I Refuse This Life, Your Highness! - Chapter 27

My heart pounded loudly. Someone was behind the shade of the trees. Could it be that the Grand Duke was about to… just like in the dream? But instead, a different sentence came from his lips.

“I wanted you to hear this.”

At his slight gesture, two people emerged from the shade of the trees. My eyes widened as I saw them. Each was holding a mibel, a famous traditional string instrument from Airdren.

“I was about to call you over to share some fine tea when Roxen informed me that a musical troupe from Airdren was nearby. I thought of you and asked them to send over musicians with instruments you’d likely find familiar.”

“You thought of me…”

I murmured softly, feeling my ears grow warm. At the Grand Duke’s signal, the musicians began playing. Their instruments, native to Airdren, naturally played Airdren’s traditional melodies.

Memories of Airdren came flooding back—my brothers, my parents, Rhys, Fea, and the household staff. I narrowed my eyes slightly, absorbed in the music, momentarily forgetting the tea in front of me.

The musicians performed three pieces in total. When they finally bowed and withdrew, I returned to myself, noticing steam rising from my teacup. At some point, the steward must have replaced the now-cooled tea with a fresh serving.

“Your Grace, thank you very much. It was a delightful time.”

“Good. You didn’t seem to be in a good mood yesterday, so I’m glad.”

“W-was I really?”

“A little.”

Perhaps it was because I had just helped Miria escape. Yesterday, the Grand Duke had come to my room, emptied a bottle of wine, and fallen asleep, yet he’d noticed my expression.

“Are you planning to go riding again today? If you finish your work early enough.”

“Yes… that sounds good.”

“Alright.”

After a brief tea time, I returned to my office and worked with the urgency of someone being chased. I was so engrossed that I even had Resilly bring me a sandwich for lunch to eat while I worked.

In the afternoon, Erma brought the documents related to Penbril Hospital. Sorting through them took some time, but I managed to finish all my work before 4 p.m., which was earlier than usual by about two hours.

I returned to my room, changed into my riding clothes, and waited briefly until Sir Leon arrived to escort me. As soon as he saw me, he asked, “Are both of you putting some great expectations on today’s ride? Even His Grace finished his work early for it.”

“Well, not particularly… but it seems that way.”

Sir Leon chuckled knowingly. Together with the Grand Duke, who was waiting in the courtyard, we mounted our horses. I climbed onto Shasa, and we took a different path from yesterday, heading up a steeper hill.

The rhythmic clopping of hooves against the dirt was lively, and the crisp breeze of the late afternoon cleared away the stiffness I’d accumulated from working indoors all day.

“This is it,” the Grand Duke said, pulling on his reins. His black horse neighed softly and stopped in place. Shasa, obedient as ever, halted when I signaled her to do so.

“…”

A vast field of silvergrass stretched before us.

It was a beautiful sight. The Grand Duke looked at me, as if asking what I thought of it.

I wished I could smile… but I couldn’t.

This was where the Grand Duke had first met Leia.

It was hard to read his intentions. Why had he brought me here? Ah, he had mentioned before that there were many beautiful places in Eseré that he wanted to show me. Perhaps this was just one of his favorite spots, and he had coincidentally met Leia here.

The thought that he might have brought me here to mock me flared briefly but quickly dissipated. The Grand Duke… wasn’t that kind of person. Even the suspicion that he might currently be meeting Leia was just my own baseless assumption.

He must have met Leia shortly before introducing her to me. That was nearly three years into my tenure as Grand Duchess. He had brought her into the Grand Duchy shortly after meeting her, so Leia hadn’t stayed in the palace long in my past life.

Still, Leia’s arrival had completely toppled my already crumbling reputation. I became the laughingstock of the Grand Duchy. People, seemingly to spite me, treated Leia with utmost reverence. After her true identity was revealed, they regarded her as the Grand Duchess instead of me.

“…”

Chasing away those bitter memories, I gazed at the silvergrass. Unlike the soft, feathery ones that grew elsewhere, these were sturdy, with sharp, bristling plumes that swayed gracefully in the wind but with a certain strength. During harvest season, they were cut and sold for a high price. Like other crops, they were managed by the Grand Duke.

Of course, putting aside its monetary value, the sight of the silvergrass swaying in the wind was simply beautiful—a fitting scene for autumn.

Just then, the Grand Duke approached me, holding several tall stalks of silvergrass he had plucked.

I wondered why he’d picked them, but then, to my surprise, he handed them to me. I couldn’t hide my astonishment, and the Grand Duke gave a wry smile, perhaps interpreting my reaction in his own way.

“Apologies—it’s not flowers.”

“A-are you giving them to me?”

I stammered, flustered. The Grand Duke chuckled softly.

“Should I give them to Shasa instead?”

“…Thank you.”

What good would silvergrass do for a horse? At most, it would make for expensive fodder. Without another word, I accepted the silvergrass he offered me. I thought it might look nice in a vase in my bedroom, lending a touch of charm.

Though I couldn’t enjoy its fragrance like flowers, I held it close to my chest. Despite it being just a few stalks of grass, my arms felt full. The Grand Duke’s gaze narrowed slightly.

“Vi.”

“Yes.”

His voice was serious, and a sense of unease crept over me. Surely, he wasn’t about to confess something about Leia here, was he?

As I braced myself, the words that came out of his mouth were completely unexpected.

“I’m thinking of inviting your brothers to Eseré. What do you think?”

“…What?”

What did he just say? I was so taken aback that I thought I must have misheard him. But the Grand Duke continued.

“You haven’t been away from home for long, but it’s still enough time to feel homesick. The Count and Countess must be busy, so I was thinking of inviting your two older brothers. That way, you can catch up—if you’d like, of course.”

I hadn’t misheard. I nearly dropped the reins in shock, my eyes widening.

“I… I’d love that! I miss my brothers!”

Truthfully, I missed my brothers more than my parents. The Grand Duke nodded, as if he had expected my answer, and turned his gaze back to the silvergrass field.

The excitement that had surged within me slowly calmed with the rustling sound of the swaying reeds. Their hazelnut-colored plumes danced in the breeze, making a soft, whispering sound.

As my initial thrill over seeing my brothers settled, the beauty of the silvergrass field finally registered fully in my mind. I even forgot about Leia for a moment. The silvergrass field was truly mesmerizing.

The Grand Duke spent a long time admiring the swaying grass, and I, seated on my horse beside him, didn’t find it dull at all. I had no intention of turning back until he suggested we leave.

The descent down the hill was slower than our climb up.

His earlier comment about showing me the beautiful places in Eseré came to mind. It really seemed like he had brought me here simply to share this breathtaking view. So then… Leia? Was Leia…?

The thought threatened to resurface, but I pushed it away.

When we returned to the castle, I realized why the Grand Duke had suddenly brought up my brothers.

A letter had arrived from Rvian.

“When did this letter arrive?”

“It arrived this morning, but it wasn’t delivered to you until after the mail sorting was completed and Your Grace had already left.”

Every piece of mail sent to the castle is documented, even minor items. Naturally, a letter from Airdren would have been reported to the Grand Duke. Upon seeing it, he must have thought it pitiful that, from his perspective, I had left home at such a young age. That’s probably why he considered letting me meet my family.

So… what about my past life? My brothers must have been worried sick about my lack of correspondence and tried contacting me multiple times.

That wasn’t hard to guess. Erma must have intercepted and altered the letters, ensuring the Grand Duke never saw them. Likely with some suspicious content designed to make him distrust me.

Without even changing out of my riding clothes, I sat down and tore open the letter.

-To my dearest sister, Yuraine.

Rvian’s elegant penmanship immediately caught my eye.

The letter’s contents were similar to his usual ones. He asked if I was doing well and mentioned that the family was fine.

Recently, some cats had found their way into the manor through gaps in the fence. Mother had been horrified and ordered the staff to chase them out, but Risaeon was secretly feeding them, apparently.

Cats. Just the thought of them was adorable. I wondered what they looked like. Black? White? Tabby?

It was a pity they had been chased away, but Mother had always disliked animals. I remembered being caught trying to secretly raise a puppy when I was little and getting scolded severely.

“You’re a Lamia, so you naturally have a strong protective instinct,” she had said later, patting my head. “There’s no need to feel sorry for that.”

As I read through the letter, my eyes paused at a particular line.

-But Yuraine, you did admire the Grand Duke, didn’t you?

“…”

He continued, suggesting that maybe I disliked the arranged marriage even more because of that. I lowered my head slightly. I could picture my brothers while this letter was being written.

Rvian, calm and composed, writing steadily. Meanwhile, Risaeon must have been vehemently denying the idea, insisting I couldn’t possibly like an older man whose inner thoughts were a mystery.

Unfortunately, it was true. I had admired the Grand Duke of Eseré since childhood. But I hadn’t wanted an arranged marriage.

Or perhaps “hadn’t wanted” wasn’t the right way to put it.

What could a man gain from marrying someone like me, a Lamia?

Still, I didn’t dislike the marriage as much as my brothers thought. There was a part of me that had been hopeful, even if I also dreaded it. When I first saw him at our wedding, my admiration turned into something closer to infatuation.

“Phew…”

I folded the letter and sighed. What was the point of worrying now? The Grand Duke himself had told me we’d divorce in three months. I just had to wait until then. Freedom awaited. Sweet freedom.

I chuckled to myself and asked Resilly for a pen and paper. I began drafting a reply to Rvian, writing the usual well-wishes. My pen sped up as I got to the part I really wanted to write.

-His Grace suggested inviting my brothers to the Grand Duchy. If you’re both willing, I’ll send an official invitation.

That was it. My spirits soared as I set the pen down and gently blew on the ink to dry it. I couldn’t wait—I’d get to see my brothers!

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