It was a truly bizarre proposition.
Offering a trophy to either me or Lettie.
Neither Kishian nor the Duke remained silent and I pointed out the loopholes in the proposal.
"Then everyone will want to give me a trophy."
"Why do you think so?"
"Most of the people participating in the tournament will be Northerners. They would rather be seen by the Grand Duchess of the North, who rules them directly, than by the Imperial Princess who is far away."
Lettie shook her head as if she finally understood.
"I'm sure they'll all want to pay the trophy to the Grand Duchess."
Luckily, she seemed to understand what I was saying, so I figured she wouldn't say anything weird anymore.
But Lettie was persistent. Somewhat rudely.
"Then let's do this. On the day of the competition, we both wear the same clothes and sit in the same position, waiting."
"..."
"Then they won't know which of them is the Princess and which is the Grand Duchess, so it will be fair."
If I had said that, I would have moved on.
But the words that followed quickly shattered my composure.
"What do you think, Grand Duke? If we look the same, wear the same clothes, and sit in the same position, will the Grand Duke choose my sister?"
I couldn't breathe, as if I had fallen into the depths of the sea.
The noblest and most beautiful.
Even though I was such a woman's twin, I never even looked at her.
I've always been the latter.
The years of my life as a lesser person seemed to have passed before my eyes.
Why is Letie suddenly making this offer? Why would you want to create a situation where one or the other has to be chosen?
It's obvious who will be chosen.
I asked her questions, but I couldn't find an answer.
It's just that the moment is unpleasant.
"...It's not a funny proposition. I'm tired and I think I need to get up."
I hurriedly rose from my seat, not even being able to properly greet Kishian and the Duke of Herssen.
I couldn't hold out any longer. Such an uncomfortable seat.
I heard Kishian calling out to me in a panic behind me, but I pretended not to hear it and hurried on.
I don't remember how I ended up in my bedroom.
I walked frantically, my face distorted by humiliation, until I reached my bedroom.
"..."
Standing in front of the dresser, I stared at myself.
I definitely look just like Lettie. We were twins, so it would be a no-brainer.
However, as Albrecht said, there was a gloom in the reflection in the mirror.
No matter how hard I try to erase it, there is a gloom that will never be erased.
“Ma’am!”
Kishian, who seemed to have followed me, burst through the bedroom door and entered.
He was about to say something, but when he saw my face, he fell silent.
Quietly, he walked over to me, his mouth shut, and ran his thumb over my eyes.
There was a slight dampness on his fingertips.
In front of him, who looked at me as if asking why, I made up a lame excuse.
"It's just that my eyes are a little sore... It's no big deal, so don't worry about 1t."
"It's not a big deal, but are you in such a hurry?"
"It's really not a big deal. I'm just tired, so don't worry about it."
I was about to turn around, but before I could, he grabbed me by the shoulder and made me look at him.
"You'll have to tell me."
"..."
"You have to tell me what made you so upset."
What can I say.
I've been compared to Letie's for so long and hard.
So, I was afraid that you wouldn't recognize me and that I would sacrifice my game to the more beautiful Letie.
I could never tell.
So I told him nothing but a blank slate, neither a clear truth nor a lie.
"I was worried, a little. I thought it would be embarrassing if you didn't recognize me and offered my sister a hunt."
"Is that it?"
"...What?"
"Are you afraid that I won't recognize you, and that I will sacrifice the Princess because I think she is more beautiful?"
He was saying. 'That's it, but to me, it was never 'only.'
I have already been compared to each other.
I didn't want to be trampled on until I came to the North.
"If you don't recognize me, don't you know what will happen to me? I'm like..."
"Do I look so stupid? So much so that I don't even recognize my wife?"
As if to look at him, he tightened his grip on my shoulder.
I looked up with tears in my eyes, a little blurry, and his face was quite serious.
Still, I couldn't believe it.
He still knows me as Letie.
If he knew I wasn't real, he'd surely cut my throat and run to burn the Imperial Palace.
I'm a fake, and no one in this world likes fakes.
"We're going to have a hunting tournament."
The endless stream of gloomy thoughts was interrupted by a single word from Kishian.
I looked at him with a blink of watery eyes, and he wiped the corners of my eyes.
"I'm going to win, I'm going to bring the best game and I'm going to offer it. Not to your sister, but to you."
"..."
"Without a moment's hesitation. I'm going to find out exactly what she's going to do and put her at your feet. Isn't that what you can do?"
Kishian still doesn't know who I really am.
So I didn't know if he could tell us who were twins.
Even though I didn't know, I felt relieved at that moment.
I really felt like he would recognize me and choose me.
It made me feel relieved, but my tears kept pouring out.
Seeing me crying beyond sobbing, Kishian sighed.
Then he gently embraced me.
It was as if the walls of my heart that had been firmly built up against him were crumbling little by little.
I knew that if I believed in him, I would definitely be betrayed.
I was suddenly afraid that the wall would collapse like that, so I asked him with a bit of caution.
"Why are you so kind? Just because I'm your wife?"
He nodded, and I continued.
"If I don't have anything to give you, are you saying this just because we're married?"
"If you, the Grand Duchess, have a hint of melancholy in your face, even I will find fault."
He wiped away the tears that had begun to pour down again.
Even after he wiped it, his hand didn't fall off...
He caressed my cheeks, rubbed my earlobes, and brushed my hair.
Then he slowly pulled down and untied the ribbon from my corset.
When the corset came loose, I involuntarily inhaled and my chest swelled.
Watching the white mounds stand out, Kishian lowered his head.
His lips touched, and a red flower carved into the nape of my neck.
"And why don't you give me anything."
A hand dug into the open garment and caressed the texture of my skin.
At first, he was confined to my waist, but I felt him sinking deeper and deeper.
Like a thirsty man digging a well, his fingertips that kept going down seemed to reach their destination.
"Go to bed."
Suddenly, he grabbed me by the waist and lifted me up.
It felt so familiar to me that I wasn't surprised when I thought of it.
I just waited patiently and felt a soft touch behind my back.
After putting me to bed, Kishian climbed on top of the bed and locked me under his body.
My heart was pounding like it was going to explode.
His body grew hot, and his breath was heavy between his lips.
He pressed his lips against me, somewhat violently, as if to swallow up all the hot breath.
The soft flesh held down my lips, then the nape of my neck, then my bars.
He whispered, biting lightly against the protruding bones.
"Accept me. That's all you need, and I'll gladly be your faithful hound and bring the best prey to your feet."
I couldn't refuse.
It was such a sweet offer that I couldn't refuse.
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