The Duke's Flower is Precarious (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 13
“What on earth have you been up to in my absence?”
“What do you mean, ‘up to’? It’s Aidel who’s caused all this trouble!”
At Count Fleur’s sharp rebuke, the Countess wiped away tears, looking deeply aggrieved.
“She tricked us completely and secretly took the Imperial University entrance exam… and on top of that, she went ahead and decided on her own to marry His Highness the Grand Duke! It’s utterly reckless!”
Clutching her handkerchief as if wringing it dry, the Countess shouted in bitter frustration.
Count Fleur pressed his aching forehead and let out a deep sigh.
Perhaps it was because he’d been preoccupied with managing his territory and paid little attention to household matters. On his way back to the manor after inspecting his lands, he was stunned by a letter he’d received from the Grand Duke.
— “C-could this possibly be true?”
— “It is. This is today’s newspaper. His Highness has made an official announcement.”
At the alley leading from Fleur territory to the capital, the Grand Duke’s messenger had been waiting. He handed over the Duke’s letter and the newspaper, delivering the shocking news.
— “Aidel is marrying His Highness the Grand Duke?! What on earth does this sudden news mean? What kind of parents don’t even know about their child’s marriage?”
At that, the messenger pulled another letter from his inner pocket.
— “His Highness instructed me to deliver this letter as well.”
If the Count showed resistance to Aidel’s engagement, this second letter was meant for him.
— “W-what is this…?”
Count Fleur was even more shocked now than when he’d first read the letter announcing Aidel’s engagement to the Grand Duke.
— “Engaged to Marquis Chale…? And is the information about Marquis Chale written here actually true?”
The second letter resembled an investigative report.
It detailed how the Countess had arranged the marriage between Aidel and Marquis Chale, down to the ‘gifts’ she’d intended to offer.
Moreover… it clearly listed the Marquis’s strange temperament and the suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths of his previous wives.
— “How could there be any falsehood in what His Highness sent? Please also accept this.”
The messenger took out a document from within his coat. Count Fleur’s eyes widened as he examined its contents.
— “This… this is…?”
— “His Highness said it’s in place of the gown expenses for Her Highness, the future Grand Duchess. Apparently, the Countess told her to leave behind everything when she departed the manor. This is compensation for the only item she took with her.”
Just what kind of gown could possibly cost as much as Fleur territory’s entire annual budget?! The transferable Imperial Bank account showed an unimaginable sum.
After a moment of stunned silence, he gathered himself and hurried back to the manor, where he immediately began questioning the Countess about the whole affair.
“Did you even know what kind of man the Marquis was before arranging this marriage?”
“What do you mean, ‘what kind of man’? Of course he’s the head of the Marquis Chale household—famous throughout the Empire for their wealth! Wouldn’t becoming his wife be the greatest fortune for our eldest daughter?”
“Truly, you had no idea about his temperament? Even if you didn’t, how could you push forward a marriage without saying a word to me and even expect payment from him!”
“H-how could you possibly…?”
The Countess stammered, flustered as she recalled the secret contract she’d drafted, which stipulated the terms of handing over Aidel—a contract that had now become utterly worthless after the engagement collapsed.
“Does that even matter? What matters is that you treated this marriage like a transaction!”
“Ha! And so what if it was a transaction? That’s precisely how noble houses arrange marriages. All I did was try to find a good match for my eldest daughter, who’s now of age.”
“That’s right, Father! Please stop. Mother only acted out of love for Sister… She was worried Sister, who never participates in social events, might miss her chance to marry.”
As the voices of the Count and Countess rose, Rozeline stepped in at just the right moment to defend her mother.
“Both Mother and I… only wanted what was best for Sister. It’s so disappointing that she went ahead and enrolled in university and arranged her marriage to His Highness without saying a word to us.”
Rozeline’s eyes welled with tears, her expression sorrowful. Seeing his daughter like this, the Count’s tone finally softened a little.
“Sigh… Fine. What’s done is done.”
Count Fleur felt deep remorse for everything that had happened while he’d been inattentive.
‘Aidel…’
Though he’d never voiced it, his firstborn daughter, born without any scent, had always been his sore spot.
At first, he’d found it strange that his daughter was born without the inherited trait. That was also why he hadn’t strongly defended his late wife when she’d faced suspicion from the family.
After the woman he’d loved—his former wife—passed away, leaving only their child behind, he’d raised Aidel out of a sense of duty.
— “Father…”
The child, who’d longed for her parents’ affection, had quietly followed behind him, spending more and more time in his study. She’d read the same books he did, and before he knew it, she’d grown into a proper young lady.
Aidel would often try to speak but end up writing her thoughts in a notebook instead. One day, he’d been startled when he read what she’d written.
Her notes outlined proposals for revising Fleur territory’s ancient laws and improving the lives of its people through administrative reforms—ideas so impressive they left him in awe.
‘Someday… I’d wanted to have a proper conversation with her…’
The rift between father and daughter, built up over more than ten years, wouldn’t be easy to mend. With no son to inherit the title, the Count had privately considered passing his earldom to the clever Aidel.
That was why he hadn’t rushed her into marriage and instead hoped she’d grow through her studies as she wished. Even if he’d never shown it well… Aidel was the daughter he truly acknowledged as a Fleur.
Now, he regretted using busyness as an excuse to ignore household matters and constantly postponing a talk with Aidel.
No wonder she’d secretly taken the Imperial University entrance exam—it must have been her escape from the pressure of an unwanted marriage.
‘But of all people, she had to meet the Grand Duke…’
The Count’s frown deepened.
He would’ve allowed her university enrollment—but this sudden engagement to the Grand Duke was his biggest concern.
His daughter, born without scent… and the Grand Duke, of the noblest royal bloodline.
Perhaps… if that passage he’d once read in the family’s ancient records was true…
Then his daughter and the Grand Duke were destined never to meet.
[This is the timeline separator]In the late afternoon, a guest arrived at the Grand Duke’s residence. Afternoon tea had been prepared slightly earlier than usual in the reception room.
“Welcome, Count.”
“I pay my respects to Your Highness.”
“I heard you returned yesterday. You came straight to see me after arriving in the capital—must’ve been quite a shock.”
“What parent wouldn’t be shocked by their child’s sudden marriage?”
“Hmm. You seemed rather neglectful until now.”
“…That was my oversight.”
Count Fleur lowered his head slightly and exhaled heavily through his nose. The Grand Duke was right—it was precisely because of his own neglect that all this had happened.
Though the past couldn’t be undone… he had to prevent any possible unhappiness his daughter might face because of this marriage to the Grand Duke.
“For now… I’d like to return the Imperial Bank account Your Highness sent through your messenger.”
“That was merely a small token of appreciation for how ‘well’ your household cared for the future Grand Duchess.”
Kaeron dismissed the document the Count offered from his coat, making it clear it wasn’t necessary.
A “small token”…? Once again, Count Fleur realized just how insignificant his territory’s entire annual budget was to the Grand Duke—barely equal to the cost of a single gown.
Indeed, the Grand Duke’s known wealth was already legendary. It was common knowledge among nobles involved in real estate development that the Duke owned most of the capital’s prime buildings and land.
And that wasn’t even all. The Grand Duke’s domain, inherited from Duke Roman, stretched all the way to the sea. Trade operations through the territory’s ports were growing larger by the day.
“Then I’ll invest in bonds under Aidel’s name instead. It was the dowry I intended to give her upon marriage anyway.”
“You may do as you wish, Count. However, there’s no need to send anything else to the Grand Ducal household under the pretense of a dowry.”
“…Understood.”
Count Fleur looked across at the young Grand Duke seated opposite him. With his cold, arrogant expression, the man seemed to carry purer blood of the Jupiter Imperial line than anyone else—even more ‘imperial’ than the Emperor himself.
That only made him more uneasy. He needed confirmation.
“Forgive my boldness… but may I ask why Your Highness decided to marry my daughter?”
“Why…?”
He couldn’t bring himself to repeat what he’d heard from Rozeline. If the Grand Duke truly was head-over-heels for Aidel—and if that reason had anything to do with ‘scent’…
Kaeron observed the Count’s anxious face for a moment. Seeing the genuine worry of a father, he decided to speak honestly.
“You’ve read the letter, so you know—she wanted to escape an unwanted marriage. She even took the Imperial University exam because she wished to gain complete independence from your household.”
Even if the unwanted marriage was understandable, the desire to break away from her own family… Count Fleur cast his eyes down, filled with sorrow.
“She planned to graduate and support herself, even if it meant abandoning noble ‘dignity.’ But legally, unmarried noblewomen still cannot engage in public work.”
Count Fleur’s pupils trembled minutely. Had she truly been so desperate to leave that she was willing to forsake even her noble status? The thought filled him with anguish.
“I promised her freedom in three years.”
“That means…”
“Yes. This is a marriage of contract—arranged solely to fulfill our mutual needs.”
The shocked Count widened his eyes and asked in a trembling voice,
“So it’s purely contractual… a marriage without any feelings whatsoever?”
“Feelings? What exactly do you mean by ‘feelings,’ Count?”
“I’ve heard… that Your Highness expressed affection for Aidel in front of others.”
“Ah… I intend to publicly strengthen her position as Grand Duchess. As you know, a Grand Duchess’s authority stems entirely from the Grand Duke’s unwavering support.”
The Grand Duke’s expression remained flawless, his voice calm and detached—he didn’t look at all like a man in love. Even his actions toward Aidel seemed nothing more than proper treatment toward a contractual partner.
Count Fleur pressed his lips together, his gaze conflicted.
Simultaneously, he felt sorrow for his daughter—who’d chosen a marriage of contract with eventual divorce in mind to achieve true independence—and relief that the Grand Duke wasn’t in love with her.
“I entrust Aidel… to your care.”
For now, all he could do was silently support the path his daughter had chosen. Watching over her as she pursued her own wishes was the only atonement he, who’d neglected her for so long, could offer.
Aidel was seeing off Count Fleur, who’d just visited the Grand Duke’s residence.
Her father, whom she hadn’t seen in a long while, now bore a noticeably gaunt face. Even the bergamot scent that always used to linger around him had greatly faded.
“Aidel…”
“Yes? What is it?”
After studying her face with worried eyes for a long moment, the Count finally spoke with difficulty.
“Whenever you wish… you may always return to the Fleur household.”
It wasn’t the usual thing to say to a daughter on the verge of marriage. Aidel realized her father now understood the true nature of this engagement after his private meeting with the Grand Duke.
Just before leaving, Count Fleur hesitated, then said to her,
“…You are my daughter.”
“…!”
Those quiet words instantly brought a sharp sting to her nose, and tears welled up in her eyes. It was the one thing she’d longed to hear her entire life—and only now did she finally hear it.
The Count looked at his tearful daughter, unsure of what to say, his expression heavy with emotion, then wordlessly turned away.
Standing at the entrance, Aidel stared blankly at his retreating figure as he headed back to the manor.
‘Father…’
If only he’d said those words just a little sooner… would her life be different now?
‘No… even then…’
Aidel shook her head. Even if things had been different, she knew she never would’ve wanted a life defined solely as someone’s wife.
Graduating university and entering society required divorce, and the Grand Duke’s proposed contract terms were perfect. The only variable was… her own heart, which kept wavering toward him.
As she stood lost in thought, someone quietly approached her side.
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
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Can’t wait for second prince to die . How dare he touch grand Duchess with his filthy hand.
I hope Kareon kills first prince . But maybe that’s not going to happen because of diplomatic relations between kingdoms. If at that moment aidel would have remained unconscious ,second prince definitely would have died .It’s unfortunate , that bastard should have died on spot.
I am blushing even though I don’t know what withdrawal symptoms is.