Chapter 2.1 – The Emergence of Other Candidates for Grand Duchess

Lady Diana of the House of Duke Roiza was a woman universally acknowledged as the Empire’s greatest beauty.  

A peerless beauty, a woman capable of toppling nations, the flower of the Empire—these were the phrases used to describe her.  

Her thick, wavy red hair, cascading like waves, and her eyes that gleamed with the same brilliant hue were her unmistakable trademarks.  

At one point, dyeing one’s hair red had even become a trend among noble young ladies, inspired by her.  

As the flower of high society, Diana was always at the center of attention no matter which party she attended.  

At that time, there was someone else attending these parties for a different reason—Elena, she too, had been present at every gathering in hopes of catching a glimpse of the Grand Duke. Inevitably, this meant frequent encounters with Diana, whether she wanted them or not.  

However, this did not mean they were close. In fact, they had never even exchanged words.  

Diana was always surrounded by a throng of men, leaving no opportunity for anyone else to approach her.  

Through the window, the carriage bearing the crest of the House of Duke Roiza came to a stop.  

Diana stepped gracefully out of the carriage, and Dean Chase himself emerged to greet her at the front.  

The stark contrast in treatment compared to her own arrival was impossible to ignore.  

‘When I came, I was nearly thrown out, let alone greeted like that.’ 

Elena thought, her lips unconsciously forming a slight pout.  

She couldn’t help but regret not sending word ahead of her arrival. 

Why had I rushed over as soon as I received the official letter?  

Still, she consoled herself with the thought that it had allowed her to monopolize the Grand Duke’s attention for a few days.  

Diana, dressed in a simple cream-colored dress rather than an extravagant gown, exuded an effortless radiance.  

Even from a distance, she seemed to shine.  

‘How unfortunate. I, too, am fond of beautiful people.’ 

She recalled the Grand Duke’s words, which she had momentarily forgotten. They echoed vividly in her ears once more.  

What a stroke of bad luck.  

‘Why does the final boss have to show up right at the start?’  

Of all the noble young ladies, why did it have to be the Empire’s greatest beauty?  

She wondered what kind of expression the Grand Duke would make upon meeting Diana.  

Surely, he wouldn’t fall for her at first sight, would he?  

No, that couldn’t be. It wasn’t as though this was their first meeting.  

Or was it? Could he have forgotten her after all this time?  

It had been three years since the Grand Duke left the capital. In that time, Diana had only grown more beautiful, so it wasn’t entirely impossible that he might fall for her anew.  

No matter how Elena looked at it, there didn’t seem to be a single area where she could win.  

First, there was appearance… but she decided to skip that topic.  

It wasn’t that she thought of herself as unattractive. She loved the face her parents had given her.  

It was simply that Diana’s beauty was absurdly beyond comparison.  

Then there was her figure. The world was truly unfair—Diana’s face was stunning, and her figure was equally flawless.  

As for family, while Elena’s own lineage was nothing to scoff at, being the daughter of a prestigious marquisate, Diana was the daughter of a ducal house.  

Diana’s figure disappeared from view as she entered the estate.  

‘She’s probably going straight to meet the Grand Duke,’

What kind of conversation would the two of them have?  

Sitting alone in a corner of the room, Elena couldn’t help but wonder what the point of all this was.  

‘Alright, I’ll just take a quick look. Just for a moment, to see how the Grand Duke reacts. Only for a moment. Besides, I need to greet him anyway.’  

Justifying her actions to herself, she tiptoed toward the drawing room on the first floor.  

It was the very spot where she had first met the Grand Duke, the place where he had told her to return.  

Fortunately, the door to the drawing room was slightly ajar.  

Peeking through the opening, she caught sight of the Grand Duke seated on the sofa, facing forward.  

‘Ah, I thought he saw me.’  

She quickly pulled her face back and hid to the side.  

Cautiously, she peeked inside again, but there was no change in his expression.  

‘Good. It looks like he didn’t see me.’  

Faint murmurs of conversation reached her ears.  

Though she could tell who was speaking by their voice, she couldn’t make out the content of their words.  

Her curiosity piqued, she leaned in closer to listen, but it was no use.  

On top of that, Diana’s face, turned away from the door, gave no indication of her expression, leaving her feeling frustrated.  

“Marry… and… Grand Duchess…”  

‘Does she mean, “I want to get married because I want to become the Grand Duchess”?’  

It seemed plausible. Elena tried piecing together the scattered words she overheard, but it was hard to be sure.  

At that moment, a small laugh came from inside the room.  

Once again, she peeked in and saw the Grand Duke’s face lit up with a bright smile.  

The suddenly cheerful atmosphere made her feel uneasy.  

‘What’s so funny? He’s never smiled like that when talking to me.’  

She bit her lip repeatedly, venting her frustration.  

‘I feel like I could hear them if I got just a little closer.’  

The intermittent voices teased her curiosity, and she crouched down, pressing her ear right up against the door.  

And then it happened.  

“Miss Elena? What… are you doing?”  

Startled by the sudden voice from behind her, she tried to stand up in a hurry, but her weight shifted forward.  

What happened next was a blur.  

Losing her balance, she forgot that the door was already open and reached out to steady herself against it.  

Of course, the door couldn’t support her weight, and it swung open wide, sending her tumbling forward helplessly.  

* * *  

Helio found it hard to focus on what Diana was saying.  

His attention kept drifting to the faint golden curls that appeared and disappeared through the crack in the door.  

“Are you listening to me?”  

“Ah, I’m listening. Please continue.”  

Though he said this, his gaze was not on Diana, who sat in front of him, but beyond her.  

Elena Bellacita. It was undoubtedly her.  

What in the world was that woman doing by the door? What could possibly be worth eavesdropping on?  

He told himself to ignore it, but his eyes kept drifting toward her.  

She had just made eye contact with me—did she not realize it?  

If she was that curious, she might as well come in and listen with me.  

As he debated whether or not to say this aloud, Diana spoke again.  

“As I said before, please don’t pay me any mind. I only came because I couldn’t resist my father’s insistence. I have no particular desire to marry, nor do I want the title of Grand Duchess.”  

“Well, that’s good to hear. I’m sorry to have dragged you into this, but this was entirely Your Majesty’s doing. I have no intention of taking a Grand Duchess either, so it seems we’ve both been spared.”  

“That’s truly a relief. I’ll quietly bide my time and leave, so you don’t need to worry about me. Instead, in three months, I’d appreciate it if you could tell my father something along these lines: ‘The Lady was without fault, but we simply weren’t suited to spend our lives together.’ That would suffice.”  

“That won’t be a problem. I’ll promise you that much. You’ve had your share of difficulties too, I imagine.”  

“It can’t be helped. After all, it was originally my father’s dream for me to become Empress. I have no choice but to comply this time.”  

Helio’s lips curved into a smooth arc. Things were going more smoothly than he had anticipated.  

The Duke of Roiza was a man of considerable influence, even in the imperial capital. Ambitious and vengeful, Helio had been worried that rejecting his daughter might cause trouble for his older brother.  

But for the daughter herself to step forward and propose such a satisfactory arrangement—it was a relief to deal with someone so reasonable.  

And then it happened.  

With a loud thud, the drawing room door swung wide open.  

“Ugh!”  

A small groan followed, and there stood Dean, looking utterly flustered.  

And just below him, sprawled on the floor, was Elena.  

Helio, dumbfounded, rose from his seat.  

That woman never failed to defy expectations. Just when he thought she had been quiet for a while, she showed up like this.  

He strode toward the door with measured steps.  

“Lady Bellacita, is it? What exactly are you doing here?”  

His lips curled slightly on one side.