“Now that we’ve met such a perfect person, we can’t afford to let our guard down, Eden.”
Aster warned Eden about Cecilia's bold attitude.
“People’s hearts change easily, you know.”
Of course, Eden frowned slightly as if he would listen to all that nonsense.
“It’s a laughing stock in this world that a lady can’t receive a single letter from a knight. Do you know how many letters pour in for Isabella?”
And Aster was busy intercepting them in the middle because his wife was too beautiful.
Aster looked at his brother who was not paying attention despite his warning, then clicked his tongue. Those kinds of guys always end up crying because of love.
“Just wait and see, if this is enough for the Crown Princess, it will be even worse for your wife.”
He promised. At first glance, it sounded like a bad omen.
“Even so, there will be no problem between a couple who have sworn to be married.”
Eden said so. Cecilia smiled with an incomprehensible face. After all, her previous life had been a mess because of Ilya Nova, who was his government.
At that moment, a maid whose face was unfamiliar deliberately met Cecilia’s eyes and smiled brightly. Cecilia made a puzzled face, then naturally turned her gaze to Aster.
“I guess that’s not something you should say in front of a newlywed couple.”
When their eyes met, Aster changed his words a little. It was because he felt like he had said something to Cecilia that he shouldn't have said while teasing his younger brother. It wasn't a relationship that started out as love, but he already knew about the strange atmosphere and affection between Eden and Cecilia.
“Yes. Don’t worry about the knights’ letter, just live happily.”
Aster, who had changed his words, smiled brightly and stood up first.
“The Grand Duchess looks tired, so I think it would be best for you to go back. It wouldn’t be a good look for you to be holding on to the position that Damon ruined.”
There was nothing they could do since the person above them said he would clean up first. Eden and Cecilia also got up from their seats following him.
“Thank you for the gift and the story about Laner Island. Please be safe on your way back.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Always take care of your health.”
As Cecilia lifted the hem of her skirt slightly in greeting, Aster nodded. Then he greeted Eden, patting his shoulder, which was almost the same height as his.
“I hope that you can get along well with the Grand Duchess and give His Majesty a grandchild.”
"Your Highness."
Eden frowned and called out to Aster. However, Aster’s thoughts were clear. If the Crown Princess and he really could not have a successor, then Eden’s child would have to succeed him.
“Then you must always be sincere and kind to the Grand Duchess. Do you understand?”
Eden ended up laughing briefly at his brother's advice. His face, which wasn't even that stern, was funny.
“Keep that in mind.”
Cecilia watched the scene from a few steps away. Eden, standing in a place where he felt no pressure, looked comfortable and relaxed.
It was at that moment. A maid approached Cecilia stealthily. It was the same face that had been smiling at Cecilia earlier.
“Her Majesty the Empress has asked me to convey this to Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”
And she put something in her hand. It was a letter from the Empress. Cecilia looked down at the envelope with the Empress’s seal with a strange gaze.
“Cecilia?”
After greeting Aster, Eden approached. Eden’s eyes, which had glanced at what Cecilia was holding in her hand, turned back to Cecilia’s face.
“Her Majesty the Empress sent a letter.”
“...”
“Shall we open it now?”
Cecilia didn't bother to hide the sender. She thought it would look suspicious. Besides, if it was a letter that was openly given, it wouldn't have contained strange content.
“This is a letter addressed to you, Cecilia. Only you need to know about it.”
Eden said he had no need to know the contents of the letter, which was not even his. Cecilia was neither disappointed nor heartbroken by his indifference, which was disguised as a rejection.
He was that kind of man by nature.
“You must be tired. You can lean back and rest for a bit.”
In the carriage that was moving through the darkness, it was Eden's soft voice that broke the couple's time that had been flowing without conversation.
“Then I’ll just lean on you for a moment.”
Only then did Cecilia realize that, unlike when she had come to the palace, Eden was sitting next to her. Instead of refusing, Cecilia rested her head on Eden’s shoulder.
It was a good position to hide one's expression rather than facing each other or showing one's side profile. Of course, it was also good to act as if one liked his affection.
“...How do you plan to find out about Laner Island?”
Eden asked in a serious tone. There was no hint of resentment in his voice towards his wife who had asked the Crown Prince for help without saying a word to him.
Eden was originally that kind of person. He would only step into areas that both he and the other person agreed on, and would easily back out at any moment. To put it simply, he was a person who didn't pay much attention to others. In the past, Cecilia thought that was Eden's consideration. It was a foolish judgment.
“I wish I could go and see it in person, but I don’t think that’ll be possible...”
“Yes.”
“For now, I’m thinking of buying a book to learn about the island and then asking Alice about the current situation.”
Eden nodded in agreement.
“I’ll check with Enon to see if there are any useful books.”
"Thank you."
There was no reason to refuse the offer to help her find out which books would be worth reading. It would also be helpful since it would save her time.
The moment Cecilia was expressing her gratitude in such a modest manner, the carriage began to run on an uneven road. Her body jerked and bounced every time the carriage moved. It was time for Cecilia to straighten up her upper body, as it became more uncomfortable to rest her head on it.
"For a moment."
Eden reached out his large hand to Cecilia's shoulder. At that moment, one wheel of the carriage gave out and Cecilia's body tilted toward the window.
At this rate, it looked like she would hit her head against the carriage wall. The moment Cecilia tightly shut her eyes, Eden wrapped his arms around Cecilia and pulled her into his arms.
With a thud, his body hit the wall of the carriage.
"Ah..."
After a moment of confusion, the surroundings became quiet. Cecilia carefully opened her tightly shut eyes and looked around. Eden’s folded arms were touching the wall of the tilted carriage, and Cecilia was tightly held in his arms.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Cecilia nodded, feeling her heart beating rapidly. Eden’s heart, which was touching hers, was also showing its thumping beat.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness! Are you alright?”
Beyond the curtains covering the window, an urgent voice was heard from the stable.
“The Grand Duchess is very surprising, so let’s find out what’s going on.”
Eden ordered the coachman to find out the situation. Cecilia blinked with a blank expression, then realized that she was still in Eden’s arms and stepped back a little. Eden’s gaze reflexively fell on the woman in his arms.
“It’s okay now, you can let me go.”
Cecilia spoke while lightly touching Eden's chest. Then, Eden's upper body moved away without any burden. It seemed that he thought it was because of embarrassment.
“Your Highness, I think you should come out for a moment.”
At that moment, a knock was heard on the carriage door. It seemed that the coachman had finished assessing the situation.
“Please wait inside for a moment.”
After Eden had Cecilia sit in a less inclined position, he opened the carriage door and got out.
Outside the carriage, a voice could be heard talking to the coachman. Cecilia opened the curtains covering the window and looked outside. It was drizzling, but not enough to crush the ground.
“Cecilia.”
When the shock had subsided, Eden pushed himself halfway into the carriage and called out to Cecilia.
“Because of the heavy rain that fell yesterday, the dirt seems to have become mushy. They say the wheels sank in that direction and the carriage tilted.”
“Then how...”
Cecilia asked hesitantly. He only had one servant to accompany him, a coachman, and it was impossible for him, the Grand Duke, to do the menial work of lifting a carriage.
“We’ll have to wait until someone comes over, which will take some time. It’s not that far, but you can’t walk down a dirt road in the rain...”
Eden was looking at the hem of Cecilia's flowing dress in thought. It was the moment when Cecilia was about to reply that she could wait even if it took some time.
“I'll carry you, Cecilia.”
"Yes?"
Cecilia asked back in a tone of shock that she had not realized.
“That. What is that...”
Cecilia shook her head as if it was nonsense. It was a matter of pride, apart from her reluctance to contact Eden.
“Your Highness, no.”
But Eden did not hesitate and reached into the carriage, pulling Cecilia out.
“Fortunately, it’s only a light rain, so if you wear a jacket, you won’t get wet.”
And he took off his jacket and covered Cecilia's head and shoulders. It happened without her having time to refuse. Cecilia looked down at the back of the man bending over in front of her and reluctantly leaned forward.
Eden picked Cecilia up from her seat without difficulty.
Aster warned Eden about Cecilia's bold attitude.
“People’s hearts change easily, you know.”
Of course, Eden frowned slightly as if he would listen to all that nonsense.
“It’s a laughing stock in this world that a lady can’t receive a single letter from a knight. Do you know how many letters pour in for Isabella?”
And Aster was busy intercepting them in the middle because his wife was too beautiful.
Aster looked at his brother who was not paying attention despite his warning, then clicked his tongue. Those kinds of guys always end up crying because of love.
“Just wait and see, if this is enough for the Crown Princess, it will be even worse for your wife.”
He promised. At first glance, it sounded like a bad omen.
“Even so, there will be no problem between a couple who have sworn to be married.”
Eden said so. Cecilia smiled with an incomprehensible face. After all, her previous life had been a mess because of Ilya Nova, who was his government.
At that moment, a maid whose face was unfamiliar deliberately met Cecilia’s eyes and smiled brightly. Cecilia made a puzzled face, then naturally turned her gaze to Aster.
“I guess that’s not something you should say in front of a newlywed couple.”
When their eyes met, Aster changed his words a little. It was because he felt like he had said something to Cecilia that he shouldn't have said while teasing his younger brother. It wasn't a relationship that started out as love, but he already knew about the strange atmosphere and affection between Eden and Cecilia.
“Yes. Don’t worry about the knights’ letter, just live happily.”
Aster, who had changed his words, smiled brightly and stood up first.
“The Grand Duchess looks tired, so I think it would be best for you to go back. It wouldn’t be a good look for you to be holding on to the position that Damon ruined.”
There was nothing they could do since the person above them said he would clean up first. Eden and Cecilia also got up from their seats following him.
“Thank you for the gift and the story about Laner Island. Please be safe on your way back.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Always take care of your health.”
As Cecilia lifted the hem of her skirt slightly in greeting, Aster nodded. Then he greeted Eden, patting his shoulder, which was almost the same height as his.
“I hope that you can get along well with the Grand Duchess and give His Majesty a grandchild.”
"Your Highness."
Eden frowned and called out to Aster. However, Aster’s thoughts were clear. If the Crown Princess and he really could not have a successor, then Eden’s child would have to succeed him.
“Then you must always be sincere and kind to the Grand Duchess. Do you understand?”
Eden ended up laughing briefly at his brother's advice. His face, which wasn't even that stern, was funny.
“Keep that in mind.”
Cecilia watched the scene from a few steps away. Eden, standing in a place where he felt no pressure, looked comfortable and relaxed.
It was at that moment. A maid approached Cecilia stealthily. It was the same face that had been smiling at Cecilia earlier.
“Her Majesty the Empress has asked me to convey this to Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”
And she put something in her hand. It was a letter from the Empress. Cecilia looked down at the envelope with the Empress’s seal with a strange gaze.
“Cecilia?”
After greeting Aster, Eden approached. Eden’s eyes, which had glanced at what Cecilia was holding in her hand, turned back to Cecilia’s face.
“Her Majesty the Empress sent a letter.”
“...”
“Shall we open it now?”
Cecilia didn't bother to hide the sender. She thought it would look suspicious. Besides, if it was a letter that was openly given, it wouldn't have contained strange content.
“This is a letter addressed to you, Cecilia. Only you need to know about it.”
Eden said he had no need to know the contents of the letter, which was not even his. Cecilia was neither disappointed nor heartbroken by his indifference, which was disguised as a rejection.
He was that kind of man by nature.
***
“You must be tired. You can lean back and rest for a bit.”
In the carriage that was moving through the darkness, it was Eden's soft voice that broke the couple's time that had been flowing without conversation.
“Then I’ll just lean on you for a moment.”
Only then did Cecilia realize that, unlike when she had come to the palace, Eden was sitting next to her. Instead of refusing, Cecilia rested her head on Eden’s shoulder.
It was a good position to hide one's expression rather than facing each other or showing one's side profile. Of course, it was also good to act as if one liked his affection.
“...How do you plan to find out about Laner Island?”
Eden asked in a serious tone. There was no hint of resentment in his voice towards his wife who had asked the Crown Prince for help without saying a word to him.
Eden was originally that kind of person. He would only step into areas that both he and the other person agreed on, and would easily back out at any moment. To put it simply, he was a person who didn't pay much attention to others. In the past, Cecilia thought that was Eden's consideration. It was a foolish judgment.
“I wish I could go and see it in person, but I don’t think that’ll be possible...”
“Yes.”
“For now, I’m thinking of buying a book to learn about the island and then asking Alice about the current situation.”
Eden nodded in agreement.
“I’ll check with Enon to see if there are any useful books.”
"Thank you."
There was no reason to refuse the offer to help her find out which books would be worth reading. It would also be helpful since it would save her time.
The moment Cecilia was expressing her gratitude in such a modest manner, the carriage began to run on an uneven road. Her body jerked and bounced every time the carriage moved. It was time for Cecilia to straighten up her upper body, as it became more uncomfortable to rest her head on it.
"For a moment."
Eden reached out his large hand to Cecilia's shoulder. At that moment, one wheel of the carriage gave out and Cecilia's body tilted toward the window.
At this rate, it looked like she would hit her head against the carriage wall. The moment Cecilia tightly shut her eyes, Eden wrapped his arms around Cecilia and pulled her into his arms.
With a thud, his body hit the wall of the carriage.
"Ah..."
After a moment of confusion, the surroundings became quiet. Cecilia carefully opened her tightly shut eyes and looked around. Eden’s folded arms were touching the wall of the tilted carriage, and Cecilia was tightly held in his arms.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Cecilia nodded, feeling her heart beating rapidly. Eden’s heart, which was touching hers, was also showing its thumping beat.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness! Are you alright?”
Beyond the curtains covering the window, an urgent voice was heard from the stable.
“The Grand Duchess is very surprising, so let’s find out what’s going on.”
Eden ordered the coachman to find out the situation. Cecilia blinked with a blank expression, then realized that she was still in Eden’s arms and stepped back a little. Eden’s gaze reflexively fell on the woman in his arms.
“It’s okay now, you can let me go.”
Cecilia spoke while lightly touching Eden's chest. Then, Eden's upper body moved away without any burden. It seemed that he thought it was because of embarrassment.
“Your Highness, I think you should come out for a moment.”
At that moment, a knock was heard on the carriage door. It seemed that the coachman had finished assessing the situation.
“Please wait inside for a moment.”
After Eden had Cecilia sit in a less inclined position, he opened the carriage door and got out.
Outside the carriage, a voice could be heard talking to the coachman. Cecilia opened the curtains covering the window and looked outside. It was drizzling, but not enough to crush the ground.
“Cecilia.”
When the shock had subsided, Eden pushed himself halfway into the carriage and called out to Cecilia.
“Because of the heavy rain that fell yesterday, the dirt seems to have become mushy. They say the wheels sank in that direction and the carriage tilted.”
“Then how...”
Cecilia asked hesitantly. He only had one servant to accompany him, a coachman, and it was impossible for him, the Grand Duke, to do the menial work of lifting a carriage.
“We’ll have to wait until someone comes over, which will take some time. It’s not that far, but you can’t walk down a dirt road in the rain...”
Eden was looking at the hem of Cecilia's flowing dress in thought. It was the moment when Cecilia was about to reply that she could wait even if it took some time.
“I'll carry you, Cecilia.”
"Yes?"
Cecilia asked back in a tone of shock that she had not realized.
“That. What is that...”
Cecilia shook her head as if it was nonsense. It was a matter of pride, apart from her reluctance to contact Eden.
“Your Highness, no.”
But Eden did not hesitate and reached into the carriage, pulling Cecilia out.
“Fortunately, it’s only a light rain, so if you wear a jacket, you won’t get wet.”
And he took off his jacket and covered Cecilia's head and shoulders. It happened without her having time to refuse. Cecilia looked down at the back of the man bending over in front of her and reluctantly leaned forward.
Eden picked Cecilia up from her seat without difficulty.
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