The Murderous Duke's Domestic Affairs - Chapter 63

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 63
“I think we should wrap up for today.”
The Empire’s Imperial Princess, Gloria, exhaled softly. Since our first meeting in late autumn, she and I had been meeting once a week for what we loosely called “lessons.” Though I called them lessons, they were nothing like what I’d done with Aster—no reading and discussing books, no debating policy or criminal law. Instead, Gloria would pose questions about governance and economics, and I would answer them as best I could.
But achieving even this had required considerable effort. Though I was supposedly a person no one paid attention to, an attendant always lingered near Gloria. Whether they served the Emperor, the Empress, or the Crown Prince remained unclear. What was certain was that the Imperial Princess had no attendants of her own within these palace walls.
Moreover, the topics we discussed—politics and economics—were forbidden to women. If the Empress had been from the Southern Duchy, where men and women received equal education, it might have been different. But if others learned of our conversations, they would surely call it a waste of time. Among them, I was especially wary of Abarid.
Abarid proved far more capable than I had initially thought. He became Crown Prince not merely because he was the Emperor’s son. Though I lacked the authority to attend state council meetings and couldn’t know for certain, he seemed to judge situations with remarkable coldness and offer appropriate opinions. Many nobles followed and respected him. Yet his reputation suffered greatly due to his fondness for wine and his intense jealousy.
Abarid’s jealousy was typically directed at Aster. That said, Gloria was not free from his scrutiny either. Jealousy, after all, doesn’t manifest only toward those superior to oneself. Gloria had not yet become a target of his suspicion, but there was no telling what the future might hold.
He was a man who struck his younger sister—barely half his age—across the cheek without hesitation. Even when Gloria kept her head down and tried to remain inconspicuous, this happened. If he discovered she was studying governance, the situation would only worsen, not improve.
When I considered this, I smiled slightly. I realized I believed Gloria to be far more capable than Abarid.
In any case, our “lessons” had to remain secret from others. So I made the excuse that I was taking tea with the Imperial Princess in private. Some people wondered what secrets two young women could possibly share, but fortunately, the palace staff paid little attention to the Imperial Princess. Our meetings, which had initially been minor gossip, had long since become routine. Despite everything, our meetings continued through the heart of winter and beyond.
“You’re ending quite early today.”
I withdrew my pocket watch from my jacket and checked the time, tilting my head curiously. When I first took tea with the Empress, I had worn a proper tea dress, but afterward, I dressed quite casually. The Imperial Princess, whom I had expected to be fastidious due to her noble blood, proved surprisingly unpretentious and didn’t mind what I wore. For me, this was fortunate. The elaborate dresses I rarely wore were heavy and uncomfortable.
I rose from my seat and smoothed my skirt. Though less restrictive than a formal dress, the long, full skirt still felt cumbersome compared to what I normally wore. Yet visiting the Imperial City required at least some semblance of propriety.
“I need to prepare for the winter gathering.”
Gloria murmured with a sigh. Ah. I smiled, narrowing my eyes. The winter gathering Gloria mentioned was hosted by the Empress. The event, with its long history and deep significance, honored the noble ladies for their efforts in managing their houses throughout the year. Preparing for it fell not only to the Empress, so I understood Gloria’s exhaustion.
Though Gloria was of the Imperial Family, she remained a step removed from events the Imperial Court hosted. Whether by choice or circumstance, there was little she could actually influence. This was because she was a woman destined to marry into another house.
But the winter gathering was different. This gathering, valued not only by the Empire but by the entire continent, required the Imperial Princess to play a significant role. Wherever Gloria married, she would be expected to host such an event in her new home.
How remarkable. The Imperial Family neglected to provide her with the education she should naturally receive, yet they were so meticulous about such events. I swallowed down the irritation that rose within me.
“Didn’t the Duchess receive an invitation?”
“Yes, it arrived.”
I answered in a calm voice. Of course, I understood how important this gathering was. Even my mother, the Previous Marquis Siaz’s Wife, who rarely left her territory, attended this event without fail. But for someone unaccustomed to society, it was burdensome. I had received the invitation, but I had no intention of attending. If I absolutely had to make an appearance, I would simply take to my bed. What could they do? I would be ill.
“I thought you would fill the entire lesson time today…”
Gloria’s expression darkened, unaware of my thoughts. Her words trailed off similarly. She showed enthusiasm even for these simple conversations. Unlike the education she had received before—instruments, embroidery, music, and rhetoric—her true interests lay in politics, economics, and education. A single word from the Imperial Family could sway the livelihood of the people. Gloria understood this well. Even if she was a powerless Imperial Princess.
“Perhaps we should reduce our meeting time starting next week.”
I smiled, but Gloria could not. Her eyes grew heavy with disappointment. In truth, Gloria had endured an entire week for the sake of our lessons. Embroidery, which she didn’t particularly enjoy, and tedious rhetoric. The instruments were somewhat pleasant, but nothing compared to the thrill and joy of conversing with me.
The young Imperial Princess had not yet learned to hide her expressions, so her feelings reached me clearly. I bit my lower lip gently. The Imperial Princess was endearing in her honesty with me, but it troubled me somewhat. Such expressions should only appear before family. The expressionless face Gloria had worn at the dinner with the Emperor suddenly came to mind. I suppressed the sigh threatening to escape.
“Of course you’ll be busy, but if Your Highness could spare a little more time, what if we reduced our lesson duration and increased our meetings until spring arrives?”
When I offered a compromise, Gloria’s expression brightened. I hadn’t said anything worthy of such joy. Unlike Gloria’s radiant face, my own was shadowed with a faint melancholy.
A knock sounded from outside. It was the attendant who had come to fetch her. It was truly time to leave. The Imperial Princess, turning toward the door, lowered her brows. Yet her golden eyes, when they looked back at me, still sparkled. She called to me in a small voice. There was something hesitant in her manner.
“I really wish you would come to the gathering.”
Her words ended with a smile. She rose first and laughed as she apologized. I could not answer her. I only bowed my head and watched her disappear beyond the door.
* * *
There was nothing good about Gloria’s private lessons being discovered. After she left, I quietly tidied the room alone. Having organized the books and notebooks into a hidden drawer, I sighed softly. She was the Imperial Princess of a great empire, second to none in power across the continent, yet Gloria had nowhere to lean. It was almost pitiful.
Why did Gloria remind me of my own childhood? Thinking such thoughts—ones that would be called irreverent if anyone knew—I left the Reception Room. Garnet, my escort knight, who had been waiting outside the door, approached me, bowed his head respectfully, and offered me his arm. I was only just becoming accustomed to Garnet’s escort to the carriage. At first, it had been truly awkward and unbearable.
“Thank you for escorting me every time, Garnet.”
“It is my duty.”
Just before boarding the carriage, I thanked Garnet. Since I began meeting Gloria, he had steadfastly remained at my side. Originally, he should have been serving Aster. I felt apologetic toward him, but my gratitude was greater. Such feelings should not be hidden.
Along with my thanks, I handed him a small bundle I had brought from the estate. Garnet, who had responded indifferently to my praise, made a reluctant face. Before he could refuse, I quickly boarded the carriage. From beyond the carriage door, I heard Garnet’s small sigh, and I laughed quietly to myself.
The bundle contained cookies wrapped in a handkerchief. I had discovered Garnet’s fondness for cookies by chance. A few days ago, I had visited the library to check something in old newspapers. There, I encountered Garnet. He sat in a corner by the window, absorbed in reading a book. Beside him sat a plate filled with cookies and a cup of tea.
I opened my eyes wide at this rare sight. Garnet had always refused whenever I invited him to take tea with me. The way he turned pages with one hand while reaching for cookies with the other seemed quite natural. The beautiful young man, sitting by the window where sunlight streamed through, looked like a scene from a sacred masterpiece.
It felt awkward to keep watching, so I quickly excused myself from the room. When I returned after checking the newspaper article, Garnet was still there. Though it didn’t seem like much time had passed, the plate where the cookies had been was completely empty.
After that day, whenever I needed Garnet’s escort, I made a special request to the Chef at the Estate to prepare cookies. And each time our business concluded, I handed them to him along with my thanks. I wanted to repay him in whatever way I could. He said he belonged more to Aster personally than to the Duke’s household—a knight who didn’t necessarily need to escort the Duchess, yet here he was, constantly at my side. I felt guilty about that.
I had declined his invitation to share tea, but he didn’t refuse the cookies I’d prepared separately. Though admittedly, he did regard me with that subtle expression for a moment.
But that wasn’t what mattered now. I leaned my head against the carriage window. The cold, frosted glass jolted my senses awake. The steady rhythm of the swaying carriage felt oddly pleasant.
Yet my thoughts were anything but settled. I had resolved not to attend the gathering under any circumstances. Of course, there was the condition that “any noblewoman” could come, but I’d assumed that if I simply said I didn’t want to go, Aster would find some excuse for me. He was the kind of person who’d told me, even regarding the Empress’s tea gathering, that I didn’t have to attend if it made me uncomfortable.
But. I murmured to myself. I adored the Imperial Princess. She was different from the enigmatic Emperor or the Crown Prince, toward whom I could muster no affection whatsoever. Every time we met, her neat platinum hair and those intelligent, gleaming golden eyes captivated me, as did her composed posture and her earnest desire to understand everything.
I loved Gloria. And Gloria certainly loved me in return. I wasn’t clever enough to ignore the bright, delighted light that fell from the eyes of this young, timid Imperial Princess who’d received inadequate education. What right did I have? I bumped my head against the carriage window with a soft thud. The cold glass, sharp enough to sting, cleared my muddled thoughts.
If I’d decided to attend the gathering, I needed to prepare quickly. The date written on the invitation was near the end of winter, but it was tight for commissioning a new dress. Among the dresses I’d had made before, was there one suitable for a winter gathering?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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