– Prologue

“Beautiful.”

When Rezion first saw the Ervinzel grand duchy’s new governess, that was his only thought. She was simply, breathtakingly beautiful.

It wasn’t the kind of beauty you’d find among the lavishly adorned flowers at the imperial palace’s banquets and gardens. Her day dress was modest, her thick brown hair braided plainly down her back. She wore no makeup, not a single piece of jewelry.

And yet, there was an undeniable energy that no simple attire could hide. Her curvy figure radiated youth and vitality with every movement, and her sharp eyes sparkled like midsummer sunlight. Even just walking across the grass, her steps were so light it was as if she were dancing. Rezion wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d kicked off her shoes and run barefoot through the wind.

Some people just make you feel better simply by looking at them, and for the first time in ages, Rezion felt the persistent ache in his head ease, if only slightly.

Across the tea table, Grand Duchess Ellaris of Ervinzel followed his gaze with a knowing eye. She must have noticed where he was looking, and yet she played coy.

“Our gardener is quite diligent, you know. And it is the perfect season for flowers to bloom.”

“You’re teasing me, Aunt.”

Rezion’s dry reply did nothing to deter her. Ellaris calmly removed his untouched teacup and poured him a fresh one herself.

“That young lady is Miss Dianne Ortenza, the one I mentioned. Do you like her?”

“Whether I like her or not isn’t the point, is it?”

He said that, but habit had him mentally flipping through the noble registries. The name Ortenza didn’t ring any bells. If she was serving as a governess to a grand ducal house, she had to be of gentle birth, but probably from a family too low to hold any real social power.

As Rezion’s eyes continued to follow the governess, Ellaris spoke again, this time with feigned sternness.

“Even if you do like her, Miss Dianne is off limits.”

“And what exactly do you mean by that?”

“I mean you are not to take her as a lover. If it’s a fling you’re after, the palace is full of women better suited for that.”

Rezion’s face twisted in irritation. Satisfying his basic needs and desires had never been difficult. In fact, not indulging them was far harder.

Even before he came of age, Rezion had been relentlessly pursued. Men who would sell their wives to gain his favor and power, noble daughters with dreams of climbing the ranks. He had grown utterly sick of it all. The reason he remained unmarried at twenty-six was simple: a sense of duty was never enough to overpower his instinctive revulsion.

He was well aware that his temperament didn’t match the privileges he was born into. So he played the part of a ruler who always prioritized duty over desire. But that kind of act never worked on his one and only aunt.

Her gaze burned through him from across the teacup. Rezion spoke with finality.

“I have no intention of forming immoral relationships with those who see me as nothing more than a slab of meat in a butcher’s shop.

“Then all the more reason why Miss Dianne is not an option. Her family may be humble, but she’s wise and well-mannered. I intend to find her a good match when the time is right.”

Now Rezion was genuinely irritated.

“Aunt, all I said was that she was ‘beautiful.’”

“As far as I can recall, Your Majesty has never complimented anyone’s looks except for the princess.”

“…Please leave Lira out of this. My headache’s getting worse.”

Elphenlira, Rezion’s younger sister and the empire’s sole princess, had been in a troubling state lately. She refused attendants, turned away her guards, and hadn’t appeared at any official events.

Claiming illness had just about run its course. No one truly believed that the princess, who was once the picture of health, had suddenly taken to her sickbed.

Watching her young son stroll through the garden with the governess, Ellaris smiled softly.

“I believe Miss Dianne may be able to reach the princess.”

“You have strong faith in her.”

“It took her six months to get little Erin to speak. Can you even imagine? Caring for a child from morning to night, let alone one who wouldn’t utter a single word?”

Erin Ervinzel. Ellaris’s only son and heir to the grand duchy had fallen mute after losing his beloved cat in a fire. It was that very governess, Dianne Ortenza, who had brought him back to his former self. Ellaris’s near-religious faith in the woman was understandable.

But Rezion remained skeptical.

“It’s been months since I last had a proper conversation with Lira. Do you really think a complete stranger could reach her?”

“Given the current state between you and the princess, isn’t someone who is a complete stranger actually the better option?”

“…I can’t argue with that.”

Rezion murmured the words quietly, but then suddenly tensed. From a distance, Dianne Ortenza was staring straight at him. She said something to Erin, still standing beside her, then began walking toward them.

Letting out a soft sigh, Rezion reached for the mask he had set down on the table and put it back on. It wasn’t that he feared being recognized. He simply couldn’t be bothered to deal with all the formalities that would follow if he were.

Fortunately, Dianne Ortenza seemed every bit the composed young lady Ellaris had described. She didn’t flinch or show surprise at the sight of a mysterious guest wearing a mask that covered all but his eyes. She merely bent her knees in a graceful curtsy and greeted Ellaris.

“Good afternoon, Your Imperial Highness.”

Ellaris returned the gesture with a warm smile.

“Good afternoon, Miss Dianne. I thought it was around Erin’s walking hour, so I came out to join him and to show our guest the gardens.”

Dianne offered another soft curtsy. Rezion responded with a simple nod.