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Chapter – 15
Two weeks ago, at the Elenium Marquis House.
Right after Princess Eos arrived in the territory, it was a bit suspicious that she was immediately taken to a party, but Rankeia had no choice but to attend, as he could not ignore the influence the Elenium Marquis House had over Iarid.
As if they already knew exactly when Rankeia would arrive, they sent an invitation right away. He didn’t like it, but he had no choice but to accept it as intended.
And as expected.
The main focus of this party was not the Grand Duke himself, but his newly made Grand Duchess—his wife, Eos Baeterinum…… now known as Eos Fidelanis.
‘It’s the same for both sides. I don’t love her anyway, and she already has someone she loves, along with a husband, doesn’t she?’
There was no need for love in this play.
And Princess Eos was very good at acting.
That alone satisfied Rankeia. On top of that, she even had unexpected confidence.
At first, when he saw her documents, he thought she was just a naive noble lady. But after meeting her in person, that wasn’t the case.
Even when kindly told she could return, or offered a separate place to live, she firmly refused and said she would stay here.
A normal noble lady would have wanted to run away immediately from a place like this, yet she chose to stay on her own.
Maybe that was why Rankeia’s gaze slowly began to linger on Eos.
“Hello, Grand Duchess!”
“You are Princess Eos who became the new Duchess, right? Nice to meet you! Please take care of us!”
As soon as they arrived at the Elenium Marquis House, people gathered around them.
‘Just as expected.’
But from here on, it was not the Grand Duke’s role anymore—it was Eos’s.
Building new connections.
So Rankeia stayed beside Eos for a while, then stepped away and went to the Marquis of Elenium.
“Congratulations on your marriage, Grand Duke!”
The Marquis greeted him warmly, shaking his brown hair.
“Ah, yes, Marquis. Thank you for holding this reception. I’m sure she will be pleased.”
“No, Grand Duke. I’m the one who is grateful that you attended.”
At the Marquis’s overly sweet words, Rankeia instinctively nodded.
But at the same time, his eyes wandered around without meaning to.
And then they stopped on one person.
‘Of all people.’
It was Eos.
She had somehow ended up caught by the Elenium Marquis’s wife, who had a rather unpleasant personality.
And since Rankeia knew that the Marquis’s wife had originally liked him, it was easy to guess she would not like the new Grand Duchess either.
‘That same expression again.’
Eos was smiling with her lips, but her eyes were clearly pale and stiff.
……Just like when, on their first night, she had tried to cover him with a blanket and he grabbed her wrist.
Back then too, she smiled while forcing her lips upward, but her bright amber eyes had shaken.
“Grand Duke?”
“…Ah, Marquis. Sorry. Please excuse me for a moment.”
Even though he knew he shouldn’t interfere, Rankeia found himself moving without realizing it.
He had a reason to approach her.
Her dress reached her ankles, and her shoes made her unable to stay still.
Her heels were already red against her pale skin.
Even though he knew he shouldn’t, Rankeia moved.
“Grand Duke, I will go to the lounge then. And you stay here as well, Sir. I’ll rest for a moment and come back.”
Eos, looking more relaxed, nodded quickly and headed toward the lounge.
Rankeia stared at her back as she walked away, lips slightly moving.
Why did he want to talk to her?
Even he didn’t know.
‘It’s almost the end of the party.’
The time was already approaching midnight.
Eos, who said she would rest in the lounge and return, still hadn’t come back.
“Grand Duke, it seems the Duchess hasn’t returned yet.”
Millers also noticed.
“I know.”
“Shall we look for her?”
“I know where she is. You go prepare the carriage first.”
“Yes.”
Millers left, and Rankeia moved.
She had said she would rest in the lounge—she must still be there.
Knock knock.
He knocked, but there was no answer.
“…Hmm.”
She had nowhere else to go.
Unless something had happened.
Feeling a slight unease, Rankeia quickly opened the door.
“Phew…”
Fortunately—or not.
Eos was there alone, sleeping peacefully, completely unharmed.
“Ha…”
Only after seeing her did he finally breathe out in relief.
‘…? Why am I relieved?’
Even he didn’t understand why.
He had no feelings for her.
Still, he slowly walked closer.
He called her name carefully, but she didn’t respond.
She was deeply asleep, completely defenseless.
‘Yes… the reason I care about her is because she is my wife.’
That was the conclusion Rankeia reached.
What he felt now wasn’t emotion—it was responsibility.
Inside the Grand Duke’s residence in Iarid.
Because of the freezing blizzard outside, they had moved indoors.
‘Damn northern Grand Duke setting. It’s always cold.’
Of course, the north was supposed to be cold, but experiencing it directly felt very different from reading about it.
He decided one thing again.
If there was a male lead in the future, he should be from a warm southern region, not the freezing north.
“Your Highness?”
His thoughts were interrupted by Madam Hailey.
“What were you thinking so deeply about?”
“…Ah, no. I mean—it’s nothing.”
He had unknowingly dropped his formal speech.
Then the topic changed.
“I meant to say—Hans is not the kind of person you think he is.”
“What?”
The maid listened while drinking tea.
“Didn’t he say he picked up the crepe on the street?”
“Yes.”
“He probably likes you.”
“What? That makes no sense. He’s always nice to others but cold to me… and suddenly a crepe? What am I supposed to think?”
But this kind of relationship needed direction.
“People act awkward in front of someone they care about. If he’s only like that with you, you’re special to him.”
“….”
Still doubtful.
“Also, the crepe wasn’t really picked up from the street. It had no issues, right? Maybe he was too shy to express his feelings properly.”
“!”
Her eyes widened.
“…So that’s what it meant…”
“Sometimes people hide because they’re too embarrassed to be honest.”
He smiled faintly.
Maybe because he was one of those people too.
A person who avoids sincerity.
“Then… if I confess, will Hans accept me?!”
“Yes.”
For people like that, the cure was simple—another human being.
Someone completely different from them.
“Thank you so much, Your Highness!”
Both maids looked deeply moved.
Then one of them asked carefully:
“If there are more people needing love advice, would you help again?”
The two maids’ eyes sparkled.
Without thinking, he nodded.
It would probably only be once a month anyway.
But he didn’t know.
That he should never have accepted that request.
