5. The Beginning of the Wounded Northern Grand Duke

“That is not advisable. If Your Majesty visits the Grand Duke at a time when all eyes are on this matter—”  

“Prepare the carriage.”  

Edward’s tone left no room for argument, and Trix sighed deeply before leaving the Emperor’s chambers to make the preparations.  

The news of Larael and Herwen’s broken engagement spread across the entire empire through a newspaper with the headline: “Breaking News! Grand Duke of Vellaus and Lady Hedway Call Off Engagement!”  

Somehow, rumors had leaked that the Emperor was involved. In the Kazel Empire, even the Emperor couldn’t control the press. Ironically, Edward had benefited the most from the press in the past.  

As the son of a foreign princess, Edward initially had very little support within the empire. However, his achievements in war were widely publicized, earning him the love of the people and solidifying his position as crown prince.  

While Trix prepared the carriage, Edward glanced at the newspaper on his desk. Alongside the article about Herwen and Larael’s broken engagement was a photo of Larael smiling happily beside Herwen.  

‘Can I ever bring that smile back to her face?’  

He thought back to the first time he saw her. The entire empire had been abuzz, calling it the love story of the century. Herwen had come to him with an excited expression, asking him to persuade their mother.  

Edward had seen Larael’s photo in the papers before, but that day was the first time he met her in person. She had bowed her head to him while holding Herwen’s hand.  

‘Why did I do such a thing? Why did I lose control? And why can’t I remember? Was it really someone’s scheme?’  

The more he thought about it, the more questions arose. Eventually, Edward stopped thinking altogether. It was a bottomless pit of doubt. He didn’t want to suspect anyone. To him, suspicion felt like an excuse to avoid taking responsibility for his actions.  

—

“Your Majesty, the carriage is ready.”  

The carriage was prepared, and Edward set off for the Grand Duke’s residence.  

The Grand Duke’s residence wasn’t far from the imperial palace. The higher the noble rank, the closer their residence was to the palace.  

By the time Edward’s carriage arrived, his royal guards had already informed the household of his arrival.  

When Edward stepped out of the carriage, he looked around for Herwen but couldn’t see him, and his disappointment was evident.  

“Y-Your Majesty, greetings. I am Roberto, the head butler of the Grand Duke’s household. I regret to inform you that His Grace the Grand Duke does not wish to meet anyone at this time.”  

Roberto, trembling and clearly distressed, spoke without even lifting his head. Meeting the Emperor for the first time and delivering such a message was an enormous burden for him.  

Edward raised his hand, signaling him to stop. There was no point in listening further. He sighed deeply.  

“Step aside.”  

Edward’s voice was low, but the staff didn’t move. Closing his eyes briefly, he opened them again and spoke with more force.  

“Step aside.”  

This time, his tone carried more weight. The staff, sensing the danger of disobeying, trembled and stepped back.  

Edward walked straight to Herwen’s chambers. Although it was his first time in the residence, finding someone’s presence was an easy task for a swordmaster like him.  

—

“Herwen…”  

The dimly lit room, with its curtains only partially opened, was a mess. Among the chaos, Herwen was half-reclined on a sofa, glaring at Edward with sharp eyes as he entered.  

Herwen’s voice, hoarse and broken, greeted Edward.  

“You took Mother from me. And now, you’ve taken the only person I had left. How could you do this?”  

“I have no excuses. If you want me to kneel, I will kneel.”  

“Ha… Don’t say things you don’t mean.”  

“I mean it.”  

“Larael was in a daze. How could you do something so beastly to her?”

Larael was said to be in a daze, and Edward unconsciously bit his lip.  

“I… don’t really know either. I don’t remember. Do you remember anything?”  

“You wouldn’t remember, would you?”  

Herwen scoffed as he spoke.  

“It may sound like an excuse, but it’s the truth. However, I won’t deny my fault. I’m sorry.”  

“Please leave. It’s especially hard for me to face you today. Earlier, Mother sent a letter of annulment to the Hedway family. She also informed me that she’ll tell Your Majesty to appoint Larael as a consort, so be aware of that.”  

Herwen’s low voice trembled. As if he couldn’t speak any longer, he covered his face with both hands and began to sob.  

“Herwen, I’m sorry.”  

“…”  

Edward watched Herwen sobbing, his body shaking, and closed his eyes for a moment. Why hadn’t he been able to control himself to prevent this from happening? Edward looked at Herwen with a heavy heart.  

After crying for a long time, Herwen lifted his head, his reddened eyes glaring at Edward as he shouted, “Please, just leave!!!”  

Edward tightly closed his eyes and left the room. His steps were heavy as he climbed into the carriage to return to the imperial palace. He hadn’t expected forgiveness right away, but seeing Herwen’s anguish only deepened Edward’s guilt.  

Throughout the ride back to the palace, Edward rested his head against the carriage window. Pretending to be a hero, he couldn’t bear the truth that he was such a vile person deep down.  

When Herwen heard that Edward had left, he ordered his room to be cleaned, then, with a tired expression, headed to the study. He picked up a book and settled into a plush sofa.  

‘But Larael… I thought she’d cry and cling to me, but instead, she’s holed up in the mansion, not moving an inch?’  

Her reaction was different from what he had expected, leaving him somewhat flustered, but he decided to wait and see. Perhaps the shock was just too great.  

—

A letter of annulment arrived at the Hedway estate under the name of the Grand Duke of Vellaus. Although they had anticipated it, the Count and Countess of Hedway were still overcome with sorrow. Worried that their daughter might be hurt by seeing the annulment letter, they decided not to inform Larael of its arrival.  

Though Larael appeared calm, the Count and Countess believed her drastically changed demeanor from just a few days ago, along with her refusal to leave her room, were signs that she had been deeply shocked.  

Larael learned about the annulment letter from a note Herwen had sent.  

– My dearest Larael,  

I found out too late that Mother sent the annulment letter. I’m writing this to let you know that it was completely against my will. I will always love you.  

Herwen Vellaus. –  

After reading Herwen’s short letter, Larael tore it into pieces and told Sasha to throw it away. She didn’t want anything touched by him to remain near her.  

In the capital, rumors quickly spread that the Emperor had intended to appoint Larael as Empress but faced opposition and instead decided to appoint her as a consort. Naturally, the Count and Countess also heard the rumors.  

All they wanted was for their daughter to be happy. But despite their wishes, things had come to this, and with the Emperor stepping up to take responsibility, they felt a slight sense of relief. After much deliberation, they concluded that the best course of action was for Larael to stay by the Emperor’s side. They decided to discuss this with her.  

As evening fell, the Count and Countess went to Larael’s room.  

Larael quietly observed their somber expressions. Just as before her regression, she already knew why they had come.  

“I know what you’re going to say.”  

The Count and Countess exchanged troubled looks. The Countess, unable to bring herself to speak, shook her head. The Count took a deep breath, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and began to speak.