Just How Much Was She Playing Coy?
The Empress Dowager, looking slightly relieved yet clearly displeased, spoke as if she’d half-expected Cardin to crush Anette’s delicate hand in a fit of uncontrolled emotion.
“You couldn’t have needed that much blood. To have the bandage wrapped that tightly…”
“The wound wasn’t that deep,” Anette replied, slightly embarrassed.
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager quickly deduced that Cardin must have caused quite a fuss, summoning the palace physician for what was likely a minor injury.
Meanwhile, Anette found it curious that neither of them seemed surprised by the magician taking her blood. She concluded that magical research must be a familiar occurrence around here.
Though she knew that in the Arcan Empire the royal family maintained close relations not only with the temple but also with the Mage Tower—leading to the creation of purification stones—it still felt strange to see it firsthand.
Now that she thought about it, she had wondered how Cardin had made it from the Grand Duchy to the capital so quickly. It really must have been magic.
‘I didn’t think he’d be that desperate to see me…’
Although slightly off the mark, Anette correctly interpreted Cardin’s overwhelming desire to meet her as soon as possible. Flustered, she began fanning herself with her hand before coming to her senses.
She had strayed far from the original topic she meant to address.
Now was the time to finally express her gratitude. Mustering up some courage, Anette spoke up.
“Um, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, thank you so much for the gift you sent me. I received it well.”
“Hmm, well… I suppose it does suit you.”
Though she had acted rather poorly yesterday, shocked by Anette’s unexpectedly cute appearance, today she was fully prepared. Wearing her usual stern expression, the Empress Dowager asked in a detached voice:
“Are you feeling any discomfort?”
“Not at all! I’ve never worn such beautiful clothes in my life…!”
As the words left her mouth, Anette froze.
She shouldn’t have said that. That wasn’t something she’d intended to share.
Ever since arriving in the Empire, she felt as though the walls she had spent a lifetime building were crumbling all at once.
Ashamed, convinced it would only make people pity her, Anette forced a smile and continued:
“They’re really comfortable.”
“Hmm.”
The Empress Dowager merely nodded as if she understood. Then, perhaps unknowingly, the corners of her mouth lifted ever so slightly.
Watching her seem quietly relieved and happy that her gift was well received, Anette’s expression twisted with emotion. A warmth welled up in her throat.
“Oh, by the way. I overheard your conversation with the Empress earlier,” the Empress Dowager said suddenly.
“Were you really talking about the Grand Duke of Harzent?”
Startled by the sharp glint in the Empress Dowager’s eyes, Anette recalled the earlier conversation.
Charlotte had asked about her first impression of the Grand Duke, and she had simply said he seemed like a good person, contrary to the rumors.
She hadn’t said anything particularly negative, so surely she hadn’t offended anyone. Anette nodded slightly.
The Empress Dowager clicked her tongue.
“Just how much were you playing coy? I couldn’t make sense of what I was hearing. For a moment, I thought I’d gone deaf with age.”
“Pardon?”
“He may be my son, but I don’t recall raising him to be so cunning. If you ever feel deceived in the future, I hope you won’t blame me.”
“Ah… uh, yes.”
Anette, who couldn’t make heads or tails of the comment, nodded anyway. She never intended to blame the Empress Dowager no matter what happened.
Hoping for a hint to better grasp the current situation, she subtly turned her head.
“……”
Behind her, Serena looked oddly refreshed, as if something had settled in her stomach, while Charlotte stared off into the distance, suppressing a laugh.
Flinch.
Inside the carriage returning from the temple to the palace.
Cardin suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He looked around suspiciously.
“Your Highness, is something wrong?”
Samuel, seated beside him, asked.
“I don’t know… I suddenly got this really uneasy feeling.”
He couldn’t quite put it into words, but it was like the corner of a carefully stacked tower had just begun to crumble.
But no—surely that couldn’t be it.
In his entire life, Cardin had only ever invested his time and energy into one person: Anette Heyworth. And their relationship was currently progressing very smoothly.
Trying to shake off the unease, Cardin shook his head and looked once more at the engagement contract and the temple-issued engagement certificate he was holding.
Earlier at the temple, upon hearing that the Grand Duke of Harzent had arrived, the priests had rushed out to meet him, and the official notarization was handled swiftly.
Of course, everyone had paused in shock at the sudden news of his engagement—especially when the fiancée turned out to be the controversial first princess of Heyworth.
“Well, I guess all those donations paid off.”
“The temple is generally pro-imperial anyway.”
No one at the temple questioned the absence of an envoy from Heyworth.
And naturally, they didn’t demand something absurd like a strand of the princess’s hair.
Samuel quietly shook his head, remembering how brazenly his lord had asked the princess for her hair.
And it hadn’t stopped at that. The man had even carefully preserved a handkerchief stained with the princess’s blood.
‘Where those items are headed now…’
Samuel didn’t want to know. He had accidentally learned more than he ever wanted to about his master’s odd collecting habits.
He now wondered whether those tendencies would fade now that the princess would be living with them, or—worse—become even more extreme.
Either way, it was none of his business.
He only hoped that the new lady of the house wouldn’t discover the shadowy, obsessive side of her husband too soon—the one that made even a grim mask seem elegant.
“By the way,” Cardin said just then, eyes still fixed on Anette’s signature since he pulled out the contract.
“How is her handwriting this beautiful?”
“……”
“This contract should be an heirloom of the Grand Duchy, don’t you think?”
‘Couldn’t you just keep it as your own personal treasure? Unless you want future generations to know you were hopelessly whipped.’
The words nearly leapt from Samuel’s throat, but he managed to swallow them.
He didn’t want to ruin his master’s buoyant mood. Besides, even if he did speak up, it wouldn’t change anything.
Frankly, Samuel thought that just not flattering the Grand Duke at this point already made him a deeply loyal retainer.
As he generously patted himself on the back, Cardin, now leaning his chin on his hand, gazed out the window and—out of habit—began thinking about Anette again.
The capital’s scenery outside was beautiful, but nothing caught his eye.
Instead, the golden sunlight made him think of her hair, tied high in a red ribbon.
A blazing sun that drove away the night.
A woman who stood tall even amidst monsters, who never flinched from storms, who knew no deceit, and always faced forward—walking alone.
Every time he saw that brilliant figure from behind, Cardin’s heart ached with helpless admiration. He longed to walk beside her, to take her hand.
More than anything, he wanted to hold the woman who had always stood alone, warm her, and be the one she could lean on.
Sigh…
The thought that he was one step closer to that dream left Cardin dazed, and he exhaled deeply.
Soon, the image of a knight with a long sword faded away, replaced by a youthful face with pale skin, a delicate nose, ruby-red eyes, and cherry-like lips.
When he’d first heard that Anette had arrived in the capital after being attacked, he’d felt like his heart had dropped.
He had been shocked to learn she had physically regressed into a childlike form, but he was more relieved that she was alive and safe.
Still, when he saw her in person and realized she was even smaller and cuter than expected…
Cardin realized, for the first time, how impoverished his imagination was.
That someone so cute could exist—it amazed him, moved him, and even made him choke up.
Seeing this even younger version of Anette had reminded him of her childhood.
Though he’d laughed it off, he had nearly cried.
Only she had ever made him feel like that—then and now.
‘And only she could ever make me act on impulse, too.’
Cardin had always been a rational and cool-headed man.
But today, while speaking with Anette, his emotions had surged wildly.
He had even confessed that he was an illegitimate child.
It was something he had always planned to tell her one day—but not like that.
Still, he didn’t regret telling her today. He just barely managed to restrain himself from saying even more.
“I’m your husband… so I hope you’ll respect me. I will do the same.”
He had tacked on a single condition after telling her to do whatever she wanted, without needing anyone’s permission.
What he had wanted to say next was: Be so close that you only have to turn your head to see me. Close enough to reach any time you wish. Stay with me forever.
But he had just barely held that back—and Anette would probably never know how much he longed to say it.
Though his heart felt complicated, thinking of how little Anette understood of his feelings, Cardin shook his head.
They had plenty of time ahead of them.
One day, he would lay bare everything in his heart.
‘And when that day comes, I hope you’ll smile and nod—not confused like today, but happy.’
Just imagining that filled him with satisfaction. His cheeks flushed with warmth, and Cardin gently pressed his cool mask against his face with both hands.