Chapter 35

Kaiden clenched his teeth at the audacity of Humohr, who had injured Hazel by mimicking him with the 「Veil of Transformation」 and yet still hovered around her shamelessly.

“Your Grace, why aren’t you answering when you’re inside?”

Philip cautiously opened the door and entered.

“What’s going on today? Why is there such a massive flower basket sitting in the middle of the hallway?”

“……”

“That’s the biggest bouquet I’ve ever seen in my life. Did you send it, Your Grace?”

“Philip, what do you want?”

Even though Philip’s question was innocent, Kaiden’s sharp tone made it clear that he wasn’t the one behind the bouquet. Judging by the fact that he had already prepared a wedding ring, it seemed he had brought up the topic of marriage.

“But don’t you think Miss Hazel Erban should know about this now that she’s recovered?”

Philip, who had helped draft the investigation request for Humohr’s 「Veil of Transformation」 incident, carefully voiced his opinion.

“Hazel will be shocked, won’t she?”

“She still needs to know. She’s directly involved.”

At Philip’s words, Kaiden nodded in reluctant agreement. 

The investigation had just begun, but Humohr was claiming that he had never met anyone while using the 「Veil of Transformation」 and that the spell had been accidentally triggered when an ancient book suddenly opened. It was a ridiculous excuse. What infuriated Kaiden even more was that the court officials, who valued the contributions of the Clun Ducal Family to the Imperial Court, seemed inclined to believe him.

“Your Grace, here is the ring you requested.”

Philip opened a small case containing the ring, and Kaiden’s gaze fell upon it. The ring was adorned with a large yellow topaz at its center, surrounded by rows of silver diamonds. The gemstones alone were valuable enough to build a luxurious mansion on a small estate.

“I specifically asked them to expedite the process because I thought you’d need it quickly.”

“Thank you.”

Despite the beauty of the ring, Kaiden’s expression remained grim, leaving Philip visibly uneasy.

“Your Grace, if I may speak freely… Within two months, you must leave for the Cliang Kingdom. You’ll need to sign the final contract there and visit Starshade Island on your way back.”

Philip carefully recited the upcoming schedule, but Kaiden showed no interest. To him, dealing with Humohr’s actions toward Hazel was far more urgent, and the most pressing matter of all was Hazel’s answer regarding their marriage.

He had hoped she would give him an answer when she woke up, but she had remained silent. Kaiden didn’t want to pressure her while she was still recovering, so he had been anxiously waiting, unable to say anything, while his frustration grew.

“Your Grace, you know it’s impossible to delay this any further, right?”

“We’ll discuss it when the time comes.”

“Your Grace, you’re not planning to avoid it altogether, are you?”

Kaiden didn’t respond to Philip’s question.

When he learned that Nordic was looking for a manager to oversee their family business, Kaiden had been prepared to stay behind and help with the perfumed oil trade. If Hazel wanted to move far away and have a peaceful married life, he was willing to do so for her.

The merchant guild had grown large enough that it no longer required Kaiden’s direct involvement. His life priorities had shifted—nothing was more important than Hazel. From the very beginning, he had started the business for her, knowing how much she loved snow.

He wanted to give her everything she desired. As long as he could see her smile, nothing else mattered. Hazel was a precious and irreplaceable part of his life, someone he had almost lost once. Kaiden realized he couldn’t delay any longer and took the ring box from Philip’s hands.

“Are we done here? I have somewhere to be.”

Although he felt guilty about rushing her, Kaiden could no longer hold back the words that had been building up inside him. He desperately wanted the brief days they had spent together after Hazel woke up to last forever.

Kaiden straightened his clothes and left the room.

“Hazel.”

Standing in front of her door, Kaiden called her name, hiding the ring case behind his back. However, there was no response.

“Your Grace, Miss Hazel just stepped out.”

Sophie, who had come upstairs to tidy the bedding, informed him. Kaiden immediately headed outside the mansion, only to see a carriage disappearing into the distance. He quickly grabbed the reins of his horse.

He assumed the carriage would head toward the Clun Ducal Family’s residence or the tea houses in the city, but it stopped in front of the Imperial Palace instead. Kaiden’s heart sank as he realized that the only person Hazel might know in the palace was Humohr.

Had her feelings changed after seeing the absurd bouquet Humohr had sent her that morning? The thought made his blood boil, and the veins in his neck bulged.

Dismounting his horse, Kaiden’s steps were heavy with a mixture of emotions—fear that Hazel might choose Humohr, and despair that he might spend the rest of his life chasing after her shadow. His usually light movements now felt as if they were weighed down by a resistance spell.

“Please, Hazel.”

Kaiden cursed himself for being so foolish. He had been so afraid of losing her that he had drawn ridiculous lines about saving oneself for marriage, thinking that even if she rejected his proposal, they could return to their old relationship. He now realized how wrong he had been. There had only ever been one chance.

“Hazel!”

Kaiden pushed past the knights guarding the front gate and called her name, but the distance between them was too great. Hazel, unaware that Kaiden was following her, clenched the letter in her hand tightly.

That morning, Hazel had sent a request to the palace, asking to meet the Princess under the pretense of discussing the perfumed oil being supplied to the Imperial Family. To her surprise, she received a reply in less than half a day.

「To Hazel,  

I had something to ask you as well. I’ll be waiting.  

From Princess Lily of the Servian Empire.」

As soon as she received the letter, Hazel rushed to the palace. She didn’t know what the Princess wanted to ask her, but she had plenty of questions of her own. First, she needed to confirm whether the Princess had met Kaiden in their garden a few days ago. She also wanted to know if the Princess truly intended to marry Kaiden despite having another man.

And then… Hazel bit her lip as her thoughts trailed off.

‘Am I going to end up in the dungeons for this? But what does she want to ask me?’

As Hazel nervously ground her teeth, the Imperial Knight guiding her stopped in front of a large door at the end of the corridor.

“The Princess is waiting for you.”

Gulp.

Before Hazel could fully organize her thoughts, she arrived at her destination, and sweat began to bead on her palms. However, having come this far, she couldn’t turn back now. When Hazel nodded, the guard standing by the door opened it for her. A luxurious fragrance wafted through the narrow opening of the door.

“The second daughter of the Erban Marquisate, Hazel, greets the Princess.”

Hazel bowed her head in greeting, and Lily gestured toward the chair across from her, inviting her to sit. Though the sofa looked as soft as a cloud, the uncomfortable conversation she was about to have made it impossible for her to feel at ease. Since her father, the head of the household, handled the perfumed oil supply matters, this was Hazel’s first time meeting the Princess in person.

“Would you like herbal tea or coffee?”

“Anything is fine.”

“Then, herbal tea it is.”

At Lily’s gesture, the butler standing beside her filled a teacup with a purple tea. Lily carefully observed Hazel’s face. Having only seen her masked at certain indulgent social gatherings, seeing her officially like this felt novel.

“I’ve been wanting to meet you, Hazel Erban.”

Lily smiled brightly.

She finally understood why Kaiden had hidden her away so carefully.

Hazel’s white skin and round, harmonious features gave her a cute yet pure aura. Moreover, her tiny clenched fists, as if she were trying not to show her nervousness, were so small that it almost made Lily laugh. Every little action of hers was endearing.

Lily sipped her tea, thinking that Hazel was far too precious for someone as cold-blooded as Kaiden. Furthermore, she had a few things to ask after hearing Kaiden’s claim that Humohr had used the 「Veil of Transformation」 to meet Hazel.

“Relax.”

“You said you wanted to meet me, Princess?”

“Yes, I really did. There’s something I wanted to ask you.”

Hazel’s small shoulders flinched slightly.

“Is it because of the perfumed oil that you wanted to see me?”

“No.”

“Then…”

Hazel took a deep breath.

“Is it because of your former fiancé, Duke Kaiden?”

The emphasis Hazel placed on the words “former fiancé” made Lily bite her lip.

Hazel had deliberately brought up the term “former fiancé” and was now nervously scanning Lily’s expression, as if trying to confirm whether there was something between her and Kaiden.

‘How adorable—they’re both playing this little romance game right in front of me.’

Lily crossed her legs, wondering how she could respond in a way that would tease Kaiden, who hadn’t even allowed her to visit Hazel while she was ill.

However, Hazel’s reaction to Lily’s movement seemed to interpret it as a challenge; her eyes widened momentarily before narrowing again.

“Kaiden was my former fiancé, yes.”

“Yes, your completely finished former fiancé. That’s correct, isn’t it?”

Finding Hazel’s reaction amusing, Lily didn’t bother answering directly but instead posed a rhetorical question.

“What was the reason you sent me a letter, Miss Hazel? It doesn’t seem to be about the perfumed oil.”

“I… I came because of Duke Kaiden.”

Hazel, too tense to even reach for her teacup, placed her hands on her lap instead.

“Yesterday, I overheard you and the Duke talking in the garden. The documents you handed him—those were wedding preparation documents, weren’t they?”

“Kaiden and I, getting married?”

“Yes.”

Lily, now understanding the reason for Hazel’s urgent request to meet her, quickly adjusted her expression. Hazel, however, continued to speak with a trembling yet determined voice.