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Chapter : 29
‘Seriously… is that really Cardmael Rikesis I know?’
Ebony-dark fabric.
A collar packed tightly with delicate gold embroidery.
The luxurious ceremonial suit crafted by Kazat’s designers looked as though it might burst at the seams thanks to the grand duke’s broad frame, and yet—it suited him perfectly.
Even more than I imagined.
‘He really looks like the Grand Duke of the North.’
Of course, the way Grand Duke Rikesis came running toward us with childlike cheerfulness still made him seem a long way from embodying the classic charisma of a northern ruler…
‘If he just gets a haircut, he could pass for a proper gentleman of the capital!’
Just as I began drifting forward toward the grand duke, entranced—
“Huh? Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince?!”
The grand duke spotted the crown prince mid-run and halted, and silence fell between the three of us.
“Uh… uh…”
‘Why are you freezing up?!’
I screamed inwardly as he stopped halfway like a startled deer—but thankfully, the awkwardness didn’t last long.
He shuffled closer in a shy little trot, clenched both fists tight, and blurted out—
“I knew it! It is Your Highness the Crown Prince! I didn’t recognize you for a moment—I wasn’t expecting this! Did Your Highness also come to Kazat to choose ceremonial attire?!”
His bright, shadowless expression…and the slight bounce on his heels…
It left a bitter taste in my mouth.
‘The grand duke really does admire the crown prince.’
Not that I was disappointed.
‘You’re doing wonderfully, actually.’
Someone full of open admiration would suffer far deeper when they were betrayed by the very person they thought was on their side.
‘After all, it hurts more when you’re stabbed in the back by someone you thought liked you.’
Still—it would be troublesome if he liked the crown prince too much.
“Your Grace, that ceremonial attire suits you perfectly.”
I stepped between them and spoke in a calm voice.
“It’s excellent. But from here, you’ll need to meet up with Ruaak.”
“What?! What do you mean?!”
“I’ve been feeling bad that His Highness rarely receives my attention, so after selecting clothes here, I plan to buy him a gift.”
I had just broken my appointment with the grand duke out of nowhere—but I spoke without a hint of guilt.
“I am the crown prince’s consort, after all.”
“…Ah.”
The grand duke’s eyes widened, and he let out a tortured groan.
“Uuuuhn…”
He let out a long sigh, and I smiled faintly.
‘To anyone overhearing, this would sound like a rude display of affection between spouses.’
But the grand duke already knew the truth of the prince’s affair.
‘To him, I must seem like the pitiful wife trapped in a sad, complicated situation.’
I could only hope that seeing me like this would make him put me above the crown prince.
But delaying more risked letting the prince suspect something.
I wiped the sadness from my eyes and brightened my voice.
“We’ll have House Haime tailor Your Grace’s spring banquet attire with their finest materials, so today I’d like to spend time with His Highness. May we ask your understanding?”
After confirming the grand duke’s black-obsidian eyes darkening with gloom, I faced the crown prince.
“Your Highness, the grand duke has an appointment to spar with Ruaak, so he will excuse himself. So if you’ll join me—”
“No.”
The grand duke cut me off, firm and absolute.
“…Pardon?”
I looked up at him—and he was looking directly, unwaveringly, into my eyes.
Then he glanced between me and the crown prince.
“I…”
His gaze was resolute—as though he had already weighed everything and made his conclusion.
“I will stay here until the end.”
‘…WHAT?!’
He then turned those smoldering eyes on me, and slowly lifted them to the crown prince.
“If Your Highness will permit it?”
I swallowed hard and followed that gaze up…
“What do you mean by that?”
The crown prince stared back, eyes almost drilling holes through the grand duke.
Watching the two men sizing each other up, I clutched my temples.
‘Is he provoking the crown prince— No. No. Don’t misunderstand.’
He had the sensitivity of a child.
Everything he said needed to be interpreted literally.
The crown prince knew that too—otherwise he wouldn’t have asked what he meant.
‘He truly intends to stay here until the end.’
“Exactly what I said!”
Sure enough, the grand duke planted his fists on his waist and puffed out his chest with bold pride.
“I am staying wherever Her Highness is.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I plan to uphold my honor and promise with Her Highness. Therefore, Her Highness must also honor it with me.”
‘Promise?’
“I’ll remain with Her Highness today, even if His Highness the Crown Prince is present.”
I stared blankly at this man—who declared his intention without wavering even under the crown prince’s chilling stare.
‘Did I make a promise worth invoking loyalty over?’
The first thing that came to mind was my agreement to help him befriend Ruaak.
But he was refusing to go spar—using honor as the excuse?
‘Wait. Before that—I swore him to secrecy.’
So the grand duke was saying—very clearly—
“Because I discovered that Lady Nevia of Khalid has been entering and leaving Your Highness’s bedchamber.”
The very secret I asked him never to reveal, back at the glass conservatory.
‘Oh dear.’
I stared at him, eyes sparkling.
He was doing this for me. And—most importantly—
‘My adorable future lover has matured!’
He was subtly sending coded messages so the crown prince wouldn’t notice.
Perfect.
If he kept that promise of silence, I would have far more freedom to maneuver.
Just as I began rapidly rethinking strategy in light of this unexpected advantage—
“I see. Let it be so.”
‘Huh?’
I looked up in surprise—the crown prince’s fierce expression had smoothed back into calm.
‘Isn’t he suspicious of me? The grand duke practically declared a secret! And he’s not questioning it?!’
“You said the grand duke is my wife’s friend, did you not? I can’t very well force my wife to abandon her loyalty to a friend—not even for me.”
“Haha…”
I gave an awkward laugh, hiding my brief grimace.
‘There he goes again—my wife this, my wife that!’
I needed to seduce the grand duke—but he was standing right here going my wife my wife, ruining the mood entirely.
Then the grand duke exclaimed—
“Ah! As expected! Then I shall go over there and observe quietly!”
Beaming from ear to ear, he bounded over to a sofa and plopped down.
And then—
‘He’s staring so blatantly, it hurts.’
There was no malice—but that open scrutiny made my skin crawl.
“Shall we?”
Thankfully, the crown prince didn’t care at all.
“…All right.”
I nodded, maintaining composure with effort.
Shopping had begun.
“The cuffs from earlier will do. Shall we find a suit that matches them?”
“As you wish.”
We wandered through the store, making light conversation.
On the surface, everything was calm.
Inside, my brain spun at full speed.
This was a crisis for me.
‘I talked to the prince—but not the grand duke.’
He likely wanted to observe my relationship with the crown prince firsthand.
But that was only my assumption.
So I decided—
‘I need to hear what he’s thinking directly.’
I couldn’t get swept away by another unexpected outburst.
‘That one!’
My eyes landed on a silver suit that looked finicky and delicate enough to justify my next step.
I tugged on the crown prince’s sleeve and pointed.
“That design would look fantastic on Your Highness!”
“Would it?”
“Won’t you try it?”
My eyes sparkled as I clasped my hands—but the prince folded his arms.
“When we arrived, you insisted I summon a tailor—now suddenly you’ve changed your tune. That suit clearly isn’t my size. I doubt I could put it on at all.”
‘Drat—he is still suspicious.’
Sweat pricked down my spine at his sharp remark.
Still—retreat was not an option.
“Aren’t we an ordinary couple today? In that case—this navy suit should fit well enough. Why don’t we try that one?”
“……”
The crown prince stared at my brazen babbling in silence.
