Chapter 11 – Long Ago, Where My Gaze Reached (Part 5)

Not wanting to linger in the entrance, Reubellina clenched her fist and walked inside the mansion. The staff of the Duke’s mansion bowed respectfully, welcoming her back after a long time.

“Welcome back, Miss!”

“It’s been a while, everyone. But you’ll need to change that title now.”

“Understood!”

Reubellina smiled at the staff who answered brightly. She gave a nod to Sandy, who responded with a nod as well.

‘I’ll let Sandy handle it.’

Reubellina decided to let Sandy instruct the staff of the Duke’s mansion on the proper titles. Otherwise, she didn’t know what Heather and Hemil might do. Considering Heather and Hemil’s personalities, it was fortunate they hadn’t raised their voices at the staff yet. They were not ones to hold back.

“Sir Fleur.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Fortunately, Fleur’s title was correct. Heather’s stern gaze softened.

“Do you know why my father went to the palace?”

“No, I do not.”

‘That means the Emperor acted after you left for the North….’

Reubellina fell into thought. Smiling at the staff she passed, she followed the butler to the bedroom she used to stay in as the daughter of the Duke.

“What should we do with your luggage?”

“I’m only staying for a few days, so there’s no need.”

“Oh, you’re not staying long?”

“No.”

The butler was disappointed but didn’t show it. The staff of the Duke’s mansion felt the same.

Their lady was no longer just a lady; she was now the Grand Duchess of the North. Even in the capital, she couldn’t stay for long.

“Tartenon is waiting for me. I didn’t properly tell him I was coming.”

“Oh, I see.”

Reubellina added, seeing the butler’s disappointed expression. There was no need to explain to the staff, but she wanted to console the butler.

“My father urgently called me, so I came. I’ll return soon.”

“Yes. Then I’ll prepare your favorite dishes for dinner tonight, Miss”

“It’s ‘Your Grace’!”

Heather, who had been listening, stepped forward and spoke to the butler threateningly. The butler flinched but didn’t back down. Reubellina held back a sigh and forced a smile.

“It might take some getting used to, but please pay more attention to the titles.”

“Yes, Miss… I mean, Your Grace.”

As soon as the butler, who bowed deeply, disappeared, Heather’s complaint burst out.

“Do the people of this house still think you’re just the Duke’s daughter, Your Grace?”

“Sorry, but I’m also from this household.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Heather’s tone softened as Reubellina whispered calmly.

“Just think of them as people who care about me.”

“It’s nice that you’re loved everywhere, but it’s also annoying.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Your Grace, you are Speraum’s Grand Duchess.”

Heather whispered in a dissatisfied tone, pouting her lips. Although it was a mutter, it was loud enough for everyone to hear. The servants who were organizing the bedroom paused, but Reubellina pretended not to notice.

‘I never thought I’d receive the same affection in the north as I did in the duchy.’

She had heard the words ‘our Grand Duchess’ many times but hadn’t realized they were sincere. Her time in the North had been short, but she felt good about it.

Listening to Heather and Hemil, a smile appeared on Reubellina’s lips.

“Yes, I am the Grand Duchess of Speraum.”

“So the title ‘miss’ doesn’t suit you anymore.”

“You’re right.”

Now, the title ‘miss’ was not appropriate. Perhaps after the contract ended in three years, but even then, she couldn’t return to being a ‘miss’. By then, she would inherit the Asillious Duchy and succeed the family.

Although she had heard Tartenon’s confession of love, Reubellina still hadn’t responded. She liked him, but she wasn’t sure if accepting his passionate love was the right thing to do. She wasn’t confident she could accept his pure and burning passion.

Reubellina, always confident and bold, became a timid woman when it came to love. Past wounds made it hard for her to be confident in love.

Reubellina sent everyone away, saying she wanted to rest. Once alone, she pondered deeply.

‘What do I want to do?’

She thought about it for a long time but couldn’t find the answer.

***

The Duke of Asillious had no choice but to leave the mansion due to the Emperor’s sudden summons. Although he knew Reubellina would arrive today, he wasn’t arrogant enough to refuse the Emperor’s call.

The Duke always kept a proper distance from the Imperial family. With Reubellina now the Grand Duchess of the North, it was even more necessary to do so.

The news of Viverna being expelled from Speraum’s castle in the North caused quite a stir in the capital. Although she remained a central figure among the nobles, the Duke realized that Viverna needed to relinquish her power to be safe.

After all, it was the first time someone with Speraum bloodline had been expelled.

It was becoming a widely accepted fact that Viverna was expelled this time because he had targeted Reubellina, despite having threatened Tartenon’s life multiple times before and remaining unscathed.

‘The Scene played a significant role too.’

As someone who knew that Reubellina owned that gossip magazine, the Duke could not remain idle. He made efforts to erase his daughter’s traces. Although no one knew about the connection between the Musen Trade and The Scene thanks to Reubellina’s careful handling, one could never be too sure.

‘Besides, that’s not all.’

The Duke already guessed why the Emperor called him. It was because the Emperor had found out who was behind Musen Trade, which was leading the capital’s trends, following the Asillious Trade operated by the Duke.

‘That can be explained sufficiently.’

No matter how much of an emperor he was, he couldn’t imprison the Chancellor and head of the nobles recklessly. If he could just get through today safely, he planned to discuss it with Reubellina to resolve the matter.

The Duke took a deep breath and spoke to the chamberlain.

“I heard His Majesty is looking for me.”

“He is waiting for you.”

The chamberlain waiting in front of the chamber room announced the arrival of Duke Asillious. When he entered the chamber room, the Emperor sitting on the throne and the Crown Prince next to him welcomed him.

“Come in.”

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Duke Asillious greeted Crown Prince Monterno with a nod and sat in the seat the Emperor offered.

“I called you because I have something to ask.”

Despite the oppressive atmosphere, Duke Asillious didn’t lose his composure. The Emperor’s eyebrows twitched at the sight of the calm Duke.

The Emperor slammed the armrest of his throne. With a loud bang, the Emperor gripped the armrest threateningly and spoke in a grim voice.

“There has been a question raised about the fact that the Asillious family operates two trade companies. What do you think about this?”

“I don’t know who raised such a question, but I am innocent, Your Majesty.”

Despite the Emperor’s threatening words, the Duke showed no reaction. The Emperor was the one who was flustered by the Duke’s calm demeanor, as if he were simply stating the facts.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then what about Musen Trade?”

“Pardon?”

The Duke Asillious blinked, looking as if he had heard it for the first time. There was no trace of a connection to Musen Trade in his demeanor. The Emperor and Monterno scrutinized him closely, but they found no peculiarities.

“I heard that Musen Trade’s northern branch was established in Speraum’s territory.”

“Oh, I have heard that rumor too.”

“You’ve heard the rumor?”

“Yes.”

Duke Asillious took a step forward. His expression was full of resentment, as if he were insulted by the suspicion. The Emperor tilted his head at the sight of the Duke’s crumpled expression.

“You’re saying the northern branch of Musen was not established under your influence?”

“I have never had such an influence. Although I did mention Musen Trade to Reubellina when she asked for a suitable trade company.”

The Emperor narrowed his eyes at the mention of Reubellina by Duke Asillious. He suspected the Duke was trying to use his daughter to escape the situation. It was a cold statement, hard to believe it came from a father.

“Weren’t you fond of your daughter?”

“I still am. But Reubellina is no longer the heir of the Asillious family.”

“Oh?”

The Emperor’s eyes gleamed. Currently, Reubellina was the Duke’s only child. Since she became the Grand Duchess of the North, he would naturally need to establish a new heir either by adopting or bringing in another person.

“So, you’re planning to establish a new heir?”

“I plan to do so after some time.”

“Do you have a suitable person in mind?”

“I haven’t found one yet, but someone will come along soon.”

The Emperor was swayed by the serious expression of the Duke as he discussed the new heir. He could almost hear the wealth of the Duchy rolling into the imperial family. The statement implied that by establishing a suitable heir and securing the Ducal title, the vast wealth of the duchy could be used for the royal family’s benefit.

While the Emperor’s eyes gleamed, Monterno scrutinized the Duke’s demeanor. He couldn’t accept things so easily. Monterno couldn’t believe the Duke would give his wealth to someone else.

‘His thoughts might change if children with northern blood are born.’

Even if the Duke were business-minded, he might designate a child with his blood as the heir if one was born. The Duke was still not that old. It might just be an excuse to get through this situation.

“Duke, are you really not the owner of Musen Trade?”

“Absolutely not. Who would undermine their own trade company’s profits?”

That made sense. Musen Trade had swept up the commoners by showcasing the so-called Stella Stones or whatever in the capital. While the high-nosed nobles didn’t care about such stones, the commoners were different.

The jewels bought by the nobles were too expensive, so the commoners turned to relatively cheaper jewels. The Stella Stones, which suited their tastes and had significance, drove the commoners wild. Moreover, only ten were released each day as limited editions.

‘If you, Duke Asillious, is not the one using such clever business tactics, who could it be?’

If that were the case, it was even more problematic. It meant that there was someone among the nobles with wealth beyond the royal family’s grasp.

Monterno never thought that the person running Musen Trade could be a commoner. There was no way a commoner could handle such a large amount of money. If the owner of Musen Trade were a commoner, they wouldn’t have been able to escape the royal family’s notice.

“So, you’re saying you’re not related to Musen Trade?”

“That’s correct.”

Although the suspicion couldn’t be completely dismissed, there was no way to prove it. The evidence they had didn’t directly link the Duke of Asillious to Musen Trade.

‘It feels like I could catch something if I investigated more.’

Calling the Duke too early was a mistake.

Monterno consoled himself for being hasty. After all, the Duke of Asillious was a noble and couldn’t escape the royal family’s grasp. Therefore, it was acceptable to take more time to investigate. Unlike Tartenon, who would be difficult to capture once he went north, the Duke was in a different position.

Monterno relaxed his stiff posture. The Duke noticed but pretended not to and turned his head.

“By the way, I heard the Grand Duchess took the family name from a woman in Speraum?”

“Reubellina would never do such a thing.”

“Then?”

 “Perhaps the Grand Duke, who cherishes my daughter, did it.”

The Duke, unable to hide his smile like a doting father, was the epitome of a fool for his daughter.

The Emperor, who saw his daughter as a pawn for political marriage, couldn’t understand the Duke’s affection for his daughter. He thought the Duke cherished his daughter because she was an important asset that shouldn’t be damaged.

The Emperor, puzzled by the Duke’s behavior, asked again.

“So, your daughter is not involved in having Viverna Speraum expelled from the family line?”

“That’s correct. Even if she were, it’s a northern matter, so I cannot interfere.”

The Emperor couldn’t nitpick the Duke’s response, as it was natural for heirs to lose their rights after marriage.

‘But something seems off.’

Had the Emperor and Monterno known that Reubellina had arrived in the capital, their questions might have been different. But they hadn’t heard the news yet. Reubellina had moved quickly, and Tartenon had imprisoned all the Imperial spies during that time.

“Do you know how brilliant my Reubellina is? She called me ‘Dad’ as soon as she was born. And then…”

Neither the Emperor nor Monterno, unaware that their spies had been cut off, could do anything but listen blankly to the Duke of Asillious boast about his daughter. His bragging about his daughter continued for two hours until the Emperor, bored, waved his hand to dismiss him.