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Chapter 46
An unusual commotion broke out in the reception room of the Lord of Blansk Castle.
The guests had come all the way from Padon Island in search of David.
“Ugh…! Now I have no one but Your Grace, the Grand Duke! Please, don’t abandon me!”
Sir Kirill clung desperately to David’s feet, tears streaming down his face as he wiped them with the back of his hand.
David awkwardly smiled, holding Kirill by the shoulder to help him stand.
Seeing a former senior knight kneel at his feet so recklessly was unsettling.
“Is it true that Count Bogdan dismissed you?”
“Yes… sniff… He said I was an ungrateful wretch for abandoning my lord… and threatened that if he ever saw me again, he would exile not only me but also my parents and siblings from the island!”
Count Bogdan was a man who lived and died by his sense of honor.
From his perspective, Kirill, who had actually left after David told him to go, was nothing short of a cowardly traitor.
I expected I wouldn’t hear anything good, but I didn’t think I’d be expelled from the knightly order…
Now, Kirill had nowhere to turn. If he wanted to avoid being reduced to an anonymous mercenary, he had no choice but to stick by David’s side.
The Grand Duchess sat quietly beside David, observing the scene in its entirety, her expression languid like a well-fed cat, gently fanning herself with a black feathered fan.
“Oh my, how pitiful. Count Bogdan of Padon Island is too harsh. But there was no need to drive him away entirely.”
“…Grand Duchess, is there room for Kirill to stay in the knights’ quarters?”
David asked cautiously.
The lady of the castle was the Grand Duchess. Without her permission, David could not let Kirill in.
“No, there isn’t. Why should this man stay in the knights’ quarters?”
“Ughhhh…!”
Kirill screamed like a wild animal.
The Grand Duchess’s cold refusal was an abyss of despair for him.
David fell into deep thought. What should he do about Kirill’s situation? Should he use his personal budget to let him stay in the village quarters?
While he wrestled with this dilemma, the Grand Duchess casually added a word.
“Just assign him the room next to the Grand Duke. Aren’t you planning to use him as your personal knight?”
“….”
David raised his head and looked at the Grand Duchess.
If that was what she meant, she should have said so from the start. Why then was her mouth full of that mischievous smile?
She was a woman skilled at teasing people with words, lifting and dropping them at will.
“The room next to the Grand Duke’s bedroom is unused anyway; I just hung a few pictures there. I’ll tell the steward to prepare a bed and a wardrobe for him immediately.”
“Thank you! Thank you, Your Grace! I will never forget this kindness in my life!”
Kirill crawled on his knees up to the Grand Duchess, bowing repeatedly.
The Grand Duchess folded her fan.
The smile disappeared from her lips, replaced by an intimidating coldness.
“Sir Kirill, was it? I despise servility. Why does a Grand Duke’s knight kneel to someone else?”
At her words, Kirill sprang up like a coiled spring.
“I-I’m sorry! I thought I should serve Your Grace as I serve my lord…”
He trailed off, bowing his head once more.
The Grand Duchess leaned back into the sofa silently.
Kirill thought to himself:
This lady is even stronger than Queen Elizabeth. No doubt, David will be tightly bound under her control.
Thus, Kirill’s placement issue was resolved.
Now, David’s gaze shifted to Polina, standing behind Kirill.
Polina, the youngest lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, looked at Kirill’s back with apparent disdain.
“Polina, what brings you here? Did the Queen also order you to attend me?”
David asked.
Polina held her skirts and bent her knees respectfully.
“No, Your Grace. I came to deliver an urgent message.”
…So she came to deliver the Queen’s words.
David closed his eyes briefly and then opened them. Even though he hadn’t received any news yet, he felt a chill run down his spine.
“Very well. Speak.”
David said calmly.
Polina, however, kept her lips tightly shut, only glancing briefly at the Grand Duchess before looking at David again.
It was a sign that she wanted the Grand Duchess to leave.
“They must have a private matter to discuss. Sir Kirill, come along.”
The perceptive Grand Duchess rose smoothly and stepped out, with Kirill trailing behind her.
Polina turned back to make sure the door closed, then took a parchment envelope from her handbag and handed it to David.
“The Grand Duchess said to read it and then watch me burn it.”
“So I’m not supposed to keep it.”
David took the envelope with an indifferent expression.
Without a word, Polina retrieved a small ashtray and a matchbox from her handbag.
It seemed she intended to personally burn the letter after David read it.
He quickly unfolded the letter, intent on reading it quickly and destroying it.
*”To my proud youngest son, Grand Duke David Mihail:
With the joy of seeing my youngest son come of age, I send my thoughts in writing.
I heard you have left the Royal Palace of Yorka and are honeymooning in Blansk.
I am curious how you are spending your sweet time in such an unremarkable, modest village.
As for me, I am in very good spirits. Preparations for Prince Bruno’s wedding this fall are in full swing.
We intend to send official invitations to the Grand Duke and Duchess soon.
Since this is such a rare and long-awaited occasion, I hope you can attend and grace the event.
I trust you remember how attentive Prince Bruno has been to you. As you currently enjoy the Grand Duchess’s favor, I expect you will show due diligence.
The Grand Duchess, however, is still a formidable woman. Ten years ago, she accompanied Duke Lasantia to the palace. She once got lost during a hunting trip in the forest, causing a diplomatic issue.
I know women like the Grand Duchess very well. Beautiful yet arrogant, free yet unruly, raised like a queen with blue blood, fearing nothing in the world.
I am sure you have begun to understand her character as well.
Remember this: never show flaws to such a woman. While she may currently show interest in you, her whims can change like boiling water.
You already possess fatal weaknesses—your birth is imperfect, and you are the ruler of a puppet state without real power.
If she finds even one more flaw, this proud red-haired woman will gradually withdraw and eventually neglect you. You understand how lonely and painful neglect can be.
Even if you hold the position of husband, other men will try to claim her attention, causing you suffering. If you fail to maintain her favor… ah, it pains me even to imagine.
So strive tirelessly, even in bed. Remember how your mother fought to keep my husband bound to her. The Grand Duchess knows pleasure well, so her standards are high. You must put in double the effort.
Maintain your appearance, for to a man like a Grand Duke, beauty is life itself. If she ever demands a divorce, the very existence of Padon Island could be threatened.
Finally, remember that your elder brother, Crown Prince Georgiya, is the legitimate ruler. When the new palace is completed, you will be invited to witness the coronation of King Georgiya, the true monarch of the independent state of Dvorca.
I will personally attend to any requests you make.
Stay strong, always.
Elizabetha Mihaila, Queen of Dvorca
P.S. There is news that has heated Padon Island. The wife of Count Bogdan, who caused you so much trouble, has been divorced. She exposed herself disgracefully to you. The Count could not contain his rage. Naturally, her seat in society is now vacant, and all are watching to see who will take her place. I believe you will be interested in further news.”*
The corners of the letter were crumpled in David’s hand.
“…Hah.”
He was so stunned reading it that he nearly forgot to breathe.
David let out a bitter laugh.
The Queen’s elegant handwriting seemed to writhe before his eyes like worms.
From beginning to end, it was full of mockery, contempt, and deceit.
It felt like a waste of time. He wished he had never read it.
Even amidst the absurd arguments, there were parts strangely convincing, though he refused to be persuaded.
“Then, I will excuse myself, Your Grace.”
Polina quickly took the letter from David’s hand.
She folded it carefully, placed it in the ashtray, lit a match, and burned it.
The Queen’s audacious letter soon turned to ashes.
“Polina, did the Queen demand a reply?”
“If you write it by tomorrow morning, I will take it back with me.”
Polina replied with a polite bow.
After acknowledging, David gestured for her to leave.
His mouth felt dry and heavy.
The dark red liquid sloshed in a rounded glass.
David held the thin stem and took a large gulp.
The Blansk wine slid down his throat before he could savor it.
Strive in bed. Just like my mother.
As the bitter aftertaste lingered, David shook his head fiercely.
Even as a five-year-old, he had sensed it—his mother did not welcome King Madilov’s nightly visits.
While enduring her husband’s desires, the young David had to curl up alone in a solitary room all night.
The next morning, tending to his mother in pain, he had a faint understanding: the King did not truly love her. Otherwise, her eyes would not have darkened with fatigue.
David stared into the mirror across the table.
The wound he had inflicted on himself on Padon Island had healed cleanly, leaving no scar.
Perhaps it was fortunate. His face remained smooth like porcelain.
He brushed the healed spot with his fingers and sighed.
His jaw had grown slightly slimmer. The more his face thinned, the more he resembled his mad father.
It hurt, thinking that this cumbersome beauty would slowly erode with time.
And Queen Elizabeth’s words were all wrong.
David had never won the Grand Duchess’s favor.
…The Grand Duchess was never enchanted by me. My appearance is merely one of the charms that attract attention as a ruler.
Contrary to the Queen’s warning, the Grand Duchess had already discerned all his flaws.
The most humiliating moment was when she realized his lack of responsibility for the people.
No doubt, over time, she would find more flaws with her keen insight.
A wicked thought arose:
If he followed the Queen’s advice and entered the Grand Duchess’s bed, would she fall for him, even overlooking his flaws?
Ha… what am I thinking?
David muttered and swallowed another drink. A heat surged up his throat, and a fiery sensation rose within.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Startled, David tensed.
“Who is it?”
The door was already ajar.
Creak.
A head peeked through the doorway.
Even in the darkness, her vivid red hair was unmistakable.
It was the Grand Duchess.
“Oh? Why are you drinking alone?”
