Chapter 36

“Are you aware that Duke Kaiden proposed to me? I know he said it to show you, but I plan to say yes.”

“W-Wait… Miss Hazel?”

“I understand how you feel, Princess. Is Duke Kaiden just ordinarily handsome? Not only is he the most handsome man in the Servian Empire, but his swordsmanship is also exceptional, and his body is so solid. And then…”

Lily, who neither wanted to discuss nor hear any more praise about Kaiden, hurriedly gulped down her tea. However, Hazel, with her eyes tightly shut, seemed to have blocked out everything else, showing no reaction to Lily’s discomfort. She was entirely lost in her own world.

“And you know how kind he is, right? He even buys rare desserts for me. He’s so quick on his feet that he’s saved me several times when I was about to get hurt. And when I was sick recently, he took care of me with such devotion. I can understand why you’d miss those qualities and try to push for marriage.”

Lily couldn’t help but feel perplexed. Not only had she never seen Kaiden as kind, but his quick reflexes and exceptional swordsmanship had caused injuries to her Imperial soldiers, resulting in losses rather than benefits. Hearing Hazel’s glowing evaluation of Kaiden left her speechless.

“Uh… Miss Hazel?”

“But I truly like Duke Kaiden. Much more than you do, Princess.”

Hazel opened her tightly shut eyes and locked gazes with Lily. At this point, Lily thought Hazel would surely give up, finding the whole situation more trouble than it was worth.

“Why do I need to know that?”

Lily rubbed her forehead, wondering how she had ended up caught in the middle of this romantic drama. If she had known, she would have been the first to suggest breaking off the engagement with Kaiden. Now, she felt like the villain disrupting the love between the two.

“I’ve already decided to marry Duke Kaiden. So, please don’t try to sway him.”

“Pfft.”

Sway him? Lily couldn’t hold back her laughter, causing her tea to spill before she could swallow it. Did Hazel really think Kaiden was the type to be swayed by anyone?

“I-I’m sorry.”

As Lily wiped the tea droplets off Hazel’s face with a handkerchief, Hazel suddenly grabbed her hand tightly.

“I know this must be shocking for you. I didn’t mean to say all this, but you already have someone other than the Duke, don’t you? I only have Duke Kaiden.”

“Miss Hazel, I think you’re misunderstanding…”

Lily tried to explain that Hazel seemed to be misunderstanding something and that she should have a serious conversation with Kaiden. However, before she could finish, half of the grand door to the Imperial Hall was blown off by a powerful kick.

Bang!

Standing in the wreckage of the shattered door was Kaiden, his eyes flashing dangerously.

“Hazel!”

“D-Duke?!”

Hazel was stunned to see Kaiden standing before her.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Kaiden, his forehead glistening with sweat as if he had sprinted through the vast Imperial Palace, knelt on one knee in front of her and held her hand. Even though she knew he had proposed out of spite, moments like this made her feel as though he genuinely cared for her.

Even now, instead of going to Lily, he had come straight to her. His eyes were filled with nothing but concern for her, and his expression seemed to say he was worried to death. The sight made her heart swell with emotion.

She wanted to tell him that nothing was wrong and that she was fine, but her lips hesitated. She couldn’t help but want to see more of Kaiden’s behavior—the way he held her hand and worried over her. Her feelings for him seemed to have grown even deeper in that short moment.

“Uh… Duke, that is…”

“Did Lily do this to you?”

“Well, yes, but it’s not what you think, Duke.”

Hazel shook her head vigorously, but Kaiden, unconvinced until he heard it from Lily herself, stood up from his kneeling position and walked over to her.

“Lily, is this why you wanted to meet Hazel?”

“Kaiden, what on earth do you think of me? I called Hazel here because I had questions about Humohr’s investigation.”

Lily scoffed at Kaiden’s accusatory tone.

“Humohr’s investigation?”

“Didn’t Kaiden tell you? Humohr used the 「Veil of Transformation」 spell to meet you, Hazel.”

Hazel, who was hearing this for the first time, looked confused. Lily began explaining everything in detail.

The 「Veil of Transformation」 was a forbidden spell that allowed someone to take on the appearance of another person. Apparently, Humohr had transformed into Kaiden and used this spell to meet Hazel. That was why Lily had wanted to question her. As she explained, Lily placed what looked like a bag of flour in front of Hazel. Inside, there was a grotesque mixture resembling a doughy figure with Kaiden’s features.

“Eek! What is this?!”

Hazel stumbled backward in shock, and Kaiden quickly steadied her to prevent her from falling.

“Do you remember this? They said you were holding it in your hands.”

“Ah, I remember grabbing something like an invisible tablecloth. When I pulled on it, Duke Kaiden’s hair and eye color suddenly changed.”

Hazel recalled the incident and described it.

“That’s the residue of the 「Veil of Transformation」 spell. Did you see who it was?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but they had golden hair and eyes.”

Hazel hesitated for a moment before speaking in an uncertain tone.

“But they looked very similar to Humohr…”

Kaiden, as if he had expected this, told Lily to hurry and throw Humohr into the dungeons. Meanwhile, Hazel tried to piece together her memories to determine the extent of Humohr’s actions while disguised as Kaiden.

“You visited the perfumed oil workshop too, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did. I was so shocked when I saw Hazel being carried out after collapsing.”

“And the sandwiches? Don’t you remember eating sandwiches with me?”

Judging by Kaiden’s puzzled expression, it seemed the person she had met at the workshop was Humohr the entire time. Thinking back, the scent, voice, and even the way he carried himself had been off.

‘I’m planning to marry the Princess.’

‘That was just to make the Princess jealous.’

‘Wake up, Hazel. I used you, and you’re just Evan’s sister to me.’

So, the person who had said all those things was Humohr? Then…

That meant the real Duke Kaiden had never said he was marrying the Princess. Hazel had been deceived by the 「Veil of Transformation」 and had even gone to the Princess to confront her.

“Then, what were the documents you and the Princess exchanged in the garden?”

“They were legal investigation documents regarding Humohr. Kaiden submitted the case to the Imperial Court as a victim of identity theft using the 「Veil of Transformation」.”

Realizing that she had mistaken those documents for wedding papers, Hazel felt deeply embarrassed. She had made a scene in front of the Princess, declaring her love for Kaiden and asking her to give up. The Princess must have been so bewildered.

Her thoughts quickly cleared, and it felt as though cold water had been poured over her head.

“What’s going to happen to Humohr now?”

“He’s claiming he didn’t meet anyone, so there’s no clear evidence of a victim.”

“That’s not true! I met him.”

When Hazel protested, Lily nodded in agreement.

“Would you be willing to testify in the Imperial Court, Miss Hazel?”

“Of course. But why would Humohr transform into Duke Kaiden?”

Hazel couldn’t figure out why Humohr would go so far as to use a forbidden spell to disrupt her relationship with Kaiden.

“It’s probably because of the perfumed oil business. And maybe because he dislikes me.”

Kaiden spoke bitterly as he gently stroked Hazel’s hair.

“I wasn’t trying to hide this from you. I just wanted to wait until you were fully recovered.”

“It’s shocking, to say the least. I never imagined Humohr wanted to take over the perfumed oil business.”

Feeling a mix of betrayal and disappointment, Hazel resolved never to judge people by their appearances again. She bowed her head in apology to the Princess.

“I’m sorry. I misunderstood, Princess.”

Lily smiled warmly and said it was fine.

“So, what did you two talk about?”

“Ask Hazel.”

Kaiden turned his gaze toward Hazel.

“Uh… Well…”

“It’s okay. Go ahead and tell me.”

“It was nothing important. I just misunderstood the Princess.”

Worried that the Princess might reveal what she had said, Hazel raised her voice and questioned Kaiden instead.

“Why did you come here, Duke? I left quietly because I thought you were busy.”

“I couldn’t stay at home knowing you weren’t there.”

Kaiden avoided her gaze, seemingly embarrassed to admit this.

“I thought you might go to Humohr.”

“Me? Why?”

Hazel pressed him for an explanation.

“I was worried you might accept his ridiculous bouquet and decide to marry him.”

“That oversized bouquet? It’s not even my style; it’s just a giant piece of trash. I’d rather have a three-tier chocolate cake.”

At Hazel’s words, the stiffness in Kaiden’s expression softened, and his fierce gaze melted into something tender, like syrup.

“A three-tier cake? I’ll tell Philip to get one. Or how about a five-tier or ten-tier cake?”

“Duke! I didn’t mean it literally.”

Hazel waved her hands, but Kaiden seemed to be seriously considering it.