IMTVD| Chapter 7

Episode 7

Peridot Palace.

Diana had been given this palace after the emperor officially recognized her as a member of the imperial family.

To get a palace like this, you either had to prove yourself or have the emperor’s favor. Diana was firmly in the second

category.

Since she had the emperor’s and the other royals’ affection, no one objected when she received it.

“Haa, I’m tired.”

“Where to, my lord?”

“Home.”

Seated in his carriage, Edwin glanced out the window at the palace.

It was beautiful green décor everywhere, designed to calm the mind. But for Edwin, this place always left a sour

taste.

He hated coming here because it meant spending hours with someone he’d rather avoid.

The world praised Diana’s beauty and adored her, but Edwin wasn’t part of that crowd.

“Will you be coming back here for dinner?”

“Did the emperor or crown prince summon me?”

Chris blinked at the question. “No, my lord.”

“Then I have no reason to return.”

Chris was caught off guard. Usually, when Edwin visited, he stayed for hours and had dinner with the princess before

heading home. Leaving this early was unusual—he figured Edwin might come back later.

But clearly, Edwin had no plans to return. And he wouldn’t in the future either. There was no longer any need to keep

up appearances with Diana.

Emilia.

Edwin closed his eyes for a moment.

The carriage jolted, making him frown, but the second he thought of her, his expression softened.

Emilia—golden hair, blue eyes.

People said her cold aura was the mark of the Hermann bloodline. Because of that and her family’s name the

nobles shunned her before she even opened her mouth.

Edwin had been no different at first. He hadn’t paid her any mind.

But that day had changed everything.

“…Please… just let me go.”

Some women would have called it a dream come true just to hold his hand. But in that moment, as she stood on the

edge, she’d begged him to let her fall.

He’d never forgotten the look in her eyes.

Her face might have been cold, but her blue eyes had been overflowing with desperate tears.

“You’ll want to let go eventually. I’m a Hermann, after all.”

He’d believed Hermanns were all the same—corrupt to the core. That included her. She was the enemy; she wasn’t

worth his time.

But the hopeless look she’d worn that day had burned itself into his mind.

“…Chris.”

“Yes, my lord?”

“Do you remember what we found in the Arden Forest that day?”

Back at the ball, when she’d refused his hand and whispered something in his ear…

At the time, he hadn’t been looking for anything. He was too busy trying to rein in the retainers who refused to

respect a young duke.

But maybe it was because her words came from someone who’d been ready to die… they’d stuck with him.

He’d ordered his men to check Arden Forest and when they reported finding something there, he’d assumed it was

nothing important.

“Yes, my lord. Weren’t they documents prepared by one of the former dukes for a rebellion?” Chris lowered his voice.

Only a handful of people knew about it, and they credited Edwin’s foresight for saving the family. But Edwin knew the

truth it had been all thanks to Emilia. Without her, those documents might have been discovered by the wrong

people, and the Caspers would have been destroyed.

“Then why did you leave the family’s ceremonial sword in that spot?”

Chris still didn’t get it.

If they’d just retrieved the documents quietly, it would have been over. But Edwin had deliberately placed the

Caspers’ symbolic sword there instead.

When the Hermann marquis found it, he’d used it as leverage to propose a deal—one with more than a few suspicious

strings attached.

Even as Edwin’s closest aide, Chris had never gotten an answer to that question. Every time he asked, Edwin’s

expression turned sharp, and the conversation ended.

Now, with a rare moment of freedom, Edwin couldn’t help but wonder what Emilia was doing.

Since their marriage, he’d kept his distance, thinking it might be easier for her—after all, she’d essentially been

dropped into enemy territory.

“How’s the celebration coming along?”

“I’ve informed the staff, so everything should be ready by the time you return, my lord.”

Edwin smiled faintly at that.

Chris, meanwhile, was baffled. The celebration could be for any number of reasons—the fall of their long-time enemy,

the rise in the Casper family’s standing…

But to Chris, the most likely reason was Edwin’s impending divorce.

Unless…

No way. Is he not inviting the princess?

Rumors about Edwin and Diana were everywhere—that they were in love, that he stayed out late just to avoid going

home to his unwanted wife.

Of course, the people being gossiped about were always the last to know. Edwin, perfect in every other regard, was

completely unaware of this particular rumor.

If he had known, he wouldn’t have set foot near Peridot Palace again.

Still oblivious, he was glancing idly out the window when something caught his eye.

“I think I’ll take a walk.”

“My lord?”

“Go on ahead without me.”

“W-wait, my lord—!”

The streets were crowded, so stepping out of the moving carriage was easy enough.

Chris called after him, but Edwin’s attention was fixed elsewhere.

It can’t be.

It was probably just his imagination. She had no reason to be here.

“Wait a moment!”

But that flash of gold hair and the familiar shape of her back made it impossible to ignore.

“Emilia!”

She had a travel bag in hand. Edwin moved quickly—almost running—but the crowd cut him off, and she disappeared.

Watching her vanish into the distance left a bad feeling in his gut. He told himself he must have been mistaken. He

had to be.

“I must’ve been seeing things.”

Chris caught up, breathless. “My lord, what did you—”

“It’s nothing.”

It was clearly something, but Edwin wasn’t going to explain. Chris could only urge him back toward the carriage.

“Let me escort you back to the—”

“Wait.”

Edwin stopped again, eyes fixed ahead.

Chris followed his gaze—to a flower shop.

“You know what flowers are blooming in the estate garden right now?”

“I believe they’re anemones, my lord.”

Edwin walked toward the shop.

Chris was uneasy. With Edwin’s face, people stared—some recognizing him instantly, others simply drawn to his

looks. The attention made Chris nervous about the duke’s dignity.

The shopkeeper stammered as Edwin approached, clearly realizing he was someone important.

But Edwin didn’t bother with pleasantries. He set a gold coin on the counter and said simply:

“One bouquet of anemones.”

“Y-yes, right away!”

The shopkeeper rushed to prepare it.

How tacky. Why does she even like these?

But despite the thought, Edwin handled the flowers like they were made of gold as he left.

Chris still didn’t understand.

“Why flowers all of a sudden…?”

It wasn’t until later that Chris would realize exactly where Edwin’s heart had been all along.