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Chapter 24
“I’ve been looking for you.”
He had not changed in his desire to know the truth about the owner of the letter. That was why he had used a message for the princess as an excuse to find Betty and try to speak with her.
But what followed after that was not because of that.
“I must have gotten in the way.”
The moment he saw Betty crouched behind a tree in the desolate backyard of the duke’s residence, memories of his own childhood—long buried and almost forgotten—surfaced.
Being the illegitimate child of the grand duke meant there was no place for him in the vast palace. Everyone avoided him. Unless his mother came searching for her often-disappearing son, no one would even look for him after several days.
Life might have been harsh, but it did not diminish his will to live or his pride.
“Providing food, that’s understandable… but…”
Even if he could accept her gesture as mere consideration, speaking openly about her situation felt like the shallow goodwill of someone in a high position.
Though he and Betty were very different now, he had once been like her.
“Still, she’s your bloodline, Your Highness. Such shameful treatment is unacceptable. A bit more leniency and mercy would be proper.”
“That would be disrespectful to my lawful wife, the Grand Duchess.”
“She’s still a child. Surely you must take responsibility.”
One of the grand duke’s retainers had once pitied him, ragged as he was, and brought him to the grand duke to speak on his behalf. Listening to them converse as if Ian were not there had been torture. He had stared at the polished floor, his face flushed, trying to hide his embarrassment, wishing they had simply ignored him from the start.
“Kane, it’s better for you to speak. It will seem like you’re standing up against injustice rather than pitying her.”
“The maid doesn’t seem petty or narrow-minded enough to misinterpret Your Highness’ intentions.”
“Indeed.”
The younger version of himself had been petty and narrow-minded. His difficult life had made him see the world with a skewed perspective. The retainer probably had good intentions, but that didn’t erase the mixed feelings of shame and sorrow.
Seeing Betty clutching the hard bread, Ian had left immediately because he could not risk showing the resurfacing pain of his childhood.
“Anyway, it’s resolved now. It’s over.”
Perhaps, subconsciously, he had created this troublesome situation as a small compensation for his younger self. Would Betty be disappointed if she knew?
“…I did get to taste the delicious food, so it wasn’t a total loss.”
“Then take it and eat it.”
“How can I scold you for being kind, maid?”
Kane added unnecessary words and met Ian’s cold gaze, feeling unjustly treated. The sheer amount of food piled up would naturally make anyone think to share it with the giver.
“I never asked for it. You gave it to me.”
“I see.”
Whether Kane pouted or not, Ian answered without concern and again habitually turned his gaze to Betty. Seeing her smile brightly at what was said, he felt reassured once more.
Life at the duke’s residence, which had almost become unbearable, gradually stabilized. Betty’s daily life flowed peacefully alongside it.
She was admiring the garden, where flowers were beginning to bloom, with the Marchioness Dowager Prowell.
Typical nobles felt awkward during silences and tried to fill them, but the dowager seemed to enjoy the quiet, and Betty naturally grew accustomed to it.
“My head aches today.”
As soon as the dowager expressed her intent to converse, Betty quickly replied:
“Shall I read the gossip instead of the newspaper? It predicts how this year’s social season will go.”
“Predictions? It’s all obvious.”
The dowager lacked vanity but had pride, and Betty knew this. Half-intentionally, she sometimes chose gossip praising the dowager’s prominent social standing.
“Don’t flatter me.”
“I’m always just reading the facts.”
“Answers back, do you?”
Although the dowager seemed displeased, Betty knew she was only pretending. Over time, they became accustomed to each other’s presence.
But once stability settled inside, external forces inevitably tried to disrupt it. Before they could fully enjoy the warm spring breeze, a massive storm began to announce itself.
“Your Highness, you’ve arrived.”
Ian entered the palace corridor with resolute steps, greeted politely by the chamberlain.
He had been summoned in the early dawn by the emperor’s order.
“Is His Majesty inside?”
“He has been waiting for Your Highness. Please enter.”
Despite spring, the early morning air left the palace corridor unusually cold. Beyond the door, the emperor had likely summoned him to give precise and decisive orders.
“You’ve come.”
“Your Majesty, did you stay here overnight again?”
“I alone can’t sleep tossing and turning. No need to disturb the empress as well.”
Entering the office, Ian saw the emperor, weary, gesturing toward the chair in front of him.
“No need for formalities when no one else is here.”
The emperor’s habit was to stay up all night worrying over important matters and call a trusted aide the next morning for a final discussion. Ian watched, waiting for the emperor to speak, eyes fixed on the desk.
After a brief silence, the emperor suddenly began:
“Soon, the princess of Arken will visit.”
“Arken?”
“They’ve rapidly expanded and now want to stabilize internally. Marriage is an easy way to form alliances.”
The emperor smiled wryly. From his expression, Ian sensed things the emperor, Lloyd, hadn’t said aloud.
“Could it be she seeks the position of empress?”
“There’s no heir between the empress and me, so it’s understandable. Still, she’s a legitimate princess. If she bears the heir, she might even aim for the empress’s position later.”
The emperor had always been firm about having no one beside him except the empress. The slight tapping of his armrest showed his discomfort.
“We can’t just reject a marriage alliance request because Arken borders the northern empire.”
“Even if Arken rose quickly, they are not beyond our control. If they were ambitious enough to covet imperial territory…”
“I know, I know. Ian, you’ll defend the empire’s borders well.”
Ian’s loyal words were met with a wave of the emperor’s hand, as if saying, “You’re as steadfast as ever.”
“The point is, since I’ve just ascended the throne, the Arken king knows I’d rather avoid unnecessary conflicts and increase alliances.”
“…If Arken seeks an alliance through marriage, isn’t that why I’m here?”
As the emperor’s trusted aide and second in rank, Ian was the ideal candidate. Arken would likely be satisfied if their princess were to marry the Grand Duchess’s position.
“That is part of the reason I called you.”
“You could have just given the order directly.”
This was unlike the emperor. Strategic marriages were usually purely practical. If the Arken alliance mattered more than marriage to Charte, the emperor could have married the princess instead.
“You didn’t really care much for Charte from the start.”
The nobles backing Charte could potentially threaten imperial authority. The emperor’s push for this marriage was a compromise to keep Charte close rather than remove her outright.
‘In the end, we cannot expect absolute loyalty. Charte is too greedy.’
Had the current emperor married earlier, Charte might now be considered a future empress rather than a prospective grand duchess.
‘For now, this is the best choice.’
Although the emperor initially discussed marriage, he couldn’t hide his displeasure with Charte. For Ian, however, a high-status spouse was the most suitable match.
