Chapter 82:
“You look even more beautiful than when we met in the capital, Your Grace.”
The party had begun.
As they entered the banquet hall last, nobles of the North approached first to greet them.
“Thank you for the warm welcome.”
“You’ve become the mistress of the North now. It’s only natural.”
The noble families rooted in the North for generations couldn’t understand the Grand Duke’s sudden choice—but they couldn’t object either.
The reputation of a Sword Master was simply too overwhelming.
Seeing the capital nobles glaring at the Grand Duchess with frustration made Evelyn swell with pride.
How foolish—they couldn’t even recognize a rough gemstone when they had it in their hands.
Marquis Rusten, the key figure among the Northern retainers, stroked his mustache as he looked at the Grand Duchess.
According to Albert, the Grand Duke was utterly and completely smitten with her.
It was said that merchants from all over the Empire were coming to the ducal estate daily. Whenever they showed him expensive jewels, shoes, or dresses, the Grand Duke would pick the most lavish ones to gift his wife.
‘It must be more than just a rumor.’
The dress the Grand Duchess wore today was simple in design, but its golden embroidery sparkled with her every movement, adding an air of grandeur.
Gold was typically reserved for royalty, but the Grand Duke seemed completely indifferent to such rules.
Even though the princess’s face had flushed upon seeing Evelyn’s dress, the Grand Duke couldn’t take his eyes off his wife.
They all knew this was a decision made for the North—but the Grand Duke looked like a man hopelessly in love.
It gave the Marquis a small wish.
The once-lonely Grand Duke now had a partner. He hoped they would build a warm, happy home.
Compared to the high-maintenance princess, a count’s daughter was far more agreeable.
At first, he hadn’t liked the idea. Why would their Grand Duke have to propose to someone like her?
But the more he observed, the more he saw her strengths.
“Since we have rare guests from the capital today, why don’t we liven things up a bit?”
One of the Northern nobles looked around carefully and nodded toward the center of the hall.
It was a proposal meant to kill two birds with one stone: deflate the egos of the capital nobles and show off the Grand Duchess’s skills.
“Besides dancing, what else do you propose?”
A few nobles from the capital perked up with interest.
“A duel!”
“Pardon?”
The bold Northern noble’s words made Leonel’s eyes widen.
“A duel?”
The nobles from the capital looked puzzled.
“The Grand Duke challenged someone to a duel at a party before. Seems like the custom still lives on in the North.”
“Oh? That happened in the capital? Did the opponent survive?”
At the princess’s remark—now seeming to understand—Marquis Rusten asked,
“If someone’s picked by the Grand Duke, they usually end up half-dead. I wonder what fool dared challenge him.”
The Northerners looked genuinely curious, causing some of the capital nobles to clear their throats awkwardly.
“There was no actual duel in the capital. The Grand Duke backed down.”
“Oh dear. He must’ve held back. Or perhaps finished it in one strike—”
“Marquis, enough. You’ll scare our guests.”
Elliot, who had been quietly observing the conversation, stepped in to calm Rusten.
“There are many knights in attendance today. Why not let them spar and show off their skills?”
It wasn’t just nobles—knights from both regions had been invited.
The mention of a duel piqued the curiosity of many, and Marquis Rusten didn’t miss the opportunity.
“Is there anyone willing?”
At the Grand Duke’s question, several Northern knights raised their hands.
“Since the guests are unfamiliar with the custom, we’ll warm things up first amongst ourselves.”
As the Marquis said this, Elliot looked to Evelyn—asking with his eyes if she was okay with it. Everyone had already exchanged greetings and been sizing each other up.
If it could shift the mood in their favor, it was a good move for the North.
Evelyn nodded and walked to the center of the hall.
“Please step back a little.”
The servants stepped in to move the guests away to a safe distance. At the center of the hall, Evelyn stomped her foot.
Chwarak!
A magical glow erupted from the floor, and a small circular arena appeared.
“There are so many curious facilities in the North.”
The princess tried hard not to wrinkle her brow as she commented. Dueling during a party? How barbaric.
“The Empire’s defenders must be stronger than anyone.”
Elliot replied to her pointedly.
“The North is a place where only the strong survive,” the Grand Duke added.
As soon as he said that, knights entered the arena in turn.
“Whoa! Ah!”
Cheng!
Chaeng!
Each clash of swords was so sharp and close, the duels were nerve-wracking, and the nobles began cheering.
Those surrounding the arena called out the names of the knights they supported.
“Roshan!! Roshan! Move properly!”
“Glach, get it together!”
The energy of the party quickly rose. Evelyn watched the people watching the duels.
Even the princess, who had disapproved at first, was now tightly gripping her fan and staring intently at the matches.
It seemed the North had seized the upper hand.
Eventually, knights from the capital also entered—but they couldn’t best the Northerners.
The difference in skill was stark. The faces of the dispatched capital knights darkened.
It should inspire a sense of determination, but…
Seeing their frustrated expressions, Evelyn quietly held back a smile.
“The Northern knights are truly formidable.”
When the Imperial knights were thoroughly defeated, the princess muttered coldly. Her words only made the knights lower their heads further.
“To protect the people you cherish, you must be even stronger than this.”
Marquis Rusten said this as if it were obvious. Kids living safely in the capital couldn’t hope to defeat Northern warriors.
The Grand Duke had mentioned starting new training soon, so it made sense to stir the knights’ competitive spirits before that.
“I look forward to it. Seems we’ve no choice but to grow stronger now.”
As the mood began to sour, Leonel stepped in to lighten it.
“I toured the training grounds earlier—they’re impressive. It’s clear anyone would grow stronger there.”
“In anticipation of your arrival, we requested the Mage Tower to outfit it with the finest equipment.”
The Grand Duke spoke casually, drawing everyone’s attention.
The training center had been built with free help from the Mage Tower Master and Raven, modeled after the relic site’s training ground.
Though it couldn’t match the original, it far surpassed a standard training area. The knights who’d been forced to leave the relics for the Imperial order cheered.
“We’ll do everything we can so everyone survives the monster hunts.”
Somehow, it sounded more like, We’re going to kill you in training.
Both knight orders began to brace themselves for the brutal days to come.
“The North seems to be completely serious now.”
Baroness Nella Forte, who had accompanied Leonel from the capital, murmured to her group.
“Right? I thought all the rumors about the Grand Duchess were exaggerated too—but the Grand Duke’s eyes are full of longing whenever he looks at her.”
“As Viscount Beret said, the training ground is unbelievable. And the garden she designed was stunning—it gave me such peace of mind.”
Raven had secretly added mental magic to the garden’s spell circle, but no one realized it.
“Just walking into the garden calmed my heart and helped me reflect on myself.”
One young lady, recalling the moment, dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief—she had teared up without even realizing it.
“Don’t you think the capital has been neglecting the North too much? It’s lucky their knights are so skilled—otherwise…”
If the North hadn’t held the line, monsters from the snowfields would’ve poured into other territories and eventually the capital.
The North was the Empire’s vital barrier.
“Now I understand why His Majesty insists on increased support for the North.”
“I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t seen it for myself.”
As they whispered among themselves, the women turned to look at the Grand Duchess.
Somehow, all of these changes seemed to have begun with the once-‘cursed’ noblewoman.
“Huff… huff…”
Tom looked around nervously, fear on his face.
‘Why am I here…?’
Just earlier, he had been moving hay to feed a horse.
But now, his hands were covered in the blood of a dead horse—the very horse meant to be a gift for the Grand Duchess.
“Is… is anyone there?! Help me!”
Something had definitely happened, but he couldn’t remember. In despair over the precious horse’s death, Tom shouted frantically for help.
“I apologize, Lady Evelyn.”
“What’s the matter?”
Evelyn looked up from her desk in the study as Albert bowed with a gloomy face.
It was the first time she had seen him so sorrowful since arriving at the Grand Duke’s estate.
