He Who Covets the Abandoned Bride (10 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 18

It was before House Wessex seceded from the Empire—about ten years ago from now.

Frederick Louis Rains, Emperor of Harkin, aware of House Wessex’s worth, had exerted considerable effort to treat them with utmost courtesy.

Of course, granting them a dukedom alone was already a significant honor from the Empire, yet Frederick wished for even more active engagement with them.

As part of this effort, Adrian had once received instruction together with the eldest son of House Wessex. Allowing someone to share in the finest education reserved for Adrian, already designated Crown Prince, was in truth a risky move—but it reflected just how deeply Frederick trusted both the Duke of Wessex and his own son.

It was trust that the Duke would never betray him, and that his son was sharper than anyone else.

In the end, the former belief would be contradicted by events—but that was how things stood at the time.

Adrian and Laila first met on a day when Frederick invited the entire Wessex household to a banquet at the Imperial Palace.

“Hmm… the whole family…?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Maeve delivered the news to Adrian, who had just returned utterly exhausted from his psychokinesis lesson.

Maeve had served as head maid to the late first Empress and had watched over Adrian since childhood—so closely that one could fairly say she practically raised him.

She might as well have been his nurse, given her presence alone. After Adrian’s mother passed away, Maeve remained in the Crown Prince’s quarters to continue advising him.

Her news was that the entire household of the Duke of Wessex, who had briefly come to the capital from their duchy, had been invited to the palace.

It was quite unexpected. Until now, interactions with House Wessex had been limited largely to the Duke himself, his heir—the young duke—and occasionally a few trailing sons.

After all, the Duke and Duchess had so many children they couldn’t even be counted on both hands, including infants among them.

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