“Cecilia, no. I guess I should call you Grand Duchess from now on.”
The Emperor used to call Cecilia by her name, but then quickly changed her title. Since he had known her since she was ten, he felt comfortable with her as if she were his niece. That was a separate issue from Cecilia feeling uncomfortable with the Emperor.
“You’ve become even more beautiful.”
“You are too kind.”
Cecilia smiled politely like the person in the portrait.
“Judging by Eden’s relaxed face, it looks like the newlyweds are having a good time.”
As the Emperor spoke teasingly, Eden smiled briefly and nodded. His non-denial attitude seemed quite sly.
“You bastard, you’ve become such a brat since you got married.”
The Emperor looked proud and cute even to his son who was a full-fledged adult according to the Empire. His gaze towards his son was full of affection. It was definitely different from the Empress who was sipping tea while looking at Aster and Eden.
“You invited the newlyweds, who were already busy having fun, all the way to the palace.”
The Empress put down her teacup and spoke. There was no particular joy or pleasure in her voice.
In fact, she had never been very interested in anyone before, except for her own son, Damon.
“Still, you should greet your elders.”
“Your Highness the Crown Princess’s words are correct.”
Crown Princess Isabella smiled gently and said. Cecilia agreed. It was a face she hadn't seen in a long time since Aster was killed in the war in her previous life.
It was a comfortable position compared to the tension. However, the moment the story of the Third Prince's marriage came up, the peace was shattered.
“Brother Aster has a Marquisate as his supporter, Brother Eden has a Duke as his supporter, and I’m marrying a Viscount?”
It was because Damon couldn't control his anger.
“Damon Oberon Wyatt!”
The Emperor shouted, but Damon paid no attention and ran out. It seemed that he was still unable to control his temper in this life.
“Damon is still young, Your Majesty. I will try to comfort him.”
Even the Empress, who had been controlling her expression the whole time, could not hide her embarrassment at that situation. Then, she told the Emperor that she would go and see Damon, and stood up from her seat.
“I must get up first. I am sorry for such a bad day, Grand Duchess Burnett.”
“I am fine, Your Majesty.”
The Empress left the room with quick steps. The Emperor coughed in vain with a displeased expression.
“How long are you going to fight back because you’re young?”
It was so annoying to even look at Damon that he just turned his head away with his eyes closed.
Unexpectedly, the couple and those who were caught up in the conflict between the rich and the poor looked around with embarrassed faces.
“The Orca family is a bit of a weakling when it comes to pairing up with the Third Prince. They haven’t had any notable achievements lately. How about looking for another marriage partner?”
Aster stepped forward to mediate.
“Damon is greedy.”
However, the Emperor firmly cut off Aster's words. He had even sent his beloved second son out of the palace walls early on, fearing that he would harm the Crown Prince's power. He had no hesitation in dealing with his youngest son, whom he had no interest in.
So Damon hated his brothers, Aster and Eden. Cecilia also felt sorry for him, who was hated by his father without reason. It seems that some fingers didn't hurt that much.
“But Damon...”
“Remember, Aster. You are the Crown Prince of Wyatt, and one day you will be Emperor.”
As expected, the Emperor was unwavering. He gave strict advice in a low voice.
“As a human being, you can’t help but have personal feelings. But you shouldn’t let those feelings shake you or threaten you.”
“...”
“Even if that person is your family. That is the position of Emperor that you must protect.”
Cecilia quietly lowered her eyes before the Emperor's teachings.
Was the coldness that Eden had shown in her previous life due to these teachings? Only questions without answers lingered in her mind.
It was a refreshing discomfort.
After the Empress and Damon left, the awkward situation didn't last long. The Emperor also left, saying that he had a headache because of his son's problems.
Even if it was just to spend time with Eden, who was hard to see, it seemed like the headache Damon had caused wasn't going away easily.
“I’m sorry, Grand Duchess. Damon is still immature.”
In the end, Aster awkwardly smiled and apologized with an embarrassed look on his face.
“I’m fine. By the way, I think Her Highness the Crown Princess has been shaking a little bit since a while ago.”
Aster looked back at Isabella, who was adjusting her shawl with a surprised look on her face.
“Isabella, if you’re not feeling well, you should tell me.”
“I am fine, Your Highness.”
Isabella was half-embraced by Aster, who was looking at his wife with concern. Isabella looked back at Cecilia with an embarrassed face and smiled.
“Go in first and rest.”
Aster has always been a very affectionate man to my wife.
"But..."
“Don’t worry, I’ll see you off. Listen, take the Grand Duchess.”
Aster ordered. Isabella hesitated, but perhaps because she was tired, she did not refuse.
“Please come in.”
“Thank you for understanding, Cecilia. I’ll invite you properly next time.”
Cecilia greeted Isabella with a smile. Isabella's body, which was moving away, was as frail and thin as her memory. With such frailty, Aster's unexpected death could not help but trigger the death of the unborn child and herself.
“Oh, by the way, I forgot to give you the gift...”
Only then did she remember something she had forgotten. As Cecilia rolled her eyes with an embarrassed expression, Eden nodded to his brother.
“Don’t worry, Grand Duchess. I’ll pass it on.”
And Aster, who read those eyes, immediately opened his mouth and tried to please his brother.
“I think His Majesty the Emperor will be shocked to see the Crown Prince of a country being turned into a courier.”
However, he was not very good at joking. Cecilia laughed awkwardly with an embarrassed face at Aster's joke.
“Bring the gift we prepared.”
In the end, Eden stepped in to mediate. At Eden’s beckoning, a servant came with a gift prepared for the Crown Prince and his wife.
“It’s a small gift, but it’s my gratitude for your generosity.”
“There’s no need to take care of things like this...”
“It’s just tea leaves and a book, Your Highness. Please accept it in peace.”
For Isabella, Cecilia prepared high-quality tea leaves and tea sets, and for Aster, she prepared books. It was a suitable gift, as Aster loved books so much that he would have liked to have become a scholar.
“Thank you, Grand Duchess. Isabella will like it too.”
In the end, Aster obediently expressed his gratitude. In particular, his gaze was fixed on the history book that Cecilia had gifted him.
“Actually, I was trying to get a book related to the island of Laner, but I couldn’t get it because of the time constraints.”
At the unexpected words, both Eden and Aster turned their gazes to Cecilia. Although Laner Island was a direct territory of the imperial family, it was practically forgotten.
“I recently became interested in the child who was hired as a chambermaid because she was said to be from the Laner island.”
Cecilia brought up the topic naturally. Aster, too, but there was also a hint of curiosity in Eden’s gaze.
“When I asked her why she came to the island, she said that she left home early because life was difficult. But I heard that the reason life became difficult was because of the maritime issue with Benia.”
Cecilia had no power. She was just the daughter of a Duke, and now she was just the wife of a Grand Duke. She had never been interested in politics, so it was impossible for her to suddenly try to do something with her power.
“I was wondering if Your Highness the Crown Prince might be interested.”
So, it seemed like a good idea to bring Aster into the picture by pretending to curry favor with a gift and bringing up the topic.
“I feel ashamed that I was caught neglecting the hardships my fellow citizens were going through.”
Aster called his servant and ordered him to bring the books.
“My wife was meant with good intentions, Your Highness.”
“I did not misunderstand the Grand Duchess’s intentions. I just felt that there were still many things I could not see or was missing.”
Aster eased Eden's worries with a soft voice. He was truly a kind and gentle person. She could understand the longing Eden showed whenever he mentioned his brother.
“I will definitely read the book. I will also learn more about how to help Laner Island. May I ask the Grand Duchess for help with that?”
“...For me?”
Cecilia opened her eyes wide and asked at the unexpected suggestion. Aster nodded quietly.
“Because the Grand Duchess was the first to raise this issue.”
Aster did not hesitate to delegate tasks to Cecilia. He did not simply assign her tasks that she did not want to do or found bothersome.
“The more the honor of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Burnett, who support me, increases, the more it will help me.”
He hoped that Grand Duke Burnett's status would rise even higher. After all, since Eden was thoroughly in favor of the Crown Prince, that honor would be no different from Aster's.
“I don’t know if I can be of any help... If Your Highness would grant me the honor, I would be happy to do so.”
Cecilia, who knew what it meant, accepted Aster's request instead of rejecting it. Moreover, if things went wrong, she would have the opportunity to intervene and correct them herself.
“I will look into the problem in detail and discuss with His Highness the Grand Duke how to solve it.”
Aster nodded with a soft face as if he had heard a satisfactory answer. If the Emperor used pressure and praise appropriately and visibly, the Crown Prince used gentle words and pressure disguised as expectations to control people. He was a very good material for an Emperor.
So change will come in the form you want it to. I felt a rare confidence.
The Emperor used to call Cecilia by her name, but then quickly changed her title. Since he had known her since she was ten, he felt comfortable with her as if she were his niece. That was a separate issue from Cecilia feeling uncomfortable with the Emperor.
“You’ve become even more beautiful.”
“You are too kind.”
Cecilia smiled politely like the person in the portrait.
“Judging by Eden’s relaxed face, it looks like the newlyweds are having a good time.”
As the Emperor spoke teasingly, Eden smiled briefly and nodded. His non-denial attitude seemed quite sly.
“You bastard, you’ve become such a brat since you got married.”
The Emperor looked proud and cute even to his son who was a full-fledged adult according to the Empire. His gaze towards his son was full of affection. It was definitely different from the Empress who was sipping tea while looking at Aster and Eden.
“You invited the newlyweds, who were already busy having fun, all the way to the palace.”
The Empress put down her teacup and spoke. There was no particular joy or pleasure in her voice.
In fact, she had never been very interested in anyone before, except for her own son, Damon.
“Still, you should greet your elders.”
“Your Highness the Crown Princess’s words are correct.”
Crown Princess Isabella smiled gently and said. Cecilia agreed. It was a face she hadn't seen in a long time since Aster was killed in the war in her previous life.
It was a comfortable position compared to the tension. However, the moment the story of the Third Prince's marriage came up, the peace was shattered.
“Brother Aster has a Marquisate as his supporter, Brother Eden has a Duke as his supporter, and I’m marrying a Viscount?”
It was because Damon couldn't control his anger.
“Damon Oberon Wyatt!”
The Emperor shouted, but Damon paid no attention and ran out. It seemed that he was still unable to control his temper in this life.
“Damon is still young, Your Majesty. I will try to comfort him.”
Even the Empress, who had been controlling her expression the whole time, could not hide her embarrassment at that situation. Then, she told the Emperor that she would go and see Damon, and stood up from her seat.
“I must get up first. I am sorry for such a bad day, Grand Duchess Burnett.”
“I am fine, Your Majesty.”
The Empress left the room with quick steps. The Emperor coughed in vain with a displeased expression.
“How long are you going to fight back because you’re young?”
It was so annoying to even look at Damon that he just turned his head away with his eyes closed.
Unexpectedly, the couple and those who were caught up in the conflict between the rich and the poor looked around with embarrassed faces.
“The Orca family is a bit of a weakling when it comes to pairing up with the Third Prince. They haven’t had any notable achievements lately. How about looking for another marriage partner?”
Aster stepped forward to mediate.
“Damon is greedy.”
However, the Emperor firmly cut off Aster's words. He had even sent his beloved second son out of the palace walls early on, fearing that he would harm the Crown Prince's power. He had no hesitation in dealing with his youngest son, whom he had no interest in.
So Damon hated his brothers, Aster and Eden. Cecilia also felt sorry for him, who was hated by his father without reason. It seems that some fingers didn't hurt that much.
“But Damon...”
“Remember, Aster. You are the Crown Prince of Wyatt, and one day you will be Emperor.”
As expected, the Emperor was unwavering. He gave strict advice in a low voice.
“As a human being, you can’t help but have personal feelings. But you shouldn’t let those feelings shake you or threaten you.”
“...”
“Even if that person is your family. That is the position of Emperor that you must protect.”
Cecilia quietly lowered her eyes before the Emperor's teachings.
Was the coldness that Eden had shown in her previous life due to these teachings? Only questions without answers lingered in her mind.
It was a refreshing discomfort.
***
After the Empress and Damon left, the awkward situation didn't last long. The Emperor also left, saying that he had a headache because of his son's problems.
Even if it was just to spend time with Eden, who was hard to see, it seemed like the headache Damon had caused wasn't going away easily.
“I’m sorry, Grand Duchess. Damon is still immature.”
In the end, Aster awkwardly smiled and apologized with an embarrassed look on his face.
“I’m fine. By the way, I think Her Highness the Crown Princess has been shaking a little bit since a while ago.”
Aster looked back at Isabella, who was adjusting her shawl with a surprised look on her face.
“Isabella, if you’re not feeling well, you should tell me.”
“I am fine, Your Highness.”
Isabella was half-embraced by Aster, who was looking at his wife with concern. Isabella looked back at Cecilia with an embarrassed face and smiled.
“Go in first and rest.”
Aster has always been a very affectionate man to my wife.
"But..."
“Don’t worry, I’ll see you off. Listen, take the Grand Duchess.”
Aster ordered. Isabella hesitated, but perhaps because she was tired, she did not refuse.
“Please come in.”
“Thank you for understanding, Cecilia. I’ll invite you properly next time.”
Cecilia greeted Isabella with a smile. Isabella's body, which was moving away, was as frail and thin as her memory. With such frailty, Aster's unexpected death could not help but trigger the death of the unborn child and herself.
“Oh, by the way, I forgot to give you the gift...”
Only then did she remember something she had forgotten. As Cecilia rolled her eyes with an embarrassed expression, Eden nodded to his brother.
“Don’t worry, Grand Duchess. I’ll pass it on.”
And Aster, who read those eyes, immediately opened his mouth and tried to please his brother.
“I think His Majesty the Emperor will be shocked to see the Crown Prince of a country being turned into a courier.”
However, he was not very good at joking. Cecilia laughed awkwardly with an embarrassed face at Aster's joke.
“Bring the gift we prepared.”
In the end, Eden stepped in to mediate. At Eden’s beckoning, a servant came with a gift prepared for the Crown Prince and his wife.
“It’s a small gift, but it’s my gratitude for your generosity.”
“There’s no need to take care of things like this...”
“It’s just tea leaves and a book, Your Highness. Please accept it in peace.”
For Isabella, Cecilia prepared high-quality tea leaves and tea sets, and for Aster, she prepared books. It was a suitable gift, as Aster loved books so much that he would have liked to have become a scholar.
“Thank you, Grand Duchess. Isabella will like it too.”
In the end, Aster obediently expressed his gratitude. In particular, his gaze was fixed on the history book that Cecilia had gifted him.
“Actually, I was trying to get a book related to the island of Laner, but I couldn’t get it because of the time constraints.”
At the unexpected words, both Eden and Aster turned their gazes to Cecilia. Although Laner Island was a direct territory of the imperial family, it was practically forgotten.
“I recently became interested in the child who was hired as a chambermaid because she was said to be from the Laner island.”
Cecilia brought up the topic naturally. Aster, too, but there was also a hint of curiosity in Eden’s gaze.
“When I asked her why she came to the island, she said that she left home early because life was difficult. But I heard that the reason life became difficult was because of the maritime issue with Benia.”
Cecilia had no power. She was just the daughter of a Duke, and now she was just the wife of a Grand Duke. She had never been interested in politics, so it was impossible for her to suddenly try to do something with her power.
“I was wondering if Your Highness the Crown Prince might be interested.”
So, it seemed like a good idea to bring Aster into the picture by pretending to curry favor with a gift and bringing up the topic.
“I feel ashamed that I was caught neglecting the hardships my fellow citizens were going through.”
Aster called his servant and ordered him to bring the books.
“My wife was meant with good intentions, Your Highness.”
“I did not misunderstand the Grand Duchess’s intentions. I just felt that there were still many things I could not see or was missing.”
Aster eased Eden's worries with a soft voice. He was truly a kind and gentle person. She could understand the longing Eden showed whenever he mentioned his brother.
“I will definitely read the book. I will also learn more about how to help Laner Island. May I ask the Grand Duchess for help with that?”
“...For me?”
Cecilia opened her eyes wide and asked at the unexpected suggestion. Aster nodded quietly.
“Because the Grand Duchess was the first to raise this issue.”
Aster did not hesitate to delegate tasks to Cecilia. He did not simply assign her tasks that she did not want to do or found bothersome.
“The more the honor of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Burnett, who support me, increases, the more it will help me.”
He hoped that Grand Duke Burnett's status would rise even higher. After all, since Eden was thoroughly in favor of the Crown Prince, that honor would be no different from Aster's.
“I don’t know if I can be of any help... If Your Highness would grant me the honor, I would be happy to do so.”
Cecilia, who knew what it meant, accepted Aster's request instead of rejecting it. Moreover, if things went wrong, she would have the opportunity to intervene and correct them herself.
“I will look into the problem in detail and discuss with His Highness the Grand Duke how to solve it.”
Aster nodded with a soft face as if he had heard a satisfactory answer. If the Emperor used pressure and praise appropriately and visibly, the Crown Prince used gentle words and pressure disguised as expectations to control people. He was a very good material for an Emperor.
So change will come in the form you want it to. I felt a rare confidence.
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