\\\He looked at the situation in front of him with a blank face.
Caroline's close maid was sitting on the floor with one cheek covered.
Anyone could see that she had fallen after being hit on the cheek.
And he could see Karina's reddened palm, clearly the one who had hit the maid.
"What the..."
Jeremiah looked back at Karina and frowned.
An unspoken pressure to explain enveloped Karina.
The moment she was about to open her mouth, Caroline spoke first.
“It’s all my fault.”
‘...What?’
Karina turned to Caroline at the unexpected question.
“I should have been more considerate and caring for the Grand Duchess, but it’s my fault for failing.”
“What do you mean?”
Jeremiah asked. Caroline lowered her eyes sadly and continued.
“I didn’t know the Grand Duchess would get this angry when I told her to work hard to become a member of the Grand Duke’s family since she had married into our family.”
“...”
“I just meant that she should work hard and do well.”
“...”
“Karina. I’m sorry. I’ll apologize, so feel free.”
Karina was speechless at Caroline’s tearful apology.
“Grand Duchess. Don’t you have anything to say?”
Jeremiah asked Karina, who was as hard as stone, in a cold voice.
‘Ha, really...’
Karina swallowed a laugh with a look of absurdity.
“Well. I just gave a fitting punishment to that insolent maid who didn’t even know her place.”
“Is that all?”
“What else do you want me to say?”
“At least apologize in kind?"
Karina had absolutely no intention of doing that.
“Just believe what you want to believe. I don’t care.”
'She can never be mine.'
Jeremiah took out a letter from the top drawer of his desk in his office.
The badly crumpled letter was intelligence from the capital.
Intelligence detailing the secret contacts between forces hostile to the Grand Duke and those in sympathy with them.
At the end of the report, which was filled with greed and sinister plots, were concerns and warnings about 'Karina'.
'You shouldn't trust her so easily.'
Even as he thought that her cold attitude bothered him.
He also didn't like the guard next to her.
Jeremiah's brow furrowed in displeasure as he thought of Mikhail.
'Are you sure we haven't known each other for a long time?'
It was natural for a knight belonging to the Grand Duchess to be her escort.
However, Karina forced an outsider, a wizard of uncertain status, into that important position.
"What on earth are you planning?"
Karina's actions became more and more suspicious the more he looked into them.
Perhaps, as the intelligence warned, she had another motive. Perhaps she was greedy enough to destroy the Grand Duchy and monopolize power.
However...
'Just believe what you want to believe. I don't care.'
Karina's calm expression seemed to suggest another story.
“...”
Jeremiah's eyes, looking at the spy with a cold, hard expression, showed deep anguish.
Caroline's close maid was sitting on the floor with one cheek covered.
Anyone could see that she had fallen after being hit on the cheek.
And he could see Karina's reddened palm, clearly the one who had hit the maid.
"What the..."
Jeremiah looked back at Karina and frowned.
An unspoken pressure to explain enveloped Karina.
The moment she was about to open her mouth, Caroline spoke first.
“It’s all my fault.”
‘...What?’
Karina turned to Caroline at the unexpected question.
“I should have been more considerate and caring for the Grand Duchess, but it’s my fault for failing.”
“What do you mean?”
Jeremiah asked. Caroline lowered her eyes sadly and continued.
“I didn’t know the Grand Duchess would get this angry when I told her to work hard to become a member of the Grand Duke’s family since she had married into our family.”
“...”
“I just meant that she should work hard and do well.”
“...”
“Karina. I’m sorry. I’ll apologize, so feel free.”
Karina was speechless at Caroline’s tearful apology.
“Grand Duchess. Don’t you have anything to say?”
Jeremiah asked Karina, who was as hard as stone, in a cold voice.
‘Ha, really...’
Karina swallowed a laugh with a look of absurdity.
“Well. I just gave a fitting punishment to that insolent maid who didn’t even know her place.”
“Is that all?”
“What else do you want me to say?”
“At least apologize in kind?"
Karina had absolutely no intention of doing that.
“Just believe what you want to believe. I don’t care.”
He glanced at Caroline and saw that she was covering her mouth with her hand. It was obvious that she was trying to hide the corners of her lips turning up.
Even though it was so obvious, Jeremiah only pushed Karina around. Karina approached Caroline with a crumpled expression.
“Princess. You must properly educate your close maids. No matter how stupid she is, how dare she call me, the Grand Duchess, ‘Karina’.”
She spoke the name Karina clearly and forcefully.
“...!”
Jeremiah, who was standing behind her, hardened his expression at those words.
“Without fear, in front of me. I don’t know what she was relying on to do that, but isn’t the master responsible for the mistakes of her subordinates?”
Karina’s words contained the underlying meaning that the maid was acting arrogant because she trusted her master, the one she served.
Caroline’s eyes narrowed as if she found it ridiculous.
“Grand Duchess. That is...”
However, Caroline couldn’t properly refute Karina’s words.
This was because she had already apologized to her in front of Jeremiah and had acted like the victim.
“What are you talking about...”
“I’m saying that you should mind your own business before you try to give me advice.”
Satisfied with what she wanted to say, Karina walked towards the mansion with Mikhail.
Jeremiah looked at Caroline with an expression asking what she was talking about.
Caroline smiled, maintaining her composure.
“Oh, I don’t know what she's he talking about. It seems the Grand Duchess was so excited that she misunderstood something.”
“How could a mere maid calling the Grand Duchess’ name be a misunderstanding?”
Caroline responded to Jeremiah’s question with a look of ignorance on her face.
“My maid called the Grand Duchess’ name? No way. Karina must have misheard.”
Jeremiah’s expression didn’t brighten at Caroline’s words.
In the meantime, Karina had moved farther away.
Caroline caught Jeremiah as he tried to chase after Karina.
“It seems Karina is still sensitive because of what happened at the last banquet. If you go after her now, all you’ll do is fight, right?”
“But...”
“I think Karina needs some time. Let’s wait a little longer until she calms down. Okay?”
“..."
Jeremiah watched Karina's back as she left.
His gaze did not leave until Karina's figure completely disappeared.
"Your Grace."
Mikhail called Karina when he had gained some distance from Caroline.
"Why?"
“Is His Highness usually like that?”
“What?”
“He is very cold to the Grand Duchess.”
Mikhail asked openly.
"...”
Karina didn’t want to give a long answer to that question.
Even though it was so obvious, Jeremiah only pushed Karina around. Karina approached Caroline with a crumpled expression.
“Princess. You must properly educate your close maids. No matter how stupid she is, how dare she call me, the Grand Duchess, ‘Karina’.”
She spoke the name Karina clearly and forcefully.
“...!”
Jeremiah, who was standing behind her, hardened his expression at those words.
“Without fear, in front of me. I don’t know what she was relying on to do that, but isn’t the master responsible for the mistakes of her subordinates?”
Karina’s words contained the underlying meaning that the maid was acting arrogant because she trusted her master, the one she served.
Caroline’s eyes narrowed as if she found it ridiculous.
“Grand Duchess. That is...”
However, Caroline couldn’t properly refute Karina’s words.
This was because she had already apologized to her in front of Jeremiah and had acted like the victim.
“What are you talking about...”
“I’m saying that you should mind your own business before you try to give me advice.”
Satisfied with what she wanted to say, Karina walked towards the mansion with Mikhail.
Jeremiah looked at Caroline with an expression asking what she was talking about.
Caroline smiled, maintaining her composure.
“Oh, I don’t know what she's he talking about. It seems the Grand Duchess was so excited that she misunderstood something.”
“How could a mere maid calling the Grand Duchess’ name be a misunderstanding?”
Caroline responded to Jeremiah’s question with a look of ignorance on her face.
“My maid called the Grand Duchess’ name? No way. Karina must have misheard.”
Jeremiah’s expression didn’t brighten at Caroline’s words.
In the meantime, Karina had moved farther away.
Caroline caught Jeremiah as he tried to chase after Karina.
“It seems Karina is still sensitive because of what happened at the last banquet. If you go after her now, all you’ll do is fight, right?”
“But...”
“I think Karina needs some time. Let’s wait a little longer until she calms down. Okay?”
“..."
Jeremiah watched Karina's back as she left.
His gaze did not leave until Karina's figure completely disappeared.
***
"Your Grace."
Mikhail called Karina when he had gained some distance from Caroline.
"Why?"
“Is His Highness usually like that?”
“What?”
“He is very cold to the Grand Duchess.”
Mikhail asked openly.
"...”
Karina didn’t want to give a long answer to that question.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s just like that.”
“Is that just how it is?”
At her answer that it was just like that, Mikhail scratched the back of his head, watching her expression.
“Hmm... You are a very harsh person.”
Seeing that she did not hide her displeasure, Mikhail quickly brought up a different topic.
“But where are all the Grand Duchess maids?”
“Maids?”
“The Princess walks around with her maids, but it seems like the Grand Duchess herself doesn’t have any.”
“Good job. There’s nothing like that.”
“You say there are no maids?”
“ Yeah.”
“...Not even one?”
“None. Not even one.”
Karina shook her head firmly. Mikhail furrowed his brows and grimaced.
“How can you say that you are the mistress of the Grand Duke’s family, but you don’t have a single maid? This is..."
'He's just neglecting you.’
Mikhail swallowed his last words.
However, Karina could well guess what he was not saying.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s better without it.”
It would have been more bothersome and uncomfortable to have the rascal who brought Caroline news right next to her. But Mikhail still looked unconvinced.
“Really, there are so many things that are different from what I thought.”
Certainly, if you look at it in general, it would feel as strange as Mikhail thought.
‘Because the current situation is abnormal.’
Karina, who had nothing else to say on the subject, changed the subject.
“Then you! You’re the one who’s protecting the Grand Duchess. How were your accommodations?”
“...For the first time in a while, I slept well on a soft bed. The food was good, too.”
“How were the maids and servants’ attitudes?”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll take care of myself.”
Karina was worried by his confident attitude.
“But be careful.”
“You haven’t forgotten about me proving my skills in the training ground, have you?”
Mikhail continued speaking leisurely and coquettishly.
“You may have won yesterday’s duel because you were lucky, but who knows what will happen next. It can’t hurt to be careful.”
“You don’t have to worry. No matter what happens, I can protect the Grand Duchess and myself.”
Mikhail added, winking one eye.
“I told you, it was a real difference in skill.”
At his confident appearance, Karina couldn’t help but snicker.
“Huh.”
Jeremiah let out a deep sigh as he returned to his office.
He was sitting in his chair to handle his work as usual.
The prisoners’ escape case had not been solved yet.
On his desk, which was usually neatly organized, was a pile of unusually disheveled documents. There were reports on the prisoners’ escape case. They were putting all their efforts into investigating the mastermind, but the escape case had not been solved yet.
No, was it even a simple prison escape case in the first place?
“Then you! You’re the one who’s protecting the Grand Duchess. How were your accommodations?”
“...For the first time in a while, I slept well on a soft bed. The food was good, too.”
“How were the maids and servants’ attitudes?”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll take care of myself.”
Karina was worried by his confident attitude.
“But be careful.”
“You haven’t forgotten about me proving my skills in the training ground, have you?”
Mikhail continued speaking leisurely and coquettishly.
“You may have won yesterday’s duel because you were lucky, but who knows what will happen next. It can’t hurt to be careful.”
“You don’t have to worry. No matter what happens, I can protect the Grand Duchess and myself.”
Mikhail added, winking one eye.
“I told you, it was a real difference in skill.”
At his confident appearance, Karina couldn’t help but snicker.
***
“Huh.”
Jeremiah let out a deep sigh as he returned to his office.
He was sitting in his chair to handle his work as usual.
The prisoners’ escape case had not been solved yet.
On his desk, which was usually neatly organized, was a pile of unusually disheveled documents. There were reports on the prisoners’ escape case. They were putting all their efforts into investigating the mastermind, but the escape case had not been solved yet.
No, was it even a simple prison escape case in the first place?
Considering that the mercenaries who were like punks hired an expensive magician, it was not something to be seen as ordinary.
'They are not ordinary mercenaries. There is definitely a mastermind behind them.'
There were more than one or two forces within the empire that were at odds with the Grand Duke's family. The Grand Duke of Colesberg was an impregnable fortress protecting the north, but politically, they were located on the outskirts far from the center.
The high-ranking nobles of such an outskirt possessed the strongest military power in the empire.
There had to be some forces on guard and scheming.
It was urgent to track down the remnants of the prison break and those behind the explosion.
However, Jeremiah had difficulty concentrating on the contents even though the relevant documents were right in front of him. This was because he kept thinking of Karina looking at him with cold eyes.
'How annoying.'
Jeremiah's brow furrowed.
After marriage, Karina's behavior, which had been docile, had noticeably changed recently.
He also thought that her initial obedient appearance might have been an act.
'Maybe she's starting to show her true colors now.'
Karina and Jeremiah's marriage was a political marriage forced by the royal family.
In fact, marriages between nobles were unions with other families, and most of them were done due to vested interests in power.
It was not uncommon for them to have political marriages like transactions without any feelings of love.
But for Jeremiah, Karina was a different case.
The reason was her origin.
The Marquis of Millainer.
'You must not forget that she is the daughter of the sinister Marquis of Millainer.'
Jeremiah consoled himself.
Karina's family was the Marquis of Millainer. The Marquis of Millainer was an absolute supporter who only served the Emperor.
In fact, the Emperor had openly shown special treatment and generously favored the Marquis of Millainer.
The imperial family and the Marquis wanted their power and authority to remain strong forever.
As such, they were sensitive to other forces that could threaten the imperial power.
And one of the families they were very sensitive to was the Grand Duke of Colesberg.
That was the beginning of the problem.
The Emperor, who held the imperial power as if it were his life, was wary of Jeremiah, the head of the Colesberg family.
That is why he forced Jeremiah to marry Karina, the daughter of the Marquis of Milliner.
It was a forced marriage to prevent Jeremiah from marrying a foreign royal family as a Grand Duke and expanding his power or joining hands with other families.
The Emperor would have chosen a woman who would faithfully follow his orders and send her.
A suitable person who could suppress the expansion of the Colesberg family's power and at the same time spy on and interfere with Jeremiah's work.
The person who met all the conditions was 'Karina Milliner'.
Karina was an open but irresistible spy sent by the Emperor.
'They are not ordinary mercenaries. There is definitely a mastermind behind them.'
There were more than one or two forces within the empire that were at odds with the Grand Duke's family. The Grand Duke of Colesberg was an impregnable fortress protecting the north, but politically, they were located on the outskirts far from the center.
The high-ranking nobles of such an outskirt possessed the strongest military power in the empire.
There had to be some forces on guard and scheming.
It was urgent to track down the remnants of the prison break and those behind the explosion.
However, Jeremiah had difficulty concentrating on the contents even though the relevant documents were right in front of him. This was because he kept thinking of Karina looking at him with cold eyes.
'How annoying.'
Jeremiah's brow furrowed.
After marriage, Karina's behavior, which had been docile, had noticeably changed recently.
He also thought that her initial obedient appearance might have been an act.
'Maybe she's starting to show her true colors now.'
Karina and Jeremiah's marriage was a political marriage forced by the royal family.
In fact, marriages between nobles were unions with other families, and most of them were done due to vested interests in power.
It was not uncommon for them to have political marriages like transactions without any feelings of love.
But for Jeremiah, Karina was a different case.
The reason was her origin.
The Marquis of Millainer.
'You must not forget that she is the daughter of the sinister Marquis of Millainer.'
Jeremiah consoled himself.
Karina's family was the Marquis of Millainer. The Marquis of Millainer was an absolute supporter who only served the Emperor.
In fact, the Emperor had openly shown special treatment and generously favored the Marquis of Millainer.
The imperial family and the Marquis wanted their power and authority to remain strong forever.
As such, they were sensitive to other forces that could threaten the imperial power.
And one of the families they were very sensitive to was the Grand Duke of Colesberg.
That was the beginning of the problem.
The Emperor, who held the imperial power as if it were his life, was wary of Jeremiah, the head of the Colesberg family.
That is why he forced Jeremiah to marry Karina, the daughter of the Marquis of Milliner.
It was a forced marriage to prevent Jeremiah from marrying a foreign royal family as a Grand Duke and expanding his power or joining hands with other families.
The Emperor would have chosen a woman who would faithfully follow his orders and send her.
A suitable person who could suppress the expansion of the Colesberg family's power and at the same time spy on and interfere with Jeremiah's work.
The person who met all the conditions was 'Karina Milliner'.
Karina was an open but irresistible spy sent by the Emperor.
'She can never be mine.'
Jeremiah took out a letter from the top drawer of his desk in his office.
The badly crumpled letter was intelligence from the capital.
Intelligence detailing the secret contacts between forces hostile to the Grand Duke and those in sympathy with them.
At the end of the report, which was filled with greed and sinister plots, were concerns and warnings about 'Karina'.
'You shouldn't trust her so easily.'
Even as he thought that her cold attitude bothered him.
He also didn't like the guard next to her.
Jeremiah's brow furrowed in displeasure as he thought of Mikhail.
'Are you sure we haven't known each other for a long time?'
It was natural for a knight belonging to the Grand Duchess to be her escort.
However, Karina forced an outsider, a wizard of uncertain status, into that important position.
"What on earth are you planning?"
Karina's actions became more and more suspicious the more he looked into them.
Perhaps, as the intelligence warned, she had another motive. Perhaps she was greedy enough to destroy the Grand Duchy and monopolize power.
However...
'Just believe what you want to believe. I don't care.'
Karina's calm expression seemed to suggest another story.
“...”
Jeremiah's eyes, looking at the spy with a cold, hard expression, showed deep anguish.
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