Finding a suitable marriage partner… Most noble daughters attended countless gatherings of high society for that very reason.
Yet the young lady sitting before Philip, speaking with calm composure, was unlike any other daughter of the nobility.
“I do not know what it means to lead a happy life after marriage, nor do I know what it means to find happiness as a woman or a mother.”
Now that Philip fully understood her intentions, Selina laid everything bare before him.
“My mother died when I was six. After giving birth to me, her health deteriorated drastically, and she suffered until the day she passed away. As for my father, he was always away, searching for remedies or raising money for her treatment. I rarely saw any warm moments between them… There were hardly any at all.”
Philip quietly sipped his tea.
‘It was not a happy childhood… Yet she grew up well and is remarkably educated.’
Recalling the moment that had left an indelible mark on her childhood, Selina continued,
“Exactly one year after my mother died, my father brought home a woman to marry. That was Lady Flora, the current Countess Arsene.”
As she said this with a faint trace of resentment, Philip thought to himself,
‘She is telling me, in her own polite way, that she is not close to her stepmother.’
Philip nodded as if he understood.
“Yet you had a fiancé, didn't you? Did you have no desire to marry back then either?”
“That was a condition I agreed to when I was fourteen, solely to become the family head's agent.”
“So what you truly want is to continue managing the family business. And you believe that if you marry, you will become part of the ducal house and won't be able to run the Arsene merchant firm, correct?”
“Yes, which is why I cannot marry.”
Philip studied her for a long moment, then said,
“What if you were permitted to run the Arsene firm independently even after marriage?”
Taken aback, Selina asked,
“Is that truly possible?”
Finding her wide, round eyes endearing, Philip answered gently,
“Lady Arsene, the world is vast, and there is still much you have yet to see. If you truly wish to become the mistress of the merchant firm, you must see and learn more. There are plenty of households where husband and wife run separate businesses. Ask your father as well. Choosing you as his deputy over a son means he has seen and heard a great deal, and he knows what you are capable of.”
Philip smiled warmly and went on,
“To be honest, all I want is for my son to marry the woman he loves, live happily, have children, and enjoy a long life. Seeing that… is my dream. Only then can I face my late wife with pride.”
“I…”
“Yet I also understand your feelings when you drew up this contract, Lady Arsene. Word for word… I know very well what drove you to it. As a father, perhaps I shouldn't say this… but—”
He paused briefly, then continued with utter seriousness,
“What do you say to changing the contract from an engagement to a marriage? You will marry Xenos and live together for two years without divorcing. I will not ask you to bear children, nor will I burden you with the duties of the First Lady, or the Duchess. Just two years.”
“…”
“If during these two years you obtain what you desire, and Xenos gets to live happily for two years… it will be a gain for you both. After two years, if you truly still want a divorce, come to me with the amended contract, and I will help you obtain your divorce as you wish.”
Selina wavered.
‘I only planned a brief engagement with the Duke to turn my tarnished reputation around…’
She needed public sentiment on her side: how could the wicked woman they spoke of truly be the very person betrothed to the Empire's beloved Duke?
And when the time came to uncover the truth alongside Erik, having Xenos by her side would serve as powerful proof to sway the people.
‘Marriage…’
Noticing her hesitation, Philip pressed on,
“How about a little wager? I bet that two years from now, you won't bring that contract to me. And if I lose, I will grant you land in our territory known to be the finest and most valuable of all.”
The following evening, Count Arsene stepped into the dining room the Emperor had prepared.
“Ah, Count Arsene, please, come in.”
“I heard Your Majesty summoned me, so I came at once. Were you in the middle of your meal?”
“I had so many engagements today that I could only sit down to eat at this late hour. Would you care to join me?”
Though the Emperor spoke with courteous grace, he already knew the Count had not eaten, having arranged this invitation specifically for him.
The table was laden with an array of the Count's favorite dishes. The moment Count Arsene laid eyes upon the feast, he understood what was happening.
‘It seems His Majesty has a favor to ask of me.’
It was this very quickness of wit that had allowed him to survive beside the current Emperor all these years.
On the battlefield, he had sacrificed his shoulder for the Emperor, forced afterward to lay down his sword. Ever since, he had shouldered the most demanding tasks before the Emperor could even utter a word.
Nor had he stopped there; on every voyage across the sea, he brought back rare treasures from other continents for the Empire, ensuring that no one could ever bear him ill will.
“I hear you have been busy lately with the joint trade venture?”
“We worked on it for three years, and now it verges on collapse, so I am doing everything in my power to save it.”
“What a pity… The partner you are collaborating with is… Count Patel's family, is it not? They have no foresight whatsoever. For the future of both houses, I sanctioned that marriage, only for them to ruin it. What does Selina lack for them to squander their fortune like this? Would you have me punish them on your behalf?”
The Emperor's intervention at this juncture was dangerous, especially since the trade venture had not yet reached its conclusion.
Though Count Arsene knew the Emperor had spoken deliberately, he bowed and replied with effort,
“Your Majesty… there is no need for you to trouble yourself over a man like me. I shall attempt to resolve this between our two families.”
The Emperor took a sip of water, then began to voice the words he had prepared in advance.
“Frankly, the things being said about Selina in high society these days… infuriate me. Could those people possibly know her better than I do? Selina is a gentle, sensible girl who knows right from wrong. I, for one, would not mind welcoming her as a daughter-in-law.”
Count Arsene snapped his head up in shock.
‘A daughter-in-law?’
“Why do you look so surprised? Did we not speak of this in passing years ago? Back then, they were little children who playfully refused, and we laughed it off. But now… they are no longer of an age where they can dismiss it so lightly.”
The Emperor chuckled, but the Count could not bring himself to join in.
He bowed quickly in dread.
“Your Majesty… that was acceptable when they were children, but things are different now. Our family is… far too humble. For my daughter to become the Crown Prince's wife… it is truly terrifying.”
“Indeed, if she marries my son, she will outrank you. That must be terrifying indeed. Hahaha!”
“Your Majesty…”
The Count looked up, pleading with his eyes for the Emperor to retract his words, but the Emperor replied with callous indifference,
“I heard her betrothal was broken after being arranged, and I grew worried for her. As things stand… how will she ever find a suitable match? I am merely trying to help you, Arsene.”
“But Selina is…”
‘If she enters the imperial family, nothing awaits her but a path strewn with thorns. The distance between us and the imperial house must remain as it is—neither too close nor too far.’
“It is still too early.”
“What do you mean by that? Selina is seventeen.”
“I know, but… there is someone in our household who must marry first. We cannot send Selina alone to such lofty heights…”
The Emperor asked in an irritated tone,
“You mean your wife's son?”
“Yes. He visited the palace when he was young, alongside Selina.”
“Then your commoner wife must be terribly envious and spiteful. Selina must suffer greatly at home.”
The Count forced a tight smile, unable to answer.
“Yet your reasoning fails to consider every angle. Think carefully. Were he to become the brother-in-law to the Crown Princess, the nobility would accept his commoner blood far more readily.”
A fire of anxiety flared in the Count's chest.
‘For him to press me to this extent means his mind is already made up… Is there a particular reason he wants Selina specifically?’
Though suffocated by dread, he had no choice but to bow his head in acquiescence.
“We will not hold an engagement ceremony. Let us proceed straight to the wedding.”
The Emperor then set about making plans and arrangements with great enthusiasm, but not a single word reached Count Arsene's ears.
