The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 61

“Hah. This is turning into a headache.”

 

Felixius sighed and pressed his forehead.

 

If it had been any ordinary woman, he would’ve simply kidnapped her and made her join his side. But she was the Duchess of Winstaine.

 

“This won’t be something that can be solved quickly.”

 

“No, sir. It’s impossible unless we bring Duke Winstaine over to our side.”

 

“But is that even possible? That man never leaves his territory. How could we possibly…”

 

“As of now… it seems unlikely.”

 

Samuel averted his gaze as he spoke. There was no clever solution. Felixius let out another sigh.

 

“How did such power end up in the hands of such a troublesome woman…? What’s the update on the divine beast hunt?”

 

He decided to place his hopes elsewhere.

 

“There’s still no news of anyone having captured the divine beast.”

 

But the outcome was predictable. Felixius sighed again.

 

“I see…”

 

“However… there is one thing that seems strange.”

 

Samuel hesitated a moment before continuing.

 

“Speak.”

 

“The hunters we dispatched have all returned—except for the ones sent to the Marquessate of Sertil. We searched for them and found them dead.”

 

Corpses? Felixius reacted immediately. Samuel’s gaze grew more intense.

 

“They must have had a confrontation with someone. We don’t know who, though.”

 

“Could it be that someone else also knows about the divine beast?”

 

“Otherwise, why would there be a fight?”

 

Come to think of it, it made sense. The hunters were only after the divine beast. There was no reason for them to get into unrelated fights or conflicts.

 

“My theory is this, Your Majesty. The divine beast appeared in the Marquessate of Sertil, and someone who knew about its existence got to them first.”

 

Felixius slowly nodded.

 

“That does sound plausible. But what was their motive?”

 

“To claim the divine beast for themselves, perhaps?”

 

“Were there any other traces of the divine beast? A body, maybe…?”

 

“No, not this time. So it’s hard to say for sure that it’s dead. It could have escaped during the fight between those trying to capture it.”

 

Felixius stroked his chin, lost in thought.

 

“Other people who might know the divine beast’s secret… Who could it be? Ah, I think I have an idea.”

 

A twisted smile crept onto Felixius’s lips.

 

“Prepare to send someone soon. Make sure they’re quick on their feet and sharp.”

 

“Yes, sir. Understood.”

 

Samuel bowed in obedience to his lord’s command.

 

 

As soon as the harvest season ended, the weather turned chilly.

 

Grace focused her attention on managing the estate. She not only reviewed the total yield but also kept a close eye on the broader market trends.

 

“It’s already been almost a year since you arrived, madam.”

 

“It really has…”

 

While having tea with the maids, Grace nodded slowly at Annie’s comment. So much had happened during that time.

 

She had arrived terrified at the idea of marrying the “Monster Duke.” But the staff had been mostly kind, and her husband turned out to be the kindest of all.

 

With the support and help of the people in the Winstaine estate, she had learned and grown so much.

 

“Looking at the trees almost bare of leaves… winter must truly be near.”

 

“Let’s hope we don’t have trouble with the Seolgwi this year.”

 

Annie’s comment as she gazed out the window was followed by a remark from Rena.

 

“Seolgwi?”

 

Grace tilted her head at the unfamiliar term.

 

“Yes. It’s a monster native to the Winstaine territory. It has a beast’s head on a human body and attacks people.”

 

“There used to be a wall that kept them out, but once, they broke through and invaded. The Duke goes with mages to repair the wall.”

 

“Ah, so that’s why Frederick often goes into the forest…”

 

“Yes. He hunts down any Seolgwi he finds and checks and strengthens the barrier. Occasionally, one or two manage to sneak in and harm people.”

 

So that’s what Frederick had been doing in the forest. It made sense now why he had warned her never to go in there alone.

 

“He’s like a guardian deity protecting the Winstaine Dukedom. He’s been defending us against the Seolgwi for generations.”

 

“If it weren’t for His Grace, everyone would be living in fear of the Seolgwi.”

 

‘Frederick… how amazing. Protecting the people of the estate like that…’

 

She remembered the time he had saved her. He had moved so fast it was almost impossible to see him. He must’ve cut down monsters with that kind of speed.

 

“Oh, it’s time.”

 

Checking the grandfather clock, Grace set down her teacup and stood up.

 

“Where are you going, madam?”

 

“To see the secretaries. I’ll be back soon.”

 

She smiled at the maids as she left.

 

 

“Here’s the revenue from last month and this month.”

 

Grace took the report on the print business that Hailey handed her.

 

“Sales have dipped slightly compared to before.”

 

The once-growing print business had begun to slow, and for the past two months, it had even shown a slight decline.

 

“I think it’s because of competition, madam.”

 

“More and more places in the capital have started copying our methods. The overall market has grown, but our share seems to have shrunk.”

 

“Ah, that makes sense. That could be why.”

 

But Grace reacted with surprising calm, showing no disappointment. Her reaction was different from what Isaac and Hailey had expected.

 

“Are you okay with that?”

 

“Yes. I actually think it’s a good thing. With increased production, more people can buy art at lower prices. There’ll be more variety, too.”

 

“That’s… true.”

 

A genuine smile appeared on Grace’s face. The secretaries nodded in agreement.

 

‘It’s not like she started this business to get rich, anyway.’

 

Grace had been using most of the profit from the prints to help the people of the estate.

 

She had expanded the relief storehouses to help feed those who were starving and increased storage capacity. She also stocked up on medicinal herbs.

 

“I just hope that even if it doesn’t become a big success, it can at least continue steadily.”

 

“Yes, madam. We’ll work on that—maybe explore more distribution channels or figure out what kind of art people like.”

 

“Please do. But don’t overwork yourselves.”

 

Grace smiled warmly at Isaac and Hailey.

 

At this point, the print business was running smoothly enough without her constant involvement. Though revenue had dipped slightly, it wasn’t operating at a loss. As long as it stayed that way, she was satisfied.

 

She hadn’t been able to pay much attention to it lately due to managing the estate, but it seemed to be doing well on its own, and that was a relief.

 

“Yes, madam! You can count on us!”

 

With Isaac’s confident reply, Grace felt reassured.

 

 

“Your Grace, a letter has arrived from the Imperial Palace.”

 

“Give it here.”

 

Frederick accepted the letter from Anthony, as if he had been waiting for it. He opened the envelope with a paper knife and immediately began reading.

 

“What does His Highness the Crown Prince say?”

 

But as he read, his face gradually hardened. Anthony, noticing the change in his expression, asked out of curiosity.

 

“What is it?”

 

“He wants me to come to the capital. As expected… he never misses an opportunity.”

 

He really never stops trying, Anthony thought to himself with admiration.

 

“If that were all, it would be fine. If that were enough to repay him for the information I asked for.”

 

“Did he ask something more of you?”

 

Frederick sighed. He set the letter down on his desk and stared at the words Rubens had written.

 

‘I looked into what you asked. But it’s too much to explain in a letter, and your wife could use some help from the capital, so I recommend you come. In exchange for everything I’ve found out, I have a favor to ask, too.’

 

The problem was the condition Rubens had added—he wanted Frederick to become the commander of the Imperial Knights.

 

“The commander of the Imperial Knights? That would mean being completely tied to the imperial family.”

 

“This is a problem…”

 

If it were just a matter of staying temporarily and acting as an advisor, he’d go. But becoming the commander would entangle him far too deeply.

 

‘Should I go… for Grace’s sake?’

 

An inner conflict began to brew.

 

Frederick remembered the moment when strangers had attacked Grace, leaving her in danger. Even now, thinking about it made his blood boil.

 

‘How dare they try to harm the lady of House Winstaine.’