Chapter 36
The Person Who Will Become the Mistress of the Grand Duchy
“I told you, didn’t I? Princess, you’re just too popular.”
Upon hearing that the Grand Duchy’s knight order had arrived, Mikhail, who had barely managed to calm down, burst into tears again. To soothe him, Anette left the remaining imperial couple behind and stepped outside first, then raised her head at Kardin’s words.
She had thought his tone—muttering in a slightly sulky manner—meant he might be upset, but his eyes as he looked at her were still gentle.
Relieved inwardly, Anette cautiously asked,
“Um…”
“Yes?”
“May I give a present to His Highness the Crown Prince later?”
“A present?”
Anette nodded.
This feeling might perhaps be guilt.
The situation—where the young crown prince was crying because of her—was awkward, and yet strangely, she didn’t feel that bad about it. Rather, the child’s tears felt precious to her, and perhaps because of that, she felt apologetic.
She had come to want to give him a gift the next time they met. She hoped that when that day came, he would smile brightly and welcome her.
“A gift…”
However, Kardin trailed off, and Anette became slightly tense.
At the moment, she had no money at all. She had donated her last salary to the knight order, and the royal family had not prepared even a single coin for her dowry. Though it was embarrassing, the only person she could rely on while being penniless was Kardin.
Of course, he had said he didn’t mind if she depleted the Grand Duchy’s finances, but Anette still thought she needed his permission to purchase a gift.
At that moment, Kardin seemed to finish thinking and nodded.
“Come to think of it, seeing the princess again would be the greatest gift of all, but since you asked, I’ll think about it. So, what kind of gift should it be?”
Hearing Kardin’s words, Anette’s expression turned slightly strange.
She hadn’t been asking what kind of gift to buy—she had been asking for permission to use the Grand Duchy’s funds. However, she did not bother to correct the misunderstanding and slowly replied,
“Something like snacks… chocolate or candy?”
As soon as she said it, she felt her face grow hot.
It felt too insignificant to present as a gift to the crown prince. Although nothing immediately came to mind, there were surely more valuable, excellent, and proper items.
However, she knew that a gift should be something the recipient would like.
She didn’t have much experience giving or receiving gifts, but the sword she had received from Franz long ago, and the purification stone she had received during the subjugation of magical beasts…
“……”
Lost in those unexpectedly recalled memories, Anette bit her lip tightly.
Noticing this, Kardin tilted his head and called, “Princess?” Only then did Anette snap back to her senses and quickly shook her head.
“Would it be okay to give chocolate or candy to His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Of course. He’ll probably like it. Though he won’t be able to eat more than the set daily limit of five.”
“Ah.”
Anette, unconsciously pitying Mikhail, frowned.
Kardin added reassuringly,
“Well, if it’s a gift from the princess, he might even savor it carefully.”
Thinking that might actually be true, Anette smiled shyly.
“Come to think of it, Princess.”
At that moment, Kardin stopped walking and asked,
“I heard you ate all the desserts I sent yesterday. Is that true?”
Anette’s shoulders flinched.
“Ah, w-well, yes…”
When she returned to her quarters after parting with Kardin yesterday, Anette had been somewhat tired. Noticing this, Serena suggested tasting some of the desserts Kardin had sent before dinner. On the table were lavish desserts, along with the topic that Anette would be leaving for the Grand Duchy the next day.
Seeing Serena, who was clearly shocked and disappointed, made Anette’s heart flutter again. Trying to fill the emptiness in her heart…
“Well, I definitely intended to just taste one or two…”
But when she came to her senses at some point, only empty dishes remained on the table, and the boxes that had contained the desserts were all empty.
“Even excluding cookies and macarons, if you add up just the sliced cakes, it would amount to about three large cakes’ worth.”
Gasp. Was it really that much?
Startled, Anette stammered an excuse.
“I-I didn’t eat them all alone. I shared them with Lady Serena…”
Of course, even so, most of them had gone into her own mouth. That much would remain unknown unless Serena herself mentioned it.
While Anette gauged his reaction, Kardin looked at her intently as if judging the truth, then spoke.
“I was told you barely ate anything at dinner yesterday.”
“Pardon?”
“It must have been because of the desserts. Of course, I’m glad you enjoyed them, but what if you had gotten a stomach ache? And to think you skipped proper meals because of snacks.”
“Ah, that’s…”
It wasn’t because of the desserts.
Just as Anette began to explain in confusion—
“I’ve heard this isn’t the first time you’ve filled up on desserts and skipped proper meals. From now on, we’ll have to set a daily snack limit for you as well.”
“…!”
At those thunderous words, Anette’s eyes widened, trembling as if shaken by an earthquake.
No way. That couldn’t be right. I’m not actually a child like the crown prince.
Kardin was a mischievous person—he must be joking to tease her.
Just as Anette was about to calm her startled heart and tell him not to joke—
“Your Highness.”
Someone knelt on one knee in front of Kardin, who had stopped walking.
Only then did Anette look ahead and her mouth fell open.
While talking and walking, they had apparently arrived at the place where the Grand Duchy’s knights were waiting.
Leading the group was a knight wearing a black cloak emblazoned with the Harzent Grand Ducal crest. Behind him, knights stood in two rows, all kneeling on one knee and bowing their heads in unison—the scene was truly impressive.
Anette completely forgot what she had been about to say to Kardin and felt her heart beating rapidly.
Unavoidably, she recalled the royal knights of the Hayworth Kingdom who had once been her subordinates.
“Of course, they weren’t this disciplined…”
She unconsciously scanned the Grand Duchy’s knights.
They did not appear fatigued at all, despite having rushed nonstop to the capital for two days and nights. This was proof of their well-trained physical endurance. It also meant their reputation, heard from afar, was not exaggerated.
“Moreover, their uniforms are clean, and the condition of their weapons is excellent.”
Thinking that the knight order seemed to be treated quite well, Anette suddenly stiffened.
The knights, who had risen with Kardin’s permission, were now all looking at her as if it had been arranged in advance.
“My lord, this person is…?”
At the leader’s question, Kardin nodded and addressed both Anette and the knights alternately.
“Princess, this is Morten Peyron, our knight order’s vice-commander. Everyone, this is Princess Anette Hayworth. Treat her with utmost respect.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the knights struck their sheathed swords against the ground with a heavy thud and bowed their knees.
“We greet Your Highness, the Princess.”
Anette was taken aback.
This was a far more formal and respectful greeting than the one given earlier to Kardin, the master of the Grand Duchy.
Noticing her surprise, Kardin smiled and leaned down to whisper,
“It’s only natural, since this is their first greeting to the person who will become the mistress of the Grand Duchy.”
At his gentle, composed voice, Anette nodded in understanding.
At the same time, a wave of shock spread through the kneeling knights.
“…?”
Anette tilted her head.
Since she would be staying in the Grand Duchy for a while, Kardin had likely informed the knights of her situation in advance. That explained why Vice-Commander Morten had asked her that meaningful question upon seeing her, and why the knights had immediately shown proper respect.
They hadn’t seemed surprised earlier—so why were they suddenly shaken now?
However, Anette’s question remained unanswered.
The Grand Duchy’s knights were currently stunned by the sight of their lord’s blue eyes—always as sharp and commanding as a predator at the top of the food chain—softening gently. No one had the courage to explain that truth to Anette.
Cough, cough.
Even Samuel, the Grand Duke’s aide standing nearby, was clearing his throat meaningfully to snap the knights back to their senses.
The knights collectively realized this was not a dream, and that they would need to get used to seeing their lord like this in the future.
“Everyone, stand up now.”
Anette said to the still-kneeling knights.
Since she was the one being greeted, and Kardin showed no intention of giving an order, she spoke directly.
Trying her best to appear dignified, she cleared her throat and held her head high.
But even so, with her flushed cheeks and appearance like an eight-year-old child, she only came across as adorable—much like Mikhail when he pretended to be a solemn crown prince.
Kardin let out a quiet chuckle from the side, prompting Anette to glare at him with a pout before sighing and turning away.
“Hm?”
She blinked, doubting her eyes.
Even though she had been distracted by the knights, how had she failed to notice such an overwhelming presence?
Behind the knights stood an extravagantly decorated carriage.
A sleek black four-wheeled carriage with a glossy finish was adorned lavishly with gold trim and red gemstones along its edges, windows, handles, and wheels. The crest of the Harzent Grand Duchy was prominently displayed on the door.
It seemed the knight order had brought this carriage all the way from the Grand Duchy to the capital. If so, whether or not the townhouse was opened, attention would already have been drawn the moment they entered the imperial grounds.
As Anette cast a suspicious glance at Kardin, wondering whether he had intended to hide it at all or simply planned to depart for the Grand Duchy in haste—
Cough.
A clearing of the throat from behind changed the atmosphere.
Turning around, Anette flinched at the sight of the person who had appeared behind her.
The one who had caused her to barely touch her dinner the previous evening had now arrived.
