Chapter 28
“So that’s how it is… I’ll look into it.”
“Thank you. For not brushing it off as childish talk and actually giving it serious thought.”
It seemed Lucas had finished thinking, as the crease between his brows smoothed out and the tension around his eyes softened.
As expected, he really is a gentle handsome man!
My favorability toward Lucas shot up. He was the kind of person who listened seriously even to the passing words of a young boy.
“Brother. Philina. Let’s go inside now. Too many people are watching us.”
As people kept staring in our direction, Belita gestured toward a café with her eyes.
Belita’s maid had already cleared out the entire second floor of the café, allowing both our group and Lucas’s group to rest comfortably, if only for a short while.
+++
Belita and Lucas, Philina and Stella sat at a table by the window.
The rest of the group—maids with maids, knights with knights—took the surrounding tables.
Lucas sat across from Philina. Rather than looking at her while she chatted with the other women, he kept his gaze fixed on the window, as though watching the scenery outside.
That wasn’t bad either. Though it was still bright and hard to see clearly, Philina’s reflection appeared faintly in the glass, letting him look at her without worrying about anyone’s gaze.
It stands out even more because her hair is black.
He thought her jet-black hair, like the night sky, suited her extremely well.
When she lifted the menu and covered her face while choosing, his brows furrowed slightly.
Outside the window, the street fountain was still spraying water despite it being winter.
Small birds perched there, only to be splashed by wind-carried droplets. They shook their heads and fluffed their feathers.
Just like Philina.
Those little birds—chirping angrily at the fountain while continuing to get soaked—looked just like her. Reckless, absurd, quick-tempered…
“Belita. You’ve been going out far too often lately. Increase your escort from now on. Make sure nothing like today happens again.”
“Yes. I will, Your Highness.”
After Philina finished choosing and lowered the menu, she looked at Lucas. He turned his head away, looking across at where Belita and Philina were sitting.
That way, Belita’s group will be better protected too… I’ll need to pay closer attention to capital security.
After today, the capital guard would likely tighten carriage inspections even more.
Philina had been startled earlier, and now that they were indoors, sweat began to form where her scarf was tightly wrapped.
It’s a bit suffocating.
She loosened the scarf slightly with her fingers and scooped up a spoonful of dried blueberries sprinkled over the panna cotta.
The soft milk pudding, sweet honey, and pleasantly chewy blueberries melted together in her mouth, and her eyes closed without her realizing it.
“Philina’s neck…”
Noticing Lucas’s gaze shift to Philina’s neck, Belita also looked.
“Huh? My neck?… My neck!”
Philina quickly pulled the spoon from her mouth and hastily wrapped the scarf more securely around herself.
“Hahaha. I must’ve gotten bitten by a mosquito.”
She waved her hand in front of her face, offering the ridiculous excuse of being bitten by a mosquito in mid-winter.
“I see. So there are mosquitoes in the duke’s residence even in winter.”
Lucas, who had seemed to be in a good mood earlier, now appeared oddly irritated as he turned his gaze back toward the window.
+++
The next morning, I heard incredibly good news.
Was I getting divorced? Not yet. But it was about fifty percent of the way there.
My brother Chester was coming to the Abel Empire as part of the Luna Empire’s envoy delegation.
The Nebula Empire, Abel Empire, and Luna Empire—located on the western continent—held an annual envoy conference at the beginning of the new year.
Each year, a different country hosted it, and this year it was being held in the Abel Empire.
As soon as I woke up, Margaret hurriedly washed my face as if she’d been waiting, then shoved a bundle of letters into my hands.
The moment I spotted Chester’s letter, I dropped all the others and read it first.
“Margaret! Chester is coming! He’s joining the envoy delegation and staying for a month at the end of the year!”
I was so excited that I bounced on the bed, clutching his letter. For once, Margaret didn’t stop me.
“My lady. Your other friends will feel hurt. Please don’t forget these letters as well.”
Margaret said with a smile, picking up the letters scattered on the floor.
“Chester is coming! Chester is coming! Margaret, do I need to lose weight? Has my hair gotten dry?”
“No, my lady. The young duke will surely say you’re still beautiful when he sees you.”
“Tch… He always teased me, calling me ugly…”
Chester…
When I first fell into this world at fifteen—into a place where culture, appearances, and even science were completely different—he was my legal older brother who treated me warmly.
Like Duke and Duchess Agnes, he was someone I owed a great debt to. Back then, in my awkward teenage years—middle-school age if I’d been on Earth—he was also my first crush.
Like a middle schooler crushing on the college guy next door… like a girl with a crush on an older boy from church…
But he was five years older than me and already engaged. After seeing his beautiful fiancée, I had to give up my crush within a year.
Chester… my eternal idol…
An intelligent, gentle handsome man. A bespectacled beauty. Blonde hair and blue eyes… that was Chester.
“Something really good must’ve happened.”
Oops. I must have been too loud.
Callis was standing in front of my door, arms crossed, staring at me.
Hey—those muscles can even cross their arms? That’s impressive.
“Callis~ Chester is coming~~ He’s joining the envoy delegation~~”
Contrary to my inner thoughts, I hopped off the bed and scurried over, grabbing his arm and staring up at him. I even blinked rapidly three times.
“Cough… what’s wrong with you?”
“Can I live in the imperial palace during that time? He’ll be staying in the annex palace for a month.”
Using a thin, cutesy voice I never normally used, I clung to his arm and shook it side to side.
Apparently my aegyo wasn’t to his taste. Callis frowned and leaned close to my ear.
Why couldn’t he just speak normally instead of whispering like this?
“Not a chance. That period is our consummation period.”
My aegyo was completely useless. Callis spoke coldly, looking down at me as if there was no room for negotiation.
What?! A consummation period lasting a whole month? What a lie!
“A month is too long! Wasn’t it just one day? Last time it was one day!”
At my counterattack, his brow twitched.
Busted. What a useless lie.
“Just one day. Only one consummation day. No more than that. And… I can live in the palace then, right?”
I spoke firmly when I said the first part. Honestly, even one day scared me, but I had to offer something if I wanted him to agree.
Then I shook his arm again.
Seeing the tips of his ears turn slightly red, I thought he might allow it.
“No.”
His answer was so firm that my hands froze mid-shake.
Seriously… making someone who tried to act cute feel awkward…
Ugh! If it weren’t for Chester, I’d never debase myself like this…
But my soul is a stubborn Korean soul.
From then on, every time I saw Callis, I grabbed his arm and shook it while repeating:
“Let me live in the palace for just one month.”
Waiting outside his room in the morning instead of greeting him…
Running to the entrance to welcome him back…
Sitting beside him after dinner, personally brewing tea…
Resisting the urge to stab him with a fork and instead feeding him fruit…
Grabbing him as he left my room at night instead of saying good night…
Even as Margaret watched with a pitying expression and rubbed her goose-bumped arms, I persisted, using my thin, cutesy voice.
And finally—
I ended up living in the imperial palace for over a month.
Callis had been listed as one of the practical negotiators for the envoy delegation, so the imperial family assigned a separate palace to the ducal house.
I didn’t even need to act cute or shake his arm.
Ah! So annoying!
And that legal husband of mine—Callis—had known all along that he was already on the list!
+++
Lucas decided to secretly investigate what the boy he’d met with Philina had said and summoned Callis to his office.
Inside were Lucas and his aide Halo, as well as Callis and his aide Dylan.
“I’ve heard that medicine distributed in poor commoner districts is less effective than that given in noble districts. Is that true?”
It was the first time Lucas had heard such words, but something about them unsettled him too much to ignore.
Callis had already received reports that similar rumors were circulating in his territory and had begun a covert investigation. Hearing Lucas confirm it solidified his suspicions.
“That seems to be the case. Corruption we failed to notice during the war is starting to surface. There’s a strong chance Bart is involved. Something like this requires backing to continue for so long.”
Thinking of Bart—the emperor’s chief aide who always escaped unscathed whenever corruption surfaced—Callis clenched his teeth.
“If Your Highness moves directly, it’ll be too obvious. That man constantly watches both you and the duke. If he finds out about today’s meeting, he’ll increase his spies.”
Halo shuddered at the thought of that sly Bart.
He flattered the emperor so thoroughly that he blinded him—and was also responsible for widening the rift between the emperor and the ducal house.
“Since the duke will be staying in the palace during the envoy delegation, you’ll be able to meet frequently. And since the duke’s Shadow Knight Order specializes in covert operations, we’ll use them.”
Dylan, already aware of Callis’s interest in this matter, secretly hoped to take this opportunity to remove Bart once and for all.
“Agreed, Your Highness. This affects the entire empire, not just the ducal territory. Let’s work together—and this time, please finish him. Letting him escape again would be troublesome.”
Callis spoke regretfully, recalling how Bart had slipped through the law every time despite repeated accusations.
“I will. I won’t let him cloud His Majesty’s judgment any longer.”
Lucas often felt frustrated that his father trusted this insidious man more than his own son. This time, he resolved to remove Bart from the emperor’s side.
“I’ll enter the palace in two days, Your Highness.”
“Good. If we say it’s a meeting regarding iron imports, Bart won’t grow too suspicious.”
Callis saluted Lucas and left the Crown Prince’s palace.
Across the garden, he could see the Lily Palace, where he and Philina would be staying for the next month.
“Are you heading in right away?”
Dylan had noticed Callis trying to spend as much time as possible at the ducal residence lately. Assuming it was due to newlywed bliss, he smiled to himself.
“No. Let’s stop by the Marquis Bene’s merchant guild first. Make sure bandits don’t appear along the route the Luna Empire’s envoys will take.”
“Yes, Duke. I’ve already instructed the knight order. The Luna envoys just need to travel straight through.”
“Good.”
Callis watched as the winter sunlight attempted to settle on the white roof of the Lily Palace, only to reflect off unmelted snow. Then he turned and walked toward the palace gates.
The sunlight that failed to rest on the roof instead fell upon his back, casting a long shadow.
Perhaps today, even if Callis returned to the ducal residence, Philina would not cling to his arm and act cute anymore.
There was no longer any need.
