Chapter 18
Impressions After Meeting the Grand Duke
“Your Majesty, Empress?”
By the time Charlotte had drifted off into her imagination, Anette had stopped walking, her expression strangely fixed on her.
Startled, Charlotte quickly smiled and asked,
“So… now that he’s your fiancé rather than just the man you’ll marry, how did it feel to meet the Grand Duke in person?”
“Ah, well… um…”
It wasn’t an especially embarrassing question, yet…
Whether she was simply unaccustomed to this kind of conversation or the thought of Kardin made her shy, Anette felt her ears burning red.
Charlotte smiled warmly at the cute reaction.
“…He was nothing like the rumors.”
Anette spoke softly.
She had heard the terrifying rumors—war-mad, heartless, a killer—and assumed he must be rough and violent.
She had also assumed that, having lost his appearance to monster blood, he would surely hate her, the “blood of monsters.”
But she had been wrong.
“He was kind, thoughtful… genuinely warm.”
And to think that she herself, having suffered from rumors her whole life, had held such prejudices.
The Grand Duke was more than she could have deserved.
Lost in reflection, Anette didn’t notice how Charlotte and Serina’s expressions had changed upon hearing her honest words.
The rumors about the Grand Duke of Harzent and the man himself were indeed worlds apart.
“He was also candid and very shy, you know.”
Who is this person…?
“Above all, he has such an ideal sense of values, so upright and diligent—it surprised me.”
So who exactly is he…?
Serina remembered the Grand Duke from his princely days: an angelic face that stole the hearts of many noblewomen, but an impenetrable wall of arrogance and pride that tore those hearts apart.
Of course, he was a war hero, loyal to the emperor and respected for defending the empire—but kind and thoughtful?
As a noblewoman and attendant close to the Empress, Serina had known Kardin for years. The disparity between the man she knew and the one Anette described was staggering.
Charlotte was just as surprised. Even she, who considered Kardin like a younger brother, would never have described him as warm.
Of course, his occasional cruelty wasn’t intentional—it came from a combination of his sense that giving hope to unrequited feelings was cruel and the compulsions stemming from his secretive birth.
Kardin was a conservative man who treated all women—except Anette, whom he had long intended to marry, and his family—with such care that even a touch of a hand could feel catastrophic.
Serina didn’t realize it, but she suspected that the “ideal values” Anette mentioned likely referred to his views on marriage and relationships.
‘If it weren’t for Anette, I don’t think Kardin would ever have married,’ Charlotte thought.
As she looked at Anette with gentle eyes, grateful that she had rescued Kardin once again, Anette suddenly froze.
Her cheeks had turned red, and she seemed to stop speaking mid-sentence.
“Your Majesty? What brings you out here?”
“I stayed up late for the first time in a while, so I feel a bit stiff. I thought perhaps a short walk before tea would be nice. Is that all right?”
Anette froze at the sudden appearance of the Empress, feeling the cool gaze on her cheek, and flinched before answering:
“Of, of course, Your Majesty.”
She realized belatedly that she hadn’t formally greeted the Empress. She wondered if she should, but it already felt too late.
The Empress’s eyes scanned Anette from head to toe, sharp and probing.
Anette felt like a herbivore frozen in front of a predator but consciously tried to relax.
‘The Grand Duke called the Empress “Mother” the whole time,’ she reminded herself.
Unlike with the late Emperor, he had never called her “Late Emperor.” He genuinely seemed to see the Empress as his own mother, which meant she must indeed be as kind as Kardin had claimed.
Moreover…
〈Your Highness, the Grand Duke… well, the Empress, she… um…〉
〈Finds you pretty, you mean?〉
〈Yes? Yes… so, is that really true?〉
During a conversation with Kardin, Anette could no longer hold back her curiosity and asked.
As if he had been waiting for that question, Kardin nodded immediately.
“Of course, naturally.”
His prompt reply made Anette narrow her eyes suspiciously.
He had arrived early in the morning, so it was likely he hadn’t yet met the Empress.
How could he be so sure she liked him without even seeing her?
As if reading her thoughts, Kardin replied:
〈The outfit the Princess is wearing was made by the Empress herself.〉
Even as a child, the Empress, busy with state affairs, often made clothes for her two sons.
Especially for her second son, who had delicate, refined features, she often encouraged wearing dresses subtly. Kardin immediately recognized that the dress Anette wore was her handiwork.
The fabric, pattern, and design were all too familiar to be mistaken.
Hearing this, Anette realized that from the nightgown she wore the first day to her current dress, the clothes weren’t hastily found for her; they were carefully prepared by the Empress.
The Empress’s care—asking if the clothes were comfortable, adjusting them to fit her—proved she had not disliked Anette at all.
And perhaps, as Kardin said, she might even find her endearing.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have painstakingly tailored so many outfits to fit her perfectly.
As Anette clenched her fists, trying to accept this unbelievable fact, Kardin leaned close and whispered as if revealing a great secret:
〈When the Empress looks at something cute and lovely… her gaze might seem sharp, almost as if she’s glaring.〉
〈…!〉
It was indeed a significant secret.
Kardin’s words—that affection sharpened the Empress’s gaze—gave Anette great reassurance.
Had she not heard about the Empress from him, she would probably be trembling silently, unable to speak, confronted with the Empress’s fearsome expression.
But now it was different. Knowing this, she could act.
Ignoring her pounding heart, Anette spoke:
“Thank you so much… for the gift.”
“How did you hurt your hand…?”
Realizing she had spoken at the same time as the Empress, Anette quickly closed her mouth.
“…….”
“Ahem.”
Charlotte, watching the embarrassment of both, chuckled softly and asked with concern:
“Anette, did you hurt your hand?”
Looking at her hand, Anette indeed had a white bandage wrapped carefully around it.
Even though she had accompanied her to the palace earlier, Charlotte hadn’t noticed, feeling sorry for missing it.
Yet the hand was small and easy to overlook.
Meanwhile, the injury wasn’t severe, and Anette had paid little attention—she was somewhat surprised at how thoroughly the Empress had noticed.
Feeling embarrassed and strangely fluttering in her chest, Anette quickly said:
“It’s nothing. The Grand Duke…”
“The Grand Duke of Harzent?”
“Did Kardin hurt you, or… the princess?”
Caught off guard by the barrage of questions, she quickly explained:
“No, it’s not that. He said he needed a bit of my blood.”
She realized how strange that might sound, so she hurriedly clarified.
Before going to the temple, Kardin had brought his aide Samuel and royal mage Martin to meet her, assuring her they could be trusted.
After a brief introduction, Martin requested permission to study her blood to understand her condition and find a solution. Upon hearing he needed blood, Anette had drawn a thin cut along her palm with a dagger.
Seeing Martin later produce a tiny needle, she realized not much blood had been needed.
While she awkwardly smiled, Samuel called the royal physician, and Martin quickly collected her blood into a small vial.
When the task was complete, Kardin quietly took out a handkerchief and wrapped her hand firmly, without a word.
For a moment, Anette seriously wondered how it was possible to feel so much from someone whose face she couldn’t see.
She somehow felt that the Grand Duke would surely frown in disapproval.
Worried, she added defensively:
〈As you’ve probably heard, there was a sudden attack in the Bayendor Empire. Of course, the traitor would be in Heyworth, but just in case…〉
After mentioning that the Emperor had granted prior permission, Kardin nodded and praised her briefly: “Well done.”
Yet his expression still seemed displeased, though she couldn’t figure out why…
“A magician, huh.”
At that moment, the Empress’s voice broke through Anette’s thoughts.
