Chapter 19: “Just How Much Pretending Did She Do?”
The Empress, who had briefly feared that Kardin might lose control and crush Anette’s small hand, let out a relieved yet slightly displeased sigh.
“You didn’t need that much blood, did you? To wrap the bandage that tightly…”
“It wasn’t a deep wound,” Anette replied.
Seeing Anette’s embarrassed expression, the Empress realized that Kardin had made a fuss in the palace over such a small cut.
Meanwhile, Anette observed the two women’s calm reaction to the fact that a mage had taken her blood and thought that, here, the mage’s research activities must be quite common.
Even though she already knew that the royal family of the Alkan Empire maintained close ties not just with the temple but also with the mage towers—and that they had successfully produced purification crystals—it still felt remarkable.
Now that she thought about it, Anette wondered how Kardin had arrived in the capital from the Grand Duchy so quickly. It seemed he had truly used magic.
“I never imagined he would want to see me so quickly…”
There were small mistakes along the way, but ultimately, Anette accurately grasped Kardin’s eagerness to meet her. Blushing, she waved her hand awkwardly to cover her embarrassment and suddenly remembered herself.
Their conversation had drifted far from its original topic.
“I should at least thank her properly,” she thought, summoning courage.
“Your Majesty, Empress… I received the gift you sent. Thank you very much.”
“Hmm… well, it does suit you…”
Yesterday, she had been caught off guard by the unexpected cuteness of the outfit, but today, she had prepared herself mentally.
The Empress, maintaining her usual solemn expression, asked in a calm voice,
“Does it feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
“Not at all! I’ve never worn such a beautiful dress in my life…”
At this, Anette froze mid-sentence, realizing she might have overstepped. She hadn’t intended to say such things.
Since arriving in the empire, she felt as though the walls she had built her whole life had crumbled in an instant.
Though she feared being pitied, she forced a smile and continued,
“It’s really comfortable.”
“Hm.”
The Empress merely nodded as if understanding, and perhaps unconsciously, the corners of her mouth curved slightly upward.
Seeing the Empress so obviously pleased, Anette felt a strange warmth rise to her throat.
“By the way, I overheard your conversation with the Empress earlier,” the Empress said.
At that moment:
“You were talking about the Grand Duke of Harzent, weren’t you?”
Anette flinched at the sharp gaze, recalling the earlier conversation.
When Charlotte had asked about the Grand Duke’s first impression, she had honestly said that he was a good person, contrary to the rumors.
Since she hadn’t said anything offensive, she assumed she hadn’t offended anyone. Nodding nervously, she looked at the Empress. The Empress clicked her tongue and said,
“Just how much pretending did you do? I heard such incomprehensible words that for a moment I thought my hearing had failed with age.”
“Eh?”
“He’s my son, but I never raised him to be so cunning. I hope you won’t blame me later if you end up being deceived.”
“Ah… um, yes.”
Anette, completely confused by the Empress’s words, simply nodded. She wasn’t about to blame the Empress for anything.
Hoping for some guidance in understanding the situation, she glanced subtly around.
Behind her, Serina wore a relieved expression as if a weight had been lifted, while Charlotte stared into the distance, holding back a laugh.
Startled.
Inside the carriage returning from the temple to the palace, Kardin felt a strange chill run down his spine and glanced around.
“Your Highness, what’s wrong?” asked Samuel beside him.
Kardin frowned.
“I just… had a very uneasy feeling.”
He couldn’t exactly describe it, but it was as if the corner of a carefully built tower had slightly crumbled.
But that couldn’t be.
Throughout Kardin’s life, the only thing he had truly devoted himself to was Anette Hayworth. And their relationship was currently going very smoothly.
Shaking off the unease, he checked again the engagement oath and the temple-issued certificate he held.
Earlier, when he visited the temple, the priests had hurriedly notarized the engagement after hearing that the Grand Duke of Harzent had arrived.
Of course, everyone had been surprised by the sudden engagement, especially since his fiancée was rumored to be the first princess of the Hayworth Kingdom…
“It seems our donations weren’t in vain.”
“Essentially, the temple is friendly toward the royal family anyway.”
The temple didn’t mind that the Hayworth delegation hadn’t come. They also didn’t request to see the princess’s hair.
Samuel silently shook his head, recalling how his master shamelessly requested hair from the princess. And not just hair—his master had carefully kept the handkerchief stained with her blood.
‘Now where will that hair and handkerchief go…’
Samuel didn’t really want to know, but he wondered whether living with the princess would lessen his master’s strange hobby or make it grow even more. Either way, it wasn’t his concern.
All he hoped was that the new lady of the house would not discover the dark, obsessive nature of his master, which could make even the contours of her mask look picturesque.
“By the way…”
Kardin, who had been staring at Anette’s signature since she signed the oath, spoke.
“How can our princess’s handwriting be so beautiful?”
“……”
“This oath should also become a family heirloom of the Grand Ducal House, right?”
Samuel had a remark rising in his throat: ‘Couldn’t it just be your private treasure? Unless you want it to carry the label of a doting ancestor for generations.’
He swallowed it, not wanting to spoil his master’s excitement. Besides, he knew his protest would fall on deaf ears.
Just restraining himself from speaking already made him feel like an exceptionally loyal servant.
While Samuel silently praised himself, Kardin rested his chin on the window frame, habitually thinking about Anette in a picturesque way.
The view of the capital outside was beautiful, but his eyes saw none of it.
Instead, he pictured her red hair tied high, glowing in the sunlight.
A woman standing tall amidst raging storms, always moving forward, never scheming, even when surrounded by beasts.
Whenever he saw that dazzling back, his chest fluttered uncontrollably, and he felt an urge to walk beside her, holding her hand.
He wanted to warmly embrace her, a woman more lonely than anyone else, with no one to rely on.
“Ha…”
Kardin sighed dreamily, thrilled at having taken one step closer to that dream.
Soon, the image of the knight with the long sword faded, replaced by the young, delicate face of Anette: snow-white skin, small upturned nose, ruby-like eyes, cherry-colored lips.
When he first heard she had been attacked and brought to the imperial capital, his heart had nearly stopped.
He had been shocked to learn her body had reverted to that of a child, but relief that she was safe outweighed his fear.
Yet when he actually met Anette, she was even smaller and cuter than he had imagined…
Kardin realized his imagination had been insufficient.
He was astonished that such a cute person existed, moved, and overwhelmed with emotion.
Seeing her even more childlike than the first time he met her naturally reminded him of her early childhood.
Though he laughed playfully, he almost cried.
She alone, in the past or now, was capable of making him want to cry.
‘And impulsively act too.’
Kardin was naturally rational and composed.
Yet all throughout today’s conversation with Anette, he had been tossed by waves of emotion.
He even revealed his status as an illegitimate child—a story he had planned to tell her someday, but not so suddenly.
He didn’t regret telling her the secret to calm her confusion.
In fact, he had barely restrained what he truly wanted to say.
〈I… hope you respect me as your husband. Of course, I will respect you as well.〉
A condition attached to his command to act freely without anyone’s permission.
In truth, he wanted her to always be close, to be able to see her anytime, to be within reach forever.
That he had barely restrained this desire was something Anette would never know.
Thinking of Anette, who could not fathom his heart, Kardin’s emotions became a bit complicated, but he shook his head.
There would be plenty of time to spend with her. Someday, he would be able to pour out all these feelings.
‘By then, I hope the princess will nod happily instead of being as confused as she is today.’
Just imagining it filled his heart with satisfaction. Heat rose to his face, and he clutched the cold mask in both hands.
