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Chapter 90
Having finished preparing to go to the Yorca Palace, I arrived in front of the Grand Duke’s dressing room.
I had something to deliver to him personally.
From the crack in the open door, I heard the tailor’s voice leaking out.
“As expected of Your Grace. You even pull off daring outfits magnificently.”
Curious at the words, I secretly peeked inside.
The Grand Duke, with the help of attendants, had just finished putting on his uniform.
The pure white uniform, densely embroidered with fine silver thread, suited his marble-like skin perfectly.
“…Isn’t the chest cut too low?”
The Grand Duke looked down at the chest of the uniform.
On closer look, both the jacket and the shirt were cut far too deep at the neckline, exposing his bare chest.
“This is a style often worn by the late King Madilov. If you drape several long necklaces over the chest, a most splendid figure is completed.”
The Grand Duke’s tailor, who had once worked at Yorca Palace, gestured at his chest.
I recalled seeing King Madilov more than ten years ago. He had worn something similar. Perhaps wishing to hide his visibly sickly face, he often wore such low-cut clothing adorned with colorful gemstone necklaces.
“…”
The Grand Duke silently gazed at himself in the mirror. The tailor glanced at him nervously.
“Does it not please Your Grace? If so, I will fetch what you usually wear instead.”
“No. It’s fine, you may leave now.”
He dismissed the tailor and the attendants. As they left, they noticed me standing at the door, bowed quietly, and slipped past.
More voices came from inside the dressing room—this time, it was Sir Julio.
“Oh, I can hardly bear to look! Is a person even allowed to shine so dazzlingly?”
Sir Julio joked as he looked at his master, now splendidly dressed.
“Do you think it looks alright?”
“You look like an angel stepped out of a painting. It wouldn’t be strange if white wings suddenly sprouted from your back. The chest area is a bit decadent, though…”
Sir Julio chuckled and scratched his head.
“As the tailor said, layering several necklaces will cover it somewhat.”
At Davit’s words, Sir Julio waved both hands in refusal.
“No, no. I must oppose you wearing necklaces, Your Grace. Your finely sculpted pectorals are the finest ornament of all. Honestly, I think you should simply go bare-chested.”
“…You may leave too.”
Soon Sir Julio also came out. Seeing me, he was about to greet me cheerfully, but I put a finger to my lips. He laughed awkwardly, hummed a tune, and went on his way.
Alone now, the Grand Duke opened a jewelry box. A sigh heavy with worry escaped him. He must still be displeased that the pawnshop owner had stolen one of his pieces.
Knock, knock, knock.
I tapped on the open door.
“You’re already dressed?”
“…Grand Duchess.”
He turned toward me.
I smiled brightly, lifted my skirts slightly, and entered.
The Grand Duke only gazed at me, speechless, until I stood right before him. His violet eyes traveled slowly down from my face, then back up again. His lips parted at last.
I used to think it was hard to read his expressions, but now I could see through him clearly.
The look of a young man, just past boyhood, helplessly falling for me.
“That’s the face of someone smitten.”
“…It suits you well.”
He didn’t deny it.
I had made an effort today. I chose a withered-rose colored dress with exposed shoulders—the color blended with my skin as if it were made for me.
Noticing his piercing gaze, I held out the violet satin box in my arms.
“What is this?”
“Open it.”
He carefully lifted the lid.
Inside was a platinum coronet. Different from the one he had worn before, this one was set not with diamonds plundered from Yorca Palace by my country, but with violet amethysts—stones the color of his eyes.
“…When did you prepare something like this?”
“I ordered it some time ago. Why don’t you sit? I’ll put it on you.”
The Grand Duke sat upright before the mirror. Standing behind him, I gently placed the coronet on his head.
Looking at his reflection, I too fell into a daze.
Never mind his looks—how could anyone be born with such presence? He radiated an untouchable dignity.
Now that the image of a true sovereign was complete, I needed to tell him why I had come.
“Our visit to Yorca Palace today holds great meaning.”
“What meaning is that?”
His voice was solemn. I could see the resolve to listen to whatever I had to say.
“We now have someone to protect together, don’t we?”
“…Yes, we do.”
I didn’t need to say the name—he knew who I meant.
“To protect someone, power is always needed.”
He looked at me quietly, then nodded once.
I helped him rise from the chair.
Looking up at his tall figure, I placed both hands on his shoulders. Step by step, I pressed him backward. Without taking his eyes off me, he retreated until his back met the wall.
“Today, Your Grace will receive a great deal of authority from me.”
“…Authority?”
He raised one eyebrow.
“My benefactor wishes to step into the world. Compared to the quiet forest, the world is harsh, but… I plan to light their path brightly, smooth the ground, and lay down a carpet.”
“…Yes. I want that too.”
He swallowed dryly before answering. I could see the pulse beating at his neck. I reached up and gently touched that spot. Warmth and life throbbed beneath my fingertips.
Just that touch, and his pupils softened, his breath turning heavy as he gazed down at me with half-closed eyes.
“Your Grace. From now on, you must accept everything I give you. You don’t have the right to refuse. It’s all for their sake.”
With a sly smile, I let my fingers trail from his neck to tap lightly on his collarbone. His broad shoulders flinched involuntarily.
He managed to nod, though his expression was twisted with a thirsty longing for me.
“If it’s from you, I’d gladly drink poison as if it were sweet.”
A most satisfying reply.
From his jewelry box, I took out a platinum necklace and fastened it around his neck like a reward. The cold metal touched his skin, and he let out a small gasp.
“Perfect. We’ll talk more in the carriage.”
I drew back, smiling brightly.
Still leaning against the wall, he tried to steady his ragged breathing.
***
We boarded the carriage bound for Yorca Palace.
Today, instead of an open carriage, we chose a covered four-wheeled one, since I needed a private conversation with the Grand Duke.
“His Majesty has been holding a banquet in Barvika Hall of Yorca Palace for three days now. Royals and noble lords ruling across Dvorca have all gathered.”
“In other words, a meeting of colonial governors?”
His blunt words left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“…Yes, that’s right. I’m one of them. I hear that until now, not one has left for their lands. They’re all waiting for the final guest of honor.”
“And who is that?”
“Who else? Me.”
I pointed to myself with a confident smile.
“…Are they all men desiring you?”
His expression turned cold as he asked.
Pfft.
I laughed at his absurdly simple assumption.
“Unfortunately, no. They’re waiting for me because of the railway project.”
“Railway project?”
“Over the five years since the war ended, most major cities in Levanteia have built railway networks. Now, the lords want to extend those lines into Dvorca, connecting all the way to the port of Vedef. After seven hundred years as a landlocked nation, they’ll finally be able to do full-scale maritime trade—using colonial lands as the route.”
“To lay railroads, they’ll need steel. And for steel, they’ll need iron ore and coal… so they want to sign purchase contracts.”
He listened intently.
“Exactly. Especially since, after swallowing Dvorca, none of the neighboring countries want to sell iron ore or coal to my country. So the only source they can turn to is my family. Over seventy percent of Levanteia’s iron ore and coal comes from eastern Lasant.”
“…So because of neighboring countries’ export restrictions, your family gained a monopoly.”
“That’s right. And the approval rights for all contracts involving iron, coal, and precious metals lie with me, the young duchess.”
The weapons business, led by my mother, had become the family’s most profitable trade, so I had been left with the somewhat secondary—but still crucial—mining sector.
The Grand Duke fell silent in thought, then looked at me sharply.
“Don’t tell me you intend to…”
“Yes. I plan to grant you the final approval authority on these contracts—at least for those concerning railway projects within Dvorca territory. Officially, this is still the Grand Duchy of Dvorca, your domain, so it’s only fitting you hold such power.”
His face stiffened, and he shook his head.
“And how will you justify giving me such authority?”
He must have been troubled by the lack of a proper pretext.
“Must I give a logical reason for wanting to empower my husband? I’ll simply show them.”
“…Show them what?”
“At today’s banquet, we will perform.”
“Perform?”
He looked uneasy. Perhaps because he knew acting wasn’t his strength.
“I’ll play the young duchess utterly besotted with her handsome husband, ready to give him everything—heart, soul, and power. And you will be…”
I lifted my fingers to trace along his jawline. His neck strained with a prominent vein.
Smiling with satisfaction, I finished:
“…the man of irresistible charm who bewitched me.”
