Chapter 34
The moment he heard those words, Yvonne vividly appeared before Dante in his mind. Her pale skin, long eyelashes the same color as her hair, and eyes as fresh and green as newly sprouted buds.
Dante could clearly imagine the expression she made when she smiled softly, and in a dazed tone, he answered:
“…Yes, she’s as beautiful as a dream.”
It was only then that Dante realized his own feelings and suddenly snapped back to himself.
Whether he denied it or tried to ignore it, there was only one reason she kept coming to mind.
Because she had already taken up a fairly significant place in his heart.
“…!”
Bentley narrowed his eyes as he watched Dante, surprised.
“You’re saying something interesting.”
It was astonishing—and somewhat amusing—to Bentley that none other than Dante Christopher, who rarely let anyone into his heart, could make this face. Knowing his friend’s usual emotional reserve, Bentley found the situation both surprising and funny.
“Have you… fallen for her?”
“…If I had?”
The conversation had veered into personal territory. Dante dropped his polite, formal speech and sharpened his tone.
“If you had, what would you do, Bent?”
Even his caution spoke volumes—it was serious. Bentley laughed out loud, enjoying himself.
“My dear friend has remarkably high standards, it seems. No wonder you’ve had no lover until now. To give your heart to the only fairy left in this world…”
It was reminiscent of the late emperor, who had been cursed and needed to save a fairy.
If the Iliad Emperor lying in bed now were to compare Dante to his predecessor, he might feel inferior. But Bentley was far from a man given to baseless jealousy.
Amused, Bentley couldn’t hide his grinning and asked:
“Have you confessed to her?”
“Not yet. I can’t be certain I could protect her perfectly.”
“And her feelings?”
“I don’t know.”
“Dante…”
He was fretting seriously without knowing how she felt or whether she would accept him—very much like the responsible Dante he was. Bentley smiled slyly and spoke.
“While you were away, an interesting letter arrived at the palace. It said the lost princess from the County of Cline had been found.”
“Hm?”
At the mention of Yvonne, Dante frowned, focusing on Bentley’s story. Bentley continued with a mischievous grin.
“So, I sent a messenger to get a report, and they confirmed the lost princess had been found. The palace plans to send the Golden Knights to escort her in grand fashion.”
Dante cut him off.
“That can’t be. The woman I brought back is definitely the lost princess.”
Bentley nodded. His overly cautious friend wouldn’t claim to have found the princess without solid evidence.
So, inevitably, the woman claiming to be the princess from the County of Cline must be a fake.
“It seems the Cline family, who hid her all this time, is planning something amusing. They don’t know that both you and I know of her existence.”
“….”
Dante bit his lip tightly. The Cline family had been the ones keeping Yvonne’s identity as the princess a secret. The timing of a new “princess” appearing right after Yvonne disappeared felt highly suspicious.
‘They must have made a fake princess, thinking they couldn’t find Yvonne.’
It was bad enough they tried to deceive Yvonne and force her into marriage with their son. Now a fake princess? It was as if they wanted to take everything from Yvonne—ensuring she would never know she was the true princess.
‘I can’t just let this go.’
Dante decided he couldn’t leave the Cline family unchecked. He hadn’t fully devised a revenge plan yet, because Bentley had interrupted his thoughts.
“In other words, I can act according to the wishes of my beloved friend.”
Dante met Bentley’s gaze again, sensing the sly intention behind his words. Bentley smiled craftily and continued:
“If it’s revealed that she’s the lost princess, won’t it become even harder for you to hold her in your hands?”
Of course. The moment Yvonne’s lineage became known, she would be at the center of political struggle. The still-living emperor would insist on restoring the throne to the lost princess.
And he wouldn’t be the only one. Many still mourned the just and noble late emperor and the beautiful, mysterious empress.
“But if you simply acknowledge the fake princess and nod along, that woman could easily be by your side. You’d just become a romantic knight who found a beautiful lady in the countryside and proposed to her.”
Bentley spoke in a coaxing tone, like a demon tempting an angel.
“What do you want?”
Dante’s calm eyes fixed on Bentley. He spoke slowly:
“I….”
‘Tired.’
Dante rubbed his stiff eyes. Bentley was fine as a friend and lord, but after talking with him, Dante always felt strangely drained.
‘Thanks to this, I’m getting home later than expected.’
He had originally planned to stop by somewhere to buy a gift for Yvonne, who was in the capital for the first time, before heading home.
‘And now it’s already dinner time. I wonder if Marsha even made my portion.’
Lost in these thoughts, Dante eventually arrived at the Christopher estate in the capital.
The mansion felt completely different after such a long time.
‘The workers?’
As the sun set, workers were leaving in a line. This was a scene he’d never seen before in a mansion where neither servants nor employees had ever been increased.
‘Are they doing something?’
He had heard that Rowan had commissioned renovations to keep Yvonne at the mansion. A task suited perfectly for someone who loved needlework.
‘I thought it would just be sewing or small crafts.’
She was much more proactive than he had imagined. As he walked through the main gate and into the garden, he quickly saw what the workers were there for. The garden had several dug-up areas.
‘They’re restructuring the garden. I can even see the plants that were already planted.’
Even though it hadn’t been fully renovated yet, there was already a sense of freshness from the changes. Dante, intrigued, passed through his own garden. At that moment, a thin, soft, yet cheerful voice caught his attention.
“Good work. Please continue as planned.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, don’t call me ma’am.”
It was Yvonne speaking with a gardener. Dante stopped and listened. The cheeky gardener replied to her nonchalantly:
“If we let such a lovely lady go, our master would be a fool.”
“What if the duke scolds you for saying that?”
“Ah, I don’t care. I only listen to our lady.”
“Oh dear.”
Whatever had happened, the gardener seemed to like her very much. Even without seeing it, Dante could clearly feel Yvonne’s flustered reaction. He chuckled and awkwardly stiffened his jaw, feeling embarrassed.
“Then go inside.”
After greeting the gardener, Yvonne began walking briskly toward the mansion. Light on her feet, her steps made almost no sound, but Dante heard them clearly.
Counting one, two steps, Dante revealed himself once she was close enough.
“Duke!”
He should have greeted her first, but when he saw her, no words came out. Instead, Yvonne called him. Blinking in surprise, Dante slowly spoke:
“…Looks like you’ve been busy.”
After saying that, he felt like hitting himself with his fist. What nonsense had he just said? He wasn’t complimenting a subordinate as a superior would.
It was all because he had spent too long on the battlefield. Clearing his throat with a small cough, Dante greeted her again.
“It’s been a while.”
Yvonne smiled brightly and returned his greeting.
“Yes, it has! When did you arrive?”
“Just now.”
Yvonne wore a white blouse and a red checkered skirt. Her beautiful silver hair was tied up high, giving her a lively and cheerful appearance.
Her look was quite different from the last time they met, and Dante’s gaze was caught. Staring at her face for a moment, he slightly blushed and turned his head.
‘Her hair… it really suits her.’
