135. Tatiana’s Portrait
“Has His Highness not changed his mind about that?”
Katya asked in a low, hoarse voice.
Her throat kept tightening, making it difficult to speak in her normal voice.
But today was the day Bianca would become legally married.
Her sister’s love had finally come to fruition, and House Smirnov would welcome a new family member.
She couldn’t show tears on such a joyous day.
Moreover, becoming the wife of a monarch, becoming this country’s Grand Duchess, meant she couldn’t easily show private emotions in front of others.
That her beloved husband had wanted to die.
Just hearing this fact from someone else’s lips felt like her heart was being torn apart.
She deeply resented herself for not noticing earlier.
Though Katya wanted to collapse on the floor and burst into tears right now, she held back, reminding herself of the weight carried by the Grand Duchess.
“I don’t know if those thoughts have changed now.”
“……”
“But what’s certain is that His Highness found meaning in life after meeting Your Highness. He gained the purpose of making you happy.”
Even that wasn’t ultimately for himself.
Did it mean he would be fine dying as long as his wife was happy?
Nikolai was thinking wrongly.
He overlooked the fact that Katya could never be happy in a world without him.
“He seemed like a completely different person before and after meeting Your Highness. Seeing him smile more often and become brighter gave me hope.”
“……”
“His Highness thought he was the seed that made everyone unhappy. He said everyone he loved, including Her Highness Tatiana and His Highness Ruslan, all left.”
“That’s not His Highness’s fault.”
“Still, that’s what he thought. That he didn’t deserve to be loved by anyone or have a family, and living without any will to live. If there was one thing he desired, it would be Your Highness.”
“Ha……”
“He wanted to save Your Highness from the swamp of an unwanted marriage with that Ivan guy.”
Katya let out a hollow laugh.
When he must have been overwhelmed trying to save his own life from the past, strangling his neck and the present weighing on his shoulders.
He put the happiness of the woman he loved as the priority in his life.
While hiding his festering wounds even from that woman.
“I’m telling Your Highness this not for any other reason. I hope you two can have an honest conversation about this.”
“Have a conversation?”
“Yes. I wish His Highness would value his own life. If it’s Your Highness’s words, he will surely listen.”
“Yes. I understand what you mean.”
Nikolai does not fear death.
If his wife is in danger, he will throw his body to save her.
Even if where she stands is in flames.
Nikolai, who was in the garden, smiled and waved his arm widely at his wife standing on the balcony.
Her chest ached as she smiled and waved back.
As soon as Grand Duke returned, Katya fell into his embrace.
“Tia, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
Nikolai asked in great confusion.
His wife just buried her face in his chest without saying anything.
Luka and Bianca, who met eyes, smiled and tactfully slipped away.
Coming out to the corridor and closing the door, Luka turned to his lover and asked.
“What did you talk about with His Highness?”
“It’s a secret.”
Bianca put her index finger to her lips and smiled broadly.
“Why did Sister suddenly want to talk with just the two of you?”
“That’s also a secret.”
“What is it?”
While the soon-to-be-married couple giggled as they left, inside the room, Nikolai was gently stroking his wife’s hair.
“Won’t you tell me what happened?”
“Just……”
“Hmm?”
“I just wanted to be held like this.”
“……”
“Is that not okay?”
“How could it not be?”
These days, his heart trembled at every word his wife spoke.
At first, he had proposed a contract marriage to save her, but he ended up being the one who was saved.
He struggled dozens of times each day.
Between the wish to end everything and disappear from the world and the desire to live.
Between the thought of letting his wife go even now and wanting to stay by her side forever.
Between wanting to give up revenge to keep her safe and the rationality saying he must see it through for the country.
He endlessly yearned for these conflicting emotions.
“I love you, Tia.”
At those words, tears welled up in Katya’s eyes without her realizing.
Until now, she hadn’t properly understood the weight of that love.
She wished this man would look forward to their tomorrows together.
She hoped he would fear and avoid threats and death that would interfere with that happiness, filled with expectations and hope for the future.
He would choose death without hesitation to save his wife.
But to Katya, a love that sacrificed his life for her was meaningless.
His thoughts would not change.
Then she had no choice but to make him realize.
How it would feel to lose a loved one first, how her heart would feel.
That she couldn’t bear the life of one left behind.
She wished he would understand.
***
Hersen Palace was busy preparing for the royal wedding.
Bianca, who had completed her marriage registration with Luka, provided close support right next to her sister along with her ladies-in-waiting Brunhilde and Alyona.
With their help, Katya went through the wedding preparation process step by step.
For some reason, Brunhilde, who grew up far from the capital, knew all about the capital’s wedding customs and Grand Ducal etiquette, which proved very helpful.
By Nikolai’s order, Katya unusually received the treatment of the Grand Duchess even before the royal wedding.
Since they were already married in the South, her case was different from a typical Grand Duchess-to-be, and above all, it was because the Grand Duke was completely devoted to his wife.
The rumor that Grand Duke was overly devoted or submissive to his wife spread instantly through the nobles staying at the palace until the royal wedding.
Noble men considered getting in line with House Smirnov, the Grand Duke’s in-laws, even now, while women, married or single, were thrilled by the ‘Bloody Grand Duke’s’ romantic side.
The impact of unexpectedness was remarkable.
With this, the two most revered figures in society, Nikolai and Luka, both officially became married men, but people held back their tears of regret.
Curiosity had won over envy.
“What kind of blessing does House Smirnov have? They got the North’s two finest men as sons-in-law.”
“I know right? Aren’t you curious how His Highness and Lord Luka will treat their wives?”
“And what about the sisters who captured those two men’s hearts? I’m so curious what kind of people they are. I want to be friends!”
“There is actually the best way to have both……”
“You don’t mean……”
Whether or not they wanted to observe their love up close, as soon as news spread that they were recruiting ladies-in-waiting for the Grand Duchess, all qualified noble women lined up.
According to the testimony of aged servants and palace staff who had worked at Hersen Palace their whole lives, it was the highest application rate in history.
As a result, Katya became incredibly busy.
Along with the royal wedding preparations, she had to select ladies-in-waiting and immediately take over the Grand Duchess’s duties.
Because of this, Oksana completely lost her authority as former Grand Duchess.
“We should select ladies-in-waiting quickly.”
Brunhilde said worriedly as she helped with the Grand Duchess’s hair.
“Why? We should choose carefully. What’s the rush? I have you.”
“I’m just a lady’s maid. The noble ladies-in-waiting from the North would be much more helpful.”
“They probably won’t be as knowledgeable as you. The more I think about it, the more amazing it is. How do you know everything?”
At those words, Brunhilde’s hand holding the comb stopped in mid-air.
“……I just like learning new things.”
“Is that all? You’re smart and learn exceptionally well too. Bianca and Alyona are always amazed.”
“You flatter me. By the way, what are you planning to do with that painting?”
She naturally changed the subject.
‘That painting’ was an oil painting titled 「Pavlovsk, The Final Day」 which made Baron Lantskoĭ famous in the art world.
Baron Lantskoĭ, who manipulated his apprentice to create masterpieces and drove her to death, was ultimately killed by his new assistant who was her friend.
Katya and Nikolai were also present at the scene.
It was a honeymoon they would never forget for many reasons.
While investigating the Baron’s lifetime of corruption, a large-scale tax evasion was discovered, and all his paintings were seized by the national treasury.
“I’ll put it up for auction after holding an exhibition.”
“In the capital?”
“No. In Arsetia.”
Arsetia, the neighboring country across the sea, had traditionally been the center of culture and arts.
Many artists from around the world went there to study, and it was no exaggeration to say all art collectors gathered in Arsetia.
“Shouldn’t we tell His Highness?”
Brunhilde asked carefully.
The protagonist painted in that oil painting was Nikolai’s mother, Tatiana.
When Pavlovsk Monastery flooded, Tatiana couldn’t escape in time and drowned—it depicted her desperate figure standing on the bed right before her death.