Chapter 3
Chapter 3
It took considerable effort to fix this situation, no matter what option I took . It's a hassle to merely move a finger, and I have to put in that much effort?
If that effort pays off and they don't ignore me, will everyone be on my side? So, I can live a sloth's life as I please?
No, even if I did all that, it still wouldn’t be the end .
'I am the first of the princess of the Great Duke . They're going to sell me in a political marriage . ' I was determined that I was to be sold .
Oh, it seems Princess Rubia is already set-up for a political marriage .
'Well, I'm in trouble . '
I frowned at my forgotten fiancé .
Unexpectedly, Rubia's fiancée was an amazingly sound person . No, not only was he sound, but he was probably the best groom in the western part of the continent .
'The 4th Prince of the Western Empire . A man who built up a force that threatened the crown prince with outstanding skill, even without the birth-right of succession . In fact, between the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince, people have no idea who will inherit the crown . ’
When I thought of him, I let out a quivering sigh .
If I marry such a fearsome prince, my life will be ruined . I don't know anything else, but I have to break up this marriage somehow .
After chewing on the last piece of steak, I got up from my seat and gulped down the wine left in the glass . "Are you angry?"
The representative maid looked at me . I continued, looking down at her plump cheeks .
"Are you very sick?"
"Oh . . . no . "
"Are you sad? No, angry and distraught? Do you want revenge?"
The representative maid turned pale and bowed her head . "No . How dare I . . . "
I reached out to the representative maid . "Take it . "
The representative maid had a curious look on her face . I handed her a a copper coin .
"Treat your wounds with this money . I'm not seriously hurt by your actions . I won’t be angry, so take it . "
The maid's eyes were stained with confusion . She looked as if she didn't know how to accept it . I put my hand on her shoulder .
"Let today's work be a good lesson instead . If you act well, there'll be little chance that you’ll face unnecessary hardships in the future . "
This was my sincere advice . If I were that maid, I wouldn't persecute and treat Princess Rubia this way . Not because I’m nice, but because you should always be afraid of what repercussions your actions will lead to .
At that moment, there was a sign of bustle outside the restaurant . Soon the door opened, and a knight in full armour came inside .
"I'm seeking Princess Rubia . "
Is this a case of chivalry? The knight, unlike the maids, bowed down in a polite manner .
"What's going on?"
The eyes of the knight who had heard my previous tone slightly widened .
"Your Royal Highness has called for your presence . "
My father .
"The Royal Highness? Now?"
"Yes, he is waiting . "
I crossed my arms . It was obvious why my father called me when I wasn't looking for him .
'That's great . I had something to say to Gong anyway . ’
"I see . Guide me there right away . "
In the eastern part of the continent, there is a proverb that goes, "Drop the Rhino in the Danso . " There's also a saying in the West, ‘Cutting the Gordian knots . ’
I'll cut off the troublesome silver threads of this cut-throat family at once in this meeting with the King .
I have made up my mind .
The Grand Duke of Luxen was a small country under the Western Empire .
It was about the size of a province, a little bit too small to call it a country, but people still couldn’t ignore Luxen . It was because it controlled the logistics of the Dental River, the lifeline of the Western Empire .
The Dental River has been a key trading route for the West and Central provinces . So, trade can take place without the Russo-Sen Powers .
It didn't lose .
It was a small country that nobody could ignore, the Grand Duke of Luxen .
The ruler of the country, was currently trying to clear issues surrounding the Dental River from his high-positioned office .
"I’ve brought the First Princess, Your Highness . "
At the knight’s words, the Great Duke turned his head casually .
When I saw the face of the Great Duke, I held back a low-pitched whistle .
'The King isn't the King for nothing . '
It’s not like I particularly thought he would be an ugly man when I saw the luxurious conditions of the house .
However, his appearance resembles that of Sven Jazak, an archangel . It means that he is handsome . I could see that Rubia's beautiful appearance was influenced by the Great Duke as well as by her mother's family .
Most impressive of all, I felt a strong sense of pressure in his eyes .
There was no moderation, as expected of the monarch who ruled the Luxen Empire .
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'This piece of trash . Why would he let the stepmother run around?'
I put the question aside and gave my thanks . "Rubia de Grandia la Luxen, the eldest daughter of King Gong . "
At that moment, light flashed through the eyes of the Great Duke .
"You're not shaking today . "
The remark stunned me into silence .
With how scary her father was, Princess Rubia was often frightened when she met him .
"There's nothing wrong and so there's no reason to shiver . "
I spoke in a wry voice .
No wonder . Well, I didn't do anything wrong . Why are you so shocked? But my statement didn't sound natural to the Great Duke .
"That's different . I feel like you’ve become a different person . What happened to you while you haven't seen me, Rubia?"
I just roughly answered . "It's growing season . "
"What?"
"It's that time in my life to grow one foot tall when I wake up, so my personality seems to have changed suddenly . "
At the utter nonsense of mine, the archangel gave a puzzled look .
"Yes . Well, basically, we haven't seen each other in a long time," I frowned .
The sound of the Great Duke's throat contained a hazy apology for Rubia . What? An apology for me?
But as if my feeling had been mistaken, the voice of the Great Duke cooled down again .
“Do you know why I called for you?”
“I'm guessing, it may be because of the argument with my stepmother . ”
"Yes, I'm glad you guessed correctly . I won't go into it, I just don't want to hear loud noises within the family . I hope this will not happen in the future . I'll talk to your mother about this, too . "
So, what he was basically saying was ‘I care about myself and your stepmother, but I'm tired, so I’ll just tell you all to stay quiet . ’
I looked at the thick haze and fatigue in the eyes of the Great Duke .
What's up with this?
Rubia's birth mother was a commoner, and it is said that the Great Duke loved her so much that he accepted her as his true wife .
So why is he leaving behind the daughter of his beloved woman, and closing his ears to any problems?
I was curious, but I put that thought away quickly . My stepmother should not have been able to defeat Rubia’s place in his heart . For whatever reason, the apathy of the Great Duke was not justified .
"I can't follow your orders . "
“ . . . . !”
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"The forced covering of a wound with a cloth doesn’t mean that the wound will heal . The King’s words are like saying, ‘The wound is burning, but it's not there . ’”
The Great Duke could not say anything . I wasn't wrong .
"I have a way to fix the wound . Would you like to hear it?"
"Tell me . "
I slowly opened my mouth .
Of course, my intention is to heal a sore wound .
However, I wasn't about to do it traditionally . That would take a lot of effort .
"There are two ways to deal with a festering wound: The first is to take medication and slowly wait for it to get better . It's the best way to avoid side effects, but it's a little late for that in this case . "
"Then what's the second way?"
"To cut off old wounds and get rid of them completely . It may hurt, but it's a sure-fire way of doing things . "
The Great Duke had his eye on me . What exactly did he think I was talking about?
I don't think he knows where this is going .
So I explained .
"I'm leaving the Kingdom of Luxen . "
“ . . . !”
The cold atmosphere around the Great Duke grew .
I carried on in a calm tone of voice .
"I know . My presence is like a thorn in the side of this family . As long as I remain, we will continue to hurt each other . So…"
Actually, it's just too much of a hassle to deal with them .
"I'll leave for the benefit of everyone . Allow me . "
When I finished speaking, silence fell in the room as if everyone was dead . The butler and the escort who were listening to the conversation killed their breath .
The Grand Duke stared at me with his eyes wide open . His face was filled with indescribable complex emotions . "Do you think I'm gonna . . . hear that?"
"You'll have to listen . "
I said it .
The Great Duke’s eyes were perilous . However, he kept his mouth shut and could not say a word .
I clicked my tongue quietly .
I don't know what he had in mind, but as a father, the Great Duke didn't deserve to say anything but a sincere apology to Rubia .
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But, of course the Great Duke will never apologize .
"Then I'll go back, knowing that you've given me permission . I’ll leave the castle today . "
When I finished speaking, I turned my back . Then I walked toward the door .
One step, two steps . . . .
I mumbled inwardly, moving slowly .
'Were you hoping I would cling onto this family?'
I shook my head inside . I wouldn't say anything . Again, the Great Duke did not open his mouth until I arrived at the door .
I felt relief and pity at the same time . The relief to finally be out of this cut-throat house .
This was about living a better life and the only pitiful one in this situation was Rubia, the original master of this body .
'You were such a poor girl . '
It was useless to say such a thing .
So, instead I raised my head with a more generous look . I'm going to live happily ever after, even with Rubia's past tragedy .
"Thank you very much . I'd like to say my last greeting . And so, greetings and farewell, Your Highness . "
The Duke felt a shiver at his daughter's last greeting . But at the end of the day, not a word of protest left his mouth .
After Princess Rubia left, there was a heavy silence in the chamber of the Great Duke’s office .
The Great Duke’s eyes were dark and expression was stiff .
"Does she think I won't catch her?" The Grand Duke spoke quite quietly . "She'll be right back . "
The butler nodded at the words of the Grand Duke .
A penniless nobleman could not have lived away from the castle . Princess Rubia was likely to return in less than a day .
'But will it really be like that?'
The butler recalled the habits of the Luxen princess he had just seen .
It wasn't like before . It wasn't the usual Princess Rubia with quivering shoulders, a drooping head and frightened eyes .
Rather, what was felt was a proud and free woman, who seemed stronger than anyone else .
'And . . . it was beautiful . ’ The butler thought unconsciously and his heart stirred .
Though he did not dare to say so, her mother's actions and dignity were so similar that he could not take her eyes off her . Undaunted dignity that even seemed arrogant, however it only made her beautiful .
If the former princess was like a faded doll, the figure he saw today was like a glorious fairy .