Chapter 6 – Change (Part 9)

Emiliano shouted. More than the clichéd expressions describing a beauty, he was astonished that Cassius was earnestly praising his fiancée’s appearance as he had been instructed.

“You’ve given me goosebumps all over. Are you really Cassius de Grendel?”

When Emiliano asked incredulously, Cassius, realizing what he had just done, became even more rigid than he already was, if that was possible.

“You must have done something to me. Otherwise, this doesn’t make sense.”

Emiliano pondered for a moment before continuing his questioning.

“About Princess Karinsa.”

Cassius looked at Emiliano, puzzled by the sudden change of topic.

“Princess Karinsa is reputed to be the kingdom’s greatest beauty. You were summoned by His Majesty last night and walked by the lake with her.”

“What does that have to do with this?”

“Listen, I’m trying to diagnose you. It seems you’re suffering from a pretty serious illness.”

“An illness… you say? Me?”

“Right. You could call it a disease or a curse. So answer my questions honestly. Wasn’t it a night similar to tonight when you walked by the lakeside with Princess Karinsa?”

Cassius thought for a moment and replied that it might have been. In fact, he hadn’t noticed the exact circumstances because he was busy being vigilant about any potential threats around him.

“Princess Karinsa’s blonde hair is famously dazzlingly beautiful, so it must have been magnificent in the moonlight. Didn’t she often tuck her hair back?”

“Come to think of it, she did seem to touch her hair frequently and glance at me. It seemed to bother her as it kept falling.”

Emiliano asked again.

“And they say Princess Karinsa’s eyes sparkle like the sea under the noonday sun, but they must have been even more beautiful in the moonlight?”

“They were just blue.”

Emiliano was taken aback by Cassius’s firm reply.

‘He’s more serious than I thought.’

Emiliano asked again.

“During that time, did you ever want to describe the princess’s appearance or feel like doing something for her while walking together?”

“I was too busy being vigilant against potential threats. And is there a need to describe the princess’s appearance? That’s the job of court poets.”

Emiliano sighed deeply.

“You haven’t forgotten that one of your maternal grandfathers was among the past court poets, have you?”

The Roxen Marquisate, Cassius’s maternal family, was famous for its literary lineage, having produced many critics and court poets over generations. Though lacking in martial prowess, many were renowned for their eloquent writing and speeches.

Emiliano, still shocked by Cassius’s earlier detailed descriptions of his fiancée, muttered to himself.

“I thought you had none of Roxen’s traits, but it seems they manifest when the time is right.”

At the mention of Roxen, Cassius’s expression turned fierce. For a moment, Cassius’s ears went deafeningly silent, and he heard a familiar voice.

‘You have none of Roxen’s weak blood.’

With the voice came an intense headache, albeit briefly.

Emiliano watched Cassius’s sudden change in expression with curiosity, but of course, he couldn’t know what was passing through Cassius’s mind.

After a moment, Cassius spoke in a dry, emotionless voice, even more so than usual.

“I have none of Roxen’s weak blood.”

Then Cassius stood up. He was bewildered as to why he had shown such a ridiculous sight at this hour. He must have been momentarily out of his mind from the pond to this place. Losing his composure over such a matter was unacceptable.

“I caused a commotion late at night. Sorry for disturbing your sleep.”

Emiliano was surprised again by Cassius’s suddenly changed, cold demeanor.

“Why are you like this all of a sudden? Is it because I mentioned your maternal family? Even if there’s an issue with your mother, there’s no need to treat the family itself as an enemy.”

“Just mentioning it is unpleasant. It’s a family that doesn’t need to be mentioned as the heir of Grendel.”

Emiliano wanted to argue, but seeing Cassius’s face, which had turned cold and devoid of humanity, he kept his mouth shut.

Cassius left the room without a word of farewell.

***

Elysia lay stiff as a corpse in the middle of her bed, unable to sleep, staring at the ceiling.

‘Because you are as beautiful as the moonlight…’

As Cassius’s face, saying that while holding her hand as she tried to tuck her hair behind her ear, came to mind, her face turned red without her realizing it.

‘Why, out of nowhere, suddenly? Why hold my hand there and say such things?!’

Elysia tossed and turned in bed, fuming. The moment Cassius’s deepened gaze and low voice came to mind, her face grew redder, and her heart pounded, making sleep impossible.

‘Did he really mean that to me? Saying such a cheesy line so nonchalantly, maybe he prepared it in advance?’

Perhaps he had been waiting for the right moment to win over his fiancée’s favor, planning to seduce her. After all, as a Duke, it would be easier to deal with a wife who liked him rather than one who didn’t.

Elysia recalled Cassius’s behavior immediately after saying those words. As if snapping out of a spell, he suddenly let go of her hand, turned his body abruptly, and said, ‘It’s cold, let’s go inside,’ leaving the garden with large strides without waiting for Elysia.

Judging by that behavior, the Duke might have been swept up in the mood unexpectedly and regretted it later, leaving the garden.

‘That seems more plausible. He’s such a cool and rational person, he must have regretted getting caught up in the moment, even for a short while.’

Elysia was frustrated that she had been moved by such a person.

It was none other than Duke Grendel. It was unlikely that someone who had shown no interest and maintained a businesslike attitude would suddenly develop feelings for her. Even if there was a momentary attraction, considering his usual behavior and the notorious reputation of his predecessor, she didn’t think he would continue showing a kind attitude.

“It’s already overwhelming just to do my duties as the lady of the house. I can’t be swayed by the Duke’s moods. Life is tiring enough as it is.”

Elysia tried to forget the incident at the pond and sought sleep.

***

Meanwhile, there was someone else in the Brunchia palace who couldn’t sleep until late at night.

“Was it the dress that was wrong? Or should I have handled it better when I screamed after saying the wart was lovely? Was it too dark for him to see how pretty I am? What was the problem, huh? Huh?”

Princess Karinsa paced anxiously in her room, bombarding her lady-in-waiting with questions. After her plan to win Cassius’s favor during their lakeside meeting failed, she was incessantly questioning what part of her plan had gone wrong. The lady-in-waiting continued her soulless responses as usual.

“There couldn’t have been more effective attire. Even if you find insects adorable, I doubt the Duke would see it favorably. The moonlight was bright enough for him to see your appearance very well.”

At the lady-in-waiting’s response, the princess stopped abruptly in the middle of the room.

“Then what on earth was the problem! How can I make Cassius-oppa fall for me!”

The lady-in-waiting pondered. If she didn’t provide an answer that the princess found intriguing, it seemed the princess wouldn’t go to bed even after sunrise. The lady-in-waiting finally spoke.

“That might be the problem.”

“What is?”

“The fact that you call the Duke ‘Oppa.’ The familiarity you two have had since childhood.”

When Cassius used to frequent the palace as a study and playmate for Clois, Princess Karinsa often joined them during those times. Of course, back then, she was just a little sister tagging along with her older brothers.

“Isn’t it good to be close? It means we’re more familiar than others.”

“If you’re okay with just being good friends, then yes. But if you want to develop into a romantic relationship, it might actually be a disadvantage. It’s hard to feel romantic affection for someone you’ve seen as a younger sibling since childhood. Especially for someone as clear-cut as the Duke, it would be difficult to see you as anything more than a member of the royal family he must protect and be loyal to. If you’re okay with that level of relationship…”

“No way! Marriage should be out of mutual love. My parents were like that, and so is Brother Clois.”

‘In the novels the princess enjoys, that’s always the case, but reality doesn’t unfold like a novel.’

The lady-in-waiting thought so and swallowed the sigh that threatened to escape.

“Alright, then how can I make Cassius-oppa see me as a romantic partner?”

“Well, first, you should break away from the relationship of being a younger sister to a brother. The Duke might still see you as the child from back then, so it would be good to show him that you’re now a mature adult.”

At the lady-in-waiting’s words, thrown out without much thought, Princess Karinsa’s eyes suddenly sparkled.

“A mature adult, that’s it!”

The lady-in-waiting felt that somehow the princess was misunderstanding her words, but she decided not to say anything further.