#170. Twisted Fate (6)
Grand Duchess Natalia slammed her teacup down, creating an uncomfortable tension, then spoke in a cold, sharp voice.
“…And I heard from Naina and Yang that in the North, she was treated poorly, even imprisoned. What happened? Surely you knew how precious a prophet is.”
“We explained the situation through the royal knights, but perhaps it wasn’t conveyed properly. She bore traces of dark magic. By law, a dark mage must be executed immediately upon discovery—”
“—A dark mage! That must be a mistake. Dark magic is something that only appears in ancient texts now; no one really knows it properly anymore.”
Natalia interrupted herself mid-sentence, dismissing the topic of dark magic lightly—far too casually.
Sasha observed her silently. But seeing Natalia’s unshaken composure, it was clear she had no intention of truly listening.
If they tried to persuade her, she would likely assume ulterior motives.
Even now, obsessed with the notion of a prophet, she was sending them such wary glances…
“Anyway, you were the first to discover her. There were times she was neglected, and also because Naina and Yang wanted it, I’ve decided to become her guardian and protect her from now on.”
Natalia spoke firmly, making it clear she would hear no objections.
And as if that were the real reason for summoning them, she sent them off immediately after saying it.
All the way back to their residence, Sasha couldn’t shake the unease.
Naina’s handling of matters was suspicious enough.
But above all, Natalia’s blatant caution toward Pavel was alarming.
Their suspicion was confirmed not long after returning to the Volkov estate, when Princess Irina came to visit.
“It’s such a pleasure to see you again after so long. Grand Duke Volkov, and Grand Duchess.”
Irina entered cheerfully, greeting them warmly.
Contrasting starkly with the coldness of Natalia, Sasha silently speculated on Irina’s purpose for visiting.
Outwardly, however, she responded with a graceful smile.
“The honor is mine, Your Highness,” Sasha said.
“Don’t be so formal,” Irina said warmly, joining Sasha in the reception room.
“You’ve met with Halma, right? Then I imagine you’re not in the best mood, so I came to explain things.”
Sasha’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Irina had not been asked her purpose, yet she immediately offered her explanation, signaling that her goodwill toward them would be consistent.
She continued,
“Halma is wary of the North. She has always kept the regional powers in check, but in recent years, she’s been particularly watchful of the North.”
Over the years, Sasha had steadily strengthened the North’s foundations, making its stability and resources apparent even from the outside.
Food supplies were secured, population was booming.
It was natural for the Emperor to be cautious about the North’s growing influence.
Even during the last visit, Natalia had shown subtle wariness, though she hadn’t openly looked down on them.
So why did she now lack even the pretense of calm?
Irina explained,
“Above all, you ended the war against the monsters with minimal losses. Ordinary citizens may not be impressed—they think it was just like any other year—but the Grand Duchess, hearing all the details, sees it as a threat to the throne.”
“…I see,” Sasha said, nodding slowly. Though she had already suspected as much, hearing it from Irina brought her a sense of calm.
Irina sipped her tea and continued,
“The investiture ceremony will likely be modest as well. If you expect grandeur, you’ll be disappointed.”
Since the Emperor presided over the ceremonies, the scale reflected how he regarded the honoree.
To make the Duke’s investiture ceremony understated was a clear declaration to the world that he was wary of them.
It felt petty. Pavel was only a few years older than the recently mature, sixty-something Natalia—a grandson’s age. One could almost see him as cute.
‘No… it must be because he’s close to her grandson’s age.’
The current heir apparent was her grandson, the Crown Prince.
With Natalia’s health declining, he would inherit the throne soon.
At that point, Pavel would inevitably be compared to someone of the same age.
Even in their previous visit, there had been rumors regarding the jousting tournament finals.
The Volkovs ruled the North.
Even after the sudden death of Pavel’s father forced him to receive his title in haste, he had turned the tide of battle and returned victorious, demonstrating exceptional martial talent.
Recently, he had even reached the rank of Swordmaster.
Meanwhile, Crown Prince Ruslan was mired in scandalous affairs with women.
Rumors of his involvement with multiple women circulated, and Natalia knew the truth behind the scenes.
‘Before leaving, he was obsessed with me and caused trouble involving women. She won’t see him kindly.’
Sasha recalled Natalia’s indifferent treatment during their earlier visit.
She didn’t dislike Natalia personally.
When Dmitri’s death forced her to leave in a hurry, Natalia had ensured the royal knights and priests accompanied her.
Thanks to that, she returned safely to the North and conducted the funeral without incident. Natalia’s care had made the process easier and safer, so it was impossible to resent her.
Sasha also understood why Natalia acted this way.
Favoring the legitimate grandson of a deceased child was well-known.
Sasha had seen firsthand during her previous visit how much Natalia favored the Crown Prince.
‘Meanwhile, she clearly drew a line for Princess Irina.’
Sasha studied Irina carefully.
Irina, aware of this, tried various ways to find her path, one of which was to build ties with the influential Volkov family.
Initially, she aimed for Pavel, but since that failed, she turned to Sasha. That much was obvious without probing further.
However…
“Are you sure you can tell me this?”
Even so, Irina was a member of the royal family. Talking carelessly about the Emperor could be disastrous.
If the Emperor found out she had leaked information to the very people he most feared, he might immediately enforce a forced marriage in a distant land—Irina’s worst nightmare.
Sasha’s meaning must have registered, because Irina’s expression darkened briefly.
But she soon smiled, responding playfully,
“Oh, come on, between us?”
‘Between us’…? Sasha wanted to ask, but Irina’s mischievous charm made her smile quietly.
Sensing Sasha’s curiosity, Irina added slyly,
“Like sisters, without blood… right?”
She linked her arm with Sasha’s.
Though contact with a peer was unusual for Sasha in this life and slightly awkward, it wasn’t unpleasant.
Irina had already helped them in several ways.
“I’m honored you see me that way. If you need assistance, Princess, please tell me. I’ll do everything I can to help.”
Irina’s face brightened.
She pressed closer and added adorably,
“I’ll help you, Grand Duchess, no matter what problem arises. But…”
Irina hesitated, then asked,
“May I call you Sasha? Oh! Please call me Irina.”
“Yes, please feel free, Irina.”
“Hehe!”
Sasha didn’t resist Irina’s overt friendliness.
Irina’s openness was endearing, and opposing a princess openly would bring no benefit.
Moreover, Irina might provide insight into the royal family and Natalia’s intentions.
They needed internal allies, especially with Natalia deliberately watching the Volkovs and wary of the North.
Yet, a problem arose before the Grand Duchess’s schemes even unfolded.
“Sasha! Is this for real?”
A few days later, Irina appeared abruptly, causing a commotion.
Though usually affectionate like a sister, she was surprisingly brash this time—uncharacteristic for someone so accustomed to royal protocol.
“Princess Irina? What brings you here at this hour?” Sasha asked, puzzled.
Irina’s face registered a sudden realization: she had come too early without notice.
But she couldn’t leave; the matter she brought was urgent.
“I’m sorry for coming unannounced at this hour, but this—this!”
Irina hurriedly thrust forward a tabloid.
A sensationalist paper designed to grab attention with scandalous, controversial articles.
Often, they reported royal or celebrity gossip without proper verification, leading many to dismiss them as non-journalistic.
“Why… this?” Sasha asked.
“Read it quickly!” Irina urged, pointing dramatically at the front page, which bore a shocking headline.
