“Oh.”
The Emperor clicked his tongue and urged me on.
“Can’t you punish someone before you even know they committed a crime?”
“My crime is assaulting the royal family.”
The Empress's expression shifted slightly at my words. It was a very slight change, but she was so elegant that it was barely noticeable. I placed both hands respectfully on my thighs and continued speaking.
“As I just mentioned, I was invited to Marchioness Eriant’s social party and then to His Highness the Second Prince...”
As I hesitated, the Emperor waved his hand.
"That's it. There's no need to go into detail about it. I know my son has some terrible habits."
A terrible habit? That's all he could say.
I couldn't say it outright, so I remained polite.
"I'm married to His Highness the Grand Duke of Duchzan. We swore fidelity to each other. He wanted to do everything in his power to protect me."
Even without that, I would have protected myself, but as always, I used Julian as a shield. His high status proved invaluable.
"After I escaped from His Highness the Second Prince by force and fled in a panic, I remembered that I had left my maid behind. And then, realizing that she had fallen into His Highness the Second Prince's hands, I felt a pang of guilt."
I placed my hand on my chest, my expression sinking into pain. I lowered my eyes gently and lightly bit my lower lip.
"I had to weigh many things. It's not that I didn't anticipate Your Majesty's wrath. However, I couldn't ignore my maid who accompanied me there, nor could I turn away from the chivalry I learned from the Count of Winsley. So, I dared..."
I took a moment to catch my breath. My whole body was tense, as if I were about to say something terribly rude, and I opened my mouth very slowly.
“I dare to ask Your Majesty for a deal.”
In any case, it became clear that Prince Cain could not be completely driven out by this incident. If the Emperor did not abandon him, Prince Cain would ultimately survive.
"I will present you with a rare magic stone, so please forgive my sins. I will be satisfied with His Highness the Second Prince's punishment ending here."
I felt that these words might offend the Emperor. But I wanted to make it clear: I knew that the punishment you imposed was nothing more than protection.
I still knelt in obedience, but my heart never yielded.
The Emperor bent down and gazed intently at me. His eyes were still sharp and piercing. The tension in the audience chamber was suffocating.
“Do you think I will forgive you?”
I nodded heavily.
“Yes, Your Majesty will forgive me.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Your Majesty trusts that I will not make a fuss about this any longer, and you know the rarity of the rare magic stone I brought.”
Silence fell between the Emperor and me once again. Was I too reckless? I was becoming increasingly lost in such thoughts.
"Your Majesty, if the Grand Duchess's knees are bruised, it will hurt my feelings. Please forgive her."
An elegant voice gently separated us. I raised my head slightly and looked at the Empress. She met my eyes and smiled. Instead of smiling, I gave her a grateful nod.
"The Grand Duchess is a wise woman who knows her own sins, knows how to repent, and knows the appropriate price to pay. If it weren't for this serious matter, she certainly wouldn't have acted so rashly. I'm very pleased with her. Sometimes, I even think about inviting her to the palace for tea. Don't you agree?"
The Empress spoke in a soft voice, trying to ease the Emperor's mood. Remaining silent meant knowing one's place, and that was precisely what the Emperor desired from a Grand Duchess. I bowed my head again, feigning obedience.
The Empress's words must have been persuasive; the Emperor leaned back, returning to his dignified posture. He spoke to me in a voice much softer than before.
“Grand Duchess, you must have been very distressed. For now, please take your maid and go home and rest comfortably.”
I politely replied and stepped aside. As I was hurrying to where Marian was staying, a maid stopped me. I looked closely at her face, and it seemed familiar. It was the Empress's maid, whom I had met before.
“What is happening to me?”
The Empress's maid was likely a noblewoman or young lady of some family. So I asked politely. The Empress's maid smiled and tried to lead me to the Empress's palace.
“Her Majesty the Empress wishes to speak with you.”
“Her Majesty the Empress?”
“Yes. She said it was too bad to see such a lovely lady go away.”
I smiled awkwardly at the cheerful title. But I had no reason to refuse the Empress's invitation, so I nodded.
I was embarrassed to enter the Empress's palace before the Empress, having not yet confirmed Marian's whereabouts. It seemed the Empress was taking a while to recover from the chaos.
After all, once I left, the Emperor would no longer have to save face, so he would be able to express even more anger.
As I waited, savoring the tea served by the Empress's maid, I heard a noise. Assuming it was the Empress, I smiled and rose from my seat.
“Who is there?”
But the person who entered the reception room wasn't the Empress. It was another silver-haired man. He had the same hair and eye color as the Second Prince, but the two looked completely different.
He showed none of the Second Prince's usual spunk and possessed a similarly frail yet intellectual air to the Empress. His skin was pale, but his tall stature gave him the impression of an intellectually handsome man rather than a pretty boy.
A person who possesses all the characteristics of a royal family member, yet can appear naturally and without any fuss in the Empress's palace.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
The only such person was the Crown Prince, Prince Aslan.
Aslan, whose eyes met mine, smiled with the same expression as the Empress's and spoke.
“We have a beautiful guest.”
Prince Aslan approached me with a very slow pace. With the royal family approaching, it would be disrespectful to even dare to step back, so I could only stand there, smiling like a doll.
Despite his title as Crown Prince, Prince Aslan was extremely polite.
“May I ask which family you are from?”
Then, one of the maids standing nearby approached Prince Aslan and whispered cautiously.
“Her Highness, Grand Duchess Duchzan.”
Then, Prince Aslan rolled his eyes and smiled, as if he were feeling sorry. His expression was remarkably similar to the Empress's expression just moments before.
“I thought this beautiful young lady was the candidate for Crown Princess called by Her Majesty, but I was shamefully mistaken.”
"No."
I didn't add the word "glorious" because I didn't think Julian could be any less worthy than the Crown Prince.
“I had an audience with His Majesty today, and the Empress invited me to have a chat.”
I greeted Aslan politely. Prince Aslan gave me a quick nod. Then he naturally sat down in front of me.
"Your Highness, Grand Duchess. I also heard that a distinguished guest is visiting today."
“I am honored to have been granted an audience by His Majesty the Emperor.”
“I would like to ask why the Grand Duchess, who has come to see His Majesty the Emperor, is in the Empress’s Palace.”
Actually, I knew why the Empress had summoned me. It was so obvious. I tripped Prince Cain right in front of the Empress. And I did it with a lot of force.
Of course, I wanted to hang myself, but it would have been obvious enough that I was hostile to Prince Cain.
And Prince Aslan and Prince Cain were enemies. It was only natural that the Empress, the Crown Prince's biological mother, would have favored me.
Perhaps they are trying to win me over, or more precisely, the Grand Duke of the Duchzan family.
Prince Aslan drank his tea with grace. Even the angle of his elbows as he drank his tea was a touch of arrogance.
“Grand Duchess Duchzan, I have come here to discuss the news of the Second Prince’s imprisonment with the Queen Mother.”
He clasped his hands together and placed them on the table. His long, white fingers were beautiful.
“And the fact that Grand Duchess Duchzan visited the audience room just now seems to have something to do with that. Am I wrong?”
“I simply reported the crime. It was the right thing to do.”
“It is the right thing to do...”
Prince Aslan muttered. He lowered his gaze and looked at me. His eyes shone with a brilliance far beyond that of Prince Cain.
"Your Highness Grand Duchess Duchzan is a knight. As Crown Prince, I intend to do what is right. That means not allowing someone obsessed with wealth and fame to usurp this position."
It was almost as if he'd said it out loud. Perhaps the Empress had known Prince Aslan would be here. She hoped he and I would meet. I gently ran my finger along the handle of my teacup.
Before my return, I'd never met Prince Aslan this closely. I'd only occasionally seen him from afar, just enough to catch a glimpse of his silver hair. Unlike Prince Cain, Prince Aslan never attended social gatherings; always busy with work.
That didn't guarantee that Prince Aslan was a good person. Even so, someone who could so discipline himself and send him off wouldn't be on the same level as Prince Cain.
I looked straight at Prince Aslan and said.
"I just want everything to go its course and prevent the evildoers from committing their evil deeds. If I have to cooperate with anyone in that path, I will; if I have to punish them, I will punish them."
Prince Aslan smiled contentedly.
“As expected of a knight. That’s enough.”
His demeanor was remarkably confident. The sickly look that had once permeated Prince Aslan's face was now invisible. His demeanor seemed to conceal it. I secretly admired the Crown Prince of a nation.
Prince Aslan and I spent the time engaging in a conversation of little consequence. But the Empress never showed up. When Prince Aslan asked her maid, she went to find out and quickly returned.
“The Empress came and begged, and the work is said to be delayed.”
Prince Aslan and I both remained silent for a moment. The Empress was Cain and Abigail's biological mother. It was only natural for her to intervene. Regardless, it was a major obstacle in the current situation.
"There's no need for us to witness the Empress's plea. What will Grand Duchess Duchzan do? It will take quite some time for the Empress to return. And since I've conveyed my wishes, I'm sure she won't blame me if she returns."
"Then..."
"I guess I can go back."
The Emperor clicked his tongue and urged me on.
“Can’t you punish someone before you even know they committed a crime?”
“My crime is assaulting the royal family.”
The Empress's expression shifted slightly at my words. It was a very slight change, but she was so elegant that it was barely noticeable. I placed both hands respectfully on my thighs and continued speaking.
“As I just mentioned, I was invited to Marchioness Eriant’s social party and then to His Highness the Second Prince...”
As I hesitated, the Emperor waved his hand.
"That's it. There's no need to go into detail about it. I know my son has some terrible habits."
A terrible habit? That's all he could say.
I couldn't say it outright, so I remained polite.
"I'm married to His Highness the Grand Duke of Duchzan. We swore fidelity to each other. He wanted to do everything in his power to protect me."
Even without that, I would have protected myself, but as always, I used Julian as a shield. His high status proved invaluable.
"After I escaped from His Highness the Second Prince by force and fled in a panic, I remembered that I had left my maid behind. And then, realizing that she had fallen into His Highness the Second Prince's hands, I felt a pang of guilt."
I placed my hand on my chest, my expression sinking into pain. I lowered my eyes gently and lightly bit my lower lip.
"I had to weigh many things. It's not that I didn't anticipate Your Majesty's wrath. However, I couldn't ignore my maid who accompanied me there, nor could I turn away from the chivalry I learned from the Count of Winsley. So, I dared..."
I took a moment to catch my breath. My whole body was tense, as if I were about to say something terribly rude, and I opened my mouth very slowly.
“I dare to ask Your Majesty for a deal.”
In any case, it became clear that Prince Cain could not be completely driven out by this incident. If the Emperor did not abandon him, Prince Cain would ultimately survive.
"I will present you with a rare magic stone, so please forgive my sins. I will be satisfied with His Highness the Second Prince's punishment ending here."
I felt that these words might offend the Emperor. But I wanted to make it clear: I knew that the punishment you imposed was nothing more than protection.
I still knelt in obedience, but my heart never yielded.
The Emperor bent down and gazed intently at me. His eyes were still sharp and piercing. The tension in the audience chamber was suffocating.
“Do you think I will forgive you?”
I nodded heavily.
“Yes, Your Majesty will forgive me.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Your Majesty trusts that I will not make a fuss about this any longer, and you know the rarity of the rare magic stone I brought.”
Silence fell between the Emperor and me once again. Was I too reckless? I was becoming increasingly lost in such thoughts.
"Your Majesty, if the Grand Duchess's knees are bruised, it will hurt my feelings. Please forgive her."
An elegant voice gently separated us. I raised my head slightly and looked at the Empress. She met my eyes and smiled. Instead of smiling, I gave her a grateful nod.
"The Grand Duchess is a wise woman who knows her own sins, knows how to repent, and knows the appropriate price to pay. If it weren't for this serious matter, she certainly wouldn't have acted so rashly. I'm very pleased with her. Sometimes, I even think about inviting her to the palace for tea. Don't you agree?"
The Empress spoke in a soft voice, trying to ease the Emperor's mood. Remaining silent meant knowing one's place, and that was precisely what the Emperor desired from a Grand Duchess. I bowed my head again, feigning obedience.
The Empress's words must have been persuasive; the Emperor leaned back, returning to his dignified posture. He spoke to me in a voice much softer than before.
“Grand Duchess, you must have been very distressed. For now, please take your maid and go home and rest comfortably.”
I politely replied and stepped aside. As I was hurrying to where Marian was staying, a maid stopped me. I looked closely at her face, and it seemed familiar. It was the Empress's maid, whom I had met before.
“What is happening to me?”
The Empress's maid was likely a noblewoman or young lady of some family. So I asked politely. The Empress's maid smiled and tried to lead me to the Empress's palace.
“Her Majesty the Empress wishes to speak with you.”
“Her Majesty the Empress?”
“Yes. She said it was too bad to see such a lovely lady go away.”
I smiled awkwardly at the cheerful title. But I had no reason to refuse the Empress's invitation, so I nodded.
I was embarrassed to enter the Empress's palace before the Empress, having not yet confirmed Marian's whereabouts. It seemed the Empress was taking a while to recover from the chaos.
After all, once I left, the Emperor would no longer have to save face, so he would be able to express even more anger.
As I waited, savoring the tea served by the Empress's maid, I heard a noise. Assuming it was the Empress, I smiled and rose from my seat.
“Who is there?”
But the person who entered the reception room wasn't the Empress. It was another silver-haired man. He had the same hair and eye color as the Second Prince, but the two looked completely different.
He showed none of the Second Prince's usual spunk and possessed a similarly frail yet intellectual air to the Empress. His skin was pale, but his tall stature gave him the impression of an intellectually handsome man rather than a pretty boy.
A person who possesses all the characteristics of a royal family member, yet can appear naturally and without any fuss in the Empress's palace.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
The only such person was the Crown Prince, Prince Aslan.
Aslan, whose eyes met mine, smiled with the same expression as the Empress's and spoke.
“We have a beautiful guest.”
Prince Aslan approached me with a very slow pace. With the royal family approaching, it would be disrespectful to even dare to step back, so I could only stand there, smiling like a doll.
Despite his title as Crown Prince, Prince Aslan was extremely polite.
“May I ask which family you are from?”
Then, one of the maids standing nearby approached Prince Aslan and whispered cautiously.
“Her Highness, Grand Duchess Duchzan.”
Then, Prince Aslan rolled his eyes and smiled, as if he were feeling sorry. His expression was remarkably similar to the Empress's expression just moments before.
“I thought this beautiful young lady was the candidate for Crown Princess called by Her Majesty, but I was shamefully mistaken.”
"No."
I didn't add the word "glorious" because I didn't think Julian could be any less worthy than the Crown Prince.
“I had an audience with His Majesty today, and the Empress invited me to have a chat.”
I greeted Aslan politely. Prince Aslan gave me a quick nod. Then he naturally sat down in front of me.
"Your Highness, Grand Duchess. I also heard that a distinguished guest is visiting today."
“I am honored to have been granted an audience by His Majesty the Emperor.”
“I would like to ask why the Grand Duchess, who has come to see His Majesty the Emperor, is in the Empress’s Palace.”
Actually, I knew why the Empress had summoned me. It was so obvious. I tripped Prince Cain right in front of the Empress. And I did it with a lot of force.
Of course, I wanted to hang myself, but it would have been obvious enough that I was hostile to Prince Cain.
And Prince Aslan and Prince Cain were enemies. It was only natural that the Empress, the Crown Prince's biological mother, would have favored me.
Perhaps they are trying to win me over, or more precisely, the Grand Duke of the Duchzan family.
Prince Aslan drank his tea with grace. Even the angle of his elbows as he drank his tea was a touch of arrogance.
“Grand Duchess Duchzan, I have come here to discuss the news of the Second Prince’s imprisonment with the Queen Mother.”
He clasped his hands together and placed them on the table. His long, white fingers were beautiful.
“And the fact that Grand Duchess Duchzan visited the audience room just now seems to have something to do with that. Am I wrong?”
“I simply reported the crime. It was the right thing to do.”
“It is the right thing to do...”
Prince Aslan muttered. He lowered his gaze and looked at me. His eyes shone with a brilliance far beyond that of Prince Cain.
"Your Highness Grand Duchess Duchzan is a knight. As Crown Prince, I intend to do what is right. That means not allowing someone obsessed with wealth and fame to usurp this position."
It was almost as if he'd said it out loud. Perhaps the Empress had known Prince Aslan would be here. She hoped he and I would meet. I gently ran my finger along the handle of my teacup.
Before my return, I'd never met Prince Aslan this closely. I'd only occasionally seen him from afar, just enough to catch a glimpse of his silver hair. Unlike Prince Cain, Prince Aslan never attended social gatherings; always busy with work.
That didn't guarantee that Prince Aslan was a good person. Even so, someone who could so discipline himself and send him off wouldn't be on the same level as Prince Cain.
I looked straight at Prince Aslan and said.
"I just want everything to go its course and prevent the evildoers from committing their evil deeds. If I have to cooperate with anyone in that path, I will; if I have to punish them, I will punish them."
Prince Aslan smiled contentedly.
“As expected of a knight. That’s enough.”
His demeanor was remarkably confident. The sickly look that had once permeated Prince Aslan's face was now invisible. His demeanor seemed to conceal it. I secretly admired the Crown Prince of a nation.
Prince Aslan and I spent the time engaging in a conversation of little consequence. But the Empress never showed up. When Prince Aslan asked her maid, she went to find out and quickly returned.
“The Empress came and begged, and the work is said to be delayed.”
Prince Aslan and I both remained silent for a moment. The Empress was Cain and Abigail's biological mother. It was only natural for her to intervene. Regardless, it was a major obstacle in the current situation.
"There's no need for us to witness the Empress's plea. What will Grand Duchess Duchzan do? It will take quite some time for the Empress to return. And since I've conveyed my wishes, I'm sure she won't blame me if she returns."
"Then..."
"I guess I can go back."
I nodded, and a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Another reason I wanted to come here and the Crown Prince standing before me, wishing to hold my hand.
He will be a good accomplice.
“Your Highness, there is a place I want to go. Could you help me?”
I spread my skirt wide and offered a request. Prince Aslan tilted his head, then extended his hand. He offered to escort me. I placed my hand in his and smiled.
Another reason I wanted to come here and the Crown Prince standing before me, wishing to hold my hand.
He will be a good accomplice.
“Your Highness, there is a place I want to go. Could you help me?”
I spread my skirt wide and offered a request. Prince Aslan tilted his head, then extended his hand. He offered to escort me. I placed my hand in his and smiled.
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