Chapter 15
The next day.
Marquis Tristan sent a letter requesting a meeting with the House of Duke Ivia, and he soon received a favorable reply.
Although his heart was heavy from what Lianus had told him, there was no time to delay. As soon as he received the response, he immediately set out.
“It must be quite an urgent matter. This isn’t like you.”
Duke Ivia, who had come out to greet him, still exuded the vigor of his youth despite his old age.
His sharp eyes, imposing stature, and disciplined posture all spoke of his enduring strength.
“This is my daughter-in-law, Mineil. And this is my grandson, Kaien.”
Mineil, wife of Jerban, welcomed the marquis with a graceful greeting. Kaien, who had just returned from the training grounds, was still covered in dirt from his training uniform.
“It’s been a while, Madam. I see the young lord is still diligently training. An excellent role model for others.”
After exchanging brief pleasantries, Duke Ivia led the marquis inside.
“Let’s go to the drawing room. This seems to be an important matter—best discussed in private.”
“Father, I’ll go prepare refreshments for Marquis Tristan.”
With those words, the lady of the house gracefully excused herself. Kaien also gave a polite bow and quietly stepped outside.
As the marquis watched Kaien’s back, he thought the boy’s short navy hair and sharp eyes made him quite handsome indeed.
“I didn’t realize you were interested in my grandson.”
The marquis had stared a bit too openly, prompting the duke to raise an eyebrow in curiosity.
“Oh, I heard an amusing story. Apparently, among the noble youths these days, the most popular sons are my Lianus and young Lord Kaien.”
“Ha, is that so? And who would tell you such things?”
By now, the two had reached the drawing room, where a maid brought out tea.
Seated across from each other, they shared light conversation.
“It wasn’t me who heard it—Lianus told me he heard it from the princess’s maid.”
“I see. I heard about that, too. Your son has been seeing the princess, hasn’t he?”
There was a sharp gleam in the duke’s eyes as he glanced at the marquis.
“I know you’re not the sort to use your son for selfish schemes. But there are too many rumors swirling about the palace these days.”
As the house guarding the imperial family, the Ivia household could not afford to overlook such matters—no matter how trustworthy the other party seemed.
Even though he was no longer Commander of the Imperial Knights, the duke still had a duty to monitor threats to the royal family.
Understanding this, the marquis replied without any offense.
“Have you ever met the princess yourself, Duke Ivia?”
“Not since she was a child. I haven’t visited since she left the tower. I believe it’s still too early.”
“But surely Sir Jerban has said something.”
“All that rascal ever tells me is that the princess is adorable and lovable. He keeps his mouth far too shut. A good trait for a knight, I suppose, but he won’t even talk to his father. It’s frustrating.”
It seemed Duke Ivia had refrained from meeting the princess out of concern that she might resent the nobles after losing her mother, the empress.
Otherwise, he would have rushed to see her long ago.
After all, it was the duke who had protested daily to the emperor when the princess was confined to the tower.
He had even once declared that the Ivia household would protect her themselves, so his loyalty to the empire’s only heir was unquestionable.
“These days, I hear more about Her Highness through Lianus. She seems to be exceptionally intelligent and unique.”
Duke Ivia had occasionally heard about the princess from people other than Jerban.
He had met her frequently before she was confined.
“Hmm. She was special from a young age. Absolutely lovable. We even have a portrait of her as a child hanging in our home.”
The marquis paused for a moment.
It seemed the duke’s desire to rescue the princess from the tower wasn’t entirely rooted in loyalty.
Now that he thought about it, he recalled hearing that the Ivia household rarely had daughters.
When Mineil was pregnant with Kaien, the duke had desperately hoped for a granddaughter.
“Ahem. Anyway, apparently the moment the princess met my son, she personally—yes, personally—proposed marriage to him. Her standards must be quite high, so it seems she was taken with Lianus.”
At that moment, the duke clenched his fist, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
It wasn’t that Kaien wasn’t good enough—he had talent as a knight and was extremely diligent. As a grandfather, he had every reason to be proud.
But now, sitting across from him, the marquis was beaming as he announced that the princess had chosen Lianus herself.
The duke’s lip twitched.
“Did you come here just to brag about your son?”
“Hahaha, I guess our conversation just led there.”
The clueless marquis only stopped laughing when he noticed the duke’s jaw twitching—and finally got to the point.
Meanwhile…
“Yaaawn…”
Kartia let out a long yawn, wondering seriously if she would end up living like this and turning into a literal pig.
She had postponed etiquette lessons with Ence until next week.
Everyone had been told she had caught a cold, so the worried Ence had sent her lots of tea and food said to be good for recovery—and agreed to resume lessons later.
Kartia had tried to insist she was fine, but when Ence said she would visit with her twin children once Kartia was well, Kartia quickly replied that the delay would be best.
With that, she had even fewer things to do—and since she could no longer observe the emperor, she was now truly bored out of her mind.
“Pavia, I think I’ve gained some weight.”
“You’re still growing, Your Highness. It’s perfectly fine to put on a little weight.”
No matter how much she grumbled to Pavia, nothing changed. With nothing better to do, Kartia rolled around on the sofa.
She had spent the morning rolling on the bed, so she changed locations for variety.
“I’m so bored… I’d even be okay seeing Ence’s twins at this point.”
That said a lot about how stir-crazy she was feeling.
Just then, as if in answer to her wish for something to happen—
“Your Highness, Duke Ivia has come to visit.”
“What?!”
Kartia shot up from her seat, startled. Why on earth was that name being mentioned?
Why would Duke Ivia come see her?
She blinked rapidly, thoughts racing, and came to one conclusion—it must be because of the favor she had asked Lianus.
Had Marquis Tristan gone to see the duke?
Knowing the duke’s straightforward nature, he could’ve come running as soon as he heard.
“Well, this is…”
Kartia scratched her cheek. She had no excuse to refuse the visit, so she stood up.
Pavia hurried to neaten her hair and clothes.
Just as they finished, word arrived that Duke Ivia had entered the palace. Kartia shuffled toward the drawing room.
The first person to ever use the drawing room in her palace was Duke Ivia.
Somehow, it brought back memories of her first life—when she had just escaped the tower, the duke had rushed to see her then, too.
Back then, she had also used the drawing room for the first time—because of him.
“Your Highness, Duke Ivia has arrived.”
As she reached the drawing room, the maid announced the duke’s arrival. Kartia sat and told them to enter.
What kind of face should she greet him with in this life?
Before she could decide, the door opened—and she froze.
“It’s been a long time, Your Highness. I don’t know if you remember me, but I am Kalan Ivia, head of the Ivia household.”
Behind the duke, a familiar face peeked through.
Kaien, who was four years younger than Kartia, had grown from a child into a budding young man.
“This is my grandson, Kaien Ivia. Greet Her Highness.”
Kaien, clearly displeased about being in the palace, gave a curt nod.
A grumpy and half-hearted greeting—but it made Kartia feel almost happy.
In her first life, Kaien had greeted her with that same expression when she first visited the Ivia household.
Memories she had tried to bury came rushing back, and Kartia briefly closed her eyes.
She took a deep breath, fixed her expression, and beamed.
“Welcome. It’s good to see you.”
Though she had desperately avoided Kaien in her second and third lives, her greeting was sincere.
After all, Kaien had given her unforgettable memories.
This day marked the beginning of a renewed connection with someone Kartia had vowed never to see again—and for Kaien, it was the beginning of a first love that would never come true.
