How terrible must things have been for this little girl to take my hand without a second thought, even when told we were heading to the estate of a monstrous grand duke?
“Sister, thank you. Thank you for asking me to come with you. *Sob.*”
I had fretted over how to persuade her if she hesitated, but Rose had thrown her arms tightly around my neck on the spot and sobbed. Her trembling hands told me just how anxious she had felt.
The memory left a dry, bitter taste in my mouth, and I brushed away the bread crumbs clinging to Rose’s lips.
“Rose, are you truly all right with this? Coming with me is going to mean a lot of hardship.”
“Yes. I want to.”
“It’s not something to answer so lightly. Remember what I told you? For my plan to work, things might be tough on you at first.”
“I’m really fine, Sister.”
Did she even understand what being fine meant?
When I offered her the water, Rose drank it down hurriedly, yet she still held back, leaving a few mouthfuls behind. Signaling me to drink the rest, she offered a faint, lonely smile.
“…Father probably won’t even notice that I’m gone anyway.”
“…”
I could not bring myself to say it was not true. Our father, Viscount Mayfield, was more than capable of precisely that.
“Rose.”
With a resolute look, I pulled Rose into a tight embrace. Outside, dusk was already falling, and Sir Jerome might come over to peer into the carriage at any moment. Before tucking young Rose back into that shabby crate, I had to quell the fire raging deep within my chest.
“…I promise you this much. Even if we end up facing every kind of hardship and mistreatment there…”
“…”
“…it will at least be better than this.”
2. Written as a Land of Opportunity, Read as a Goldmine
The Grand Duke’s Castle stood proudly in Liden, the central hub of the North.
Deep inside on the third floor, the office was uncharacteristically noisy. Although meant as a space where the Grand Duke himself would issue orders and hold council, the staff officer, Count Hellas, handled the vast majority of affairs.
Though getting on in years to shoulder all the burdens of the vast, sprawling North, few men held the Grand Duke of Valencia’s trust.
As a retainer of the Duchy of Liard, the Grand Duke’s maternal house, the Count had sworn his allegiance the moment Kiers drew his first breath. He had never left Kiers’s side through the conquest of the continent and his establishment in the North. To him, serving Kiers was a lifelong destiny, and so long as breath remained in his body, he would faithfully carry out his duty.
“Hm.”
Clutching a freshly arrived telegram, Count Hellas turned around with an inscrutable expression. His gray hair, slicked back without a single stray strand, gave him an uncompromising air.
“According to Jerome, she should arrive before the day is out.”
“My Lord Staff Officer, I still cannot fathom this. How can His Grace’s marriage be handled in such a manner!”
“…Sir Lear.”
The knight’s chest heaved with indignation.
He, too, was a loyal retainer who had shared life and death with Kiers across battlefields. Kiers had personally saved his life more times than he had fingers to count; to him, the Grand Duke was worth more than his own life. Naturally, he could not stomach this arrangement.
“Not a duke’s daughter, nor even a marquess’s, but the child of some unheard-of viscount! And from a ruined family scraping by in the boonies, no less!”
“What else would you have us do? Do you honestly expect the daughter of a duke or marquess to come all the way out here?”
“…”
“No. And even if one were willing, do you truly believe His Majesty would permit such a union?”
“Ah… that is…”
The Count’s sharp tone pierced through, and Sir Lear let out a sigh as understanding finally dawned. Indeed, if this marriage had been arranged by the Count himself, there were bound to be sound reasons behind it.
Yet understanding was one thing; injustice was another.
“Even so… if only His Grace had remained in the capital, this would never have happened! No, if only the Imperial Consort were still alive, such a match would be out of the question!”
“Say no more of that.”
“My Lord Count.”
“You know that is a forbidden subject for His Grace. Our duty is simply to obey.”
It was advice, but also a stern warning. Taken aback, Sir Lear bowed his head. A mere knight like him had no right to overstep when it came to His Grace’s affairs.
“…So, what kind of lady is she? You mentioned earlier that you knew her father back in the capital?”
“Well, he is quite famous.”
“Then, despite his modest title, he must hail from a respectable lineage.”
“Hardly. Rather, his conduct is simply so…”
Trailing off, the Count turned around with an enigmatic smile. Pushing up the bridge of his spectacles, he raised his chin and looked down with commanding presence.
“I never thought I would see that man again out here, but it seems he hasn’t changed a bit. Truly, a leopard cannot change its spots.”
“Pardon? Then…”
“In any case, a daughter of such a man will not be bad for us. In fact, she is our best option.”
The glint in the Count’s eyes behind his silver-rimmed spectacles held profound significance. Still only half-understanding, Sir Lear could only nod along.
“I suppose. If we wish to divert the eyes of His Majesty and the central aristocracy, we do need to expedite His Grace’s marriage. His Majesty already loses sleep out of fear of him as it is.”
“There is a limit to stalling. If we miss this chance, His Majesty will send down a bride of his own choosing. Far better to take a lady with no backing and no risk of blowback than invite an obvious spy into our midst.”
The Count folded Jerome’s letter and set it aside, his precise motions mirroring his meticulous nature. Watching in quiet awe, Sir Lear remembered something and looked up.
“By the way, the bride will arrive shortly, yet where is His Grace?”
“…”
“The stables were empty on my way here. He must know she arrives today—what could he be thinking?”
Come to think of it, while Lear had been fuming, he had never once asked what the Grand Duke himself thought. Kiers was such a reclusive and unpredictable man that, ironically, they had to search high and low for him even on a day like this.
“Surely he hasn’t ridden off somewhere again? He does despise being cooped up.”
“Who can say? How could anyone know his mind?”
“…”
For the first time, remorse shadowed the Count’s face. He had tried to soften his words, but his inner turmoil could not be entirely masked.
“Perhaps it is better for the bride that he is not here.”
◇ ◆ ◇
Even after three full days on the road, the carriage kept moving at a relentless pace. Looking out the window might have offered some relief, but I had kept the curtains drawn tight and the black shade down in case the knights caught on to Rose’s presence.
“Ugh!”
Being trapped inside made even stretching feel timid. Day and night blurred together, making me feel like I was buried in a burrow. No matter how plush the velvet beneath me was, with my mind so uneasy, sleep brought no real rest.
“My Lady… if you are awake, might I speak with you for a moment?”
“Pardon? Ah, one moment!”
At Jerome’s voice from outside, I hurriedly tucked Rose back into the crate.
I’m sorry, Rose.
I had lost count of how many times I had repeated this routine, but every single time tore at my heart. A new bride who had to hide her little sister in a box—it was every bit as wretched as the fate of a secondary character’s sister doomed to be flayed alive.
“…Yes. Please, go ahead.”
“We will be entering Liden shortly.”
“Truly?”
At the unexpected news, I finally threw open the window. A sharp gust of icy air rushed in, filling my lungs.
Ah, what a relief!
Being on edge inside the carriage had kept me breaking out in cold sweats the whole way. If Jerome were not watching, I would have rolled my neck and stretched every limb, but for now, propriety came first.
Unassuming as he looked, he was said to be the Grand Duke’s right-hand man. Let my guard down for an instant, and he might find something to hold against me. Rule number one of surviving without being taken advantage of: never leave an opening!
“Liden is the central hub of the North, isn’t it?”
“You were aware?”
“It is where I will be living, after all.”
When I flashed him a timely, radiant smile, Sir Jerome, who had been strictly business all this time, blinked in surprise.
Goodness, so this gentleman has a soft spot for this sort of thing.
Stifling a chuckle, I focused on maintaining the eager, bright-eyed beam of an excited new bride.
“Is the Grand Duke’s Castle much further from here?”
“It will take roughly half a day more.”
“Ah… I see.”
My feigned disappointment was nothing short of a masterpiece.
Admiring myself for no good reason, I looked out at the bustling surroundings. I had already read through Melanie’s books, but seeing the real North come into view stirred a subtle thrill inside me.
Unlike the sleepy countryside where everywhere was quiet, the people passing by were full of lively chatter.
“Is the noise bothersome?”
“Oh, not at all. It’s lovely.”
“I am glad to hear that. In that case, would you mind waiting here a moment? We need to tend to the horses, and I have some business at the guard post.”
Sir Jerome asked for my permission with an apologetic expression.
Having spent my whole life surrounded by people who stirred up trouble and dumped the aftermath on others, even this tiny gesture of consideration tugged at my heartstrings.
