My Discarded Fiancé Returned - Chapter 25

Naturally, Lucas, who had started a step ahead, was the first to reach the hill. However, Grand Duke Farel arrived almost simultaneously, so it could be considered a tie.

“I hear you’ve been repeatedly proposing to my fiancée,” Lucas said.

“Yes. By the customary laws of the entire continent, an engagement with no contact for over 4 years is void,” Hyde replied.

Neither gave an inch in their conversation.

“The engagement I made was not a vow to disappear with a mere 6-year gap. Yet you, a grand duke, shamelessly dared to propose to my fiancée.”

“Whether that is shameful or not is for the world to judge.”

Hyde was actually the person most flustered by the crown prince’s sudden visit. Though Serena was the one directly involved, the shock he received was nearly as great.

Moreover, his opponent was none other than the imperial crown prince. No matter how great the grand duke’s influence, there was an insurmountable wall of status and rank between them.

“And I must emphasize that although I was rejected every time I proposed to the young lady, not once was Your Highness the reason given.”

This time, it was Lucas’s turn to grit his teeth.

“Well, of course she wouldn’t have wanted to marry you even if it wasn’t for me.”

Though it was a childish provocation, the truth of those words struck Hyde’s heart deeply.

“I saw portraits of you both in the newspaper long ago. Portraits truly differ from the real person, don’t they?”

There was only one occasion when their portraits would have been published together: their engagement ceremony. In other words, the grand duke was now bringing up Lucas’s small and shabby appearance from the past.

“Is that so? People are always the same. There’s just a period of growth.”

Perhaps the harsh self-training was for a day like today. Lucas had trained not only his body but also his unseen character. So that he would not be shaken no matter who his opponent was.

“Of course, it’s also true that our engagement is still valid and we’ll be holding a wedding ceremony soon.”

Hyde’s eyebrows tilted noticeably.

“I commend your eye for women, Grand Duke. However, she has another match, so you must give up on her.”

“What if I cannot give up?”

The sight of both men with swords at their waists was unusual. It even seemed as if they had run to the hill in preparation for a possible duel.

“Are you challenging me to a duel?”

When Lucas first brought up the sensitive topic, Hyde dismounted his horse and looked up at him.

“The Farel Grand Duchy, a mere vassal state, daring to target the Tern Imperial Family?”

Seeing Hyde speak as if he could easily win a duel if not for the difference in status, Lucas also dismounted.

“Have you seen the scenery visible from this hill?” Hyde asked, taking a step closer to him.

Lucas nodded. “It’s a splendid view.”

“And yet, will you cage the young lady who created this scenery… in the birdcage that is the imperial palace?”

What was Serena’s charm? Her graceful and beautiful figure, sapphire eyes shining like jewels and platinum hair shimmering like moonlight, her elegant features and voice as sweet as a bell.

The list would be endless, but the reason these two men were so drawn to her now was different.

“The imperial palace is not a birdcage. At least, if I welcome Serena as the crown princess, I will make sure it isn’t.”

“Lady Serena will be happiest here. If she forms a relationship with me in the future, she’ll have the freedom to rule both Astel and the Farel Grand Duchy.”

It was truly foolish to discuss happiness without the person in question, but these men were sincere right now.

“Did she seem like a woman who could be caged in the first place? If so, you’re mistaken, Grand Duke.”

Lucas still recalled Serena at their engagement ceremony, saying everything she wanted to say as his equal. That confidence had grown even more, to the point where no man in this world would dare try to cage her.

“She is strong. So strong that there is no cage that could forcibly contain her.”

“You’re right. The young lady is robust. She couldn’t live without her freedom.”

The two men’s opinions finally somewhat aligned.

“I’ve known that for a long time. And the imperial family doesn’t necessarily provide only cage-like environments. Have you lived there? No, you haven’t.”

“It must be stricter than the grand duchy. The grand duchy is next to Astel, and we’ll give her a lot of authority, so not much will change for her.”

“Are you saying the grand duchy has no rules, like a commoner’s house?”

This time, Hyde was caught off guard. Certainly, the grand ducal family had strict and solemn laws from the past, and the previous grand duchess still managed many things.

Each had its own character, so he didn’t want to imagine the sight of the two women together.

“As much as the imperial palace?”

“His Majesty the Emperor is still robust and will continue his reign as emperor for a long time. Yet you’re already a grand duke?”

“Surely you will become emperor someday.”

“But not now. In fact, there’s no position freer than that of crown prince in this world. The proof is that I’m here right now.”

A cool breeze ruffled the hair of the two men as it passed.

“If you wish, I’ll accept a duel. Not as the crown prince of the Tern Imperial Family, but as Lucas, a man courting Serena.”

It was a radical condition. Regardless of the duel’s outcome, this would allow him to avoid the responsibilities stemming from his status.

“Surely, Your Highness, with the empire before you, you’re not suggesting a duel to the death?”

“If you have such sincerity, by all means.”

Lucas stood calmly, but in a posture ready to draw his sword at any moment. Hyde was not much different.

But with no hatred or obligation to cross swords, neither could gauge the moment to draw.

“Grand Duke, I’ve become much stronger than you see now, having roamed many battlefields and wandered. I know you’re also a robust man. But if we stake our lives, I’ll win.”

If Lucas had not grown so much, he couldn’t have been leisurely conversing with the Farel Grand Duke, famous for his martial arts.

The two seemed almost evenly matched, but the difference between Hyde, who became grand duke at a young age and had little exposure to the outside world, and Lucas, who had accumulated countless experiences, seemed likely to determine the final outcome.

Of course, that difference was not Hyde’s choice. When his father passed away at an unexpectedly early age, the role of grand duke became a burden that Hyde had to bear entirely.

That sacred duty was, in a sense, also his shackle. It was because of the heavy position of Farel Grand Duke that he couldn’t take a step further even while proposing so earnestly to Serena.

“How… can Your Highness risk your life for a woman?”

It sounded more like a soliloquy to himself than a question.

“Forgetting family, house, and people, you’d risk your noble life solely for one woman?”

“Yes.”

Lucas answered without any hesitation.

“Serena is worth that much. She was the goal and dream that kept me alive until now.”

Lucas’s calm face held certainty and sincerity in his jet-black eyes.

Just as the tension between the two men was intensifying, Hyde abruptly dropped his hand from his sword hilt. His fighting spirit was broken even before crossing swords, signaling his defeat.

“I once wished to make her my grand duchess,” Hyde said calmly.

“But even though Your Highness has kindly offered a duel, I find I cannot draw my sword.”

“That’s because you’re a responsible grand duke.”

Hyde seemed like someone who could never lose to anyone in martial arts or physique. But at the crucial moment, he couldn’t let go of the responsibility placed upon him.

The name of Farel Grand Duke, his mother who looked only to him, the people who pledged loyalty to the grand duchy… He considered it a betrayal to engage in a duel risking his life for a woman while abandoning them.

“Let me ask one thing. If you’re truly sincere about marrying the young lady, why did you neglect her for the past 6 years?”

“I didn’t want to show her my inadequate self. Then my feelings kept growing, and eventually, I couldn’t express my heart fully on any paper.”

Lucas’s love was truly simple.

“Is it different now?”

“That’s why I’ve come to find the young lady.”

That simple answer made Hyde’s heart ache. To the point where he envied Lucas, who could love a woman so defenseless, regardless of how desperately Hyde wanted or didn’t want to.

“Don’t worry. I’ve disappointed my father’s expectations greatly with my long wanderings, and now there’s hardly anyone who expects anything from me.”

Hyde couldn’t tell if that too was Lucas’s calculation.

“So I can love Serena more freely than anyone, and if she wishes, I won’t just break the cage, I’ll let her soar through the skies of the entire empire. Together with me.”

Only through Lucas’s words, not from the person herself, did Hyde finally realize why his proposals had been rejected all this time.

He lacked resolve. The resolve to live a lifetime with a free and radiant woman like Serena.

The feelings of both men towards Serena were very deep, and Hyde’s feelings were no less than Lucas’s.

However, the freedom Hyde promised Serena would only be possible after the previous grand duchess completely stepped down from official duties, and given the atmosphere of the Farel Grand Duchy, he couldn’t give her complete freedom all at once.

“Don’t you think Your Highness’s words are arrogant? Even I, a mere grand duke, cannot do as I please, so how much more for the imperial crown prince?”

“My status doesn’t matter. What’s important is who I am.”

Lucas declared without hesitation.

“If my status makes her unhappy, I don’t need such a status.”

Could he possibly be saying he might give up the position of crown prince for one woman? Hyde bowed his head at that perfect answer. At the same time, his heart was broken.

He wanted to fulfill his duties and responsibilities while also winning Serena, but Lucas was different. From the beginning, he only wanted Serena and was prepared to endure anything for her.

“I… have lost.”

Apart from his deep affection for Serena, he too was a man. His face, readily admitting defeat, even showed a strange sense of relief.

“If I showed this expression to the young lady now, I’d regret it for life, but since it’s Your Highness, please forget it appropriately.”

“Still, it was brave of you to try to compete with me.”

Lucas took two steps forward and patted Hyde’s shoulder. It was a way of communication between men that allowed many words to be left unsaid.

“She was worth it.”

Lucas nodded at Hyde’s bitter response. Who wouldn’t fall for such a specially radiant woman? Their hearts were the same, but a different fate had created this outcome of victory and defeat.

“Huh, having admitted defeat, I should conclude this. I’ll return and bid farewell to the young lady.”

Lucas had enough generosity to allow that much. Besides, since they had fought over Serena, she should know the result.

“All you can do is say goodbye.”

Hyde let out a bitter laugh at those words.

“I’ve lost, so I’ll give up.”

The reason he couldn’t draw his sword and the reason he couldn’t propose more actively were ultimately due to the duty he bore.

Today, he realized that fact more clearly in front of Lucas. No matter how much he wanted it, he lacked the ability and resolve to be Serena’s companion. Though it pained him, he decided to accept the truth without turning away from it.

“This was a fight I was destined to lose from the start,” Hyde murmured with great regret.

“My greed was too great.”

“I understand your situation. It’s just each of our choices.”

The eyes of Lucas, who had said he could even give up his status for her, were sincere.

“Though I have lost, I hope Your Highness’s feelings will last a lifetime. I… wish for her happiness.”

If Lucas could easily give up even the position of future emperor, he would at least indulge Serena’s freedom and stubbornness to her heart’s content.

If Lucas could give her what he couldn’t give her right now, Hyde had to let her go, no matter how much it hurt.

Even if he lost the woman he loved without even drawing his sword once, if that was closer to her happiness, Hyde was willing to be the loser.