CH 4

When the word ‘grand duke Prause’ came out of my mouth, Evelyn flinched as expected. She immediately looked at my expression. As if she trying to figure out what I meant by bringing him up.

It was the same with my father, who showed his curiosity.

“As far as I know, Grand Duke Prause is in his mid-20s.”

“It’s not that different from me. Both of us are of marriageable age.”

When the word marriage came out of my mouth, Evelyn’s expression hardened slightly.

‘Is it because I hear so many people around me saying, ‘Daniel Prause is your future husband?’

It seems that she already considers Grand Duke her husband even though she is not engaged.

[“Lady Roselia”. How can I seduce a man? I’m just asking because I’m curious because you’ve crossed your status with that ability.”]

When she gently scratched my mother’s insides with such words, she always smiled and now she took off her mask just because I touched a grand duke.

‘Until now, I thought it was Tahar’s negotiating card, so I was vaguely afraid.

Apparently, Evelyn has a crush on grand duke Prause.

Considering his handsome face, high position, and noble character, it was not unreasonable.

Of all the young women in the Empire, I’m probably the only one who thinks of Daniel Prause as a negotiator to prevent ruin.

“Of course..”

As if she would not reveal her true feelings any longer, Evelyn lowered her head briefly and started walking.

With the face of the Empress and the Crown Princess sitting next to each other while looking sideways at me and conversing with them.

Patience snapped when I saw the empress offering my mother the chrysanthemums she had ordered a week ago.

But I held it in.

There will be many days to see Evelyn distorted face in the future.

‘After a month, Evelyn will regret what happened today.’

I will definitely do that.

I suppressed my anger and watched her flower arrangement until the end.

* * *

‘Leave the imperial palace and sleep peacefully. It didn’t suit you from the beginning.’

Evelyn giggled inwardly and put down the white chrysanthemum.

You don’t know how much I’ve been looking forward to this moment since I heard about the chrysanthemum order from Crown Princess Garnet a week ago.

[“Evelyn. Mother ordered white chrysanthemums, so prepare them.”]

[“The fact that Her Majesty ordered chrysanthemum… … .”]

[“It means that the chance to see how powerful Gelon’s curse it will come soon.”]

Evelyn had quietly smiled along with the Crown Princess.

Sooner or later, we will be able to see the end of Frey’s mother and her, who can be said to be the disruptors of the social ecosystem in the capital city.

‘But how did Frey survive?’

Gelon’s curse was powerful.

It was said that the previous Duke of Gelon was able to deal with the current emperor’s brothers because he was good at cursing.

There was no way the empress and the prince handled things carelessly.

‘As expected, Frey shouldn’t have been a person from this world before the emperor returned.’

The leaders of the aristocratic faction, including the Empress and the Crown Prince couple, laughed bitterly even though they regarded Frey’s survival as absurd.

It would be fun to watch the process of Frey drying up little by little, having lost the strong defense of her mother.

Yvril thought the same until she went to the funeral home by order of the empress.

‘But what was that?’

It wasn’t Frey who froze when she encountered the main figures of the aristocratic faction at the funeral home.

She knew how to be scared, but she dared to ask the age of Grand Duke Prause…

[“It’s not that different from me. Both of us are of marriageable age.”]

Whoever heard it she even provoked me with meaningful words.

‘It’s annoying to see her intention to get revenge on me, but…’

Evelyn, who came out of the villa, revealed a mocking laugh that she had been suppressing.

‘I don’t think Grand Duke Prause would welcome such an insignificant woman.’

Evelyn prided herself on knowing Grand Duchess Prause and her better than anyone else.

The first Grand Duke Prause was given a mission by God to keep the order of time.

The little bit of divine power given along with good character was the power of time and God’s gift to the transcendent Praus who was given the mission.

‘In order not to disobey the will of God, Prince Prause is trained to be sensitive to ethics and morality.’

Thanks to the use of her hands, rumors have spread throughout the empire that half-princesses are terrible people who can act hysterically.

Daniel Prause, who was said to be nobler than the commander of the Knights, could not fall for such a woman.

‘I’m going to report to Majesty the Empress. Even an insect wriggled when I stepped on it.’

Yvril put on her graceful smile again and left.

But Yvril wasn’t the only one looking at Frey with significance.

The emperor also looked at his daughter with eyes full of complex emotions.

‘grand duke Prause? The right age for marriage?’

Did my daughter ever think about getting married?

no, there won’t be

Wasn’t she locked in her room, buying all kinds of dresses, gold, and silver, and caring for the garden?

As a father, I felt that I had to correct my daughter, but on the other hand, I wanted to let her enjoy the luxury.

If living as an immature idiot would be happier, you would rather be like that.

‘Since you were born to Roselia and me, you won’t be free from the imperial family….’

I sighed deeply.

Frey has been quick-witted since childhood.

No matter how much I hide it in the greenhouse and raise it preciously, she will notice the contempt for herself.

So even if my daughter read a book, she read it in the attic.

Even if she knew the answers to the questions asked by the officials, she kept her mouth shut to hide her cleverness.

My child was obviously afraid of being in the spotlight.

But she suddenly says the word marriage in a place where there are many eyes.

Whenever Rosalia and I showed pictures of noblemen from other countries, she refused, saying that their faces were not her taste.’

I tried a few times, thinking that if she married overseas, she would be safe from the imperial family, but each time she was rejected.

But if the reason for the sudden interest in marriage–

‘It’s probably meant to make Lady Vliette and the empress feel uncomfortable.’

The emperor was well aware of my daughter’s character.

Now that her mother, who had been protecting her, is gone, she is just burning with a vengeance.

She wouldn’t seriously think of starting a family.

‘As time passes, it will naturally become something that never happened.’

However, after the funeral, the situation went contrary to the emperor’s expectations.

“Strictly investigate the Duke of Gelon and the Mage Tower.”

While investigating Lady Roselia’s death by issuing disobedience every day, Frey was very quiet.

When Frey, who used his father’s personal assets like water whenever she was depressed, became quiet, the emperor as well as the ministers were a little puzzled.

“your majesty. It seems that Princess Frey is in shock.”

One loyalist said.

The emperor, whose complexion was not looking good because of his lover’s death, rubbed his forehead and sighed deeply.

“It must be a big shock since Roselia passed away so suddenly. Just seeing how she provoked Lady Vliette, whom she was so afraid of… … .”

“Seeing that she took action herself, it seems that the princess is also very angry this time.”

The emperor turned his face away from not sleeping properly for several days.

“action?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I heard that she is collecting information about the Grand Duke Prause.”

“… … .”

The emperor was speechless.

‘Didn’t she bring up the story of Grand Duke Prause just to tease Lady Vliette?’

If Frey was really interested in starting a family.

If so, the reason was simple.

‘Does she want to escape the threat of life?’

Her life was saved, but Frey almost died too.

The empress uses all her power to destroy evidence of assassination and then makes shameless provocations by buying white chrysanthemums in advance.

It was reasonable for Frey to want to leave the imperial palace where she was born and raised.

‘… … If only I hadn’t left the palace that day.’

The emperor sighed and looked out the window.

I have already lost a loved one.

If Frey goes wrong as it is, I have no confidence to live any longer.

‘If Grand Duke Prause loves and protects my daughter, there Will be that much peace of mind.’

Prause is the only family that can perfectly keep Zelon and members of the capital’s Noble man faction in check.

The problem was that Daniel Prause was unlikely to be attracted to Frey, whom he had only met a few times.

“I’ll ask you one question.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“What do you think Grand Duke Prause will think of my daughter…?”

The eyes of the officials, who were troubled by my question, scattered here and there.

‘The princess’s reputation is probably too high to get involved with that noble Prause.. .’

‘Lady Frey’s personality is a bit… .’

‘Considering her usual demeanor, I think it would be difficult to be attracted to any kind of man….’

The faces of the officials showed what they were thinking.

Darkened, the emperor quickly withdrew the question.

“That’s the good answer.”

Even as a father, it was unlikely that Grand Duke Prause, whose ethical standards were far higher than others, would like my daughter.

No matter how much Frey’s beauty resembled Roselia and me, she was outstanding.

The reputation and rumors so far have been so spectacular.

It was a bigger deal if my daughter, who had no political capacity to speak of, believed in love and went to the North and was abandoned.

‘If Frey really wants to get married for safety, the only choice is to connect her with a foreign noble.’

If the crown prince becomes the emperor in the future, the country is in danger.

The emperor organized his thoughts with a bitter face.

“Tell Frey to come here”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Then the Grand duke Prause is—”

“It is ruinous to head north without having the political capacity. Forget Grand Duke Prause and look for suitable nobles abroad.”

But the emperor did not know.

While in the midst of the grief of losing a loved one, his daughter started moving one step ahead.