8 - The Duke's Bride is a Warrior from Hell
Even after sitting on the bench, Reikart's frown didn't ease.
He wondered if he should go down the hill and call his aide.
"Are you alright, Your Highness?"
Reikart hesitated, looking into the distance with a scowl.
He mumbled, averting his gaze as if trying to ignore the question.
"My hand, a little..."
He could count on one hand the number of times he had spoken so vaguely in his life.
Muttering or mumbling incomprehensibly when speaking to others was unbecoming of a member of the Imperial Family, but Reikart was just slightly extending his hand with a frown.
"Your hand? Is it not well, Your Highness?"
Alisha quickly looked around before placing her fingertips on the man's outstretched hand.
It was a hand she had held twice before.
It was just holding hands.
But as she placed her hand on his outstretched one, her heart pounded erratically, as if it were surging.
"What are you and I doing?"
Reikart, looking much more stable, looked at Alisha and asked.
Reikart Tessen was the type of person who spoke informally and revealed his true colors when he was in pain.
At least, that's what Alisha thought.
"Marriage."
Alisha answered just as briefly to the man's short words.
"How old are you?"
This time, his words were short and his expression disrespectful.
But it was hard to point it out.
The other party was a member of the Imperial Family, and no less than the Emperor's brother.
"Nineteen."
Alisha said calmly.
"Do you know how old I am?"
"Around thirty..."
"Twenty-nine. When the Lady was born, I was training as a knight at the Imperial Academy. Two years later, I became Grand Duke Tessen."
Alisha cautiously spoke to Reikart, who was expressing his absurdity with his whole face.
"Do you dislike me?"
"Do you like me? Is that why you want to marry me?"
Reikart's face twisted even more at Alisha's question.
Immediately, a soft murmur followed.
"I don't dislike you..."
Amber eyes stared silently at the whispering face before letting out a light sigh.
"Who is it that I'm going to mistreat and chase away?"
Alisha chose the Grand Duke as a business partner rather than a marriage partner.
To break off an engagement that was almost finalized, the most effective way was to be denied permission from the Imperial Family.
A situation where the Imperial Family would not grant permission was marriage to Grand Duke Tessen.
Reikart knew Alisha's thoughts.
He immediately confirmed the terms of the deal without beating around the bush.
"Gregory Barker."
Alisha also frankly revealed her purpose without unnecessary words.
"To sour relations with the Barker family for only four times a year?"
It wasn't that there weren't any doubts.
Knowing the actions of the Imperial Family in her memory, Alisha thought the Grand Duke would easily accept the proposal.
She even offered a price for the marriage in case.
Yet, Reikart's attitude towards marriage was nothing but skewed.
The man whom the Imperial Family desperately sought a marriage partner for every time.
The man whom others tried so hard to find a marriage partner for, even though he didn't try to marry himself.
It was none other than the Imperial Family who fussed and raised their voices around the man.
No matter how great a member of the Imperial Family was, it was difficult to stop or interfere with the work of the Imperial Family.
If he didn't want to be bothered or hear unpleasant things, he should have accepted the proposal willingly.
But the Grand Duke was uncooperative, as if he hated marriage.
He tried to bargain with the enormous condition of the prophecy.
"More than that is difficult. But why have you been speaking informally to me since earlier?"
"How old are you?"
Alisha didn't regret going back in time and becoming younger.
It was an opportunity, and it was a good thing.
It felt like she was being compensated for the pain of being torn apart.
But for some reason, she felt offended by the question, "How old are you?" as if he was picking a fight.
It felt like she was losing.
"Nineteen."
Alisha replied with a sullen face.
"That's why. I'll take care of the Barker family right away. Go home and say you like me, Lady Alisha."
"...Pardon?"
"Go to your house and say you like me. Is that difficult to understand? Surely you don't expect me to say I like you? I'm only telling you four times a year, and I have to confess too?"
Reikart expressed his unfairness with his whole face.
"It's not necessary to say it, is it? And it's not just four times, it's a whopping four times. I'll say it again, more than four times is difficult."
"It's not that it's impossible, it's that it's difficult."
"It's impossible."
Alisha said with a more serious face than ever.
"What else do you need besides the Barker family?"
"Send the proposal written on the most luxurious paper and silk owned by the Imperial Family."
Alisha deliberately made an expression that looked as greedy as possible.
"I said I would break off an engagement that was almost certain, not that I would send a proposal. But if there's a chance to send a letter to the West, I'll do so. Anything else you want?"
"Why aren't you sending a proposal? Aren't we getting married?"
Alisha was about to drop the expression she was making and argue.
"That damn marriage."
"So, aren't we getting married?"
Alisha emphasized the word marriage again.
"Do you even know what marriage is, Lady Alisha? Think about what it means to make a marriage vow, even from now on. I will proceed with the process of becoming a relationship that makes marriage vows, but there is no need to get married right away. Separately, I doubt whether the Lady can last three days in Tessen."
The man was trying to postpone the marriage as if he had a phobia of marriage.
"Does that mean we're becoming engaged?"
"That's right."
"I trust that you will prepare and send it well so that the honor of the future Grand Duchess is not tarnished."
Alisha returned to her greedy and extravagant expression.
"Will that be all?"
"It would be nice if you gave me a villa, a house, or land to celebrate the engagement."
Alisha said everything without holding back, courageously.
"Only telling me four times a year."
"It's a whopping four times. More than that is impossible."
Reikart grumbled with dissatisfaction, and Alisha immediately changed her expression and whispered sternly.
The man, who had been wearing a serious expression, seemed to have improved a little, and let out a hollow laugh at the whisper of his future fiancée.
He carefully took out his hand, which was wrapped in Alisha's hand.
"Thank you for your help."
"I'm glad I was of help."
Alisha didn't know what kind of help she had given.
She was curious about what kind of help she had given him, but she couldn't ask.
The moment the man's hand fell from her hand, Reikart's eyebrows seemed to furrow slightly.
She noticed his frowning face, but didn't show it.
Unlike his crumpled eyebrows, which were trying not to show it, the man's lips were faintly smiling.
"I hope the conditions we discussed are well kept. Shall we go now?"
"Yes."
Alisha answered immediately.
"I will escort you to the path leading to the Reine family's territory."
"Thank you for your help."
Alisha, who was giving a perfunctory greeting, suddenly thought that this was what help was.
On the day Alisha returned from visiting the Dolore Ruins, Marquis Rein received an order to enter the Imperial Palace.
The sudden order to enter the palace was unusual.
It wasn't just Marquis Rein who received the Emperor's order.
Count Barker, who was in the northern territory, also received an order to enter the palace.
'The two Heads of the family must enter the Imperial Palace immediately.'
According to the Emperor's solemn order, the Marquis departed from his territory to the Imperial Capital late at night.
The Marquis announced that he had run for four days and nights and was ready to enter the Imperial Palace.
Count Barker also reported that he would enter the Imperial Palace early.
Marquis Rein and Count Barker realized that the Emperor had summoned the two Heads of the family together and that it was related to marriage.
Upper-class nobles are required to seek permission from the Imperial Family before an engagement.
In the past, the Imperial Family was deeply involved in the strategic marriages of nobles, but now it was only a formality.
Recently, some nobles living far from the Imperial Capital have omitted the procedure of seeking permission from the Imperial Family.
They noticed that they were entering the palace in connection with marriage, but the two Heads of the family had no idea what would happen in the future.
The Imperial Family's marriage permission was mostly given in letters, so they only vaguely thought it was strange.
In the case of very special marriages, they would call both Heads of the family to congratulate them while granting permission for the marriage.
However, the two families had not yet received the Emperor's marriage permission, and above all, this marriage was not that special.
The two Heads of the family met the Emperor seven days after the Imperial order was issued.
The Marquis and the Count, who entered the Grand Audience Chamber, paid their respects to the Emperor.
The Emperor lightly said after receiving their greetings.
'I do not permit that marriage.'
There was no reason for the refusal, nor words to praise the efforts of the Heads of the family who had traveled a long way.
The Emperor sat like a painting on his luxurious throne, spoke briefly, and got up and left.
There wasn't even a chance to object.
He didn't even give them a chance to add a word, and the Emperor left.
That was what the Imperial Family was like.
The two Heads of the family left the Audience Chamber with stiff faces.
However, their bewilderment and silence were extremely short.
Marquis Valdemar Rein had the face of a typical northern man.
Skin that was so white it looked pale, dark black hair, and black eyes.
A strong jawline with no expression made his cold impression look even colder.
A face that looked dry in every way opened its lips.
"I guess our relationship ends here."
"That's what it seems."
Neither the Marquis nor the Count expressed regret over the broken marriage first.
They also did not commit the impious act of questioning the Imperial Family's actions.
"Take care, Count."
"I hope you have a safe journey."
Count Barker saw off the Marquis, whom he thought would be his in-law until yesterday, with words.
"I'm thinking of staying in the Imperial Capital for a while."
It was unlike the taciturn Marquis to inform him of his future plans.
"Is that so? I hope to see you again if I have the chance."
"If there's a chance."
Count Barker replied in a way that would not violate etiquette, and approached the servant who would guide him.
The servant took the Count not to the exit, but towards the Imperial Concubine's quarters.
Following the servant's guidance, Count Barker turned his head and greeted the Marquis once more.
The Marquis only replied with a nod.
"It seems that family also has a prior engagement."
The Marquis said without taking his eyes off Count Barker.
"I will escort you."
The Head Chamberlain, who was guarding the door of the Audience Chamber, gestured to the servants.
The door of the Grand Audience Chamber opened again.
Marquis Rein checked his attire and entered the Grand Audience Chamber.
Marquis Rein had received an order not to leave the Imperial Palace after being granted permission to enter the palace and entering the Audience Chamber.
That's why he thought something was strangely going on and didn't act rashly.
But he never thought that the Imperial Family would disapprove of a marriage that was almost certain to be concluded.
Even when he entered the Audience Chamber again, he never expected to receive a formal marriage request from the Imperial Family.
When he heard that the marriage the Imperial Family was trying to proceed with was the marriage between Grand Duke Tessen and Alisha, he became an honest person.
Unable to maintain his famous reputation for being expressionless, the Marquis showed the Emperor his stiffening face as it was.
The Emperor said with a generous face that he was not going to proceed with the marriage right away.
He said that it would be good to have the formal marriage in about two years since Alisha was young.
The words were in the form of a question, but in fact, it was no different from a notice.
