The Duke's Flower is Precarious - Chapter 28

“Elder brother has left for his honeymoon?”

Pascal, who was reviewing documents while receiving a report from Head Steward Isaac in the Emperor’s office, suddenly raised his head.

“Where did he go?”

His elder brother never shared any personal information unless it was official. Pascal’s eyes sparkled like a child’s, always thirsting for news about his brother.

Since childhood, the person Pascal respected most was not the Emperor Father. It was his elder brother, Caeron.

Caeron was born with the qualities of an emperor, inheriting the purest blood of the Jupiter imperial family.

Cold, stern, arrogant, and noble, Prince Caeron was the epitome of Jupiter’s royal blood.

Always following in his brother’s footsteps, he constantly wished to be like him. That feeling remained the same even now, sitting on the emperor’s throne.

‘Although… now…’

Though he inevitably sat on the emperor’s throne, he knew well that Caeron was the most suitable person for this position.

That’s why, even before state affairs, the first thing he checked was news about his elder brother, the Grand Duke Caeron.

“He went to the Grand Duchy of Ellios.”

“The Grand Duchy? Isn’t that quite a vast area? What was the specific destination?”

“The destination is an island off the eastern Maris coast.”

The moment he heard about an island near Maris, Pascal’s eyes widened.

“Could it be that island…?”

“Yes. It’s ‘Meriel’ Island.”

“…Huh…!”

Pascal let out a short exclamation.

Surely no one would have dared to recommend that island to the Grand Duke, so Caeron must have chosen it himself.

‘Elder brother really…’

Pascal’s brow furrowed as he tried to fathom the Grand Duke’s intentions in taking the Grand Duchess to that island.

Although he was shocked by Caeron’s behavior towards the Grand Duchess at the previous banquet… Pascal didn’t hastily acknowledge his change.

‘Should I… accept it now?’

Pascal’s blue eyes, resembling Caeron’s, gradually darkened with deep contemplation. He wasn’t sure whether to welcome this change.

Pascal tapped the desk with the pen he was holding.

‘A woman raised under the oppression of her family…’

In fact, Pascal had already thoroughly investigated the Grand Duchess even before inviting her to the banquet.

He had sent spies to the Count Fluor’s household to grasp every detail about who the Grand Duchess was and how she had grown up.

At the center of the Grand Duchess’s oppression were her stepmother, Countess Fluor, and her half-sister, Roselyn.

That’s why he deliberately invited Roselyn to the banquet without notice. It was a kind of test.

‘If she’s a woman who breaks easily, she wouldn’t be suitable for my elder brother’s side.’

Recalling his own mother, Pascal wanted to judge whether Aidel was fit for that position.

On the stage of the play he created, the invited actress Roselyn performed her role excellently.

From the moment she appeared, fine cracks began to form in the Grand Duchess’s calm expression.

He didn’t miss a single moment of the Grand Duchess gradually crumbling under each dagger-like word Roselyn deliberately uttered.

Although she endured quite resolutely, as expected, the secret of the Fluor family was her sore spot.

The illegitimate existence born without fragrance in the family. Pascal didn’t miss the sight of the Grand Duchess sinking into a dark abyss when that fact was publicly revealed.

It was the Grand Duke who caught the Grand Duchess as she was about to collapse silently.

With a look never seen before.

For Pascal, who had observed Caeron all his life and followed his every move, that sight was still shocking to think about.

His brother, who had been indifferent to everything and unmoved by any event, elegantly bared his teeth to protect his woman.

All his expressions and gazes were like those of a different person. He wasn’t the elder brother Pascal knew.

Perhaps, just as he had always done until now, he had wanted him to remain the flawless figure he thought him to be.

Consciously, he had refused to acknowledge his brother’s changing appearance due to the Grand Duchess, but… the moment he learned that he had headed to that island with her, he now truly had to acknowledge it.

Moreover, he had been keeping an eye on the Grand Duchess’s recent astute handling of the Grand Duchy of Ellios’ administration.

If so, he needed to change his stance now. Pascal’s expression became resolute as he settled his wavering heart.

He had to preemptively block any elements that could become variables for both the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess. And coincidentally, that variable had been persistently lurking before him recently.

“Did she come again today?”

“Yes. She’s spending time in the palace salon today as well. She also asked me to deliver this letter.”

“She’s more persistent than she looks.”

Of course, it wasn’t a compliment.

Roselyn’s letter, delivered by Isaac, expressed her deep impression of the works on display at the palace salon, where she was sponsoring young artists.

She praised the Emperor’s high discernment in discovering such artists, expressed gratitude for holding such an excellent exhibition, and added that if time allowed, she would like to share her appreciation of the works together.

“Quite a sophisticated invitation.”

Of course, this wasn’t a compliment either.

Like his elder brother Caeron, he too had countless women sending him covert flirtations. Even high-ranking noble families were desperate to arrange marriages with the unmarried emperor.

However, Pascal never definitively accepted anyone’s feelings, merely playing along appropriately with the noble ladies.

He intentionally acted like everyone’s lover, not taking a fiancée and leaving the empress’s seat vacant. To reduce future variables as much as possible.

Pascal recalled the woman who hid sharp thorns within fresh flower petals. He knew well what that cunning and greedy woman, pretending to be innocent, wanted.

‘It might be better to keep potential threatening variables close.’

Having calculated everything in his mind, he rose from his seat.

The Naupolion, which had departed from the port of Maris carrying the Grand Duke couple, ended its not-so-long voyage.

As the ship docked at the pier, an attendant entered the cabin to announce the news.

“Your Highness, we have arrived.”

Where exactly had this ship arrived…?

Aidel hadn’t properly heard where the honeymoon destination was. She had only been told that it was within the Grand Duchy.

Both Marlin and Gregory had consistently responded to her questions with a smile, saying, “You’ll know when you get there.”

At first, she thought the coastal city of Maris was the final destination… but she was puzzled when told they had to board another ship and move again.

After boarding the ship, she couldn’t hide her amazement as she gazed at the endless blue sea through the cabin window.

Then, she became curious once again about where this ship sailing across the vast ocean was heading.

She casually asked Caeron about their destination, but… he too didn’t give a proper answer, wearing an enigmatic expression.

Leaving the cabin where vague expectations and tension about the destination coexisted, Aidel climbed onto the deck with quicker steps than usual.

Standing on the deck, a cool sea breeze gently brushed her cheeks. The surroundings were quiet. Only the sound of lapping waves reached her ears.

The atmosphere was completely different from the bustling Maris with its crowded throngs and the steam whistle sound like a deep breath being inhaled and exhaled at once.

“Wow…”

Aidel let out an amazed breath at the scene unfolding before her eyes.

The first thing that caught her eye was the cobalt blue sea and the snow-white sandy beach. Gentle waves were softly coloring the fine sand along the curved shoreline.

The seawater surrounding the beach was so clear that one could see right through it. The beach lined with oak trees and the transparent water presented a beautiful, pristine natural scene.

After being momentarily captivated by this marvelous landscape, Aidel noticed something slightly odd.

As a first-time traveler, everything about the sea she directly encountered was unfamiliar and mysterious, but… it was very different from the scenery she had seen in Maris.

‘What’s the difference… Ah…!’

The moment she recognized the difference, Aidel’s eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly.

“You look surprised.”

“Is this…?”

“This is a private island owned by the Grand Duke’s family.”

So that’s why… it was different.

The difference from Maris was that no human presence could be found here. Except for the Grand Duke’s party who had just arrived, no one else could be seen.

The only trace of human touch was the white building visible in the center of the island. Even the building, which appeared to be a villa, blended exquisitely with the surrounding nature.

She had guessed that the honeymoon destination would be somewhere with a sea, but to think it was an island completely surrounded by the ocean… However, that wasn’t the only surprise for her.

“Your Highness, we’ve moved the luggage to the villa.”

The attendants who had moved all the trunks to the villa on the island bowed respectfully to the Grand Duke couple.

“We hope you have a comfortable time. We will visit again tomorrow morning.”

The loyal attendants of the Grand Duke’s household prepared to return to the mainland on the ship they had arrived on, as previously instructed.

Moving with perfect coordination, they were already raising the anchor of the Naupolion again.

Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, Aidel could only stare blankly at their retreating figures.

She slowly turned her head to the side. Her eyes, filled with disbelief, turned to the only other presence remaining on this island.

Meeting her trembling gaze steadily, Caeron’s lips curved into a languid smile.

Although his smile was captivating enough to steal anyone’s heart, especially since he rarely smiled… Aidel now knew well that this smile was the expression of a predator luring its prey.

“Surely… here…”

It can’t be…

Caeron’s smile deepened at Aidel’s desperate look, wishing to deny the reality before her.

“Yes. Here…”

He reached out to tuck her windswept hair behind her ear.

“Now it’s just the two of us.”

At his words, both affectionate and cruel, reminding her of the reality she faced, Aidel felt dizzy.

On this comfortable paradise, perfectly isolated from the outside world, where no one else was present and there was nowhere to escape…

Only he and she remained alone.