Episode 11

The moment I fell through the gap in the dock, all kinds of worries filled my head.

The water will be cold. What should I do?

Aren’t you catching a cold? I can’t even swim!

“Wow!”

I’m in water up to my ankles. Soon my head will be submerged too.

… … ·It’s strange. Why isn’t it wetter?

“viola!”

I snapped awake to the sound of Ezekiel calling me. He was grabbing my waist and lifting me with all his might.

The boatman also threw down his oar and pulled me up with him.

Thanks to the two men who managed to balance themselves amazingly on the rocking boat, I was safe, with only my shoes getting wet. It was a miracle.

Even after safely reaching the dock, it still felt unreal. Ezekiel, too, ran briskly across the wide distance and landed on the ground.

I thought it was some kind of flying squirrel.

“Oh, thank you.”

He felt my fluffy, soft skin, feeling a bit dazed. He didn’t answer me, but instead looked around. The people in the square were making a fuss, wiping their chests as they saw us.

Everyone’s eyes were focused on what we would do next.

“Your shoes are wet. Please carry me.”

“Huh? No! Not until then!”

“Article 1, Paragraph 2 of the Agreement.”

[Viola and Ezekiel act as the perfect couple.]

Ugh. I was about to say that carrying him was too much, but I couldn’t resist the glare from Ezekiel, so I carried him. His broad back was hard. The ride felt uncomfortable.

I was carried around the square by him like a five-year-old. The onlookers, shocked by the bizarre sight, were practically collapsing.

Yeah… … I wish everyone had collapsed and I hadn’t seen them… … .

“I was so surprised, so I’ll buy you a gift.”

“What does that have to do with it?”

“I don’t want you to remember today’s outing as a terrible memory, so I’m covering it up with good memories.”

It’s not like I’m trying to appease a child or anything.

The way of thinking is a bit strange, but I just let it be.

Thanks to that, I was able to pass through the square and see a huge shopping street.

“I don’t know where to buy what.”

“I don’t know either.”

After much persuasion, I got off his back and looked around the store with some hesitation.

We tried to guess from the sign and the store name, but without the actual thing in front of us, we couldn’t really tell. Our guesses became even more murky.

After looking around for a while, the item I finally chose was….

“It smells delicious over there!”

It was a white bread with a hint of steam. It tasted good because it had jam inside.

“It’s a shame I couldn’t buy you better things. I have a rare imported perfume made by a foreign magician, and a Chinoiserie-style folding screen.”

“Where are you?”

“Probably somewhere over there.”

What is maybe, maybe.

It was true that thinking like that made me feel a little better.

‘Still… …They take good care of me.’

He saved me from drowning and gave me a gift, so I think he’s a good person on the inside.

I felt satisfied with the feeling that married life with him would not be bad.

Moreover, as if to live up to our expectations, the secret suspicions about the prospective duke and duchess that had been making the rounds in the social media the next day were completely dispelled.

-It’s true! I saw it with my own two eyes!

Interviews with people who witnessed the harmonious moments between the Duke and his fiancé followed.

The atmosphere in Yeongji became friendly.

Betra has become peaceful.

But I guess there were some people who didn’t like that at all.

***

One day, not long after a romantic outing where everything was staged from head to toe.

Anna woke me up, dressed neatly and better than before, as expected of a maid.

I was so nervous that I jumped out of bed as soon as Anna’s hand touched me.

I quickly finished getting ready and arrived at the reception room, where Ezekiel, dressed in classic attire, was waiting for me.

His cold impression, which did not fit in with the bright water city, was heightened by his dark clothes.

“Remember, you are soon to become the Duchess of Vetra, and you will be heir in place of your niece.”

He calmly recited my position.

“Today, I have one request: do not cower before His Majesty the Emperor. For the next year, you will be locked in a battle of wits with that man.”

Today was the first day I met His Majesty the Emperor.

Although they were not yet married, the meeting was arranged in accordance with His Majesty’s wish to meet the new Duchess quickly.

“You’d better think about something else. I’ll explain everything about the estate. You just sit up straight and smile leisurely.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not all that weak.”

“I will believe it.”

He repeated several times that he didn’t have to do anything, so he should just sit there without thinking about anything.

I exhaled with courage and tried to link arms with him.

But he shook his arm off, as if he’d been burned. My heart was slightly wounded.

Anyway, after experiencing such incidents and running for several hours, the grandeur of the palace we arrived at was amazing.

The Betra Territory residents, who still have a strong sense of pride from the old city-state days, still call the ducal residence where we stay a palace, but the imperial palace was truly on a different level.

But the pride of the Betra Estate rested on my shoulders.

Feeling a heavy sense of responsibility, I entered the reception room of the imperial palace, keeping pace with Ezekiel.

“You are the Duke and Duchess-to-be of Vetra.”

The emperor’s gaze fell directly on me. A middle-aged man with a muscular build and a graying beard looked at me with disapproval.

With that kind of gaze and attitude, I feel like I’ve earned a lot of hate. My once proud spirit has shrunk.

Even after the coffee arrived, the mood remained grim. Seeing Ezekiel’s cold face, I braced myself.

“I know you must be busy preparing for the wedding, but thank you for coming.”

The emperor’s mouth was smiling, but his eyes weren’t. His sharp gaze swept over me and Ezekiel.

“How fortunate I was to have found a wife at such a time. It was truly a remarkable thing.”

“Thanks to the help of the Lord of Vetra.”

“Yes. Are you referring to the god you worship in the temple of your domain? This time, the god showed some strength.”

Ah, I guess just staying still will help?

I sipped my coffee, peacefully looking out the window at the flowers and birds while two men next to me made sparks fly.

“I heard that the Duchess is from a noble family.”

But suddenly a question came up, as if peace could not be tolerated.

“Yes, she is. She was the eldest daughter of the Viscount Starache.”

“The Starache family. Apparently, their son runs a small information guild. The family’s circumstances have been a bit difficult for a long time.”

“If you are referring to my cousin, Zenobio Oraboni, then yes.”

“What about the situation? Has Duke Vetra agreed to forgive any debts upon marriage?”

“Your Majesty. My wife-to-be is now the heir to the Vetra family, so I think we can stop talking about her family.”

The emperor kept asking questions as if he had caught the case, but Ezekiel calmly cut him off.

Of course, the tone was bland, but the content was enough to astonish the emperor.

“I’ve already designated you as the heir!”

“The sooner the better. Didn’t Your Majesty also wish for the Duke’s stability?”

“……That’s right. Hehe.”

The emperor listened to Ezekiel’s words with a forced smile on his face.

“Now that the succession is secure, you and your young nephew can catch your breath. I heard your nephew is attending boarding school.”

“Yes. It’s still the semester, so I’m in the dorms. I’ll be back at the mansion for summer break.”

I secretly swallowed hard. In the original, the male protagonist’s nephew was kidnapped by the royal family on his way back from summer vacation.

But that won’t happen anymore.

“I see. At the young age of twelve, it would be good for you to focus on your studies.”

“Of course. Next year, I’ll be old enough to meet the requirements of Imperial Succession Law and Succession, so I need to broaden my horizons.”

That was the peculiarity of the imperial inheritance law.

In the law of inheritance, the age of thirteen was considered a semi-adult age and the age at which a successor could be appointed.

It was a decision made based on age, considering the minimum intellectual capacity and judgment required to govern the territory.

In other words, it means that he cannot be declared the official successor until he reaches that age.

So, I was planning to have a rough competition with my thirteen-year-old nephew a year later, lose, and hand over the succession.

“If my nephew grows up well, he might inherit the Vetra estate someday.”

“Oh. Isn’t that your lovely wife? Surely you didn’t bring her here just to kill time?”

“It’s a matter that has been agreed upon with my wife. Shouldn’t the more capable inherit it?”

“Yes, that’s right. My husband and I are in the same situation.”

The emperor stroked his beard and wrinkled his forehead.

“If you have a child, he will become the successor instead of your nephew.”

“…….”

Ezekiel’s mouth opened and closed with difficulty. He seemed about to say something like, “That would never happen.”