~CHAPTER 86~
Yulias Durand was lucky.
Aside from having parents who were useless in every way except bloodline, he had been lucky.
The fact that he survived and even claimed the throne as the Fifth Prince, a bastard with almost no claim to succession, was proof of that luck.
He usually got what he wanted in life without much trouble.
So he was confident he could achieve his ultimate goal as well, which was to live happily with his sister for a long, long time.
Besides, the biggest headache of succession had been solved when his sister became pregnant.
The only problem was that she currently held the terrible misunderstanding that he disliked her.
Even that would be resolved with time.
He truly cared for her, after all.
Once she understood his sincerity, she would surely look at him again, perhaps even fondly.
Yulias believed this wholeheartedly.
And it seemed the world was helping him along.
Just when he was thinking about how he could head north, the knights of the Grand Duchy arrived on their own.
The imperial ministers were furious, claiming that they must never give the Grand Duke what he wanted.
As if he cared.
They were old men who would die soon anyway, barking nonsense.
If he had dealt with them sooner, he wouldn’t have needed to be separated from his sister for so long.
He regretted that deeply.
But heaven was still on his side.
With a fairly good mood, Yulias held a grand banquet for the exhausted envoys who had traveled all this way from the Grand Duchy.
Normally he would never share a table with mere messengers, but he personally stepped forward for his own goal.
The envoys looked visibly shaken, clearly not expecting to meet Yulias himself.
“W-we greet the Sun that never sets upon the Imperial Family.”
“Did I ask for greetings? I asked why you’re here.”
“W-we have identified evidence that the Kingdom of Rensier abducted residents of the Grand Duchy to sell them within its borders. We request authority for negotiation with the kingdom.”
Yulias did not move even after hearing the report.
He tapped his chair several times before slowly rising to his feet.
“I see. The Grand Duke must be troubled. I’ll think it over slowly, so enjoy the banquet.”
Yulias immediately left the hall.
The easiest way to get what he wanted was to use time.
Those who needed to ask for favors were always short on it.
So Yulias deliberately delayed his answer, waiting for the moment their growing impatience gnawed at their reason enough to give him a favorable deal.
On the third week of the envoys staying in the palace without progress, Yulias summoned them again.
In his hand was the decree they desperately wanted.
“I’ll give you what you want. But I have a condition. Take me with you on your way back to the Grand Duchy.”
“P-pardon?”
“You know the imperial ministers don’t like you. I’m giving this to you myself, and you expect to get it for free?”
“W-we must consult the Grand Duke…”
“I’m saying I want to go secretly.”
The envoys froze.
“Relax your faces and think again. I’m giving you what you want. Let’s keep this simple, alright?”
“B-but for what purpose must Your Majesty travel to the Grand Duchy…”
“If I told you that, what would be the point of going secretly? Besides, you don’t have much time, do you?”
Yulias grinned.
“Fine. I’ll be generous. Once we arrive at the Grand Duchy, announce it or not, I don’t care.”
* * *
Harvich had told himself he would leave the Grand Duchy for Lincia’s sake, but the closer the departure date came, the more anxious he became.
Was it because the imperial envoy had not returned with news?
Or because of the great incident that happened while he was away last time?
He could not be sure.
“I will be leaving for the outer territory for a short while.”
“I plan to return as quickly as possible. But I worry about leaving you alone…”
Thinking about that moment gave Harvich a headache.
He wandered near Lincia’s bedchamber early in the afternoon, sighing before knocking on the door.
Hearing movement inside, he quietly stepped in.
The knight and the maid bowed to Lincia and left the room when he entered.
Standing beside her bed, Harvich opened his mouth.
“A delegation from the Kingdom of Rensier will arrive soon.”
Lincia’s gaze stayed fixed on her hands resting on the blanket.
“Yes.”
“I will receive them at Hesta Territory.”
“…”
Lincia said nothing.
She didn’t ask how long it would take, nor when he would return.
That made his stomach twist.
He felt as though an invisible wall was cutting between them again.
When he showed her flowers and beautiful things in the greenhouse, the wall weakened for a moment, but whenever they were alone, it returned, stronger than before.
They still slept together, and she still lay in his arms.
But that was all.
He knew he should be grateful even for that, yet he always felt frantic.
As Yulias had said, Harvich did not know how to receive love, nor how to give it back.
He did not know how to reconcile or how to apologize.
“If strangers wander the halls of the Grand Duchy, I worry you might feel uncomfortable.”
Lincia’s eyes flicked toward him, then away.
“You might not even be able to visit the greenhouse you like so much, so I made this decision.”
*Please, understand me. Please, see me.*
Harvich swallowed every plea and forced out words.
“If you don’t want me to leave—”
“No. Go safely.”
She cut him off.
He knew she had grown uneasy around him recently, but seeing it confirmed always stung.
Holding back the tightness in his chest, Harvich spoke again.
“…Am I making you uncomfortable?”
Uncomfortable enough that you want me gone as quickly as possible.
He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.
Lincia finally looked at him, saying nothing.
Her silence terrified him.
That was why Harvich had let the Aiden Baron family live, punishing them with silence instead of death.
Because silence was a prison without end.
Because he couldn’t stand being the only one trapped in it.
He wanted to scream for her to say *something*, anything.
But another part of him wished the silence would last forever, so she would never leave him.
“Lincia.”
Even when he tried to tell her he was leaving tomorrow, she still didn’t look at him.
The anxiety he had tried to hold back burst and melted down his chest in a thick, heavy wave.
* * *
The imperial messenger arrived without delay.
Harvich intended to protect the rights of his land regardless of what the emperor said.
Despite the delay, the authorization letter had no problems.
No forged words, no petty changes.
He didn’t even switch Rensier to “Rancier,” which would have been a common trick.
The entirely clean document only made Harvich more uneasy.
He departed for Hesta Territory to receive the delegation from the Kingdom of Rensier.
The ground was already freezing, so they used special horseshoes to travel over the ice.
At the first campsite, the man who had been sent to the capital hurried to him.
“…My apologies for the late report. The Emperor has joined the procession returning to the Grand Duchy.”
Harvich’s expression hardened instantly.
“Why?”
“He said he would not grant the decree otherwise. It did not seem like he had official business with the Grand Duke.”
Harvich’s face tightened even further as he practically ran for his horse.
The knights tried to stop him, but all he could think of was getting back to Lincia.
Why was he always a step late?
Late to realize his own feelings.
Late to sense danger.
Harvich pulled his horse around and rode toward the Grand Duchy at full speed.
