For reasons she could not fathom, Vivianne had entered the Cold Palace, where she was attacked by the Emperor’s knight, Akalt.
When Eleanor heard the news, her heart sank.
“It was a trap. He discovered my plan and deceived me. He wanted me to lead the Grand Duke into danger with my own hands.”
From that moment on, it felt as though she could barely breathe.
A constant weight pressed against her chest, filling her with dread.
Perhaps Kaelion thought she had been working with the Emperor the whole time.
Perhaps he thought that they had planned the whole incident together.
The thought alone made her feel sick.
She did not want to earn his suspicion.
She did not want him to hate her.
However, no matter how desperately she wished to explain herself, she could not bring herself to approach him.
She was left alone with her fear, helplessly imagining what Kaelion must think of her now.
“Besides… the Grand Duke didn’t trust me.”
If Kaelion had trusted Eleanor’s words, he would have been the one standing in the Cold Palace that day.
He would have been the one facing Akalt’s blade.
Eleanor did not know why Vivianne had fallen into the trap instead.
But one thing was painfully clear: Kaelion had not trusted her.
This realization burned a hole in her heart. The pain spread through her chest like a slow-burning fire, leaving bitterness and despair in its wake.
He had doubted her.
And somehow, that hurt more than she could bear.
The thought made her feel so miserable that she had a dark and shameful thought for a moment.
Perhaps…
It would have been better if he had fallen into the trap after all.
The instant the thought surfaced, she hated herself for it.
But that only made the ache in her heart worse.
‘Now, to the Grand Duke, I am…’
“His Grace Grand Duke Eizenwald and Her Grace the Grand Duchess have arrived.”
At that moment, the chief attendant’s voice rang out through the ballroom.
The music stopped instantly.
The entire hall fell silent.
All eyes were on the cursed Grand Duke as he entered — the man rumored to have tried to kill his own father in pursuit of the throne.
Kaelion and Rosetta entered through the open doors.
They did not hold hands.
Instead, they walked a short distance apart.
“Ah!”
A gasp of admiration echoed through the silent ballroom.
Eleanor knew immediately that it wasn’t aimed at the Grand Duke.
Rosetta was beautiful.
She had a beauty that she had never possessed when she was the Marquis of Montero’s adopted daughter.
A beauty that seemed woven from moonlight itself.
‘Would the Goddess of the Moon look like that if she were born as a human?’
Rosetta’s dress was undeniably modest.
Although it had been crafted with great care, the fabric itself was inexpensive. There were no extravagant layers of lace or jewels adorning it.
It was a simple, carefully tailored dress that was worn with quiet elegance.
Yet that humble dress did nothing to diminish her beauty.
Her silver hair, as though spun from moonlight itself, cascaded over her delicate shoulders.
Though she wore no precious gems, with every movement, those shimmering strands swayed behind her, tracing dazzling arcs through the air like living starlight.
Set against her almost translucent skin, her features were so exquisitely beautiful that they made onlookers’ hearts ache.
And her violet eyes…
They seemed as though an entire midnight sky had been gathered and poured into them. They were filled with a mysterious beauty that was impossible to look away from.
No jewel in the ballroom could rival the brilliance she carried so effortlessly.
A natural grace flowed from every part of her, exuding an effortless elegance that could never be mistaken for anything forced or vulgar.
When the music finally started again after falling silent with the arrival of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, Eleanor realized that she had been clenching her fists so tightly that her nails were digging into her palms.
The nobles slowly recovered from their astonishment and resumed their conversations.
Yet not a single one of them approached the Grand Ducal couple.
Kaelion remained at the edge of the ballroom, leaning casually against the wall.
Meanwhile, Rosetta wandered through the hall alone, her gaze drifting from one sight to another as though she were simply taking in the festivities.
She should have looked provincial.
She should have looked out of place.
She should have looked ridiculous among the Empire’s most prestigious nobles.
Instead, she looked utterly charming.
Endearingly, effortlessly charming.
Eleanor forced herself to look away from Rosetta and turn to face Kaelion.
He was wearing the same black mask as before.
The eye visible behind it was fixed on Rosetta.
It did not turn towards her once.
Realizing her friends were watching her, Eleanor forced a smile.
“The Grand Duchess is truly beautiful.”
“…She is. But you’re even more beautiful, Eli.”
“That’s right. Just look at that dress. Is that the fashion in the Grand Duchy these days?”
“She doesn’t seem to know much about Imperial etiquette. Wandering around sightseeing like that… Perhaps His Grace is embarrassed and staying away from her.”
No.
That wasn’t it.
‘He’s protecting her.’
Protecting her from the Emperor.
Afraid she would be taken away the moment anyone realized how precious she was to him.
The moment that thought crossed her mind, tears nearly spilled from her eyes.
“I… don’t feel very well.”
She knew how it would look if she left the party immediately after Kaelion’s arrival.
But she could not bear it.
She no longer wanted to watch Kaelion look at Rosetta as though she were the only person in the world.
“I think I’ll leave first. I’ll see you another time.”
***
Rosetta watched Eleanor leave.
‘She still loves the Grand Duke.’
She could feel Eleanor’s gaze on her.
When she glanced over, she saw the emotions filling her eyes.
She hated it.
She hated the fact that such a beautiful, impeccably backed woman loved Kaelion.
‘Don’t think such ugly thoughts, Rosetta.’
Rosetta suppressed the turmoil swirling inside her and continued her conversation with the noblewomen.
Their eyes sparkled with curiosity as they asked question after question, and Rosetta responded with just enough information to satisfy them, but not enough to reveal too much.
Soon, an attendant’s voice rang out across the ballroom, announcing the arrival of the Emperor and the Imperial Lady.
Everyone immediately prepared to pay their respects.
Even then, many nobles stole furtive glances towards Kaelion.
This made Rosetta’s heart ache.
Those lingering gazes felt sharp enough to wound him.
Ophelia soon entered the ballroom, her hand resting lightly on the Emperor’s arm.
As she stood beside him, the respect owed to the Emperor naturally extended to her as well.
Together, they commanded the attention of the entire hall.
‘So that’s the Emperor’s mother.’
Ophelia surveyed the crowd arrogantly.
She did not appear to be particularly interested in Rosetta.
However, the Emperor paused when he saw her.
At first, he looked slightly surprised.
Then he narrowed his eyes.
With those narrowed eyes, he looked towards Kaelion.
And smiled.
“Why is everyone being so formal? I’d rather see all of you enjoying the party.”
There was a casualness in his tone.
And Rosetta immediately noticed something.
‘He’s imitating him.’
The Emperor’s manner of speaking bore a faint resemblance to Kaelion’s.
As Rosetta quietly observed him, she began to form a mental picture of him, piece by piece.
She also took note of the necklace that Ophelia wore so proudly.
It was crafted from a large piece of Celea.
‘I made that.’
As Rosetta watched Ophelia chatting with the noblewomen, she added to the impression she was forming of her.
Wary of the Emperor’s attention, the noblewomen no longer paid her much notice.
Consequently, Rosetta found herself standing alone in the vast ballroom.
The Emperor approached her with a wineglass in hand, moving freely among the nobles.
“You’re the Grand Duchess, correct?”
“My greetings to Your Majesty.”
“Oh, come now. If you’re my brother’s wife, then we’re family. Why be so formal? Relax.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.”
“Why are you standing here by yourself? Doesn’t my brother look after you?”
“No, Your Majesty. His Highness always takes care of me. He even brought me to this party.”
“Still, you should be together. Come with me.”
The Emperor turned abruptly and began walking toward Kaelion.
Rosetta obediently followed behind him.
“How was the Harvest Festival? Did you enjoy it?”
he asked as they walked.
“Yes, very much. I’ve never experienced such a wonderful festival before. I bought so many things.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. You should visit more often.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, right.”
The Emperor suddenly stopped walking.
Rosetta halted as well.
They were now close enough that Kaelion could easily overhear their conversation.
“Did you hear about Lady Vivianne Montero being injured after sneaking into the Cold Palace?”
Rosetta’s eyes wavered.
“Yes… I heard.”
“Mm. I looked into it and found that the ladies of the Montero family visited the Grand Ducal estate shortly before the incident. So I wondered whether you might know something.”
“I see.”
“Would it be rude of me to ask what the two of you discussed?”
“Not at all. It is an honor to answer Your Majesty’s questions.”
“Good. Then tell me. What did you talk about?”
“We discussed business…”
“Business?”
“Yes, I discovered an incredible toner. I thought selling it might help support the Grand Ducal household. Since the Marquis de Montero is also in the toner business, I asked him if he could offer any insights.”
Aiden silently observed Rosetta as she spoke excitedly.
Her cheeks were flushed pink.
Her eyes sparkled.
She clasped her hands tightly together in front of her chest, showing no trace of noble restraint.
‘She’s like a child.’
Marquis Montero claimed that his adopted daughter was foolish because she had never received a proper education.
However, she did not seem foolish.
But she did not seem particularly clever, either.
Her eagerness to talk about her business idea and her belief that it alone could improve the Grand Ducal finances made her seem almost innocent.
‘Is it real, or is it an act?’
Some people could alter their entire demeanor depending on the situation.
But that was the domain of seasoned manipulators.
‘She wasn’t properly educated in the Marquis’s household. She has little experience dealing with people. Someone like her couldn’t possibly be that skilled.’
Besides, when he had mentioned Vivianne earlier, she had visibly shown her surprise.
‘Is this her true self, then?’
No matter how many times he reconsidered the matter, the Cold Palace incident felt strange.
‘I can’t shake the feeling that this woman had something to do with it.’
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Enlighten
Aiden has a twisted admiration-hate relationship with kaelion. If Eleanor had never loved kaelion, Aiden wouldn’t have lined after her. Aiden is obsessed with kaelion and it’s downright freaky.