Despite her lack of confidence, she was determined to do her best.

Clutching her teacup, Yuis silently steeled her resolve.

The palace of Hetar, which they soon reached, exuded elegant grandeur.

It was a different kind of splendour to the opulence of Kalang.

The King of Hetar warmly welcomed Duke and Duchess Descartes, but the Queen, still grieving the loss of her son, never appeared throughout the visit.

When the king explained that the queen was unwell, Edric responded with a composed, indifferent air.

But inwardly, his true feelings were undoubtedly far from calm.

This was the same king who, after provoking an absurd war, offered his daughter’s hand in marriage when defeated.

Had Edric accepted, the king would have eagerly sealed the marriage without hesitation.

‘A cunning man, like a sly fox.’

Edric returned a polite smile of his own, pretending not to see through the king’s smiling façade.

“My daughter wanted to serve the tea in person, I hope the Duke and Duchess enjoy their tea and continue to have a happy honeymoon here in Hetar.”

“Hétar is known for its many charming destinations. I only hope they please my wife.”

Edric replied smoothly, acting as if their visit were solely for Yuis’s enjoyment.

Wrapping his arm around Yuis’s shoulders, Edric led her out of the audience chamber with the king.

Whenever Edric became particularly affectionate in front of others, Yuis was left with a strange mix of emotions — her heart would flutter, but she would also feel an inexplicable sense of frustration.

The tea table had been set up in the garden behind the princess’s palace, bathed in soft golden sunlight.

As Edric and Yuis arrived, Princess Amelie entered the garden.

The Princess of Hetar was a true beauty, with golden-blonde hair and sparkling emerald eyes — the very image of nobility.

She first greeted Edric with proper decorum, then turned her gaze to Yuis.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duchess Descartes. I am Amelie de Flanderen.”

Yuis offered a graceful smile as she curtsied with flawless aristocratic poise, elegantly bending one knee.

As the daughter of a viscount, she had spent years cultivating her dignity and perfecting her noble etiquette — skills that would always serve her well.

Maintaining proper decorum came naturally to her.

However, she could never radiate the same effortless dignity and authority as Edric, even in the presence of royalty.

Nevertheless, it was precisely that arrogance and calm confidence that the Duchess of Descartes ought to embody.

Repeating those words inwardly to steady herself, Yuis finally spoke:

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness. I am Yuis Descartes.”

The princess smiled brightly at Yuis’s introduction.

“Descartes… such a beautiful name. It suits you well, Duchess.”

Once the three were seated, their tea time began.

“How are you finding Hetar, Duchess? Are you enjoying your stay?”The princess had directed her first question at Yuis. After that, however, she found herself excluded from the conversation, with most of the dialogue continuing between the princess and Edric.

“Please don’t be offended that my mother couldn’t join us, Edric, she’s still grieving for Prince Nicholas and hasn’t fully recovered.”

‘Edric.’

The princess was calling Yuis’s husband by name.

“It’s of no concern.”

Edric replied, his tone polite but distant.

“Are you taking the Duchess to see the cliffs, Edric?”

“Yes, we plan to go.”

“I do hope she enjoys it.”

It took Amelie quite some time to finally return her gaze to Yuis. When their eyes met, Yuis gently put down her teacup and replied.

“The sea was already beautiful, but I’m looking forward to it even more now.”

“I’m certain you’ll love it. Please, have some dessert, Duchess.”

Amélie slid a plate of desserts towards Yuis, offering her a selection of mille-feuilles.

However, in the process, she knocked over the teacup in front of Yuis, spilling its contents onto the tablecloth.

Fortunately, the tea had cooled, so Yuis wasn’t scalded, but her gown was ruined.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry! I only wanted to share my favourite dessert with you, Your Grace.”

Then, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, Amélie turned to Edric and asked his permission.

“Edric, may I offer the Duchess a change of clothes?”

Instead of answering immediately, Edric rose from his seat and approached Yuis directly.

He pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the tea from her neck and chest. Then he placed his large hand softly over hers and looked into her eyes.

“Are you hurt?”

When Yuis shook her head, Edric returned to his seat without another word.

It was only after he had sat back down that Amelie called for a maid to escort Yuis into her private palace.

As they entered the princess’s residence, Yuis was overwhelmed by its splendour.

The sheer size and beauty of a space designed for just one person astonished her.

Inside the dressing room, Amelie gave her maid simple instructions.

“Something new. She’s shorter and slimmer than I am, so choose something that will fit her.”

As Yuis stared blankly at the rows of luxurious dresses, she finally found her voice to politely refuse.

“Your Highness, just one dress will be more than enough for me.”

“Is that so? Then please, take a look and choose for yourself.”

As Yuis looked at the dresses on display, she chose one with a similar design to the blue gown she had worn earlier.

While the maids helped her change, Amelie’s gaze turned cold as she silently observed Yuis’s exposed body.

Only then did Yuis become fully aware of her own condition.

Apart from the areas covered by her dress, her skin was probably covered in red marks.

The princess’s eyes swept across Yuis’s body, calmly taking in every trace.

Once Yuis had changed into the new dress, Amelie stepped closer.

“It’s beautiful, and fortunately, it covers everything that needs to be hidden quite well.”

“…Thank you.”

“May I call you Yuis?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

With a graceful nod, Amelie invited Yuis to take a seat.

Dressed in the gown she had chosen, Yuis stood surrounded by a sea of glittering dresses, ornaments, and gemstones. Yet despite it all, she couldn’t help but shrink beneath the overwhelming presence of the princess.

‘If only Edric were here with me…’

Yuis forced herself to smile and struggled to keep her composure. Meanwhile, the princess continued speaking with a serene, unaffected smile.

“In truth, Yuis, I’ve never failed to obtain what I desire.”

“…”

“But for the first time, the one thing I could not have… was your husband.”

Yuis took a sharp breath at the princess’s blunt confession. She clasped her hands together tightly, trying to hide her unease.

The princess sipped her tea casually, holding the cup gracefully between her fingers.

“I must admit, I used an underhand trick to have this conversation with you privately. For that, I sincerely apologise.”

Unlike Edric’s moonlit silver-gold hair, Amelie’s golden locks gleamed like spun gold.

As Yuis watched the elegant waves of her hair, her own fingers instinctively reached up to brush through her own locks.

The princess’s emerald eyes, as radiant as her garden itself, held no shadows.

It seemed as if she had gathered all the world’s light and splendour into herself.

Her every gesture was elegant, unhurried and poised.

After taking another leisurely sip, Amelie gently set her teacup down and spoke again.

“To be honest, even if it hadn’t been you, it still would’ve been difficult.”

The Crown Prince of Hétar was killed on the final battlefield, the fiercest front of the war.

And it was Edric who had led that battle.

Hetar had lost its crown prince and been defeated in the war. The country had relinquished its place among the continent’s great powers.

Unable to bear the sight of Edric, the queen refused to meet him; she was still consumed by grief over her son’s death.

“My father wanted to marry me off to Edric, but my mother was firmly against it.”

“I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but I don’t quite understand why you are telling me all this.”

“I simply wanted to see you. I wanted to see the woman who married the man I once thought I could never have.”

Yuis chose silence over a response.

Although the princess’s words and actions made her uncomfortable, she couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

Even if she had understood the reason, she could not have expressed her discomfort freely to this person.

“That only made me want him more. Yes, we lost Nicholas, but Hétar still can’t afford to completely sever ties with Kalang. It might sound childish, but the more unattainable he became, the more I longed for him. He is, after all, quite captivating. You see, I met him once before.”

This was news to Yuis.

Before Kalang’s victory in the war, Edric had rarely appeared in social circles, often sending his aide, Noah, to attend events in his place.

This only fuelled the rumours surrounding him — the nickname ‘War Demon’, the slander and the fear gripping the Southern Alliance, led by Hetar, as the new power of the continent rose swiftly before their eyes.