Chapter 09
The duke slowly straightened his back and looked Raphaella straight in the eyes with his cold blue gaze.
“Why has Her Highness the Princess come all the way to a place like this at such a late hour?”
“I was taking a walk.”
“…All the way to the outer wall of the imperial palace?”
“I can do that. Why. What about it?”
“And you came here alone, without an escort?”
“Even a princess is human. I can want to be alone.”
“…….”
The duke still looked unconvinced, but Raphaella merely shrugged with a shameless smile. Trying to explain further would only make things sound stranger, so she shut her mouth.
Watching her, the duke recalled the rumors about the Seventh Princess.
Unlike the other princesses, she never participated in social events, making her presence faint. Rather than a mysterious figure, she was better described as a forgotten one.
Faced with the Seventh Princess’s odd answers, the duke quickly gave up on trying to understand the situation. No matter how much he pressed her, it didn’t seem like she would explain.
Still, determined to fulfill his duty, the duke took a step closer to Raphaella and extended his arm.
“It is late. Even though this area near the outer wall is patrolled by guards, it can still be dangerous. I will escort you back to the palace.”
“Uh… no, I’m fine.”
“Please do not refuse.”
Raphaella tried hard to decline, feeling uncomfortable.
Seeing the duke escort her in a posture straight out of an etiquette manual, she realized she had gotten herself tangled up with the wrong person. When people meet someone completely opposite in temperament, they instinctively feel uneasy. Raphaella felt that strongly in the duke’s stiff manner of speech.
So she hurriedly stepped back, waving her hands.
“I’m more comfortable going alone. Don’t mind me—just, you two, um… ahem. Go on with whatever you were talking about.”
When Raphaella said this with her cheeks flushed, the duke raised one eyebrow with a curious expression, but she only avoided his gaze.
However, the duke did not retreat. Instead, he stepped even closer and said,
“As your subject, I cannot do that. If you are uncomfortable with me, I will send my secretary, Mark, in my place.”
As he pointed at Mark, Mark looked at the duke with trembling eyes.
“M-My lord…?”
Seeing Mark’s hollow, half-dead face—like someone who had just been betrayed—glare resentfully at the duke, Raphaella shook her head even harder.
“He looks like he’d blow away if I just breathed on him. What kind of escort is that?”
“He may look like this, but he is a first-rank knight.”
“From the outside, he doesn’t look like a knight, but a first-rank zombie. Look at him—those dark circles look like he was just dug out of a grave.”
“…….”
At Raphaella’s blunt words, the duke frowned but couldn’t refute them, while Mark, pleased that someone had noticed his condition, looked at Raphaella with sparkling eyes.
Both of them are kind of… off.
Thinking she really shouldn’t get involved, Raphaella quickly turned around.
“Anyway, I’m going alone. Don’t follow me!”
“I cannot do that.”
Before Raphaella could even take a few steps, clutching the heavy hem of her dress, the duke swiftly approached and knelt on one knee.
“For Her Highness to walk around without an escort at night goes against the laws of the Empire. If you truly feel uncomfortable, at least allow us to accompany you to a place where other guards are stationed.”
Raphaella swallowed a sigh of frustration. Her instinct had been right—she should never have gotten involved in the first place.
“Ha. You’re really stubborn.”
“My apologies.”
“What’s your name?”
At her question, the duke flinched. In twenty-seven years of his life, this was the first time anyone in the Empire had asked for his name like this.
He introduced himself awkwardly.
“…I am William Klimt, eldest son of the House of Duke Klimt.”
“Oh.”
She remembered now. The House of Klimt—the family whose power and wealth rivaled even the imperial family. The very house she had just used, at the family dinner, as leverage to pressure the emperor—straight out of the book she’d read.
They said he inherited the title at a young age, and indeed, his presence was extraordinary. Especially his rigid, prickly personality—like needles couldn’t even pierce him.
“Speak of the devil and he appears.”
“…Pardon?”
“Nothing. Anyway, you absolutely can’t stand the idea of me going alone, even if it kills you, right?”
“Please allow me to escort you.”
His response was exactly as stiff and inflexible as expected. Raphaella could tell from just a few exchanges that he was her complete opposite.
But with her sluggish body, no Perry around, and no way to escape, she had no choice.
Besides, he said he’d just escort her back—what could possibly happen? It wasn’t like they’d get tangled up again afterward.
“…Fine. Let’s go.”
William straightened and extended his arm again, and Raphaella awkwardly placed her hand on it.
…He’s better built than he looks.
She widened her eyes in surprise at the solid muscle beneath his uniform, felt through her palm. But William merely walked on in silence, eyes forward.
They walked for quite a while before reaching a brightly lit main road again.
How does someone this inflexible manage to walk such a… difficult path of love?
She examined the duke beside her with a curious, intense gaze.
Humans really are fascinating.
Feeling her blatant stare several times, William finally couldn’t hold back and spoke.
“Is there something you wish to say to me?”
“No. I just find you interesting—and admirable.”
“Is escorting you really that interesting?”
“That’s not it. I mean… with a personality like yours, it’s impressive you’re managing such a rough road. Moments like this really make you realize how powerful love is.”
“……What are you talking about?”
“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. It’s not like anyone even talks to me anyway.”
“I truly have no idea what you mean.”
“Fine. I’ll keep pretending I don’t know.”
“…?”
Amid their completely misaligned conversation, the two arrived at the entrance to the detached palace where Raphaella stayed.
The guards there were startled to see Raphaella arriving with Duke Klimt and rushed over to salute. William noticed that their greeting was directed to him before the princess, and his eyebrow twitched.
Ignoring it, Raphaella removed her hand from his arm and whispered,
“Duke, do you know how short a human’s youth is? It’s but an instant—truly a fleeting moment. Blink, and it’s gone.”
“…I really, truly don’t understand what you’re trying to say. Could you please explain?”
“What I mean is, stop tormenting Mark and accept his love. Don’t worry about what people think. Be happy as much as you can, while you still can.”
“!!!”
“I may not speak for others, but I’ll support you two. Hang in there!”
Feeling oddly proud for having said something so profound, Raphaella gave William a playful wink and dashed cheerfully into the detached palace. Giving advice she’d never even offered as a goddess.
I really am merciful.
Watching her hop away, humming to herself, William froze in place, his face drained of color.
“What… did she just say…?”
Dizzy from her outrageous misunderstanding, William staggered. That absurd princess had dropped a bomb of misunderstanding and left without a second thought.
After a while, Mark, who had been standing at a distance, approached him worriedly.
“My lord? What’s wrong?”
“You… stay far away from me.”
“Pardon?”
“I said get away. You’re creepy.”
At the sharpness of his reply, Mark stepped back with a hurt expression, muttering resentfully,
“That’s really too much. To call a secretary on the verge of dying from overwork ‘creepy.’ If you hate my complaints so much, why don’t you hurry up and hire more staff?”
“…Just be quiet. My head hurts.”
“You’re so harsh, my lord. Even when talented people come, they can’t endure it and all run away. If we don’t hire anyone by the end of this month, I really will resign! I’ll go back to my hometown!”
“Shut. Your mouth.”
Mark continued scratching his head with a sulky expression.
Usually, the duke tolerated his complaints to some extent, but tonight he was strangely stiff. Left with no choice, Mark simply watched him carefully, while William stood there for a long time, leaning against the wall with a grim expression.
When Perry still didn’t return the next day, nor the day after that, Raphaella began to think.
She marched straight into the kitchen and forcibly obtained a slice of cake. At first, the kitchen workers ignored her, but after she threw about eight plates, they obediently handed over the cake.
Back in her room, Raphaella glanced around briefly, then perched herself on the window frame.
“The bait is ready.”
Holding up the plate with the delicious-looking dessert cake for all to see.
“Wow. This cake. Is really delicious. My goodness. How can it be. This sweet!”
Pretending to eat the cake, Raphaella began delivering her painfully awkward lines toward the open window.
