Chapter 19 – The First Husband

Ah, truly, he hadn’t intended things to go this far.

When Kallian delivered a certain order to Lucan, the carriage carrying Eileen and Kallian was heading not to the royal palace, but somewhere else. The reason they ended up at Rozalian Palace, located on the outskirts of the capital—the place where they first danced—was none other than Kallian’s request.

“At that time, there was a banquet at night, so I couldn’t properly look around the palace. I quite liked it. I want to visit it with Eileen.”

Just as the sun was beginning to set, Eileen was already feeling quite fatigued, but guilt over souring his mood at the cake shop prevented her from refusing his request. As a result, the two quickly left the Riaton District of the capital and reached the beginning of the tree-lined road leading to Rozalian Palace.

Midway, Lucan left, saying he would deliver the remaining cake and the princess’s whereabouts to Ruby Palace, so only the two of them arrived at the palace. Though they had traveled by carriage, the sun had set quickly, and by the time the carriage reached the entrance of Rozalian Palace, the darkening sky greeted them.

“Ah, welcome, Princess, and Your Highness the Prince.”

Their sudden visit startled the steward, several maids, and attendants, who all came out at once, bowing deeply with flustered faces. There had been no prior notice of their visit, so their reaction was understandable. Seeing the confused expressions of the maids, Eileen felt a bit sorry.

“Are you the steward of this palace?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Hm. I see. I suddenly wanted to see this palace. I want to look around here quietly with Princess Eileen, without other attendants. Is that possible?”

“Of course.”

At Kallian’s commanding tone, the steward bowed deeply and stepped back. The other maids and attendants also greeted them and disappeared, quickly moving to inform those still inside the palace. Those who understood the meaning of “quietly” moved as fast as they could.

As they scattered, Kallian leaned toward Eileen, who was standing still, and smiled.

“Shall we go in as well?”

“Mm, where would you like to see?”

“It’s impossible to see everything, I suppose. I heard the gardens here are very beautiful, so let’s go there.”

“Alright.”

Eileen, moving her tired feet, did not realize that the place he was guiding her to was rather secluded. Kallian continued to escort her gently, his expression unchanged as he looked around in admiration. Watching him, Eileen simply smiled, not realizing his true intention for this sudden visit.

“It’s managed very neatly. The decorations and paintings hanging here are of high artistic value.”

“They were all chosen by the late Queen Edna. Rozalian Palace is traditionally where princesses live after marriage, but the late king was an only child. So, the palace had been empty for a long time, and my mother managed it for me.”

As Kallian praised the interior of Rozalian Palace, Eileen replied confidently, feeling nostalgic for her mother. Everything in Rozalian Palace was arranged by Queen Edna, who strove to fill it with only the most beautiful and finest things for Eileen.

Eileen remembered Queen Edna’s words, “Someday, I look forward to the day you’ll live here,” and her emotions deepened. She gripped Kallian’s arm a little tighter.

“Then, if you and I marry, we’ll live here, right?”

“Well, yes. Right now, we’ve decided to stay at Ruby Palace, but originally, this is the place.”

“That sounds nice. Personally, I prefer this palace over Ruby Palace, though Ruby Palace is bigger and more beautiful.”

As Kallian steered the conversation in various directions, Eileen naturally talked about Rozalian Palace, and they arrived at the entrance to the garden. As they entered, they saw several candlesticks encased in glass hanging on the garden wall.

It was Eileen’s first time entering the garden at night, so she felt a bit uneasy, but she couldn’t turn back now.

“It’s a bit dark, so we should be careful.”

“I’m fine, so worry about your own steps first.”

Even before hearing Kallian’s reply, Eileen kept her head half-bowed, checking that nothing caught her feet. The garden was laid out like a maze, with summer roses blooming beautifully, but their deep red color was lost in the darkness, which was a shame.

She briefly wondered why he wanted to see this place, but that was all. The scent of roses drifting on the breeze was so strong that it calmed her fear, allowing her to appreciate the beauty of the fresh flowers.

“I heard you often came here since you were very young.”

“Yes, my late mother, Queen Edna, cherished this palace. I played here often as a child. Especially in this garden, I used to run around and get scolded.”

“Alone?”

Kallian suddenly asked, but Eileen was too busy minding her dress in the darkness to pay much attention.

“No, sometimes other ladies would bring their children here. The Queen was very active in society. Especially the late Duchess Dreikan was very close to her, so she often came together.”

“Oh, the Duchess Dreikan?”

“Yes, I used to play here with Leios, and once he scratched his arm badly on a rose thorn, causing quite a commotion…”

Lost in childhood memories, Eileen suddenly noticed Kallian had stopped abruptly and looked up at him with a puzzled face.

“…Kallian?”

She had no clue what had provoked him. She thought only her maids and perhaps Adrian vaguely knew about her relationship with Leios. But she could sense that something was wrong.

Kallian’s face, which had been gentle and free like a bard, now transformed into a cold and fierce expression. His lips twisted cruelly, and when Eileen faced him directly, she found herself forced onto a small bench in the garden by his hand.

“W-why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

“Right. Why am I suddenly in such a foul mood?”

“Ow, you’re hurting me.”

His grip on her shoulder tightened, causing pain. Eileen frowned and tried to shake off his hand, but the more she resisted, the more Kallian pressed her. His hands slid down from her shoulders, gripping her slender wrists as if binding them.

“Kallian, let me go!”

“No, I can’t do that.”

Kallian knelt in front of Eileen. Their eyes met at the same level for the first time, and Eileen bit her lip as she saw his expression.

“Your Highness.”

“Are you drawing a line again?”

“Handling a lady so roughly is violence.”

Eileen tried not to lose her composure. Her voice trembled, but her pronunciation was clear, and her gaze was unwavering. She was truly bold and beautiful. Kallian suppressed his twisted urge to ruin the dignified princess’s face. No, he didn’t intend to oppress or break her.

He wanted to be a gentle husband to her and felt confident he could steal the heart of Eileen von Staerfix, his precious treasure. Under the sky, there had never been a woman who rejected Kallian, so he believed it was possible—at least until she refused his kiss.

That was enough to wound the prince’s pride, which soared high above others. She had a lover, danced with him, slept with him, and now refused her future husband. Though Kallian was sexually open-minded and generous enough to share her with Leios Dreikan, there was a limit. After all, he was to be her first husband.

Eileen von Staerfix needed to know who her husband would be and what this sacred marriage entailed.

Otherwise, how could she be so careless?

“The violence is not mine, but yours, Princess. You’ve violently struck my heart. How dare you.”

“……”

“How dare you utter the filthy name of your lover before me.”

Lover? Eileen blinked, unable to grasp the meaning of the unfamiliar word, and Kallian sneered, exposing the truth.

“So, did your relationship with him start here? When was your first time with Duke Dreikan? Was it the night of the banquet, rolling around in the carriage? Hm?”

Duke Dreikan, carriage, lover.

The puzzle pieces fit together, and Eileen couldn’t hide her trembling eyes. Marianne’s advice from the morning stabbed at her heart. The prince must not know about his existence. At least until the wedding was over, until the marriage between the two nations was sealed, Leios’s existence must be kept hidden.

But how…?

“There’s a lot riding on this marriage, Eileen von Staerfix. Don’t think you were the only candidate for the legitimate prince of the Hyksar Empire to choose as his bride.”

“K-Kallian, that’s…”

“Your brother is a man of many desires. He begged not only for trade with the Hyksar Empire but also for mages. Yes, his pleading letters were almost pitiful. But the reason you were chosen was because the child born between us would be the heir to this country, which Her Majesty the Empress valued highly. Even without making it a vassal state, having the next king connected by blood to the Empire is a great advantage. Yet you are so insincere about this marriage.”

Kallian knew everything. Even that Adrian was infertile, and that the child she would bear would be the heir to Staerfix.