Chapter 12 – Back to the Capital (Part 1)

After leaving the palace, Duke Asillious realized he might not enter the palace again. He knew the north’s movements were unsettling and that the pressure on Reubellina would continue. They were lucky that Reubellina’s ownership of Musen Trade hadn’t been discovered, but once it was known, the Imperial Family wouldn’t stay idle.

‘No matter how much I draw a line, things can change once they know.’

For now, the Emperor and the Crown Prince didn’t know about Reubellina’s ownership, so he could leave the palace safely. But once they found out, the Duke’s safety wouldn’t be guaranteed. They wouldn’t hesitate to capture the Duke to get to Reubellina.

As he pondered future plans, the carriage arrived in front of the Ducal residence.

“The young lady is here.”

“Oh, really? She came early.”

It felt like he hadn’t spent much time in the palace, but Reubellina had already arrived. He wanted to be the first to welcome her back to the capital, but the oblivious Emperor had ruined his plans.

“I had prepared a grand welcoming ceremony!”

“Shall we hold it tonight?”

“No, that won’t be necessary!”

The Duke, feeling upset that everything had been ruined, spoke harshly.

“You’re here?”

Reubellina came out to greet him in the reception room. Seeing his daughter, it felt like the time before she got married and was in the Duke Asillious residence.

“Yes, have you been well?”

“Of course. How about you, Father?”

“I haven’t been well.”

“What?”

“How could I be well in this house without my daughter? It feels empty and hollow…”

“Oh, stop it.”

Reubellina wanted to treat her father well after a long time, but she cut him off, thinking they might end up standing in the reception room for over two hours. She saw his disappointed expression but pretended not to notice.

“You’ve changed!”

“Who has changed? You’re the one who has changed, Father!”

Although he had always cherished her, this level of affection was unusual.

Reubellina blinked at the Duke while raising her chin. Seeing her cross her arms and her expression, the Duke decided not to mention it further. He was glad to see his daughter after a long time, but she still had a frightening side.

The Duke, who had raised Reubellina with care after his wife’s early death, was not a quick calculator. It was Reubellina who had driven the growth of the Asillious Trade by pushing such a Duke.

‘In retrospect, it’s such a waste.’

Seeing Reubellina adapt well in the north, the Duke felt like he had lost a perfect successor, and he sighed. The north, which had taken Reubellina as the grand duchess, was continually developing, while the Asillious Duchy territory remained stagnant.

There was no one with ideas as brilliant as hers, causing the trade to stagnate. They were on the verge of losing the title of the top trade company in the capital to Musen Trade.

“Reubellina.”

“Yes?”

“Er, ahem! Are you very busy?”

“I’m a bit more relaxed now.”

Until now, she couldn’t even lie about not being busy, given her efforts to sell northern products. During that time, she couldn’t move from the northern office. Not only her but also Tartenon was busy.

“Then, could you pay a bit more attention to the trade?”

“Yes. …What?”

Answering out of habit, Reubellina widened her eyes in surprise. Seeing her unusual reaction, Duke Asillious nodded and shifted the topic.

“Er, ahem! I mean the trade.”

“Oh, that.”

Although the Duke meant the Asillious Trade, Reubellina thought he referred to the Musen Trade. When she nodded in agreement, the Duke’s face brightened.

“Then let’s go to the office.”

Reubellina and the Duke sat across from each other in the office. When the butler left to prepare tea, leaving them alone, Reubellina spoke first.

“What happened?”

“It seems the imperial family has noticed something. They asked me about the Musen Trade.”

“Have they found out I am the owner?”

“Not yet.”

Reubellina sighed in relief, hearing that they hadn’t discovered the owner’s identity yet.

She didn’t want to be exposed just yet. If her identity became known after gaining more power, she could handle it, but for now, she was just the grand duchess of the north.

Although she had established herself in the north, her authority stemmed from Tartenon. If she were to disappear, she wasn’t sure if the northerners would protect her?

The answer was uncertain.

Reubellina also had affection for the north, but it was hard to say she loved it as much as the northerners did. Her foundation was in the capital, here at the Asillious Duchy. The Duke was also inseparable from her.

More than just a father-daughter relationship, they were business partners deeply intertwined with the trade. They sometimes cooperated for mutual benefit and other times competed with each other.

Reubellina, in particular, was aggressive enough to trample over the Asillious Trade if it benefited her business. She had expanded Musen Trade so aggressively that it had become the capital’s second-largest trade, challenging the Asillious Trade.

“What are you going to do?”

“I need to hide it a bit longer.”

“It won’t be easy. It seems the imperial family will soon investigate Musen Trade further. If they find out you’ve been running it since before your marriage, they will undoubtedly try to bring us down, knowing our family controlled two trades and funneled significant resources to Speraum.”

“Was there any talk about the successor of the Duchy?”

More than revealing her as the owner of Musen Trade, Reubellina was worried about the imperial family’s right to designate noble family successors. Since Duke Asillious didn’t know about her contract marriage, he could arbitrarily appoint a successor.

“If you have a child, it will be given to that child.”

“Of course.”

“Naturally. I cannot pass the management rights of the trade or the title to someone who isn’t of my blood.”

The Duke’s answer was thoroughly family-centric regarding money and power, which satisfied Reubellina. She needed a place to return to if she ever came back to the capital.

Reubellina answered the Duke with a bright smile.

“I asked something obvious.”

“So, let me hear some good news soon.”

“Yes, I should… what?”

“I want to see your children.”

The Duke’s smile sent a chill down Reubellina’s spine. Determined not to let him know about the contract marriage, she awkwardly smiled at him.

Not noticing anything special in her smile, the Duke spoke again.

“Is the Grand Duke treating you well?”

“Of course.”

“Do you spend every night together?”

“Well, of course…”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about. We’ll hear good news soon.”

“What are you talking about!”

A father asking about his daughter’s night life was unheard of, making Reubellina jump. However, the Duke remained confident.

“Since your mother isn’t here, it’s my duty to check on you!”

“Why should you check on that!”

Reubellina stood up abruptly, telling him to stop saying nonsense. She had hurried to the capital, thinking there was something more important, but it was all trivial talk. She felt sorry for leaving Tartenon without explaining the situation.

As she was about to leave the office, the Duke followed.

“Since you’re here, take some rest before you go. I heard you couldn’t rest properly in the north.”

“That’s true.”

Following the Duke’s kind suggestion, Reubellina walked with him. Her fluctuating emotions calmed with his words. She still felt sorry towards Tartenon but also pitied her father living alone in this large mansion.

Reubellina looked around. The scenery greeting her was the same as when she left.

‘Nothing has changed here.’

The Asillious mansion was unchanged, as if prepared for her eventual return. Reubellina fell into her thoughts.

‘That mark is from when I measured my height… and that’s the vase I broke.’

Seeing the patched-up vase, Reubellina smiled slightly before coughing.

“What’s the matter?”

“That vase is still here.”

“Because it holds cherished memories.”

The Duke’s nostalgic tone made Reubellina feel a tinge of emotion, and she slightly lowered her head.

She didn’t want to be swept away by emotions, but the thought that this was the only place she could return to became more solid.

“His Grace the Grand Duke has arrived!”

The butler’s loud announcement echoed through the Asillious Duchy.

***

As soon as Tartenon saw the walls of the capital, he spurred his horse to full speed. No one could stand in his way. The knights following him also rode at full speed to keep up with Tartenon.

The city’s walls were in chaos, thinking an enemy was approaching, but upon seeing the flag symbolizing Speraum, they opened the gates.

Thanks to the quick-witted Bruelin, there was no blockage at the city’s walls. Bruelin, understanding that Tartenon wouldn’t tolerate anyone blocking his path, raised the Grand Duke’s flag to signify his identity.

The knights riding behind Tartenon heard praises for Bruelin’s smart move, but Tartenon didn’t hear a thing. The only thought in his mind was that Duke Asillious’s residence would soon appear if he kept riding straight.

‘I didn’t expect them to stay put.’

Coming to the capital at such a dangerous time was not a good idea.