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Chapter 1
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince—Lady Eleanor has come to see you.”
The moment he heard that name, Renatus doubted his ears. He couldn’t believe that the woman who had stayed as quiet as a mouse all this time had come to visit him on the night before her wedding.
“I thought perhaps she had mistaken this for Prince Cosimo’s palace, so I asked…”
“For what reason?”
Renatus rose from his seat as he asked. His attendant, Alber, shook his head. Regardless, this was interesting.
Why would a woman—who would become his half-brother Cosimo’s wife tomorrow—come to see him at this late hour?
When he entered the reception room, he saw a woman with long blonde hair sitting upright with her back to him. Sensing his presence, she turned around.
Her soft brown eyes met his instantly. Her expression was solemn, as if she had made a great decision.
In contrast, her appearance looked as though she had suffered greatly on her way here.
The hem of her dress was caked with dirt, and her hair was tangled, damp with sweat and dust. She looked like someone who had escaped in secret.
And yet, the noble and elegant aura unique to her could not be concealed. She resembled a pristine lotus blooming from the mud.
Renatus spoke to her with an intrigued gaze.
“I didn’t expect you to visit without notice.”
“It’s an urgent matter.”
Eleanor replied calmly. Her clear voice, like glass beads rolling on a silver tray, suited her delicate face perfectly.
“I apologize for coming so abruptly. Please forgive my rudeness.”
“Well… more importantly, if word gets out that a bride-to-be came to meet another man at this hour…”
Renatus continued without taking his eyes off her.
“You would be the one in trouble, my lady. People would draw rather unsavory conclusions.”
At that, Eleanor fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“I came because I want those misunderstandings.”
A faint laugh escaped Renatus at her bold answer. It was too much to be a joke—and yet her expression was utterly serious.
“Your Highness, I know this may sound sudden…”
Eleanor suddenly stepped closer to him.
At the same time, the fragile aura she had carried changed instantly. Her soft brown eyes flared like fire.
“Will you marry me?”
Maintaining her resolute gaze, Eleanor made it clear she meant every word. She could hear a quiet intake of breath.
She knew. He must think she was insane—a woman proposing to the older brother the day before marrying the younger one.
But what could she do?
To deal with mad people…
“You must become my husband.”
…she had to become just as mad.
* * *
“Now that you’re of age, it’s time for you to marry.”
Two months earlier, Eleanor—who had just turned twenty—heard those words from her father, Marquis Klein.
It wouldn’t be strange to be married off like merchandise the moment she became an adult. Her father had never shown her much affection.
“It seems you already have someone in mind.”
Having long expected this, Eleanor spoke with near resignation. Her compliant attitude pleased the marquis.
“It’s Prince Cosimo. He’s only a year older than you, so you should get along well.”
“…I’m to become a prince’s wife?”
Eleanor had expected, at best, to marry into another marquis family. This was unexpected.
“It seems Her Majesty the Empress has taken a liking to you. It’s an honor for our family.”
Perhaps her reserved behavior—due to her father’s strict upbringing—had earned her favor.
“You’ll be meeting them soon, so mind your manners.”
A few days later, Eleanor boarded a carriage to the Mestre Imperial Palace, dressed in a pure white organza gown like a bride.
Her father, dressed sharply in a navy uniform, looked remarkably young and handsome for a man in his mid-forties.
It was easy to believe he had won his title by charming the previous marquis’s only daughter.
“You’re dressed properly.”
After inspecting her from head to toe, Marquis Klein spoke.
“You must present yourself well before Her Majesty and Prince Cosimo. Understood?”
“Of course.”
Her short but firm answer prevented further nagging.
Soon, the carriage entered the imperial palace. Before her stood a magnificent palace with soft pink walls adorned in dazzling gold—the Empress’s palace.
“Welcome, Marquis Klein. They are waiting for you inside.”
A maid greeted them warmly, and they followed her in.
The interior was just as splendid as the exterior. Eleanor momentarily forgot her tension as she admired the paintings and sculptures adorning every wall.
When they entered the reception room, the Empress and Prince were already having tea.
Empress Julia, with flame-red hair elegantly arranged beneath her crown, smiled as her green eyes gently curved.
“Welcome, Lady Eleanor. Was your journey comfortable?”
“I greet the beautiful moon of the Empire. Thanks to Your Majesty’s grace, it was.”
Eleanor bowed, then lifted her head—and saw Prince Cosimo.
He was a refined, handsome man, almost identical to his mother. Yet he seemed utterly bored by the situation.
As her father had said, this marriage was likely the Empress’s will.
“Please, sit.”
But why? As she sat across from Cosimo, Eleanor felt uneasy.
This was far too high a position for someone like her. The Empress adored her son—so why her?
She was neither the sole daughter of a grand duchy nor a princess. Nor was her family powerful enough to support the Empress politically.
Nothing about this made sense.
“Do you like the palace, Lady Eleanor?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s beautiful from the outside alone.”
“Beautiful enough that you’d like to live here yourself?”
Startled by the sudden question, Eleanor shook her head.
“How could I possibly…? It is Your Majesty’s palace.”
The Empress smiled.
“Indeed. But if you become Empress, wouldn’t it be yours?”
…How?
Cosimo was the second son. The Crown Prince was alive and well.
“Do you not wish to become Empress?”
…Ah.
At that moment, everything fell into place.
Wasn’t this a common story? A stepmother trying to place her own son on the throne instead of her stepson.
But why had her father involved himself in such a dangerous political struggle?
‘Does he think this can succeed?’
Renatus, the Crown Prince, was healthy, intelligent, and morally fit to inherit the throne.
Even if his mother had been deposed, his legitimacy had already been proven.
No matter how favored the Empress was, interfering with succession was another matter entirely.
‘Why not side with the Crown Prince instead…?’
It was an absurdly reckless decision.
The problem was, no matter how much Eleanor wanted to escape this situation, she had no way out.
“As I heard, you’re cautious. I like that.”
The Empress smiled in satisfaction at Eleanor’s silence. It was not a compliment she welcomed.
* * *
That day’s tea meeting was essentially a private discussion between Empress Julia and Marquis Klein.
They spent a long time discussing the wedding, eventually deciding to hold it in just two months.
It was far too soon, but Eleanor’s careful objection was immediately dismissed.
“Return to the estate first. I must have an audience with His Majesty.”
Eleanor nodded and boarded the carriage.
Her mind remained troubled by the sudden marriage.
If something went wrong, she and the prince would likely lose their heads.
As cold sweat ran down her back, she reached for her handkerchief.
“…Oh.”
She had left it behind.
Embarrassed to call for a maid over something so trivial, Eleanor returned alone to the reception room.
“Ah, Geston…”
She froze.
It was clearly the Empress’s voice.
And the name she had spoken…
‘No way.’
Without thinking, Eleanor lifted her skirt slightly and approached quietly.
The scene hidden behind the wall came into view.
A familiar dress was entangled with equally familiar navy trousers.
“Ha, Julia… here…?”
“So what? No one else is here, are they?”
…Father.
Eleanor covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.
Her legs nearly gave out, forcing her to step back to keep from collapsing.
But the movement made a sound.
The two, who had been entangled with each other, froze instantly.
“Who’s there?”
