Isn’t there always a monster living inside each of our hearts? And despite that, don’t we all live pretending to be noble, pure, and beautiful? She firmly believed this, though she naturally didn’t realize that this belief stemmed from her own way of thinking.
When she was driven out to the Astrid Empire under the pretense of studying abroad—though she was really a hostage—she made a vow. She would survive, no matter what. And she would climb to the highest position she could reach.
Fortunately, God had granted her the appearance that made her appealing to everyone and caught their eyes, which served as the perfect stepping stone for her ascent.
Upon arriving in the Empire, she maintained a bright demeanor, indifferent to her situation.
Meeting the crown prince of Astrid was nothing short of a blessing for her. From the moment they first met at a princess’s banquet, she instinctively knew that he could be the key to saving her miserable life. Strangely enough, he seemed to feel something similar.
Although what she felt was never the beginning of something called ‘love.’
He was the man who could fulfill her desperate wish, which was as elusive as reaching for a star. Crown Prince Cameron was the perfect man for that.
Of course, she didn’t feel any guilt about using someone’s heart. She was a hostage. What was wrong with winning the favor of the powerful to survive? It wasn’t as if they loved her purely, either.
But she wasn’t satisfied yet. She needed a more secure shield to prepare for any eventuality.
The most suitable person for that was the Duke of Bannister. Once she approached him, the doors of opportunity multiplied. Based on her experiences, she realized that the Duke was a wounded beast hidden behind a wall of ice.
Opportunities to encounter him grew, especially since he was a close associate of the crown prince, and it seemed as if her destiny was naturally aligning with her desires. Or so she thought.
At some point, she felt the Duke was closing himself off completely. To be precise, he was no longer paying her any attention.
The realization that her plans were falling apart filled her with indescribable displeasure. It didn’t make sense. The Duke, apart from his notorious wife whom he was rumored to divorce soon, had no other woman around him. He wasn’t the type to actively seek out female company.
Outwardly, she pretended everything was fine, but the seeds of anxiety had already been sown. She needed protection—the protection of those who controlled this country. And she had to show her father, who had abandoned her to Astrid, that the kingdom of Jallier was now at the mercy of the child they had discarded.
“Go to the Empire.”
That was all he had said—no explanation. Her father, who had been cowardly before the emperor’s envoy, was arrogant toward her, as if there was no other option. The king, who surely knew what it meant to be sent to Astrid, had doomed her to a life of scorn as a powerless princess.
She had to find the cause and eliminate it, whatever it might be.
And she unexpectedly ‘met’ that cause in a completely unforeseen way.
“My Lady?”
She was faced with a woman who spouted nonsense the moment they met.
Her amber eyes, which even someone as confident in their looks as Grace found mesmerizing, made her feel inexplicably uneasy, though she forced a smile to hide it.
“Pardon me, but may I ask your name?”
At first, Grace never imagined that this woman was the ‘Duchess of Bannister.’ The woman who, rather than standing by the Duke, wanted to be with the crown prince. Though society called it a twisted love, Grace never thought so. What she wanted was not love, but a ‘position.’ It was just poorly wrapped in a flimsy cover.
When she first heard the rumors, she thought the woman was foolish—someone who openly displayed her evil intentions. A fool who didn’t even know how to hide her true self to get what she wanted. Grace didn’t even see her as a rival, feeling no need to be wary. Even if she hadn’t married, Grace was sure she would have won.
So, she believed she could handle any encounter with her. A woman who only showed her emotions was of no consequence in Grace’s world.
“Your Highness, I am Delis Bannister.”
But the woman she met was vastly different from the one she had expected. Grace found herself, for the first time, unsure of how to react. Has this foolish woman somehow become smarter? What was she up to?
She thought about it but came to no conclusion. After all, the duchess had no reason to be friendly to a foreign princess and the woman rumored to be involved with the crown prince.
Yet, during the tea party that day, she acted as if she were trying to protect Grace. It was confusing, but the overall atmosphere among the noblewomen, who were simultaneously wary and fearful of her, assured Grace that it was not a misunderstanding.
At that point, the duchess was nothing more than an annoying hangnail—something irritating but not significantly impactful on Grace’s plans. And that would have been fine, if it had stayed that way.
But from that moment on, the duchess began interfering in everything she did. By the time Grace realized something was going wrong, she was always there, like someone who had made it their mission to ruin her life.
Even before meeting her, the Iron Duke, whom she had trusted would be her steadfast shield, treated her as if she didn’t exist unless she spoke to him first. It was clear that the Duchess had planted a negative image of her in his mind. Otherwise, there was no reason things should have gone this way after he met her.
However, when she faced that innocent-looking face, anger surged within her. Every time she saw the Duchess, she felt an inexplicable ‘revulsion’ taking over her.
And to make matters worse, her mood sank even further.
“Princess, my apologies, but I have somewhere to be right now.”
Recently, Cameron had been busier with state affairs, but he had always greeted her with a kind expression. Yet now, despite her coming to him in person, he seemed subtly excited as if he was in a hurry to go somewhere.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?”
There might indeed be urgent state matters, but her instincts told her otherwise. Not only was her shield crumbling, but even the wall she had believed to be steadfast was starting to move in an unsettling way. Unfounded anxiety made her unconsciously bite her nails. It was understandable since Cameron had always made time for her, even while working.
“Ah, I’m on my way to see Lady Berkeley. I heard that she visited the palace with her father, the Count. I received a handkerchief from her at the archery competition, so I thought I should return the gesture.”
‘……’
Lady Berkeley was known to be on friendly terms with the Duchess of Bannister. Apart from her unusually pale pink hair, she was entirely ordinary.
The crown prince was one of the most eligible bachelors in the palace, and most of the young ladies from prominent families who lacked a fiancé had offered him their handkerchiefs. He had received so many that he probably couldn’t remember each one. And yet, he was talking about returning a gesture?
In his hand was a handkerchief adorned with what appeared to be luxurious embroidery.
“I’ve been feeling so stifled in the palace lately that I came to talk to you, Your Highness, thinking it might clear my head… But if you’re busy, I suppose it can’t be helped.”
“Is your head hurting?”
Cameron asked with a concerned expression.
“I think it’s from being cooped up all the time.”
“Oh dear, shall I call for a physician?”
“No, it’s just… Ah.”
Grace lightly touched her forehead and furrowed her brows. Mistaking her condition for something serious, Cameron’s face grew more grave as he asked again.
“Are you really alright?”
“I feel like my chest is tight… Your Highness, could you perhaps accompany me outside?”
“…Hmm. Alright, if it will make you feel better, then we should.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Cameron, seeing Grace’s pale face, eventually made up his mind and tucked the handkerchief he was holding back into his pocket.
***
At first, Cameron had distrusted the Duchess, but he gradually began to trust her more and more. Especially after she predicted the war between the Kingdom of Carlin and the barbarian tribes, his trust in her grew even stronger. She was revered as the goddess of victory not only within the palace but also by the citizens of the Empire. The irritation that had once been like a hangnail now consumed all her nerves.
And Cameron increasingly felt like he was treating her with a mere façade. The reason was clearly the young lady from the Count’s family who was always by the Duchess’s side. It seemed that ever since Cameron opened his heart to the Duchess, his relationship with the young lady from the Count’s family had taken a turn.
Again, the Duchess. Again, her.
Despite all that Grace had done so far, the Crown Prince’s attention was clearly fixed on someone else. However, she was the only one who had noticed. It didn’t seem like Cameron would abandon her and choose the Duchess. After all, he was very aware of his position as the ‘Crown Prince.’
But if he ever let his emotions sweep him away and forgot everything, the game would change. Grace couldn’t tolerate the current state of affairs.
‘…Delay… is not an option.’
‘…It must be done…’
Then, by sheer coincidence, she overheard a brief conversation—a conversation that, to her, could only be seen as fate.
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