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~Chapter 15~
The northern Duchess, Aris Roheim, was severely injured by monster poison.
Her body was becoming more difficult to move, and although she had trained her body to endure, she couldn’t know for how long she could keep going.
The maids all kept silent, watching their mistress cautiously.
Recently, aside from the minimum service, even the maids had stopped coming to her. That was what the Duchess had wanted.
‘It couldn’t be helped.’
The Duchess had devoted her entire life to the north. When she first came from the distant eastern border, no one had welcomed her. People from the borderlands were always hostile to outsiders, and the easterners were no different.
‘I understand their wariness.’
To protect the north, she chose to distance herself from everyone. She had no personal attachments.
Her duty was only to protect the north. Had she not made that promise with the previous Duke?
“Aris, protect the north.”
The day those words were spoken, he passed away while with the Duke of Rikeion.
Since then, the Duchess had believed that the only person who would ever receive the love and respect of the northern people was Elkaian, the Duke’s son.
Her strength had been supported by the knights who had followed her from the east. But now, they were all gone.
She could no longer even hold a sword.
In other words, she could no longer protect the north. She could no longer fulfill the promise made to the previous Duke.
‘Is this life even meaningful?’
The Duchess felt useless. She would almost prefer to leave everything to Elkaian.
It felt like being dragged endlessly into a pit.
Everything seemed meaningless. At that moment, one of the maids appeared and spoke to the Duchess.
“Madam, Lady Rikeion has come to visit.”
“Lady Rikeion came to see me?”
“Yes, she wants to meet you.”
The Duchess’s face hardened. She couldn’t understand why Lady Rikeion would want to meet her.
‘I’ve heard what Elkaian and Lady Rikeion talked about, but I thought it was just empty words.’
The maid continued.
“Elkaian permitted the meeting.”
After a moment of hesitation, the Duchess nodded. She thought she might as well listen to what she had to say.
Not long after, Delphina entered. She was a small, fragile-looking girl.
She didn’t seem like Elkaian’s match at all. Her lush pink hair and innocent yellow eyes.
‘She looks like a rabbit.’
To protect the north, one had to be strong. The Duchess clicked her tongue.
‘Maybe she belongs at my waist.’
Delphina looked too weak and soft to guard the fierce northern lands.
“Hello, Duchess. I am Delphina Rikeion.”
“Lady, what is the purpose of your visit?”
The Duchess’s face was cold. Delphina was holding a flower in her arms.
‘Just like her, always carrying something weak.’
With a cold expression, the Duchess spoke to Delphina.
“I know what you and Elkaian talked about. I heard you want to make food for me. What is your real intention?”
Delphina answered with an innocent face.
“I didn’t have any ulterior motives. I just came to spend time with you.”
“You want to spend time with me?”
“Yes, I haven’t properly greeted you since I came to the north. That’s why I came.”
The Duchess felt suspicious.
‘What kind of order could the Duke of Rikeion have given?’
She was already in a state of injury. The Duke of Rikeion would certainly know about it.
She couldn’t be unaware that he had instigated the civil war.
Given that, the Duchess wondered if he was plotting something through Delphina.
Delphina opened the heavy curtains. Warm sunlight poured in from the window.
The Duchess spoke with irritation.
“I have no intention of spending time with you, Lady.”
The Duchess furrowed her brows. Her voice was cold, and her presence was menacing. Even the brave maids of the north dared not raise their heads in her presence.
The Duchess thought that after a few cold words, Delphina would run away.
But Delphina didn’t care about her reaction.
She continued to open her eyes wide, innocently, and put the flowers she had brought into a pot.
“This is a Rishas flower. It helps calm the mind and body.”
“I don’t need it, Lady. Leave my room immediately. And I dislike flowers.”
“It’s not from me. Elkaian asked me to bring it. He said it’s your favorite flower.”
“Hmph.”
The Duchess closed her mouth. Delphina’s words were true. She had indeed liked Rishas flowers.
And that fact was known only to Elkaian.
“Hmph, just leave the flowers and go.”
Delphina didn’t seem like she was planning to leave. She continued:
“My actions now have been approved by Elkaian. I plan to spend time with you from now on.”
The Duchess raised an eyebrow, disapproving.
Even if Elkaian permitted it, if she threw a tantrum, she could easily send her away.
But the Duchess didn’t have the strength to get angry anymore.
She grew tired of thinking about what Delphina’s true intentions might be.
‘She’ll probably stop coming after a few days.’
The Duchess thought that if she didn’t respond, Delphina would probably give up and not come again from the next day.
‘She must have a fragile heart just like her soft, weak body.’
The Duchess thought carelessly and closed her eyes.
From that day on, she came to see the lady every morning at sunrise. Then, after chatting about something trivial, she left.
“The weather is nice today.”
“I sometimes help out in the kitchen, and everyone is so kind that they often compliment me.”
“I saw yellow flowers before coming here and they were very pretty.”
There were also times when he would bring up everyday life stories and make a surprise attack.
“Do you like strawberry cake? The weather is nice. Let’s go eat some strawberry cake together.”
The lady did not respond to Delphina’s words. She only gave her a cold look every now and then.
The lady had never seen anyone as persistent as Delphina. If you don’t answer, you will eventually become quiet, but Delphina did not stop.
Contrary to her soft appearance, Delphina’s heart seemed quite strong.
Even a little while ago, he started to act strangely.
“I cooked a meal for my lady.”
The lady opened her mouth for the first time that day.
“Clean it up.”
Delphina responded to her cold words with a sullen face.
“Sorry, I’ll take it and eat it myself.”
The lady thought that Delphina would not come to visit her from the next day.
‘I’m glad. Now I can end my life quietly.’
But Delphina still came to see the lady.
“Madam, how are you feeling today? I made something for you to eat together!”
Always holding food in hand that is likely to be rejected.
‘How foolish.’
After being stuck with her all day, I naturally got to know Delphina.
Delphina was weaker than expected. It was strange, considering that the nobles of the South, regardless of gender, learned horseback riding to some extent from a young age.
‘But the hands are rough.’
Ordinary noblewomen never got their hands wet.
But for some reason, Delphina’s hands were rough.
I heard that he came to the Grand Duke’s house and was managed, and things were getting better little by little.
‘Even if Duke Lyceum had treated Delphina poorly, was it to this extent?’
It was to the point where she began to suspect that she was being treated like a maid, let alone a princess. The lady felt strangely offended.
