I Wasn't Trying to Seduce with the Male Lead - Episode 57

The Duchess gave a clean nod of approval. “Then we must send someone to stop Lian’s return, no matter what.” “That won’t be easy. They’re definitely being watched, so if we send a weak force, they’ll be intercepted by the Emperor on the way.” “Then we’ll just send a force strong enough to not be intercepted secretly,” the Duchess replied to Eleanor’s point. But Blaine shook his head. “The Duke’s private soldiers and the Knights’ Order were also commanded not to move. If we defy the imperial decree, it will give them an open pretext for interception, so it’s better not to do it at all.” “What about the Behind Knights?” “The Behind Knights are Lian’s personal knights and their first priority is his command. Since the order he gave was to stay in the capital and protect Baroness Eleanor, they will not listen to a conflicting command.” All usable resources were effectively blocked. Minaz muttered under her breath. “The only option is to get help from the outside…” This was the only way for now, but Blaine looked troubled. “I barely got in under the pretext of being the acting captain of the Imperial Knights’ Order. With the Duke even under house arrest, there will be no one who will contact us without being wary of the Imperial Family’s eyes.” It wasn’t enough to just make contact. It had to be someone who could secretly dispatch a force capable of reaching Lian. Everyone in the room thought of just one person. “Maybe we’ll all end up getting killed by Lian’s sword,” Minaz muttered, scratching her hair.

Late at night. The Emperor entered the inner palace of Rosagrande. “Eileen.” When he called her name, the princess, who was lying in bed, weakly lifted her head. Her lovely, rosy cheeks were pale and her eyes were all red. The smile that always graced her angelic face had been almost non-existent lately. The Emperor, his heart aching, slowly approached her and sat down by her side. “I’m sorry I came back from the banquet first.” The princess lowered her head and did not reply. “I heard you talked with Grand Duke Phaedra for a long time at the banquet. He asked what you thought of Duke Phaedra.” This was what the head lady-in-waiting had told him on the way in. He had never considered Sky as a potential partner for the princess, but now, anyone who could bring a smile back to his daughter’s face seemed good enough. The princess did not recoil like she did when other suitors were mentioned, but she shook her head. “If even Your Majesty says such things, I will be even more sad.” Seeing the tears welling up in the princess’s eyes, the Emperor sighed. In the end, he had to speak. “If that’s truly how you feel… Lian’s heart can be turned back at any time.” The princess looked like she didn’t understand. The Emperor stroked her cheek and, in a gentle tone, told her about the vow of subjugation. That monstrous story brought life back into the princess’s eyes. “Then, if Your Majesty commands it, the Count will listen to anything?” “No, you just have to wish for it yourself.” “Me?” The Emperor nodded and said, “Because you are the master of the vow.” The princess, who had been blinking blankly,’s lips began to tremble. “If you wish for it, he is yours.” When he confirmed it again, the princess bit her lip and then hugged the Emperor tightly. The Emperor thought the princess was confused because her heart was so tender. The girl in his arms was still small, young, and a lovely daughter who needed her father. “Then… there is something I would like to ask of Your Majesty.” “I will grant you anything.” The Emperor smiled, stroking his daughter’s hair. The vow of subjugation. He had needlessly suffered, going around the easy path and worrying about losing Lian. If he had known this from the beginning, things would not have gone so wrong. Making Lian a docile doll wouldn’t be fun, but the fact that he was bound by a vow was more than enough to make him a useful tool. ‘Now they can’t even touch me.’ If he dies, Lian dies, too. The Emperor said he had informed Duchess Floyd of the vow. Now Duchess Floyd would never be able to refuse his demands again. ‘I can use this to lure that girl out.’ His intention to eliminate Eleanor before Lian’s return remained unchanged. And he had a suitable plan for that. Now, all he needed were subordinates who would move like his limbs and convey his intentions well. The princess, with a plan in mind, dressed up and adorned herself. It was about the time she was tying her shoelaces beautifully. “A guest has arrived.” The head lady-in-waiting entered the room and announced. With a perfect sense of timing, the princess smiled and went out to the reception room. “Welcome, Duke.” It was Duke Calabria, Lian’s father, who looked noticeably older lately. At the princess’s greeting, he bowed apologetically. “I apologize for being so distant. There have been various circumstances…” Perhaps because of Lian’s defiance and the conflict between the Duchess and the Emperor, Duke Calabria was in a very submissive state. That was also the princess’s objective. “The Count has gone on an expedition and you must be going through great difficulties because of the rebellion. I know all about it, so don’t worry.” After inviting Duke Calabria to sit and talking for a while, the princess got to the point. “Actually, there’s something I would like to ask of you, Duke.” “If it is a request from Her Royal Highness, I should naturally grant it.” Duke Calabria readily agreed without even hearing the content. The princess, feigning caution, hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth. “I heard… from His Majesty. About the vow that Count Calabria and I have made.” A look of tension appeared on Duke Calabria’s face. The princess, as she had intended, feigned surprise and waved her hand. “I have no intention of using it. I only want to win the Count’s heart purely. Subjugation. I would never do such a cruel thing…” As she trailed off, acting frightened, the Duke visibly relaxed. “Lian will surely understand Your Royal Highness’s noble heart before long.” “You don’t know how much strength it gives me to hear you say that, Duke.” The princess lowered her gaze, her curled eyelashes casting a shadow. A lonely voice flowed from her. “Everyone is turning to her side, one by one. I am so afraid that even you, Duke, will turn your back on me.” “That’s impossible…” The Duke, flustered, comforted the princess as if it were an absurd thought. “My loyalty is not inferior to the feelings Your Royal Highness has for Lian. You must not worry at all.” “Even knowing that, I can’t bear the anxiety. What if you, Duke…” The princess started to speak and then hesitated, stopping. “No, this is too ridiculous. It’s nothing.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but please feel free to say it.” “No. I can’t put a burden on you just to put my mind at ease…” “I can do anything to make Your Royal Highness feel at ease.” He was hooked. The princess, barely holding back a laugh, said hesitantly. “I was thinking… it would be nice if you, Duke, could show me your trust in a certain way.” “How?” She paused deliberately before dropping her words. “Just like the Count, you should make a vow of subjugation to me.” Duke Calabria’s face froze stiff. “I believe that Count Calabria being bound by the vow was an expression of your sublime loyalty to His Majesty. If you went that far, you must fully trust the Imperial Family, right?” “Of course, I trust the Imperial Family. I am completely subjugated to the Imperial Family even without such a thing…” “If you make a vow, we will be truly deeply connected. It will be like we are family.” At the words “like family with the Imperial Family,” the Duke’s eyes lit up for a moment. But he still seemed to have some judgment left, and he hesitated, unable to answer readily. “But something like that would be…” “You had your son do it, didn’t you? You must have done it because it was a good thing?” When she hit a sore spot, the Duke became even more flustered. The princess thoroughly exploited the opening she had made. “Don’t worry. I would never use the power of the vow on you, Duke. But if you do, I will be truly touched by your deep loyalty.” As she looked at him with desperate eyes, Duke Calabria became increasingly pale. “If you trust me, please show me a sign of your trust.” The Duke’s eyes were exactly like those of a fox caught in a trap he had once seen.

It was a beautiful afternoon, with a blue sky and roses in the garden blooming vividly. Eleanor was out on the pavilion in front of the castle wall with the Duchess. The weather was nice, but her heart was restless waiting for news inside. The two of them sat side by side on a garden bench, gazing endlessly towards the castle gate all day. As is often the case when waiting for something, time did not pass quickly. Eleanor put down the book she was making little progress on and turned her head to the Duchess. “May I ask you something?” “Go ahead.” She had started to ask but wondered if it was appropriate. Eleanor decided to be bold and just ask. “Why on earth did you marry the Duke?” The Duke of Calabria’s intentions seemed clear, so she was curious why Duchess Floyd had accepted it. The Duke was the kind of person who would get into a political marriage, but the Duchess didn’t seem like she would. The Duchess, who was asked the question, raised one eyebrow slightly. “That’s the first time I’ve been asked that question.” No one would have dared to ask. She was a little nervous about how the Duchess would react, but fortunately, the Duchess answered freely. “Because of his looks, maybe.” “Pardon?” “Well, he was handsome when he was young, even though he’s not anymore.” It was because of his looks? Eleanor was surprised that such a dignified Duchess could be a sucker for looks. She had never seen Duke Calabria even from a distance, but given Lian’s appearance, he was likely a handsome middle-aged man. “Then, you mean it was a love marriage?” “Yes. It would have been better if it had been a political marriage.” The Duchess shrugged slightly. “Believing that something that wasn’t genuine was sincere was the downfall.” She said it lightly, but a hint of bitterness lingered. The Duchess, realizing she couldn’t hide it, added a little more. “A marriage where two people want different things is truly awful. I don’t want my son to live a life like that.” The words, filled with a deep regret that came from her life, felt heavy. To Eleanor, who was lost in thought, the Duchess asked a question in return. “Why did you get married?” “It wasn’t something I wanted.” “Because of your status?” Instead of answering, Eleanor slightly lowered her head. “Your status will probably be a shackle for the rest of your life.” This was a fact she knew well, but hearing the Duchess say it felt like she was being poked. She knew how people born into such high status saw her, even if she had no complaints herself. But the Duchess said something unexpected. “It’s amazing that you, so young, are enduring that burden.” The Duchess looked at Eleanor as if she was proud of her in some way. A strange atmosphere. Just as Eleanor was about to say something. “Baroness Eleanor!” Biancasta came running out of the mansion. “It seems a guest has arrived at the Duke’s territory entrance.” It seemed Minaz and Claude, who were on the tower, had spotted the guest first. It was a relief that he had come, but could he enter safely? The Imperial Guard might be blocking his entry. “Let’s go to the gate.” Just as she was thinking they should do something, the Duchess seemed to have the same idea and got up first. But the two of them didn’t need to, as they soon saw a man pass through the castle gate. He was tall with pitch-black hair. It was Duke Sky Phaedra, unchanged. Although his true intentions were unknown, there was a part of him that she could rely on, so seeing him brought a sense of relief to her tense heart. “He got in more easily than I thought. I expected a bit of a struggle with the Imperial Guard.” “They let me through easily when I said I brought something from Her Royal Highness the Princess.” “Something like that exists?” Eleanor thought it was just an excuse to get in, but Sky actually offered a box. “It was on a table in my  (separate palace). It said to deliver it to you.” The box seemed to be made of good wood, but it was a common one you could see anywhere. Except for [To Eleanor Mariche] engraved on one side. “The Princess sent this… to me?” When Eleanor muttered, Sky tilted his head slightly. “Actually, the sender wasn’t written.” “Then why do you think the Princess sent it?” “It’s no ordinary object.” As if explaining, Sky lifted the box, unlatched it, and pulled. It was just a plain wooden box, but no matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn’t open. “As you can see, there’s a spell on the box.” “A spell?” “There’s a delivery vow on it. Only a specific person can see the real gift.” In an empire where spells were not common, doing something like that definitely made the source suspicious. Eleanor asked cautiously. “It’s not poisoned, is it?” “I don’t know. It’s better to be careful.” No matter what it was, it would be good to check the contents. The three of them prepared to open the box with all precautions. To prevent any curse from popping out, Sky drew a magic circle in the middle of the garden and placed the box on it. Meanwhile, Minaz, Claude, and Biancasta also came out to the garden and watched the scene. Minaz, who had learned the situation, had a subordinate bring a long pole. “Open it as is. Very carefully!” Eleanor, with a cloth covering her mouth and nose, hooked the pole onto the box latch from a distance and pulled. The lid, which had been unmoving no matter how hard he pulled, opened easily. “Release an animal and let it go near it.” When Minaz commanded, a few animals soon approached the box. However, they showed no signs of being poisoned no matter how long they waited. “It seems to be okay. Let’s go and take a look.” The Duchess stayed behind, and Eleanor, Sky, Minaz, and Claude approached the box. Minaz seemed very curious and was the first to run ahead. She peered into the box and soon let out a small scream, backing away. “Argh! What is this! Damn it.” “What is it?” Claude asked, disgusted. “A, a person’s wrist.” “A wrist?” “Yeah. It’s cut off and inside.” Eleanor’s face turned pale.

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