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chapter 25
A Duel That Wasn’t
It was only natural that Lucas reached the hill first, having set out a step ahead. Yet, the Grand Duke Farrell arrived almost simultaneously, making it effectively a tie.
“I hear the Grand Duke has been proposing repeatedly to my fiancée.”
“Yes. By customary law across the continent, an engagement is void if there’s been no contact for over four years.”
Even in conversation, neither man gave an inch.
“My engagement was not some vow to be erased by a mere six-year gap. Yet this Grand Duke, shamelessly, dared to court my fiancée.”
“The world will judge whether that’s shameful or not,” Hyde replied.
Of all people, Hyde was the most flustered by the Crown Prince’s sudden arrival. Serena herself felt the same, but Hyde’s shock was nearly equivalent.
Moreover, Lucas was the Empire’s Crown Prince. No matter the Grand Duke’s power, there remained an insurmountable wall of status and rank between them.
“And I wish to clarify that whenever I proposed to Milady, I was never rejected because of the Crown Prince—never even once.”
This time, it was Lucas’s teeth that gritted in frustration.
“Well, even if it weren’t you, I wouldn’t have married the Grand Duke.”
A childish provocation, yet true, and it struck deep into Hyde’s chest.
“I once saw your portraits in a newspaper. Portraits never quite match reality, do they?”
The portraits had been made only once—at the engagement ceremony. Hyde was dredging up an image of a smaller, humbler Lucas from the past.
“People remain the same. They just grow.”
Perhaps his harsh training had been for days like this. Lucas had honed not only his body but also his mind, ensuring he wouldn’t be shaken regardless of the opponent.
“Of course, it’s also true that our engagement stands and the wedding will take place soon.”
Hyde’s eyebrows visibly lowered.
“I commend your taste in women, Grand Duke. But she belongs elsewhere, so you must let go.”
“And if I cannot let go?”
Both men carried swords at their hips, looking formidable. Their running to the hill seemed almost like preparation for a duel.
“Are you proposing a duel?”
Lucas broached the sensitive topic first. Hyde dismounted and regarded him from horseback.
“You dare challenge the Tern imperial line, a mere duke of a vassal state?”
As if implying that only status prevents him from winning by force, Lucas dismounted in turn.
“Have you seen the view from this hill?”
Hyde stepped closer as he asked. Lucas nodded.
“Magnificent,” he said.
“Yet would you imprison the lady who created this view… in the gilded cage of the palace?”
What was it about Serena that drew both men so fiercely? Her dignified, beautiful form, jewel-like blue eyes, platinum hair shimmering like moonlight, refined features, and sweet voice.
They could count endlessly, but the true reason both men were so captivated ran deeper.
“The palace is not a cage. At least, if I take Serena as Crown Princess, it won’t be,” Lucas declared.
“Miss Serena is happiest here. Should she someday become tied to me, she could rule both Astel and the Duchy of Farrell freely,” Hyde said.
Talking about her happiness while she wasn’t present seemed foolish, yet both men were sincere.
“Did she look like a woman who could be caged? If so, the Grand Duke is mistaken,” Lucas added.
He remembered how Serena had boldly spoken her mind at their engagement, wishing to be treated as an equal. That same boldness had grown; now no man could cage her.
“She is strong. Too strong to be trapped in any cage.”
“Exactly. She is strong. She could never live without freedom.”
The two men’s opinions, for once, aligned.
“I’ve known that all along. And the palace doesn’t have to be a cage. Have you lived there? No, you haven’t.”
“It may be stricter than the Duchy, but she will still have much authority. It won’t be much different,” Hyde reasoned.
“Do you imply the Duchy is lawless like a commoner’s home?”
Hyde had been taken aback. The Farrell family had long had strict customs, and the late Duchess still managed much of the affairs.
Two women with strong personalities together was a sight best left unimagined.
“Just the palace, then?”
“My father remains healthy and will continue ruling for a long time. But you, you’re already a Duke?”
“Surely, one day you will be Emperor,” Hyde said.
“But not now. In fact, no one in this world is as free as a Crown Prince. Proof? I’m here now.”
The cold wind tousled their hair.
“If you wish, I will duel. Not as the Crown Prince of Tern, but as Lucas—a man proposing to Serena.”
A radical proposition. Whatever the duel’s outcome, it bypassed responsibilities tied to status.
“You mean a life-risking duel, with the Empire before us?”
“If your intent is genuine, I will oblige.”
Lucas stood casually, ready to draw his sword at any moment. Hyde was no different.
Yet without hatred or duty compelling them, neither could predict the right moment to strike.
“Grand Duke, I’ve wandered many battlefields and grown stronger than you might expect. I know you are a formidable man. But should it come to life or death… I will win.”
Had Lucas not grown as he had, he would never dare speak so calmly to the famed warrior Grand Duke Farrell.
They appeared evenly matched, yet the difference lay in experience: Hyde had grown up confined to the Duchy, while Lucas had accumulated countless adventures. That difference might decide the final outcome.
Of course, it wasn’t Hyde’s choice. His father’s early death left him bearing the full weight of the dukedom. That sacred duty was both a responsibility and a chain. It explained why, despite his persistent proposals, he had never pressed further.
“You would risk your life for a woman?”
Not a question, but a self-directed murmur.
“Abandoning family, house, and people… for one woman?”
“Yes.”
Lucas answered without hesitation.
“Serena is worth it. She is my goal and dream that kept me alive until now.”
His dark eyes shone with certainty and sincerity.
At that moment, Hyde dropped his hand from the sword. Before any clash, his will had been broken.
“I once hoped to take her as my Duchess,” Hyde said calmly.
“Yet, even with Your Highness proposing a duel, I cannot draw my sword.”
“Because you are a responsible Duke,” Lucas replied.
Hyde seemed unbeatable in skill and strength. Yet, at the decisive moment, he could not abandon the responsibilities thrust upon him: his family, his mother, and the people of Farrell. Challenging for a woman’s life would feel like betrayal.
“One question. If you truly intended to marry Milady, why did you neglect her for the past six years?”
“I didn’t want to show my shortcomings. Over time, my feelings grew, and eventually, no paper could contain them.”
Lucas’s love was simple.
“Has it changed now?”
“Then I would have come for her.”
That simple answer pierced Hyde’s heart. No matter how much he desired, Lucas loved Serena openly, unreservedly, and completely.
“No need to worry. I have long disappointed my father through wandering. Now, no one has expectations of me.”
Perhaps that was part of Lucas’s plan. Hyde could not know.
“So, I will love Serena freely, and if she wishes, I will let her soar across the Empire, not confining her to a cage. Together.”
Only through Lucas did Hyde finally understand why his proposals had been rejected. He had lacked the readiness—he lacked the courage to live freely with a woman as radiant as Serena.
Both men’s hearts were deep, yet Hyde’s was limited by duty. He could only grant true freedom once the late Duchess fully retired from affairs.
“Do you not consider your words arrogant? Even I, a mere Duke, cannot grant such freedom. What then of the Crown Prince?”
“My status doesn’t matter. Who I am matters,” Lucas declared.
“If my status made her unhappy, I would discard it.”
Could he truly abandon the Crown Prince title for one woman? Hyde lowered his head. His heart, too, yielded.
He desired Serena while fulfilling duty; Lucas desired only Serena and was ready to endure anything.
“I… lost.”
Despite his deep affection for Serena, Hyde was still a man. His acceptance of defeat carried a sense of relief.
“Showing this expression now to Milady would bring lifelong regret, but since it is Your Highness, let it pass,” Lucas said.
“Still, competing was brave,” Lucas added, lightly tapping Hyde’s shoulder—a wordless form of respect among men.
“She was worth it,” Lucas continued, nodding at Hyde’s bitter reply. Who wouldn’t fall for a woman so special? Their hearts aligned, yet destiny determined the outcome.
“Now that you’ve accepted defeat, I’ll conclude matters. I shall return and bid farewell to Milady.”
Lucas allowed this small courtesy. Besides, both had fought for Serena; she should know the result.
“All you may do is say goodbye.”
Hyde chuckled.
“I will let go, having lost.”
His inability to draw the sword or press his proposals stemmed from his duties. Today, in front of Lucas, it was clear: no matter his desire, he lacked the ability and resolve to be Serena’s partner. He accepted the painful truth.
“This was a losing battle from the start,” Hyde murmured, regretful.
“My ambition was too great.”
“I understand your position. It’s merely each of us making a choice.”
Lucas’s eyes, willing to sacrifice rank for Serena, reflected absolute sincerity.
“Though I lost, may Your Highness’ devotion last a lifetime. I… wish for her happiness,” Hyde said.
If Lucas could sacrifice the throne itself, he would surely allow Serena freedom and will.
Even if Hyde could not lift his sword or claim the woman he adored, if doing so meant her happiness, he would gladly accept defeat.
