Chapter 28

The princess had returned to Oakhall Palace.

Or more accurately, she had begun to appear there again. But compared to how she used to vanish without a trace, it was a monumental change.

Word was that she often spoke with Countess Ornin now, and according to Cora, she had resumed sleeping and dining in her own quarters each night.

She still hadn’t stepped foot in the library, but just the occasional chance to see the princess made Dianne feel giddy with joy. Even if the princess treated her as though she were invisible.

By now, there was something Dianne wanted desperately to confirm. She composed herself and offered Sir Reussen a seat. He looked slightly startled at her serious expression.

“Sir Reussen.”

“Yes?”

“May I ask you about Sir Edric Reussen?”

It was a question she feared might be terribly rude, but to her surprise, he nodded without hesitation.

So Dianne jumped straight in.

“Is it true His Majesty opposed the relationship between Princess Elphenlira and Sir Edric?”

“It’s true.”

“Why?”

The princess had insisted the emperor only objected to their relationship because he intended to use her as a political pawn. Dianne wanted to know just how much of that was true.

Sir Reussen chose his words with care.

“I believe His Majesty thought the princess was being fickle.”

“Fickle?”

“As in, a young girl who got swept up in too many romance novels, dreaming of a chivalric love story with a knight… He assumed it would all fade once the illusion shattered.”

Ah. That explained the emperor’s clear distaste for <Princess Oliana and Sir Giles>. In that context, it made perfect sense.

“But Her Highness truly loved Sir Edric, didn’t she?”

“Yes. That part, I think, His Majesty never anticipated.”

“Then…”

Dianne hesitated. Was this truly something she could ask?

But in the end, everything she did was for the sake of the emperor and the princess. She steeled herself.

“Is it just a misunderstanding, then? The belief that His Majesty deliberately sent Sir Edric on a fatal mission?”

Until now, Sir Reussen had responded to all her questions without resistance. But this time, his face darkened. His reply came with restrained but sharp emotion.

“That is absolutely not true!”

“O-oh, really?”

“Edric and I have served His Majesty since we were boys. He was chosen for that mission simply because he was the right man for it. Not because the emperor meant to put him in danger.”

Dianne was a little startled by the intensity of his reaction. Perhaps realizing he’d startled her, Sir Reussen softened his tone.

“Her Highness probably doesn’t truly believe that, either. But grief that has nowhere to go… it often lashes out in the wrong direction.”

“…”

“I cared for Edric as more than just a brother. And even so, I continue to serve His Majesty. Does that not speak for itself?”

Dianne nodded quietly.

“I understand. Thank you for telling me something so difficult.”

“His Majesty is a man who knows what honor and loyalty mean. I hope you won’t doubt him, Miss Ortenza. Not in that regard.”

“What right would I have to doubt or not doubt him?”

She said it lightly, but the truth was, ever since that night in the Hall of Knights, the question had haunted her. The emperor desperately wanted peace with Arathos, and the key to that peace was a royal marriage between the princess and the crown prince of Arathos. If he had wanted Edric Reussen out of the picture, it wouldn’t have been unthinkable.

Before Dianne ever met the emperor, she might’ve thought that way.

But hearing it from Edric’s brother, from someone still serving at the emperor’s side, how could she not believe it?

A weight she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying eased in her chest. Like a stone hidden in her shoe, always pressing against her heart.

At the same time, she felt strangely foolish.

‘Why do I even need to be reassured that His Majesty is a good man? What does that have to do with me?’

Dianne was a governess. Nothing more. All she had to do was fulfill her duty. Once all this was resolved, she could return to the quiet, comfortable life she’d led at the House of Ervinzel. And now that the princess was slowly returning to something resembling a normal life, that day was closer than ever.

So why did the thought of leaving the Imperial Palace leave her with a strangle hollow feeling in her chest?

* * *

It was several days later when Countess Ornin came looking for Dianne, holding a letter from the Ervinzel grand duchy.

“The Grand Duchess and her husband will be attending the Founding Day ball, but before the festivities begin, they’ve decided to stay at Oakhall Palace for a short while.”

Dianne lit up with joy. She hadn’t seen anyone from the grand ducal household in a long time and, in her own quiet way, had missed them.

“The Grand Duchess herself lived here before she married and inherited her title. His Majesty thought she would feel most comfortable returning to this residence.”

Countess Ornin lowered her voice and added, “And more importantly, Her Grace may have a positive influence on the princess.”

And just as she predicted, it happened. Before the full procession of the House of Ervinzel had even finished arriving, the princess appeared. And not in her usual disheveled fashion, either. Her long golden hair was swept up in a neat bun, and she wore a pale green gown that matched her complexion and hair so well it looked almost ethereal. After seeing her so long in rumpled shirts and stormy eyes, Dianne could hardly believe it.