The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 72

Lady Rayleigh Brown, who was near the Crown Princess, spoke up.

 

“I was actually thinking about that…”

 

The Crown Princess turned her gaze toward Grace. At the same time, all the women’s eyes followed and landed on Grace.

 

“There are rumors that Lady Winstaine is an excellent artist, yes? I’ve heard that your paintings are quite remarkable.”

 

“I’m embarrassed… I’m just a beginner,” Grace replied shyly.

 

“If we base the embroidery on Lady Winstaine’s designs, I think it will work well. How about you come up with five concepts, and each of us embroiders one of them?”

 

“If you entrust me with it, I will do my best.”

 

“Yes, I’m counting on you, Lady Winstaine. Just make sure the designs fit the theme of a jousting tournament.”

 

The Crown Princess smiled brightly at Grace.

 

Grace understood the Crown Princess’s intentions. She was not only highlighting Grace’s presence among the noblewomen but also giving her a certain level of influence. Diana and Sarah were clearly gritting their teeth at this.

 

“Thank you, Your Highness. I won’t let you down.”

 

Grace responded with a smile.

 

 

“That arrogant girl. Did you see her eyes?”

 

“Of course. I was so stunned I didn’t even know what to say.”

 

After tea time, Diana and Sarah walked together, grumbling.

 

“I don’t know how she managed to win over the Crown Princess, but she’s definitely up to something.”

 

“Exactly. I can’t stand watching her act like that right in front of us.”

 

They both ground their teeth in frustration. Just the sight of Grace made it hard for them to sit still.

 

“We can’t let that stupid girl act like she’s above us.”

 

“So, do you have any bright ideas?”

 

“I don’t know. She’s just so irritating.”

 

When Diana pointed that out, Sarah slumped her shoulders. Diana gave her a pat on the shoulder.

 

“We’ll wait for the right moment. Sooner or later, the time will come.”

 

“Still, why is the Crown Princess siding with her?”

 

“It must be because of Duke Winstaine.”

 

“Hah. What if we exposed her origins? If people found out she’s an illegitimate child, their attitude would definitely change. Those clinging to her now would all disappear.”

 

Diana shook her head firmly.

 

“You know we can’t do that.”

 

The fact that Grace was an illegitimate child couldn’t be spoken carelessly. Revealing it would mean admitting that the Duke of Reinheim had deceived the imperial family during an arranged marriage. No matter how much they hated her, they had no choice but to endure.

 

“We’ll wait for the right time. A chance will come.”

 

“Alright…”

 

They comforted each other and vowed to bring Grace down one day.

 

 

“Captain, I have something to report.”

 

Vice-Captain Ned Hassler visited Frederick, who was in the knights’ office.

 

“It’s about the monsters that have recently appeared near the capital.”

 

Frederick reviewed the report Ned handed him. It detailed the regions and frequency of the monster appearances, the damage caused, and at the end, a sketch of the creature.

 

“This is a monster I’ve never seen before.”

 

“Yes. It’s not particularly large, but it flies very fast and attacks people with sharp claws.”

 

“If it spreads, the damage to the citizens will be severe.”

 

After finishing the report, Frederick looked up.

 

“Tell them to increase security in the nearby areas. Assign more knights to the affected zones. If needed, request assistance from the Mage Tower.”

 

“Yes, understood. I’ll take care of it.”

 

“Pay special attention to the plains and mountainous areas. They seem to be the most dangerous.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

The vice-captain saluted and left. Frederick stared out the window.

 

“This is strange…”

 

Lately, whenever he visited the palace or the capital, he had sensed a thick, heavy feeling in the air. As a Sword Master, his instincts told him something was off.

 

“It’s stifling…”

 

But without knowing exactly what the problem was, there was nothing he could do. His gaze shifted toward the grandfather clock.

 

‘Time to return to the palace.’

 

As he saw the clock nearing evening, Grace naturally came to mind.

 

Lately, Grace had been talking more than usual. She excitedly shared what she’d learned in Panbion and her experiences with the Armento. She even showed off her skills, saying she could now use her powers.

 

“You’re doing well. That’s impressive.”

 

“Thank you, Frederick,” she said with a bright smile. There was no awkwardness in her words or actions anymore.

 

She now blended well with others and had her own abilities. She no longer needed Frederick’s help or guidance.

 

Somehow, that left Frederick feeling strange. It wasn’t entirely a welcome feeling. The way Grace used to clumsily thank him for every little thing—was now gone.

 

Of course, if he gave her something now, she would still thank him, but it wouldn’t mean she truly needed it. She could handle things on her own now.

 

‘No need for such useless thoughts…’

 

The whole reason he helped Grace was to guide her out of her ignorance as a duchess.

 

Now that he’d achieved that goal, he should be pleased. There was no reason to feel disappointed. Shaking off his thoughts, Frederick stood up.

 

 

“Frederick, there’s going to be a jousting tournament.”

 

“Yeah. It’s held around this time every year.”

 

“It’s really soon though, just a few weeks away.”

 

Grace looked excited as she spoke to him in the room. Frederick was puzzled.

 

Was she even interested in this kind of thing? Back in the estate, she’d gone horseback riding occasionally, but he didn’t recall her ever being invested in military training. At most, she watched once or twice, saying she wanted to sketch it.

 

“Are you going to participate?”

 

“I’d rather not, but they’re making me.”

 

Frederick answered indifferently. It wasn’t an event that held much meaning for him.

 

“The Crown Princess asked me to design the pattern for a commemorative handkerchief for the tournament.”

 

“She asked you to design it?”

 

Now that was different. Frederick asked Grace for the full story, and she explained the conversation from the tea time in detail.

 

“Does the Crown Princess often call for you?”

 

“Yes. Fairly often. Sometimes with others, sometimes just the two of us.”

 

“Just the two of you? What do you usually talk about?”

 

“Just everyday stuff. She asks if I’m comfortable where I live, and if I’m adjusting well to Panbion.”

 

Frederick fell silent at her words. Grace left him alone, sensing he was deep in thought about something.

 

“Alright. I understand.”

 

Though he ended the conversation, his thoughts remained tangled.

 

There was no reason for the Crown Princess to keep Grace so close without some sort of plan. She had to be doing it for a purpose.

 

‘It feels like she’s trying to frame Grace as someone aligned with the royal family.’

 

Maybe she needed to show that the Armento were loyal to the crown. Perhaps Rubens had put her up to it. But since he couldn’t ask outright, he had no way of knowing.

 

“If the Crown Princess ever makes an unreasonable request, don’t feel like you have to agree to it.”

 

“Of course. And she’s never made any unreasonable demands. This one is actually a good opportunity.”

 

“Then I’m glad. Still, just in case.”

 

Frederick firmly reminded Grace, and she nodded in agreement.

 

 

Starting the next day, Grace threw herself into designing the patterns as soon as her training ended.

 

The Crown Princess had asked for five designs, all related to the jousting tournament.

 

“A jousting tournament…”

 

It was a competition where knights battled on horseback using weapons. One of the empire’s biggest events, and the palace often hosted smaller side events like embroidery contests.

 

‘Something this important… she trusted me with it.’

 

The Crown Princess had known of Grace’s art skills for some time and had shown interest before. Still, Grace never imagined she’d be given this kind of chance.

 

“What kind of design would be good…”

 

Swords and shields were safe options but felt too obvious. It didn’t seem like the Crown Princess would’ve picked her just to get something typical.

 

‘What should I do…’

 

Since it was embroidery on handkerchiefs, overly complex designs would be difficult. Maybe a simple depiction of knights dueling would work.

 

‘But I don’t know how they duel…’

 

There was a problem. Watching the royal knights’ training wasn’t as easy as it was in Winstaine.