The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 104
A wave of anxiety hit her—what if things went wrong under her inexperienced leadership?
“Shouldn’t a legion commander usually be someone with more experience?”
“After hearing how you fought that day, I thought you might just be the right person for the role.”
“But still…”
“I’ll give you a few days to think it over. If it feels too burdensome, you may decline.”
Seeing Grace hesitate under the weight of it, Duke Philipon added words to ease her burden.
“I truly believe you’d do a great job. So, please give it some serious thought.”
With that, Duke Philipon disappeared, saying he would wait for her response. Left alone, Grace was overwhelmed with confusion.
What should I do…
If only Frederick were here, she could ask for his advice. Without him, she had no idea what to do.
“Lady Winstaine.”
It was a familiar voice. Aris had come closer.
“So this is where you were. I didn’t see you—thought maybe you didn’t come.”
“I had to. It’s an important event…”
“Then why that expression? What did the Lord say to you?”
Aris asked with a curious look. It wasn’t just the solemnity of the funeral—Aris noticed that Grace’s expression had grown even more complicated after her meeting with the duke.
Should I say it?
Grace hesitated briefly. But she didn’t linger on it for long.
“The Lord made a rather difficult request…”
Was there ever a worry one couldn’t share even with their closest friend? Grace hoped that, after everything they’d been through together, Aris would be the one to understand her best.
“You’re anxious about leading the legion, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I have no experience. I don’t know how to command people in battle. It just feels like I’ve been suddenly pushed to the front lines.”
“Well, I see it a little differently…”
Aris spoke in a shy yet confident tone. Grace’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected remark. What did she mean by that?
“Personally, when I think about how you fought back then, I feel like you’d be capable of leading us. You struck me as someone incredibly strong and amazing.”
“Ah… I’m not sure if that one moment is enough to go by.”
Back then, Grace had felt something almost superhuman. Driven by the need to protect her comrades at the training grounds, she’d moved in a trance. A surge of power she’d never accessed before had erupted from her. But could she tap into that strength again in a real battle?
“Didn’t your husband also head out recently?”
“Yes. He departed at dawn not too long ago.”
“You’re both so admirable. You’re the hope of the empire.”
“I don’t know about me… maybe the Duke.”
Grace recalled Frederick—his training with the sword, how he had swiftly dealt with assailants in the forest. The way he wielded his blade with a blue aura—it was almost inhuman. He would no doubt be key to quelling Vladimir’s rebellion.
“And you—you didn’t even hesitate when dealing with the Armento intruders… even though you recognized some of their faces.”
“……”
“Especially Seri—I never imagined she approached us with that kind of intention. If it were me, I would’ve been too shocked to do anything the moment I saw her face.”
Aris’s expression dimmed. Grace, knowing the betrayal had been no surprise to her, simply gave a small, gentle smile.
“Thank you for seeing me in such a good light.”
“Lady Winstaine.”
Both Grace and Aris turned toward the voice. The Crown Princess’s personal maid was standing there.
“Her Highness wishes to see you. Please join her after the funeral is over.”
“It’s been a while, my lady. How have you been?”
“I greet Your Highness the Crown Princess. Have you been well?”
“I’ve been rather tired. Given the current state of things, I haven’t been able to sleep well…”
Just as she said, the Crown Princess looked noticeably thinner since the last time they met. With the Imperial Knights out searching for traitors and mages and Armento forming military units, living comfortably would have been the oddity.
“I heard there’s something important you wished to ask of me.”
Grace repeated what the maid had told her.
“Her Highness said she has a personal favor to ask.”
“Yes. There’s something that requires your ability, which is why I had to call you.”
What kind of favor? Seeing the solemn look in the Crown Princess’s eyes stirred a tinge of fear in Grace.
“I say this with the utmost caution…”
The Crown Princess swallowed hard.
“…Would you be able to heal His Majesty?”
“……!”
Grace was so shocked she couldn’t say a word.
She had heard that the Emperor had been bedridden for a long time. All the finest physicians had tried treating him, but none had succeeded. And now, she was being asked to take on that responsibility?
“I… I…”
Why were these impossible requests piling up on her?
Even the Duke’s request to lead the legion was overwhelming, but now they wanted her to heal the Emperor—her mind went completely blank.
“I understand it’s an enormous burden. And yes… it’s true that I’m making this request while the Duke of Winstaine is away. He likely wouldn’t approve of this.”
“…….”
“But if His Majesty wakes… so much will be resolved.”
The Crown Princess’s eyes were filled with determination. What exactly would be resolved?
“I should’ve said this sooner, but I firmly believe it was Prince Vladimir who did this to His Majesty.”
Her voice grew stronger.
“Just hours before His Majesty was found collapsed, he had lunch with Prince Vladimir. Up until then, he was in perfect health.”
“…….”
“There is circumstantial evidence suggesting the prince did something to harm His Majesty. But with no solid proof, we were powerless to act.”
Stories Grace never knew—never even imagined—were pouring from her lips.
“But I believe His Majesty knows exactly what Vladimir did. If he wakes up, he must be the one to tell the world.”
“…….”
“If word spreads throughout the empire that Vladimir attempted to poison his own father for the throne, it will be nearly impossible for him to become emperor. He’ll lose all support.”
Fratricidal power struggles weren’t unheard of in the empire. But attempting to murder one’s own father for the throne? That was considered a taboo—utterly disgraceful. It had never happened in recorded history.
“Vladimir was likely confident His Majesty would never recover and quietly pass away. No one has been able to heal him so far, after all.”
“…….”
“But with your healing power… I thought there might be a chance.”
“What if… what if I try and fail?”
Grace spoke hesitantly.
It was true—the divine beast’s energy possessed healing properties. But whether it would work on the Emperor, she couldn’t be sure. Worse, if their energies were incompatible, it could do harm.
And they still didn’t know what Vladimir had done to the Emperor in the first place.
“Of course, we’ve considered that possibility.”
The Crown Princess’s eyes sharpened. Her voice dropped to a whisper.
“In the worst-case scenario, we are prepared to accept that His Majesty might stop breathing during the attempt.”
“…Ha!”
Grace let out a short gasp. That meant even if the Emperor died during her healing attempt, she wouldn’t be held responsible.
“Under no circumstances will you suffer any consequence. That is my promise.”
The Crown Princess was utterly sincere. Even though the Emperor’s death would give Vladimir a freer hand, she was willing to take this gamble.
“All I ask is that you try—if you are able.”
“I… I…”
“If you do this, the Winstaine family will have everything unjustly taken from them by the Crown restored.”
The Crown Princess spoke urgently. Grace’s eyes widened.
For the imperial family to make such a bold promise… The truth that the Winstaine family had been unfairly stripped of power was something everyone had known but ignored. Even Frederick, the one most affected.
Now, she was being offered full restoration. Frederick might not want it—he might even be angry she was stepping into his family’s affairs.
“…….”
But even so, it wasn’t easy to let go of an opportunity like this.
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