Chapter 15

Of course Dianne remembered the Baldin Territory incident. That event had led to a series of skirmishes between the Arathos border defense forces and Count Baldin’s private troops. The casualties had been severe, and for the first time since the peace treaty, public sentiment toward Arathos had grown noticeably cold.

The emperor turned his gaze to the window, the last light of day filtering through the glass and casting deepening shadows across his face.

“I sent a mediator to prevent the other lords from joining the conflict and escalating the situation.”

“Then, that was—”

“Yes. Edric Reussen. But he and his men were ambushed and killed before they ever reached Count Baldin’s territory.”

Dianne recalled the princess’s face when she had demanded to be killed and sent off to Arathos as a corpse. Of course she had never believed it was mere childish defiance from a pampered noblewoman. Dianne had assumed there were deeper wounds beneath the surface. That was the whole reason she had come to seek the emperor in the first place.

However, she had never imagined a truth like this.

The emperor turned his troubled gaze to her.

“Elphenlira seems to believe Arathos was behind Edric Reussen’s death.”

“And Your Majesty… do you believe otherwise?”

“I know who the real culprit is.”

The emperor’s eyes darkened as he said it.

Dianne felt a flicker of pity for the nameless villain. Whoever they were, and wherever they lived, one thing was certain. They would not die a gentle death. For the briefest moment, the expression in the emperor’s eyes had held nothing but fury and the promise of revenge.

“Lira believes I let Edric Reussen die. That I stood by and did nothing. That’s why she won’t listen to a word I say.”

His long lashes dipped low, shadowing his gaze.

“Well? Has this answered what you came to ask?”

Dianne had learned two things from this conversation.

First, the princess would never, under any circumstance, marry the Crown Prince of Arathos.

And second, now that Dianne Ortenza knew the truth, there would be no returning to the life she had. Not until this entire matter was resolved.

‘Oh no. I’ve stepped in far too deep.’

A governess was supposed to be quiet, unassuming, and invisible. At least, that’s what Dianne had believed she was doing. Staying in her lane, living unobtrusively.

‘How did it come to this?’

But now that she knew everything, the only path left was forward.

* * *

“His Majesty has had ties with Ravellan Arathos since his days as crown prince. They studied under the same old priest.”

“I wasn’t aware of that.”

“Not many are. Relations with Arathos are politically sensitive, even within our own court.”

Countess Ornin set down her teacup. There was a shadow of worry in her eyes as she looked at Dianne.

“His Majesty is strict with the strong, and merciful to the weak. Not a common trait among rulers who command such authority.”

“Yes…”

“Even so, a monarch is a monarch. When the time comes to make crucial decisions, they don’t have the luxury of seeing their subjects as individuals. With more vassals than grains of sand by the sea, it simply isn’t possible.”

“…”

“And yet, the fact that His Majesty insists on keeping you here… there must be a reason for it, don’t you think?”

Countess Ornin’s tone was as gentle as always, but for some reason, it felt like being scolded by her teacher.

She fidgeted with her teacup and said, almost defensively, “I admit, I dared to feel… something like compassion for Her Highness. But the greater issue is that I don’t have the ability to persuade her.”

“You’ve only met her once.”

“Once was enough for Her Highness to leap over me using a horse.”

Recalling that perilous moment, Dianne’s face twisted into a frown, but Countess Ornin merely smiled, soft and serene.

“Miss Ortenza. His Majesty is a man of many enemies.”

“Pardon?”

“There is strong opposition to peace with Arathos. Since the incident in Count Baldin’s territory, that faction has grown even bolder. Her Highness’ public refusal to marry puts a great political burden on His Majesty’s shoulders.”

“Ah, could it be…”

Dianne thought back to the “duke” who had confronted the emperor in the rose garden.

‘There are whispers going around the palace about the princess’s seclusion. If a representative from Arathos catches wind of these rumors, it’ll only be a matter of time before the crown prince hears of it.’

It was obvious, even to an outsider, that he was using the princess as an excuse to pressure the emperor.

“Is there a duke among the opposition? He looked to be in his fifties, broad-shouldered, with a commanding presence…”

Countess Ornin lightly furrowed her brow. It was the first time Dianne had seen her look even slightly displeased.

“…You must mean Duke Roderick of House Vellua.”

“I saw him in the rose garden, trying to interfere with His Majesty over the matter of Her Highness. His Majesty seemed quite displeased.”

“Then it was him, no doubt. He’s the de facto leader of the anti-Arathos faction.”

Dianne had heard of Duke Vellua before, even if this was her first time hearing about any “anti-Arathos” faction.

He was a distant relative of the imperial family and one of the most powerful nobles in Catalos. The Vellua Duchy, located in the south, was also the wealthiest territory in the empire.

Countess Ornin’s cold voice carried an unmistakable note of contempt.

“Duke Vellua is an ambitious man. He doesn’t want the crown to be strengthened through reconciliation with Arathos. He doesn’t want lasting peace. Nor does he want trade flourishing along the western border.”

“…”

“Do you understand? This matter transcends Her Highness’ sorrow. That’s why His Majesty cannot bring himself to give up.”

Countess Ornin added, “His Majesty has placed great hope in you, Miss Ortenza. If he ordered you to dig a well with your bare hands, it would be your duty as a loyal servant to dig until your hands gave out.”

Dianne could only nod in the end, her heart feeling heavy in her chest.