"She must have made the reservation yesterday, planning to come back as soon as she left."
"There seems to be some misunderstanding."
The tailor said with a flustered expression, holding up the invoice.
"This order was reserved on Wednesday, two weeks ago. We were supposed to come last week, but we informed you that we would come today due to a scheduling conflict."
Everyone flinched at the tailor's words. Wednesday, two weeks ago. It meant that they had managed to book Madam Pluto, who was always busy, even before this incident happened.
The maids, who had been confidently cornering Olivia, hesitated.
"That's a lie!"
Veronica shouted without realizing it. The Duke and the First Young Master had always told her to be careful of Olivia Madelaine. It couldn't be wrong.
"It's true!"
Suddenly, a maid appeared from somewhere. The maid, whose face was swollen as if she had been crying, was Sally, Olivia's personal maid.
"My Lady reserved this place two weeks ago, saying it would suit Princess Esella well."
Sally, who had been on the verge of tears, finally burst into tears.
"I don't know about anything else, but my Lady really didn't reserve this place for any ulterior motive. My Lady always thought of Princess Esella. Really."
I should have gone with her that day. Sally sobbed.
She resented her Lady, who hadn't sent a single word about where she had gone. She knew that the Madeleine hated her Lady, but she hadn't come back for two days, and they weren't even looking for her.
A wave of sorrow washed over her. Leaving behind Sally, who was sitting and crying, the flustered maids, and the tailor who didn't know what to do in this atmosphere, Esella went back into her room.
The room, with the curtains drawn, was dark despite it being morning.
Esella closed her eyes tightly. No matter how much she tried to think of something else, the Princess's voice kept repeating in her ears.
"How can you treat the daughter of the dancer who killed Mother like your own sister?"
Her hands, covering her ears, tightened. Tears welled up again in her violet eyes, which had lost their light.
I wish she wasn't my sister.
I wish she was really a stranger so I could hate her sincerely.
She was her only sister. Her proud sister who always held her hand and worried about her.
From some point on, her sister distanced herself from her, but it was okay. She was confident that she could protect her when her brothers harassed her.
Why did it turn out like this?
Really, because of her sister, Mom…
Her stomach churned whenever she thought of the terrible assumption. She trembled with the resentment and hatred that washed over her.
As Esella was returning to her bed, something sparkling caught her eye. The Pink Diamond Necklace in the velvet box that wasn't properly closed.
Esella unconsciously picked up the necklace. Then, she suddenly remembered the pink gemstone necklace she had given to Olivia.
She had hoped it would be filled with such happiness. Esella bit her lip tightly.
Her sister ruined everything. Olivia Madelaine ruined everything.
Her arm, which she had swung up to grab the necklace in a fit of anger, slowly fell. Her face, filled with venomous curses towards Olivia, crumbled.
In the end, Esella burst into tears again.
