Julian's long, large hands, gripping the chess pieces, looked more impressive than I'd imagined. Even his still, motionless profile as he pondered his moves, holding the knight in mid-air, was handsome. I sat a little way off the chessboard, watching Julian.
“Your Highness, you are not a skilled chess player.”
My father, who had been quietly playing chess, spoke with a satisfied expression. He seemed delighted to have met such a worthy opponent after so long.
It was understandable. Not only at home, but even among my father's friends, no one could beat him at chess. Then, meeting a variable like Julian brought him joy.
“Who taught you?”
“My Mother.”
“She must have been a very wise and courageous person.”
My father praised him honestly. Julian's frown seemed to soften slightly at those words. I was even more pleased by that.
“When you have time, try playing chess with my daughter. It won't be boring.”
Julian turned his head to look at me. He seemed surprised that I was playing chess.
“Madam plays chess?”
"Yes?"
Madam? I froze for a moment, not expecting to hear such a title from Julian, who always called me "you". But Julian's expression remained calm, as if there was no other meaning behind it.
"My sister was a natural-born knight. She excelled at swordsmanship, but when it came to strategy, she was unrivaled. Even my father was often amazed."
Ruin stepped forward and continued speaking, as if he were very proud.
"It's only natural that a sister like her would be good at chess. Even my father prefers playing with her to his fellow knights."
“That’s right, I’ve never won against her even once.”
The youngest, Adam, chimed in. My face flushed at the praise from my younger siblings.
“I’m pretty good at it.”
But that insufferable, uncontrollable babbler kept babbling like that. My family laughed, finding my words amusing. That was fine, but then my father took things a step further.
"Layla's good at chess, but she's also good at card games. I didn't expect her to be good at poker. She's usually a really honest and outgoing girl, isn't she? She's also quite naive."
"Father...!"
I felt my face turn bright red. It was incredibly embarrassing to be called naive in front of my husband. But my father, seemingly thrilled by his daughter's bragging, kept talking.
"She's my daughter, but she truly lacks nothing. She's loyal and kind. She's also chivalrous, always leading by example when she sees someone weak. She's also incredibly pretty, and she's often compared to the daughter of the Marquis of Eriant. What do you think, Your Highness?"
“No, no, don’t answer. You don’t have to.”
I stood up and grabbed Julian's shoulder. Julian looked up at me. His bright crimson eyes scanned my forehead, the corners of my eyes, and my jawline.
“I agree.”
A low voice flowed down the chessboard. I trembled, my whole body shaking, at a loss.
“Are you all planning to embarrass me?”
“Shame on you. I am glad that His Highness the Grand Duke regards you with such respect.”
My father said with a smile. No one seemed to mind my stomping.
“Your Highness, don’t worry about it.”
I never imagined my family would treat Julian so unapologetically. I lifted the hem of my skirt and bowed briefly, offering my apologies. I hoped this would ease the burden on Julian.
But Julian's gaze was strange. He took my hand and lifted me up. Then he looked straight at me and said.
"I know you're a precious person, Madam. I won't act rashly like your ex-fiancé."
I would be lying if I said those words didn't sink into my heart.
I stood there like an idiot with my hand on his and then lowered my head.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Julian asked, not liking the simple answer.
“How long will you keep calling me, ma’am?”
“...Until the family all leaves.”
I said with a blush on my face. The whole family burst into laughter, finding the answer so amusing. Julian also gave a faint smile.
Around the time Julian's chess opponent changed to Ruin, my mother grabbed my arm.
“Layla, let’s get the tea.”
The tea was already being prepared by the maids, so we didn't need to prepare anything separately. That meant the two of us had something to talk about.
I looked at Julian, worried that I might have to leave him and his family behind, and he nodded as if it was okay.
“Mother, what’s wrong?”
I followed my mother, and as I waved off the maids who were trying to follow me, I asked. My mother smiled as she picked tea leaves.
“I just wanted to talk to the girls.”
“I thought so.”
I stuck out my tongue. It was only natural for a mother to be curious about her daughter's married life. She covered her mouth and chuckled.
"I'm so relieved to have met His Highness the Grand Duke. It seems like your relationship is much better than I expected."
“I told you. He is a good person.”
"Back then, I thought you were acting like a stubborn parrot, but I guess I wasn't wrong. Despite his high position, he's a very outgoing and respectful person. A bit stiff, though."
Mother closed her eyes and placed the teacups one by one on the tray. Regret filled her eyes.
"I'm so ashamed. I'm so swayed by rumors and appearances that I couldn't see people clearly."
"As my mother always said, if you know shame, you should move forward."
My mother nodded with a determined expression. I believed she was wise and would figure it out. I expected the conversation to be serious, but she placed a hand on my cheek and asked shyly.
“Then when will I be able to see my grandson?”
That was a bombshell! I was so shocked, I hiccuped. My mother, seemingly amused by my reaction, asked me with a playful expression.
“If a couple gets along well, wouldn’t it be natural for them to have children?”
“Oh, Mother, that’s it.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
My mother took my hand, her eyes sparkling. I muttered as I held onto her hand.
“Oh, I haven’t had my first night yet.”
My mother's sparkling eyes suddenly turned as bright as lanterns. My face flushed bright red. It was incomparable to before. I could see the red glow running down my arm and down to my fingertips.
“His Highness said he would wait until I was mentally prepared.”
"Oh!"
My mother shouted, then covered her mouth with one hand, perhaps thinking she'd shouted too loudly. Then she whispered, as if she was having a blast.
“His Highness is a romantic.”
Ahaha... I couldn't help but laugh. It was probably more out of respect for his wife than romance, but honestly, that's what I thought. More than anything, I felt so awkward having this conversation with my mother.
I returned to my room with tea. This time, Adam was playing chess with Julian. It seemed like the whole family was taking turns playing. I surreptitiously told Julian that if it was too difficult, he could stop and go upstairs.
"Sister, are you already taking your husband's side? I told you I was the best in the world."
“My sister said I was the best?”
Well, I, who at times loved Ruin the most and at other times loved Adam the most, found myself in a difficult situation. When I shrugged and pretended not to notice, my two younger brothers looked at me with hurt expressions.
Even though we didn't eat, the family gathering was enjoyable. Julian wasn't as cheerful and laughing as the rest of the family, but he stayed until the very end. I was incredibly grateful for that.
The day my family left in the carriage, I whispered to Julian.
“Thank you, Julian.”
It was the first time I called his name. Julian didn't say much, but he gently escorted me.
My marriage with Julian seemed to be sailing smoothly. I exchanged letters with Shuan to check on the Second Prince's current situation.
The most important thing now was to check the mines that had appeared in the north around this time. The minerals they produced would undoubtedly be of great help in establishing relations with the Emperor.
How should I tell Julian to give me the mine? While I was pondering this, the butler came to visit.
“Madam, a guest has arrived.”
Since my family left, no one had come to visit me up north. Now that I'd married the Grand Duke, I should have received a party invitation out of curiosity, but perhaps because of Kaiser's severed finger, even that was gone.
“Guest? Who?”
I put down the business book I was reading and stood up. Since welcoming guests was the hostess's job, I had no choice but to step forward myself.
However, depending on who the guest was, we had to decide whether to greet them at the entrance or in the reception room.
The butler bowed politely and spoke.
“Her Highness Princess Abigail, the First Princess of the Empire.”
At those words, my knuckles froze, and I clenched. I held onto the hem of my skirt, frozen. Anna, who was beside me, asked with concern if I was okay, but I waved my hand and asked the butler.
“Does the Princess come to the north often?”
“Considering her status and position, she comes here often.”
Considering the butler's literal status and position, it is impossible for the Princess to frequently travel to the North.
But thinking about it another way, if permission to go far away was granted, it meant they'd definitely come here. I couldn't hide my unease. To be honest, I didn't want to hear it. But the other person was the Princess.
“I’ll go out to pick her up.”
A head-on collision was the only option.
“Your Highness, you are not a skilled chess player.”
My father, who had been quietly playing chess, spoke with a satisfied expression. He seemed delighted to have met such a worthy opponent after so long.
It was understandable. Not only at home, but even among my father's friends, no one could beat him at chess. Then, meeting a variable like Julian brought him joy.
“Who taught you?”
“My Mother.”
“She must have been a very wise and courageous person.”
My father praised him honestly. Julian's frown seemed to soften slightly at those words. I was even more pleased by that.
“When you have time, try playing chess with my daughter. It won't be boring.”
Julian turned his head to look at me. He seemed surprised that I was playing chess.
“Madam plays chess?”
"Yes?"
Madam? I froze for a moment, not expecting to hear such a title from Julian, who always called me "you". But Julian's expression remained calm, as if there was no other meaning behind it.
"My sister was a natural-born knight. She excelled at swordsmanship, but when it came to strategy, she was unrivaled. Even my father was often amazed."
Ruin stepped forward and continued speaking, as if he were very proud.
"It's only natural that a sister like her would be good at chess. Even my father prefers playing with her to his fellow knights."
“That’s right, I’ve never won against her even once.”
The youngest, Adam, chimed in. My face flushed at the praise from my younger siblings.
“I’m pretty good at it.”
But that insufferable, uncontrollable babbler kept babbling like that. My family laughed, finding my words amusing. That was fine, but then my father took things a step further.
"Layla's good at chess, but she's also good at card games. I didn't expect her to be good at poker. She's usually a really honest and outgoing girl, isn't she? She's also quite naive."
"Father...!"
I felt my face turn bright red. It was incredibly embarrassing to be called naive in front of my husband. But my father, seemingly thrilled by his daughter's bragging, kept talking.
"She's my daughter, but she truly lacks nothing. She's loyal and kind. She's also chivalrous, always leading by example when she sees someone weak. She's also incredibly pretty, and she's often compared to the daughter of the Marquis of Eriant. What do you think, Your Highness?"
“No, no, don’t answer. You don’t have to.”
I stood up and grabbed Julian's shoulder. Julian looked up at me. His bright crimson eyes scanned my forehead, the corners of my eyes, and my jawline.
“I agree.”
A low voice flowed down the chessboard. I trembled, my whole body shaking, at a loss.
“Are you all planning to embarrass me?”
“Shame on you. I am glad that His Highness the Grand Duke regards you with such respect.”
My father said with a smile. No one seemed to mind my stomping.
“Your Highness, don’t worry about it.”
I never imagined my family would treat Julian so unapologetically. I lifted the hem of my skirt and bowed briefly, offering my apologies. I hoped this would ease the burden on Julian.
But Julian's gaze was strange. He took my hand and lifted me up. Then he looked straight at me and said.
"I know you're a precious person, Madam. I won't act rashly like your ex-fiancé."
I would be lying if I said those words didn't sink into my heart.
I stood there like an idiot with my hand on his and then lowered my head.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Julian asked, not liking the simple answer.
“How long will you keep calling me, ma’am?”
“...Until the family all leaves.”
I said with a blush on my face. The whole family burst into laughter, finding the answer so amusing. Julian also gave a faint smile.
Around the time Julian's chess opponent changed to Ruin, my mother grabbed my arm.
“Layla, let’s get the tea.”
The tea was already being prepared by the maids, so we didn't need to prepare anything separately. That meant the two of us had something to talk about.
I looked at Julian, worried that I might have to leave him and his family behind, and he nodded as if it was okay.
“Mother, what’s wrong?”
I followed my mother, and as I waved off the maids who were trying to follow me, I asked. My mother smiled as she picked tea leaves.
“I just wanted to talk to the girls.”
“I thought so.”
I stuck out my tongue. It was only natural for a mother to be curious about her daughter's married life. She covered her mouth and chuckled.
"I'm so relieved to have met His Highness the Grand Duke. It seems like your relationship is much better than I expected."
“I told you. He is a good person.”
"Back then, I thought you were acting like a stubborn parrot, but I guess I wasn't wrong. Despite his high position, he's a very outgoing and respectful person. A bit stiff, though."
Mother closed her eyes and placed the teacups one by one on the tray. Regret filled her eyes.
"I'm so ashamed. I'm so swayed by rumors and appearances that I couldn't see people clearly."
"As my mother always said, if you know shame, you should move forward."
My mother nodded with a determined expression. I believed she was wise and would figure it out. I expected the conversation to be serious, but she placed a hand on my cheek and asked shyly.
“Then when will I be able to see my grandson?”
That was a bombshell! I was so shocked, I hiccuped. My mother, seemingly amused by my reaction, asked me with a playful expression.
“If a couple gets along well, wouldn’t it be natural for them to have children?”
“Oh, Mother, that’s it.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
My mother took my hand, her eyes sparkling. I muttered as I held onto her hand.
“Oh, I haven’t had my first night yet.”
My mother's sparkling eyes suddenly turned as bright as lanterns. My face flushed bright red. It was incomparable to before. I could see the red glow running down my arm and down to my fingertips.
“His Highness said he would wait until I was mentally prepared.”
"Oh!"
My mother shouted, then covered her mouth with one hand, perhaps thinking she'd shouted too loudly. Then she whispered, as if she was having a blast.
“His Highness is a romantic.”
Ahaha... I couldn't help but laugh. It was probably more out of respect for his wife than romance, but honestly, that's what I thought. More than anything, I felt so awkward having this conversation with my mother.
I returned to my room with tea. This time, Adam was playing chess with Julian. It seemed like the whole family was taking turns playing. I surreptitiously told Julian that if it was too difficult, he could stop and go upstairs.
"Sister, are you already taking your husband's side? I told you I was the best in the world."
“My sister said I was the best?”
Well, I, who at times loved Ruin the most and at other times loved Adam the most, found myself in a difficult situation. When I shrugged and pretended not to notice, my two younger brothers looked at me with hurt expressions.
Even though we didn't eat, the family gathering was enjoyable. Julian wasn't as cheerful and laughing as the rest of the family, but he stayed until the very end. I was incredibly grateful for that.
The day my family left in the carriage, I whispered to Julian.
“Thank you, Julian.”
It was the first time I called his name. Julian didn't say much, but he gently escorted me.
***
My marriage with Julian seemed to be sailing smoothly. I exchanged letters with Shuan to check on the Second Prince's current situation.
The most important thing now was to check the mines that had appeared in the north around this time. The minerals they produced would undoubtedly be of great help in establishing relations with the Emperor.
How should I tell Julian to give me the mine? While I was pondering this, the butler came to visit.
“Madam, a guest has arrived.”
Since my family left, no one had come to visit me up north. Now that I'd married the Grand Duke, I should have received a party invitation out of curiosity, but perhaps because of Kaiser's severed finger, even that was gone.
“Guest? Who?”
I put down the business book I was reading and stood up. Since welcoming guests was the hostess's job, I had no choice but to step forward myself.
However, depending on who the guest was, we had to decide whether to greet them at the entrance or in the reception room.
The butler bowed politely and spoke.
“Her Highness Princess Abigail, the First Princess of the Empire.”
At those words, my knuckles froze, and I clenched. I held onto the hem of my skirt, frozen. Anna, who was beside me, asked with concern if I was okay, but I waved my hand and asked the butler.
“Does the Princess come to the north often?”
“Considering her status and position, she comes here often.”
Considering the butler's literal status and position, it is impossible for the Princess to frequently travel to the North.
But thinking about it another way, if permission to go far away was granted, it meant they'd definitely come here. I couldn't hide my unease. To be honest, I didn't want to hear it. But the other person was the Princess.
“I’ll go out to pick her up.”
A head-on collision was the only option.
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