YWUSB~09

Chapter 9

“You’ve arrived, Your Highness.”

As I sat down across from Aiden, I recalled what Demian had said to me just before I entered the drawing room.

When he heard the Crown Prince had come to visit, he had stopped me on my way to greet him and said:

“Play along appropriately. Just because your marriage to the Crown Prince fell through doesn’t mean our relationship with the imperial family has.”

With an expression full of melancholy, as though he were some tragic romantic hero, Aiden spoke first.

“You’ve lost weight too, my lady. It seems you’ve suffered quite a bit.”

He idly toyed with his teacup, putting on the air of someone about to say something meaningful.

Whenever Aiden acted like this, what followed was usually nonsense.

A bad feeling immediately settled over me.

And soon enough, his next words proved my instincts right.

“My lady, I do not believe the ridiculous rumors people are spreading. The idea that you fell in love at first sight with Duke Laslet and abandoned me? Impossible. And as expected, His Majesty told me the real reason.”

He turned to look directly at me.

“You’re marrying for the sake of finding a cure for Duke Rowen’s illness, aren’t you?”

Good heavens.

Had the Emperor truly told Aiden that?

Between Father and the Emperor, it was honestly astonishing how the highest-ranking nobles in the Empire could spend every single day speaking lies so naturally.

At the very least, I had assumed the Emperor would tell Aiden the truth.

Since Father involved both Iswen and Demian in his schemes, I’d thought the Emperor would similarly share his own darker intentions with his son.

But apparently—

rather than entrusting Aiden with the conspiracy he intended to leave him as inheritance,

the Emperor had chosen instead to preserve his son’s illusions.

“Your devotion to your father is truly admirable, but I still can’t believe things between us ended this way.”

Murmuring like an actor reciting lines on stage, Aiden turned his head to gaze out the window.

His eyes looked bitter—

as though he had truly been separated from a beloved lover.

I genuinely couldn’t understand it.

Yes, people had openly spoken as though Aiden and I were destined to marry.

But that had never been because of any feelings between us.

It was simply because Father and the imperial family had calculated that such a union would be mutually beneficial.

Naturally, if the calculations changed—

so would the arrangement.

Aiden himself knew perfectly well this had never been a love match.

Otherwise, he would never have spent so much time scattering romantic scandals with other women.

And more importantly—

my marriage to Shioden had been ordered by imperial decree.

So if Aiden truly wished to act like the tragic hero, the fastest course would be to go plead with his own father.

Because regardless of how much he understood the truth—

none of this changed the fact that it was ultimately the Emperor’s will.

Though Father’s influence had undoubtedly played a significant role behind the scenes.

No—

perhaps this entire thing had been Father’s plan from beginning to end.

Father wanted to devour Laslet completely, piece by piece.

And the Emperor, who had hated Laslet ever since the former Duke of Laslet had stolen away his fiancée, would likely have agreed gladly.

As long as the imperial family received a sufficient share before Father swallowed the rest…

As I silently pieced together my own theories, Aiden suddenly asked:

“No matter how many times I think about it… this is too regrettable to simply let go. Do you feel the same?”

The question was so absurd that, despite knowing it was improper to question royalty, I couldn’t help but ask:

“…Pardon?”

With a small sigh, Aiden clarified:

“I asked whether you regret this too, as I do.”

But what exactly was I supposed to regret?

Not becoming Crown Princess?

That position had never been something I wanted.

Not ending up with Aiden?

I wanted that just as little.

But before I could formulate a response, Demian’s warning echoed in my mind:

“Play along appropriately.”

So, against my better judgment, I forced myself to answer.

“It pains me that Your Highness feels regret… but since the imperial decree has already been issued…”

Aiden didn’t even let me finish.

“I knew it. I thought you must feel the same.”

Brightening instantly, he seized my hand.

“Don’t worry too much, Iella. There is always hope, no matter where one is.”

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

The attendant who had accompanied Aiden from the palace spoke from outside.

“Your Highness, Young Lord Rowen asks whether you might spare him a moment before he returns to the palace.”

“Tell him I can!”

Aiden leaned slightly toward the door as he answered.

Then he turned back to me and gave my hand one final squeeze before releasing it.

“I suppose I should be going.”

As discreetly as possible, I rubbed the spot his hand had touched against my dress.

Then Aiden added:

“I’ll send a wedding gift worthy of preserving your dignity, so don’t worry too much. Duke Laslet should know whose woman you are.”

Every single word dripping from his mouth felt wildly inappropriate.

Before he could do something even more troublesome, I tried to stop him.

“Your Highness, forgive me, but—”

“Shh. Don’t worry so much.”

Once again, he didn’t let me finish.

Then, lowering his voice, he added:

“I already received your father’s permission.”

…What?

What did that mean?

But before I could ask, Aiden was already halfway out the door.

The tragic lover he had so diligently performed just moments ago had vanished without a trace.

Now he looked entirely indifferent.

As he stepped into the corridor, he ordered his attendant:

“Tell Young Lord Rowen I’m coming now.”

Not long after that, I found myself riding in a carriage bound for Laslet.

Instead of my two brothers, Father sent Piden to accompany me as his watcher.

It hardly mattered.

None of them were particularly compatible with me anyway.

The journey from the capital—adjacent to southern Rowen territory—to Laslet in the far north was, naturally, not a short one.

The departure point and destination were complete opposites.

Under other circumstances, I would have been thrilled to look outside and take in the scenery.

After all, it was the first time I had ever traveled this far from Rowen.

But thoughts of Shioden, who had made no attempt to contact me, robbed me of any such enthusiasm.

Since the day we met at the dress shop,

he hadn’t written me a single letter.

And honestly—

that was understandable.

I had ignored him repeatedly when he tried to talk, despite how dissatisfied he himself clearly was with this marriage.

He had every reason to feel offended.

Before I could even finish deciding how I should explain myself to him—

we arrived in Laslet territory.

The end of a journey that had stretched on for weeks.

Inside the now-still carriage, I watched the thin snowfall outside when the coachman’s voice rang out.

“We’ve arrived!”

The carriage door opened, and the first thing I felt was the cold northern wind.

It brushed against my cheek, carrying the scent of snow and winter.

Then, through that frigid air, a knight’s hand was extended toward me.

I took it and stepped down.

Apple, who had been waiting nearby, immediately wrapped gloves and a scarf around me.

Though the carriage could approach the inner castle gates, it couldn’t enter the fortress itself.

From here, we would have to walk.

Holding the knight’s hand, I approached the castle gates.

Shioden was not there.

Instead—

two women stood waiting.

One was a middle-aged woman with brown hair and an ordinary appearance.

The other was strikingly beautiful.

She looked about my age, with long, straight black hair and pale green eyes.

Her rounded eyes gave her a soft, innocent look.

The gentle curve of her gaze brightened when she saw me.

I hesitated instinctively at how warm a smile she offered someone she’d only just met.

Then she stepped forward and asked:

“Hello. You’re Lady Rowen, correct?”

Her lively voice rang brightly in my ears.

“My name is Merwen Ethel. I’m one of Laslet’s vassals, and I oversee the castle’s internal affairs.”

So—

she had effectively been acting as mistress of the household.

Rowen had similarly lacked a lady of the house, but in our case, Iswen had handled domestic matters.

Shioden had no siblings, and both his parents were gone—

so it made sense he had entrusted someone else with such responsibilities.

Still…

to entrust someone with the management of the entire castle suggested a relationship built on considerable trust.

Merwen gestured toward the woman standing a step behind her.

The middle-aged woman who had been staring at me with an unimpressed expression the entire time.

“This is Sezna Rodalton. She came north as the former Duchess’s maid. Now she manages the castle servants.”

The woman called Sezna did not smile.

She did not greet me.

She simply looked me up and down with obvious dissatisfaction.

Just as her blatant hostility began to unsettle me—

Merwen extended her hand toward me.

Her drooping eyes curved warmly once more as she said:

“Welcome to Laslet.”