Her long eyelashes quivered slightly as she slowly opened her eyes. Her emerald green eyes, like dew-drenched leaves, trembled as they scanned her surroundings, trying to assess the situation.

She found herself in a large bedroom encircled by an antique ceiling mural and cornice decorations. As she drew back the bed curtains, a well-manicured, expansive garden came into view through the window directly in front of her. One thing was certain – this was not the room where she woke up every day.

‘I left the Count’s residence yesterday.’

It finally hit her. The fact that she had left the Count’s family, a place she had so desperately wanted to leave. Although it wasn’t the way she had envisioned…

‘Caeron Roman de Ellios…’

Clutching the sheets tightly, Aidel recalled the man who had extended his hand to her when she was stuck, unable to move as if mired in mud. She still couldn’t determine if taking his hand had been a wise decision.

“You’re awake.”

“Ah… Hello.”

With a brief knock, the door opened and in walked a middle-aged woman. Her wrinkle-free, neat attire and hair pulled back without a single stray strand seemed to reflect her character. Bowing her head politely, she introduced herself.

“I am Marlin, the head maid of the Grand Duke’s household. From now on, I will be attending to you, Lady Aidel, the future Grand Duchess.”

At the words ‘future Grand Duchess,’ Aidel’s body trembled. All of this was now becoming an irreversible reality. Marlin spoke in a gentle voice to the seemingly confused girl.

“You must not remember since you fell asleep immediately last night. This is the Grand Duchess’s chamber. It will be your space from now on, Lady Aidel.”

“The Grand Duchess’s chamber…?”

“Yes. It exists both in the castle at the Grand Duchy of Ellios and in the Grand Duke’s residence located in the capital. It is a space with a long history, dating back to the Roman Ducal family.”

Roman was the middle name of the Grand Duke and the name of the former Empress’s family, which had been the highest-ranking noble house before the Grand Ducal family.

Aidel recalled reading an article about how the current Emperor, upon ascending to the throne, had bestowed the title of Grand Duke of Ellios upon his elder brother, and the Grand Duke had inherited the vast wealth and estates of the Roman Ducal family, which had no successor.

“To be honest, we were anxiously waiting for the owner of this room to arrive, not knowing when she would come. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Marlin’s eyes sparkled with a sense of renewal as she guided Aidel to the bathroom located inside the room.

“First, wash up and get ready. His Highness has requested to have lunch with you.”

“I will. Thank you, Marlin.”

Even in her just-woken state, Aidel appeared elegant without a trace of dishevelment due to her straight posture and movements. Though their conversation was brief, one’s character could be discerned from how they looked at and spoke to their subordinates.

‘Indeed, she is the Grand Duchess personally brought by His Highness the Grand Duke.’

A gentle smile spread across Marlin’s lips. She took an immediate liking to the future Grand Duchess. Just the fact that the Grand Duke had already embraced her and brought her here indicated that she held a special meaning to him, so her impression of Aidel was favorable.

Glancing at the Grand Duke’s coat draped on one side of the bed, Marlin suddenly recalled him during his days as a prince. With his graceful features resembling the former Empress, the prince appeared endlessly beautiful on the outside. However, contrary to his appearance, he possessed a very indifferent and cold temperament.

One day, a young lady had thrown herself at him like a moth drawn to a flame. Deliberately bumping into him, the lady pretended to fall, expecting him to catch her. In the end, someone did catch her. The lady had tightly grasped his coat, supporting herself.

– I- I apologize. I stumbled…

The lady blushed and apologized to him. As he looked at the hand clutching his coat lapel with cold eyes, the embarrassed lady discreetly let go. The Grand Duke silently took off the coat he was wearing.

– Discard it, Marlin.

Despite the coat being perfectly fine without any damage, his attitude implied that another person’s touch was impure. Leaving behind the lady, whose face had turned beet red and looked on the verge of tears, he had coldly turned away.

‘I thought he had mysophobia…’

The Grand Duke’s mysophobia, especially towards others and women, was so severe that it seemed to dictate his actions. Yet, yesterday, he had personally embraced and brought a woman wrapped in his own coat.

Moreover, as the future Grand Duchess had been unable to gather all her belongings due to circumstances that required her to hastily leave the Count’s residence, the Grand Duke had instructed for Madame Pomfenu, the Empire’s top women’s fashion designer, to be invited in the afternoon.

That’s not all. The Grand Duke had issued orders for the future Grand Duchess to reside comfortably and for the facilities within the Grand Duke’s residence to be re-inspected.

As a result, from early morning, they had begun to newly decorate the office that the future Grand Duchess would use, and books of the level found in the imperial and Empire University libraries were being ordered for the residence’s library, as she was said to enjoy reading.

‘Now, Your Highness has truly found his companion.’

The Grand Duke’s life had been too perfect and smooth. His face, seemingly detached from all matters, sometimes appeared as if he was bored with life.

Looking at the fresh-faced future Grand Duchess who had just finished washing up, Marlin’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. She was convinced that this woman would bring change to his life, in which he had felt no emotion whatsoever.

* * *

The news of the woman who had captivated the Grand Duke had not only shaken the Grand Ducal household.

The press release Gregory had written last night at the Grand Duke’s behest had reached the Empire’s newspapers, and this morning’s editions all prominently featured news about the future Grand Duchess.

“Is this true?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Pascal, the current Emperor of the Empire and the Grand Duke’s only younger brother, asked his chief attendant Isaac again in disbelief. He glanced once more at the newspaper in his hand.

“Aidel of the Count Fluor family…”

Pascal was so surprised by the sudden announcement of the Grand Duke’s marriage that he couldn’t close his gaping mouth. Moreover, he had learned for the first time that there was a woman named Aidel in the Count Fluor family.

‘They said that woman was Roselyn.’

He recalled the woman who had captivated the eyes of many young nobles at last year’s New Year’s ball, as fresh and splendid as a rose. He also knew that she was gradually dominating high society, being called the flower of Fluor.

Although there was no photograph of the future Grand Duchess in the newspaper, the name was clearly different from the Count Fluor’s daughter he knew. If she had not made her social debut, such a thing could happen, but that wasn’t the only surprising part.

“She was accepted into the Empire University at the top of her class?”

“Yes. It is said that she will be enrolling in the Department of Public Administration this year. The Grand Duke is also actively supporting her…”

A lady from a noble family, a woman who would now become the highest-ranking noblewoman as the Grand Duchess, was entering the Empire University.

“With all due respect, if she is entering the Empire University at the top of her class, it seems she possesses considerable academic knowledge and insight.”

As a fellow graduate of the Empire University, Chief Attendant Isaac knew how high the entrance examination standards were. So, even if he didn’t know anything else, he could easily guess that the future Grand Duchess had a significantly high level of academic cultivation and perspective.

“What on earth is my brother thinking…”

Pascal slightly furrowed his brow. His brother had always been inscrutable. Not only the sudden news of his marriage but also the unconventional move of welcoming a future Grand Duchess who would be enrolling in the Empire University…

Knowing that his brother was thoroughly uninterested in women, it was even more surprising. Since Gregory, the Grand Duke’s chief secretary, had personally written the press release, there was clearly an intention to officially announce and recognize the existence of the Grand Duchess.

“I should meet my brother in person. Send an invitation to the Grand Ducal residence. Say that I wish to invite my brother and the future Grand Duchess to a banquet.”

Wasn’t it his brother who had found even the imperial throne bothersome and handed it over to him? For his brother, who possessed such a disposition, to welcome the Grand Duchess in such a sensational manner, it seemed there must be a special intention behind it.

“Additionally, conduct an investigation into the future Grand Duchess. Investigate as thoroughly as possible what kind of person she is and how she grew up in the Count’s family.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The article mentioned that the future Grand Duchess would enter the Grand Ducal residence in advance to prepare for becoming the Grand Duchess and for the wedding.

While it wasn’t unprecedented for brides coming from foreign countries to do so, it was unusual for the future Grand Duchess to move to the Grand Duke’s residence beforehand when she had a count’s residence in the capital unless there was a special reason.

‘Normally, a family that cherishes their daughter would want to keep her with them for as long as possible…’

There seemed to be a reason why Aidel, known as the eldest daughter of the Count Fluor family, was not known in high society unlike the second daughter, Roselyn.

The Emperor’s blue eyes shone with intrigue, curiosity, and a hint of wariness towards the future Grand Duchess shrouded in mystery. He had a temperament that disliked variables, just like his brother.

* * *

“This is unbelievable!”

Expensive porcelain containers filled with cosmetics shattered with a loud crash. In the gold-leaf adorned vanity mirror, a woman’s figure was reflected, still fuming even after throwing the objects.

Roselyn, her eyes reddened with rage to match the color of her hair, glared at the woman kneeling on the floor. It was Bien, Aidel’s maid, who had been forcibly dragged in by Roselyn’s maids, her shoulders gripped.

“I told you to tell me everything you know! How did my sister take the Empire University exam, and when did she meet the Grand Duke?!”

“I don’t know. As I mentioned earlier, all I know is that last time, Lady Aidel went to the city to have a dress fitted and then visited the Imperial Library, saying she was going to borrow a book.”

The rose with sharp thorns was piercing. Bien, whose cheek had swollen from being slapped by Roselyn, still repeated the same answer.

Roselyn threw the newspaper beside her onto Bien’s face. As the sharp edge of the newspaper grazed her face, blood dripped onto the floor.

“Does it make sense that you, the close maid who was always by her side, don’t know? Not only did she deceive us and become the Grand Duchess, but she’s also enrolling in the Empire University!”

The Countess had already been bedridden from shock since yesterday when the Grand Duke and Aidel left the Count’s residence together.

Roselyn also wished for all of this to be a nightmare, but the newspaper delivered this morning contained not only the news of her sister being officially recognized as the future Grand Duchess but also the news of her university enrollment, which Roselyn had been unaware of.

The reason she stayed up late reading books every night was to prepare for the Empire University exam… As the image of her sister’s usually expressionless face, hiding her emotions, came to mind, Roselyn’s anger soared even more resentfully.

Originally, it was something to be censured in high society for a noble lady to enroll in the Empire University, yet the Grand Duke had officially announced his support for the future Grand Duchess’s enrollment. No noble was bold enough to contradict the position of the Grand Duke, the highest-ranking nobleman.

‘The one and only virtuous Grand Duchess of the Empire…’

Roselyn bit her lip until it bled, unable to tolerate her sister rising to such a position.

‘A mere artificial flower!’

She disliked her sister’s undeniable beauty and inherent nobility that couldn’t be concealed even in plain, unadorned attire. Deliberately donning expensive and splendid dresses and jewelry, Roselyn would look at her sister with a sense of superiority, but those unfeeling eyes held not a shred of envy.

The only moment her sister’s expression crumbled was when her existence was denied in the Count Fluor family. Whenever Roselyn made her sister realize that she was an illegitimate seed born without a scent, there was a thrill in seeing those unwavering emerald eyes tremble.

‘I’m different from my sister.’

Roselyn picked up the remaining perfume on the vanity and sprayed it on her body. As the strong rose scent entered her lungs, her ruined mood improved considerably.

‘I am the flower of the Empire who will rise to the highest position.’

The phrase “the flower of the Empire,” used in the newspaper article to refer to the Count Fluor family as the future Grand Duchess’s household, was what she disliked the most. That phrase should have been an epithet directed solely at herself.

‘An artificial flower should live like an artificial flower.’

Living as if dead was most befitting. Roselyn’s eyes gleamed sharply like a rose revealing its thorns.