Chapter 21

When the Rennes Grand Ducal family was established, the first vassal, Duke Silvesta, who devoted all his efforts to building the family, headed to the Grand Ducal residence’s reception room at the command of the head of the family.

A noble lady, who resembled him closely, followed a step behind, and her expression was no better than the Duke’s.

“Let’s skip the greetings. Sit.”

It was truly surprising that the young new head of the Rennes family, the Grand Duke, would cause such a sudden incident. It was unimaginable that he would do something like this.

Standing by the window with his legs crossed, he bore none of the aura of the previous Grand Duke and the first Grand Duke, Prince Kahel.

There was no sign of thick lines or a wild and sharp atmosphere; only his pretty face caught the eye.

He resembled the Grand Duchess more than the Grand Duke…. Duke Silvesta confirmed that his daughter, who had followed him, elegantly greeted the Grand Duke and then took a seat.

Thinking of the Grand Duke, he honestly felt frustrated. While the Grand Duke and his daughter were not lovers, he thought they at least had some affection for each other.

Of course, it didn’t matter if they didn’t. The Grand Duke would have a political marriage anyway, and his daughter was the perfect match for him.

Marrying a princess from another country wasn’t bad, but to solidify the Rennes Grand Ducal family, which was only in its second generation, marrying the daughter of the top vassal was appropriate.

“So. Why do you think I called you, Duke?”

“The matter related to Earl Gent… is indeed my fault. I apologize for that, Your Grace.”

Today, he wore a bright uniform rather than a dark one and approached the sofa in the center of the reception room with long strides.

The Duke bowed his head as soon as he saw the Grand Duke. The incident that happened a few days ago was indeed his oversight. Occasionally, there were those who showed misguided loyalty, and that vassal was exactly one of them.

The Grand Duke, known for taking good care of his people, did not particularly like Earl Gent.

The reason the Grand Duke disliked Earl Gent was simple. He was not doing his job as well as he was paid to.

His father, the late Earl Gent, had made significant contributions to the establishment of the current Rennes Grand Ducal family, so he hadn’t been dismissed until now.

Earl Gent, not receiving recognition from the Grand Duke, came to the Duke and made empty pledges of loyalty. He should have completely dismissed the Earl back then….

“The incident has already happened, yet you apologize… you’re no different from me.”

“Please convey my deepest apologies to the lady.”

“Convey? Duke, you should go and beg.”

“I heard she voluntarily left the Grand Ducal residence… was that not true?”

“Of course not. I know where she is.”

The Grand Duke, tousling his well-groomed hair into a mess, added that he should not go to her right now.

He wouldn’t let go of the woman carrying his child so easily. That was expected. He had sent her away in a carriage loaded with a considerable amount of wealth.

Considering the wealth of the Rennes Grand Ducal family, calling it considerable might be an exaggeration.

After all, the first head of the family was of the Imperial Family.

Moreover, the heads of the family had participated in wars over two generations, receiving substantial pensions. Prince Kahel, the first head of the family, had assisted the current Emperor in seizing the throne, earning the family’s trust and honor.

The Duke wanted to apologize a little more and completely resolve this incident. He hadn’t expected the Grand Duke to meet a woman in such a manner, but since the woman had now disappeared, it ended well.

It was true that he felt a bit sorry for the woman the Grand Duke loved, but she could never become the Grand Duchess, so it couldn’t be helped.

He was making this choice for the Rennes Grand Ducal family. The only Grand Ducal family in the Empire, built with all his devotion and years.

Even the first Grand Duke, Prince Kahel, who was now away from the Grand Ducal family, would have wanted this.

He was about to execute the plan to make his daughter the Grand Duchess and let the woman be someone the Grand Duke occasionally visited.

“Is the young lady doing well now?”

His daughter, who had been quietly sipping the tea served by the maid, spoke up. What did it matter now? It was all over.

But his daughter’s words did not end. She must have known that it was the first time in a while that the Grand Duke was meeting someone after the woman had come to the Rennes Grand Ducal residence.

“I heard the child was fine, but I wonder if the young lady is okay. It must have been difficult to hear such words.”

“Aileen, what is this…!”

He already knew she was a kind-hearted child. That’s why the Grand Duke didn’t push her away, and they even enjoyed tea together that day.

The Grand Duke seemed to be more interested in Aileen’s words than his own.

“It’s not something I want to hear from you… but it’s better than what your father is babbling.”

The Grand Duke smiled bitterly with his pretty face at his daughter’s words.

***

Floyd knew that the situation was now turning quite favorably. Most of the vassals had bowed their heads due to the incident with Earl Gent.

However, the cost was something he had never wanted.

Elina seemed to have been deeply hurt. His earnest apology and punishing the Earl didn’t seem enough to heal her.

He already knew that Elina would be greatly hurt by what had happened and tried his best to prevent it, but….

“If… if you truly loved me, then let me go. If I stay here any longer, I fear something will happen to the child in my womb… I can’t take it anymore.”

What on earth was Earl Gent thinking when he did such a thing?

He was about to punish him with death, but Duke Silvesta barely managed to intervene, stripping him of his title with the authority of the Imperial Family and exiling him from the Empire.

He didn’t believe Earl Gent’s explanation that he was trying to show his loyalty to Rennes. He was not someone who had any affection for Rennes, which didn’t acknowledge him.

And such behavior was not normal thinking, even more so.

He regretted only placing a few knights in front of Elina’s chamber, not expecting anyone to dare defy the Grand Duke’s orders.

As a family recognized for many merits after numerous wars, not a single vassal lacked strength.

As he recalled, Earl Gent was one of them….

Unable to confront the Grand Duke directly, he must have thought to upset him by touching the woman he cherished. What crime did Elina commit?

Why did he have to cause such a disturbance to a young woman who wasn’t feeling well during her pregnancy and needed to be with a physician every day?

Thinking about this, he felt so sorry for Elina that he couldn’t lift his head. He had promised to take responsibility, to take responsibility together, but he was only causing harm….

Floyd never made unreasonable demands of his vassals. He especially cherished those who worked well for the family. Even if it was just his thoughts, he was generous to all his vassals.

Floyd felt he had no face to see Elina anymore.

He couldn’t ask Elina, who had heard all the harsh words, to endure a little longer. If something really happened to the child… it would be irreparable.

So he let her go. No, at this point, he had no choice but to let her go. He thought it was the best decision.

And he would only pretend to let her go, never actually letting her go.

“How about serving Miss Elina outside the Grand Ducal residence? It might be better for the young lady and the baby. Distance makes thoughts and feelings grow distant….”

The physician, who was the only one Elina allowed to accompany her daily, said the same thing repeatedly. She said both he and the young lady seemed to need some rest.

And it seemed that he was too emotionally exhausted to handle affairs rationally.

He was a little surprised to hear that. Since most tasks were usually entrusted to deputies or aides, he rarely handled them directly, but he was personally involved in this matter.

One day he worried about Elina’s condition, another day he regretted the past. And he continued to engage in emotional exhaustion without resolution in meetings with the vassals.

Even though he had never drawn his sword, no matter how bizarre the actions of a vassal following the Grand Ducal family….

He had become very strange himself.

Inside the reception room, where Duke Silvesta had left, only a teacup emitting a strong floral scent remained. Although Duke Silvesta opposed making Elina the Grand Duchess to the end, well….

If he called the vassals for a rational conversation, he might be able to achieve it.

Floyd left the empty reception room. His chest still felt heavy.

It was quite late, but the person who should have come had not yet arrived, so he was just staring at the tightly closed front door of the Grand Ducal residence.

“Have you not left yet?”

“Ah… Your Grace.”

Duke Silvesta had left first, and his daughter remained in the reception room a little longer. She said she was curious about Elina.

Although she was the Duke’s daughter, her actions were not the same as the Duke’s, so he maintained some level of friendship with her. He should say he only had a rational fondness for her.

But now he was only thinking about Elina, so he had no time to care about her. Since she was one of the few who cared about Elina among the vassals of the Grand Ducal family, he listened a little longer to her story.

“Don’t blame yourself too much. Your Grace, you have only recently ascended as the head… and the day you met the young lady was the anniversary of the late Grand Duchess’s passing, wasn’t it?”

“Lady, stop.”

No. She seemed to have something in common with the Duke. Always meddling in others’ affairs, claiming to help.

He moved to the terrace, where he could see the front door of the Grand Ducal residence, avoiding the lady who followed him with every step.

The lady foolishly kept following, but Floyd pretended not to notice.

The front door closed softly, and the large carriage he had sent out that morning returned inside the Grand Ducal residence. A young man quickly dismounted from the coachman’s seat and, seeing Floyd standing on the terrace, saluted him as a knight.

“Knight Pio Radelk. I have carried out your command, Your Grace.”

He was the closest knight. Since he couldn’t send Elina with just any coachman, he sent a knight who, by chance, had become skilled at driving a carriage among those who had been on the battlefield with him.

Nodding to the cherished knight, Floyd thought of discussing the details once he came inside.

He had never let go of Elina or abandoned her, so he would think about how to win her heart back.

“Your Grace, you don’t have to worry about me. Do as you wish… I’ll try to persuade my father.”

“You…?”

Aileen, who had followed him to the end, nodded slightly, indicating she had said all she needed to, and then moved away.

Did the lady not want a political marriage either? But if it was for the benefit of the family, Silvesta would be greater than Rennes….

Floyd, watching the empty corridor on the second floor where even the lady had disappeared, went downstairs. Nothing else mattered.

As long as he could turn Elina’s heart around after resolving everything.