Chapter 10
“Your Grace the Grand Duke, you’ve returned. How was your stay in Herbiant?”
“Marchioness of Rausen, it’s been a while. Herbiant was, as always, a beautiful place.”
“My daughter has a keen interest in music, so she’s planning to study abroad in Herbiant. Would you be willing to give her some advice?”
The Marchioness of Rausen proudly presented her elaborately dressed daughter.
She wore an extravagant dress from the most expensive boutique in Lefia, designed to highlight her ample bosom and slim waist.
Zighardt was already exhausted.
He hadn’t even entered the temple yet, but this was already the fifth noble lady he had to greet.
“In that case, I’ll send one of the aides who accompanied me in Herbiant to your estate. He’s even more familiar with the city than I am.”
This was the fifth time he had politely declined in this way.
Even the Grand Duchess, who had insisted that he must greet the Sun God immediately upon returning home, was beginning to regret her stubbornness.
After meeting with two more noble ladies, Grand Duke Zighardt was finally able to step into the temple.
The capital Lefia, which he hadn’t visited in two years, hadn’t changed at all.
The noble society was small, and to someone like Zighardt, one of the empire’s grand dukes, they were all like relatives he saw during every holiday.
Among them, there was only one person he didn’t recognize.
‘Have I ever seen anyone with that hair color before?’
With striking red hair and dazzling features, the woman stood out even among the other extravagantly adorned nobles.
If Zighardt had any interest in gossip, he would have heard of the “Red Witch” Helene. But of course, he knew nothing about her.
And then he saw the young girl standing next to her—and doubted his own eyes.
With neatly braided light brown hair and clear green eyes, the classically beautiful girl’s appearance hadn’t changed at all.
‘Lilliana…’
Seeing an old, dear friend again, Zighardt couldn’t help but think—apologies to the Sun God—that he wished this service would end quickly.
✦✦✦
He could tell just from the strange buzz in the temple’s air.
The social world was abuzz with excitement over the reappearance of the empire’s most eligible bachelor, Grand Duke Zighardt, after two years.
Interest in the reformed stepmother had vanished in just one week.
That’s the nature of attention.
It’s burdensome when you receive it, but strangely disappointing when you don’t. Helene felt like she finally understood why some people become attention-seekers.
‘Well… he is good-looking…’
Helene stole a glance at Zighardt from the side.
As a bottom-tier villainess extra, her only meeting with the Grand Duke was at the imperial ball just before her death. Seeing him earlier than that felt like spotting a favorite actor in real life.
Perhaps he had felt her gaze?
When the service ended, Grand Duke Zighardt began walking toward her.
Startled, Helene looked at Lilliana.
Lilliana’s neck had turned bright red.
“Lilliana…?”
The Grand Duke had come looking for Lilliana.
“Y-Your Grace…”
“Lady Lilliana, it’s been a long time. Eight years, hasn’t it?”
The Grand Duke gave Lilliana a radiant smile. The handsome man’s bright smile made Lilliana’s face flush even deeper.
“Y-Yes. Your Grace, how was your time in Herbiant?”
“It was an incredibly beautiful place. While the temple here in Lefia is also lovely, the temple in Herbiant has a fresh charm all its own. Perhaps it’s because the place overflows with artists.”
Zighardt gazed at Lilliana with such warmth, while she couldn’t even meet his eyes.
Between the two of them, Helene stood awkwardly, clearly the third wheel.
“Ah, this is my stepmother, Helene.”
With a face so red it looked like it might burst, Lilliana hoped Helene could help change the subject.
The Grand Duke had already heard that Count Emeldia had remarried.
Though she bore no resemblance to Lilliana, as expected of a stepmother, she was a stunning beauty in her own right.
“I apologize for the late introduction. I’m Helene Emeldia.”
Helene curtsied respectfully before the Grand Duke.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am—”
Ever respectful, even toward those of lower rank, he began to reply—
But Helene interrupted playfully, “Your Grace the Grand Duke of Rebladien, how could I not know who you are?”
It wasn’t flattery—it was the truth.
Any citizen of the Herssen Empire who didn’t know the Grand Duke of Rebladien would be suspected of being a spy.
A swordmaster of the empire and a national hero who had saved the nation on countless battlefields—he was beloved by all.
And Helene knew him very well. Thanks to reading The Perfect Princess Angelina in her past life, she even knew his future. In some ways, she might know him better than he knew himself.
“Your Grace, the High Priest is calling for you.”
An aide came over and whispered cautiously.
In the distance, the Duchess of Rebladien could be seen speaking with the priests and clerics.
Zighardt’s next appointment was a Solar Church event at the imperial palace.
“Then, I hope to see you again.”
Zighardt bid farewell to Helene and Lilliana before leaving.
Lilliana stared at his retreating back for a long time, her gaze filled with deep emotion.
It was unmistakably the look of someone in love.
✦✦✦
Helene had planned to marry Lilliana to one of the top-tier male leads from The Perfect Princess Angelina.
The Grand Duke was undeniably the most eligible bachelor…
But he wasn’t just a candidate. He was almost as strong a contender as the Crown Prince himself.
And by this point in the story, he was already completely in love with Angelina.
‘How am I supposed to steal back the heart of a man already in love with the heroine?!’
Helene tried to console herself with the thought that maybe Lilliana’s crush on the Grand Duke was more like a fan’s admiration for a celebrity.
But she couldn’t ignore the way Lilliana’s face lit up whenever she thought about him.
On the way home, after much deliberation, Helene finally asked cautiously,
“Lilliana, how do you know Grand Duke Zighardt?”
“Well…”
Lilliana had just been reminiscing about the first time she met the Grand Duke.
✦✦✦
Twelve-year-old Zighardt couldn’t accept what had happened.
His father had died.
The Grand Duke of the Empire, a renowned adventurer who traveled the world, had promised Zighardt—
‘Let’s eat birthday cake together this year!’
The Grand Duke had truly wanted to keep that promise.
The navigator had warned him not to sail, but in his kindness, he forced the departure. Caught in an unprecedented storm, no one survived.
Not a single one of the hundreds aboard.
“I heard he argued with the navigator before departure…”
“Why did His Grace leave ahead of schedule?”
Hearing the attendants’ whispered speculation as they prepared the Grand Duke’s funeral, Zighardt felt his heart sink.
It was his fault—he had begged his father to come for his birthday.
That day, sulking because his father didn’t come again, Zighardt ignored all the presents and pouted.
Then a sweaty attendant burst in with urgent news, and the party ended abruptly.
From that day on, the day after his birthday would forever be the Grand Duke of Rebladien’s memorial.
Young Zighardt ran and ran.
He ended up in the temple of Lefia.
His father’s funeral, as both a Grand Duke and royal, was held twice—once in Rebladien and once in the imperial capital, Lefia.
Even though he barely knew the capital’s geography, he somehow ended up at the temple. Zighardt laughed bitterly at the strange coincidence.
As if guided by something, he pushed open the temple doors.
It was quiet inside. Not a priest or cleric in sight.
Only one girl about his age was praying silently.
He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop.
But the girl was so focused, she didn’t even realize someone else was there.
“Oh Sun God, I finish my prayer. And once again today, please let me talk to my mother.”
Whenever Lilliana wanted to talk to her deceased mother, she made that same request.
“Mother, are you doing well up there? Jayna, April, and I are all doing fine. Jayna sprained her ankle climbing onto the roof again, but Doctor Henry said once it heals, it’ll be even stronger, so don’t worry. Nanny Margaret said she’s never seen a baby as smart as April. I think April might be a genius! Father… he’s okay. But I think he still drinks in secret at night. Please help him stop.”
Listening to her prayer, Zighardt immediately realized that the girl was speaking to her dead mother.
He felt guilty for hearing something so private and quickly tried to leave—but ended up bumping into a wooden pew.
Startled by the dull thud, Lilliana’s eyes flew open.
Ooh my bad .. he as lily’s male lead