Kaella never sheds tears. Tears are a hassle to deal with afterwards. It was troublesome to wipe them away, calm down the reddened nose and eyes, and compose oneself until looking normal again.

She had thoroughly learned in her past life that no one cared if she cried, and it would only invite more mockery. Tears were a weakness. So in Lysenforde, where enemies lurked everywhere, she must never show weakness.

But seeing the flower bouquet with a sky-blue ribbon that the child clearly cherished, her nose stung for no reason. So Kaella kept her head down, looking only at the bouquet on her lap the entire carriage ride back to the castle, trying to calm her emotions.

“Your Highness!”

“Your Highness!”

“Your Grace!”

However, the voices calling out to her and waving hands from outside wouldn’t let her keep looking down. Voices that should have been calling for Peon, the war hero, occasionally called for Kaella too.

When she looked up in surprise, people would remove their hats and slowly bow their heads, or children would wave their hands enthusiastically while shouting even louder. It was the first time Kaella had experienced such a relaxed atmosphere in Lysenforde.

“Our princess is quite popular.”

And it was also the first time Peon had said such things, so she couldn’t get used to it at all. The man who had only been taciturn before now smiled whenever their eyes met and spoke to her first.

“I should step up my game too.”

“Still, an outsider like me can’t replace Your Grace. The true master of this domain is not me, but…”

“That’s not it. I’m saying I’ll have to make an effort before my side becomes boring, since you’re so popular.”

What are you saying. Peon said with a chuckle. He still felt unfamiliar, not riding a horse but sitting across from her in the carriage. He felt unfamiliar when he carried her, who said she’d go to the duchess’s bedroom, and laid her on his bed, then lay down beside her.

He felt unfamiliar when he said nice things to her and listened attentively.

If it was unfamiliar, she should have been afraid. She should have been terrified if she had been forcibly taken and locked up in a tower, then starved to death. But her dull mind kept forgetting. It forgot, and found it unfamiliar, awkward, and fascinating.

A girl with no sense. A crazy girl. A stupid girl who gets all excited when a man treats her a little nicely.

Even though she tried to criticize herself and get her mind straight, the changing environment was so different that she forgot faster than she could remember.

People sought her out even when she stayed still, and greetings came from everywhere when she took just one step outside. Every corner of Lysenforde Castle was changing according to Kaella’s instructions, and even small furniture was all placed to her taste.

The cold, difficult, and even hideous Lysenforde Castle keeps becoming more and more of a decent place.

“Where do you stay when you go to Craine? You stay at that townhouse where you used to stay before, right?”

He had been thinking that far ahead? Then it seems he intends for me to live until we reach Craine. Peon smiled.

“That’s right. Mother has been managing it continuously, and I’ve notified her that I’m coming up this time too, so they’re probably doing repairs.”

The townhouse where the Duke of Lysenforde stayed whenever he came to Craine was completely different from Lysenforde Castle. Kaella remembered visiting when she was about twelve years old.

“Her Majesty the Empress did?”

“Mother bought that townhouse and gave it to me. We didn’t really have a place to stay whenever we went to Craine from Lysenforde.”

Though her young son had received the title of Duke, the Empress was upset that he didn’t have a proper townhouse in Craine, so she spent her private funds.

The year he turned fifteen, the Empress barely managed to buy the townhouse through a proxy while appeasing the Emperor who had ruined her life.

“The location is good, and the Imperial Palace has been managing it.”

That’s why Beatrice could freely come and go to that townhouse, making excuses about her mother being the Empress’s chief lady-in-waiting.

“I took over the management when I got married. It should be fine for you to stay there.”

It had to be a quiet space where Kaella could rest in Craine.

“…I didn’t expect to go back to Craine so quickly.”

“Me neither.”

The man who was anxiously trying to figure out how to protect Kaella in Craine and how to make her think less about dying gave a short answer.

He hadn’t expected this either. Everything had been changing since his regression.

*

There had never been such busy days in Kaella’s life. Just when she thought she could catch her breath, the next task would come rushing in.

When the expansion construction began, even if Kaella tried not to look, there were always parts that the Duchess had to oversee. Legen would chase after her, and the head lady-in-waiting would come running.

On top of that, when the Osteine merchant ships arrived, she was surrounded by people from her hometown she hadn’t seen in a long time, enjoying their company and treating them as guests, but after sending them off, now they say she has to go to Craine.

“Then we’ll keep these fabrics well-stored, and you can have new dresses made when you go up there, Your Highness.”

Fabiola Sirenster said with a very solemn face.

“No, I can just take the clothes I have.”

“Your Highness. I may be from the countryside and don’t know much, but I do have ears to hear. I hear that all the noble ladies coming to Craine are in a frenzy trying to have new dresses made and buy new jewelry sets.”

“Where on earth did you hear that?”

“People have been flocking to the gold mine, haven’t they? Quite a number of noble ladies are directly inquiring about our gold mine.”

Ah. The fact that an enormous gold vein had been struck in Lysenforde would connect like that.

Well, the nobles gathering in Craine were those with great power and influence in the empire, so they were very sensitive to information about new jewelry or luxury goods. Moreover, gold mines were wealth itself.

“Your Highness is our face. I’d like you to do everything you can.”

As it was the first time hearing such words, Kaella couldn’t react immediately. Whether she said anything or not, Lysenforde Castle was already busily running.

“Let’s pick out a few of the best fabrics to take, and buy the rest in Craine. After all, these are precious fabrics imported from Osteine, and they’re perfect for summer, so it would be a shame.”

Peon, who had walked up from behind while she was momentarily flustered, spoke instead.

“Ah, that’s a good idea. Then this cream-colored fabric and the blue one…”

“That butterfly-like color looks good too. It would suit Bi well. And that light purple one.”

He unhesitatingly selected fabrics to take to Craine along with Lady Sirenster. There was an overflowing willingness to turn them all into dresses for Kaella.

“No, that blue one should be used to make Your Grace’s formal attire!”

What would people say if only the Duchess appeared dressed splendidly? It’s not just noble ladies who are in a frenzy to have dresses made in Craine.

Gentlemen would also be desperate to have the best formal wear made to fit the form and specifications, yet still express their individuality and show off their wealth. Even down to their gloves, gentlemen boast about how sleek yet soft and comfortable they are.

Kaella had to take care of her husband, who showed no interest in what he would wear. She couldn’t let Peon stand gloomily in his characteristic black attire at the Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony. In the past, the Empress had taken care of it somewhat, but now that Peon was properly married, it was naturally Kaella’s duty to take care of it.

“I have plenty of formal wear that Mother prepared for me, so it’s enough, Bi.”

Peon shook his head, speaking in a polite and courteous tone. Tone was very important to Kaella. If you let it go, dignity disappears and the relationship becomes closer. If you raise it, walls are built along with dignity. That’s why she uses honorifics with him.

So Peon especially used honorifics and treated Kaella politely when in front of subordinates. It was his principle that others would respect Kaella more if he elevated her.

The casual way of speaking he used only when alone with Kaella was not talking down to her. Since they started as older brother and younger sister, it’s right for her to speak casually to him too. He was waiting for the day Kaella would speak casually, waiting for her to respond like when they were young to his ordinary words without realizing it.

Peon, the already insane son of a mad dragon, was now doing everything he had never done before.

He elevated the Duchess, who had been treated as a non-existent being, to the most revered position in Lysenforde, and returned to the past that he had ignored since getting married.

It could be a futile struggle to shamelessly, or uglily, try to turn back the irreversible past. He knows. But he was originally shameless and ugly, and he’s just living as he was made now.

“I’m fine, so make formal wear that suits Bi.”

As the head lady-in-waiting, Lady Sirenster had to look after the Duke as well, but she also had to follow the Duchess’s instructions. She shifted her gaze to the Duchess.

The Duchess, who still seemed like she would disappear if tapped, like pretty frost that clings to windows in midwinter only to melt away in the sunlight, or like the mist rising over the lake these days, barely shook her head. It meant no.

The Duke, who was most sensitive to the Duchess, also shifted his gaze back to his wife by then. Kaella, who would only reluctantly do something after being coaxed and persuaded to do just this one thing, and who rarely asserted her own opinion, was shaking her head slightly.

“You won’t allow it?”

The corners of Peon’s mouth rose slightly. After pondering for a moment, Kaella pressed out an answer.

“No.”

“Why is that? The fabric is the ladies’ domain, I can just throw something on and be done with it.”

“That… that won’t do.”

“It won’t?”

“No.”

Turning completely towards Kaella, Peon waited for her to say more. Having no choice, Kaella opened her mouth.

“I don’t know how grand the engagement ceremony will be, but in my opinion…”

She trailed off and glanced at him with blue eyes. Was she checking his reaction? That would pain his heart. Or was she wondering why this man was acting like this? What’s the big deal all of a sudden? As he waited, Kaella continued speaking.

“…it will probably be a properly arranged engagement ceremony. It’s a royal engagement happening after a long time, after all.”

Of course, Kaella and Peon’s wedding was held at the level of a royal wedding ceremony. But it was a marriage that rushed in without an engagement, and the current Emperor also married without getting engaged. Of course, he had no choice since he stole and forcibly married someone else’s lover.

So for an engagement ceremony to be held in the royal family, we have to go back to the time of the previous Emperor. It was a long time ago. The Emperor, who values face, will be preparing to hold a grand engagement ceremony from the start for the Crown Prince, whose legitimacy is already weak.

“So Your Grace should also be dressed according to the etiquette.”

The Crania Empire strictly adheres to dress codes for each level of banquet, so proper attire had to be prepared for the countless events accompanying this engagement ceremony. Not just clothing. Gloves and capes, boots and hats, even belts all had to be prepared.

“I cannot have only my attire made.”

Kaella spoke clearly in a small voice. Peon smiled at the fact that she had expressed her opinion well.

“Your words are right. Then shall we have them made together? I don’t know much, so please teach me, Bi.”

As if he doesn’t know. He had no problem picking out fabric for Kaella’s dresses earlier, but now he pretends not to know.

“That red fabric would be good to use for Your Grace’s cape.”

“Then shall we make a dress for Bi to match? It would look good together.”

“No, just for Your Grace…”

“Ah, do you want to go around as if we’re strangers? I’m hurt.”

“That’s not it…!”

As the Duke took the Duchess’s hand with a grin and led her to the pile of fabrics, speaking in low tones, the head lady-in-waiting quietly stepped back two paces. Though she was worried about the physically weak and apathetic Duchess, she would be fine as long as the Duke was there. The Duchess had taken care of the castle a little more than yesterday. That was enough.

Ten days later, the ducal couple departed hurriedly for Craine, having completed all preparations.

*

“I hear the Duke of Lysenforde is coming.”

“They say His Majesty the Emperor is waiting eagerly?”

“How long has it been since he got married? He’s coming again so soon.”

“He’s one of the few people His Majesty relies on now. I heard he drove out some barbarians again this time?”

Rumors spread quickly in Craine. With the expectation of the Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony, nobles had already packed their bags and arrived in Craine. Most of them clearly wouldn’t be invited, but still.

“He’s worth relying on. He guards the borders thoroughly, has never lost a battle, and moreover, he’s the son of the beloved Empress.”

With the Emperor’s whims, the evaluation of the Duke of Lysenforde in Craine changed capriciously. One moment they looked down on him as an illegitimate child, and now his status has transformed into ‘the beloved Empress’s son’. There were always reasons for the nobles to praise the Duke of Lysenforde.

“He seems to have a keen political sense too. Just look at how he married the Osteine princess without complaint, showing quick judgment.”

“Anyone would know that the Osteine princess is much better than a duke’s daughter who may be everyone’s sweetheart but is deeply in debt.”

“It’s fortunate the Osteine princess came too. Have you heard that news?”

“What news do you mean?”

“I hear the engagement ceremony preparations at the palace are a complete mess right now. This is the second time the Keruzhan envoys are coming, but it will be completely different from the first time. Don’t get your hopes up, everyone.”

People gossiped about how poorly the engagement ceremony preparations were going. Due to lack of security, as soon as something was decided, the very next day everyone in Craine’s social clubs and salons would be chattering about that decision.

Nonetheless, people’s assessment was clear. The Crown Prince’s mother, Marchioness Schröder, who is currently preparing the event, is ruining it due to lack of experience.

“We should look forward to the tiara the Duchess of Lysenforde will be wearing.”

“Wouldn’t things improve if His Highness the Crown Prince learned a thing or two from the Duke of Lysenforde?”

And of course, such words reached the young Crown Prince’s ears. For Crown Prince Gregory, the twenty-one-year-old heir apparent, it was humiliating.