Having dressed himself with painstaking care, Philip boarded the carriage, then called out to the driver to pull over.
“Is something the matter, my lord?”
The driver asked in surprise, and Philip, a slight flush rising to his cheeks, replied,
“I want to try something I saw in a book.”
Stepping down, Philip walked over to a flower cart parked along the street and purchased a massive bouquet of red roses.
‘I haven’t bought flowers since the ones I gave Christa….’
Embarrassed to be doing something so thoroughly unaccustomed, the tips of the burly man’s ears burned red.
“Right then, carry on.”
The rich scent of roses filled the carriage until he felt almost dizzy, yet he sat upright and still, taking care that his hat would not tilt while cradling the bouquet tenderly against his chest.
Meanwhile, Selina was trying to calm her racing nerves as she waited for Philip in the cafe.
‘Why did he ask to see me?’
She wracked her brain despite her racing heart, but could fathom no other explanation.
‘Will he be furious and demand, “How dare you propose such a thing to my son?” If he loses his temper, it will be terrifying….’
Then came a knock at the door.
“My lady, your guest has arrived.”
“Show him in.”
Wiping her sweaty palms against her skirts, Selina lifted her hem and rose to greet her guest with proper courtesy, only to freeze in sheer astonishment.
There stepped Philip—a man built just as massively as his son Xenos—carefully cradling an enormous bouquet of red roses.
“It is… it is an honor to meet you, Lord Philip.”
Selina stammered out, struggling to gather her wits.
‘His Grace looks so much like his father….’
It was just like looking at Xenos thirty years from now.
“First impressions matter at any meeting. It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady. I am Xenos’s father, and this is a token of my goodwill.”
Smiling with easy confidence, Philip offered her the bouquet. Selina hesitated for a moment before accepting it into her arms.
“Thank you very much.”
“Do you not care for flowers?”
Philip was a master at reading faces; he had observed tens of thousands of soldiers on the battlefield, honing his instincts to sniff out hidden motives—whether from enemy spies or scheming courtiers—until it became second nature.
Selina was taken aback by how swiftly he had read her, yet she answered with steady composure,
“It isn’t that I dislike them… I’m simply not used to receiving them. No one has ever given me flowers before.”
“I heard you had a former fiancé. It seems he never gave you anything like this. Good riddance, then. Never keep company with a man who wouldn’t give even a single bouquet of roses to a lady as lovely and intelligent as you.”
‘Though His Grace hasn’t given me flowers yet, either… Haha….’
“Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
No sooner had they sat across from each other than the cafe manager knocked and entered at the perfect moment.
“My lady, the tea is ready.”
“Bring it in, please.”
The manager poured the tea, arranged a few cakes on the table, and took his leave. Philip took a sip of the tea, then spoke,
“If a cafe serves tea of this caliber, it’s no wonder people flock here and gladly pay. Excellent work, my lady.”
“Thank you. I oversee the capital’s cafes personally. It has only been two years since we opened, but they have grown into a major source of revenue for our trading company. Though of course, there is still much room for improvement.”
Philip nodded, catching the bright enthusiasm sparkling in Selina’s eyes.
“You truly seem to love the merchant’s trade… from the bottom of your heart.”
“Yes. I don’t run it simply because I am the head of our house, but because it is what I want.”
“Then… is this also—”
He drew the engagement contract from his pocket.
“Is this also something you want of your own free will?”
“Ah… that is….”
‘How on earth did the engagement contract end up in the Duke’s father’s hands…?’
Philip easily read her distress and spoke in a reassuring tone,
“This concerns our family, so I had no choice but to read it. It is my place to approve or reject such contracts.”
“Ah… I see.”
“If this contract stems from your genuine desire, then say so with confidence. Do you believe this contract—drafted in this manner—is a grave mistake in the eyes of your elders?”
“I imagine it might seem quite improper from their perspective, yes.”
“I did not come to hold you to account, my lady. I merely have a few questions. Why do you desire only an engagement, and by contract… without marrying my son? What is your true reason?”
“Pardon?”
“I am asking why you only want an engagement.”
Philip continued without looking at Selina, who was visibly flustered.
“Why do you not wish to marry? Would marriage not bring you immense benefit as well? The duchy has wealth and the kind of prestige anyone would envy. Our lands are vast, and the profits are far from poor. And despite all that… why only an engagement? Why will you not marry?”
“I… well….”
And for the first time, Philip grasped the truth behind her intentions.
“You have no intention of marrying at all, do you, my lady?”
Selina bowed her head in silent admission.
“It is simply that you have no desire for marriage in the first place. That is why you set the condition of an engagement, followed by a breakup.”
Philip finally nodded, understanding washing over him.
“How dare he disregard my summons to enter the palace?!”
The Emperor shook with fury, on the verge of madness.
His closest advisor, Ross, watched the Emperor’s knuckles turn white against the goblet, then answered calmly,
“This is his usual habit, Your Majesty.”
“No, this time is different!”
Losing all restraint, the Emperor hurled the crystal goblet to the floor, shattering it into pieces.
The flying shards grazed past Ross’s long stockings, drawing a thin line of blood, yet Ross never flinched, remaining bowed in respectful silence.
“Do you know who I am? I am the Emperor of this land! The only one who bears the name of Savaya! Even Erik was not permitted to carry it! It belongs to me alone!”
The Emperor shrieked as though possessed,
“And yet a wretched duke—cast out from the imperial family—dares to ignore me? Just because he possesses the Dragon Power? It isn’t the power of immortality, just some mundane earthly strength! And he thinks he can overlook my existence because of that? A worthless duke like him?!”
Ross kept his head bowed until the Emperor had calmed slightly.
“They have always looked down on me. Those bastards only ever knelt before me when I deigned to bestow Christa’s belongings upon them after their victories. Every single time they begged at my feet, I swore to myself that one day, I would sever every last one of their heads!”
Mad fury burned in the Emperor’s eyes.
“And now… they haven’t come even though the appointed time has passed. Do you know what that means?”
Ross’s face froze.
“Precisely.”
The Emperor poured liquor into another cup, wearing an air of utter indifference.
“They have finally found the true Fated Partner. Those fools must be seething with rage now that they realize I have played them for fools for twelve whole years.”
Taking a sip, he laughed with cruel relish.
“How utterly idiotic. They ran all over the empire chasing after my false leads, and now they think finding the real one will solve everything?”
A wave of dread washed over Ross, fearing the empire would once again drown in a sea of blood, but he struggled to keep his face impassive.
“Come closer, Ross. Let me look at your face.”
Ross stepped forward, revealing the thick scar carved over his right eyebrow—a wound earned while shielding His Majesty during the bloody struggle for the throne.
The Emperor studied him with satisfaction, then released his chin and patted his shoulder.
“We must show them that finding the real one will do them no good at all.”
Ross shuddered faintly, but bowed deeply in respect.
“Is there anything standing in the way?”
When the Emperor asked, Ross murmured nervously,
“She is merely the daughter of a minor count’s family, nothing more.”
“Naturally, my son shall marry her, but without bestowing upon her the title of Empress. We will draft a prenuptial agreement beforehand and make her sign it. Surely that will suffice?”
“Your wisdom is peerless, Your Majesty.”
“See to it swiftly. Selina must be brought into the imperial family before the truth of her identity comes to light.”
“I shall carry it out at once.”
“For I—the Emperor—cannot afford to have the massacre of an old friend’s family tied to my name. Handle it properly, Ross.”
Ross remained bowed, terrified that any hint of his inner turmoil might show.
“Your will be done, Your Majesty.”
