The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 74

“Duke Winstaine.”

 

On his way to the palace, Frederick stopped at the call of an unfamiliar voice. When he turned his head, he saw a woman with shimmering pale platinum-blonde hair and green eyes walking toward him.

 

It was Princess Rayleigh—half-sister to Rubens, and full sister to Vladimir.

 

“I greet Your Highness, Princess.”

 

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? We haven’t seen each other in quite some time.”

 

“Yes. I believe this is the first time since the last banquet.”

 

Frederick replied curtly. He vaguely remembered exchanging a few words with her after she had approached him at that event.

 

“I missed you. But you always seemed so busy.”

 

Her words caused a trace of discomfort to cross Frederick’s face.

 

He had already been refusing her repeated invitations for tea ever since the banquet. It had been bothersome enough that she kept trying to strike up conversations, and now she was saying this.

 

It reminded him of Rubens in some ways—but her intentions were far from pleasant, which made it even more off-putting.

 

He had first met her several years ago, after returning victorious from the war.

 

Unlike her full brother Vladimir, Rayleigh got along relatively well with Rubens and would often visit him. That was when she first encountered Frederick, who had been speaking with Rubens privately and without his mask.

 

At the time, Frederick’s habit of covering his face had led many to assume he had a disfigured appearance. Rayleigh was the only person to have seen his real face back then—and she had shown immediate interest.

 

“You’re so handsome, Duke. How did you ever get a scar on such a good-looking face?”

 

After that, Rayleigh began actively pursuing him. Frederick, finding her presence overwhelming, had avoided her and eventually left for his territory.

 

Even at the last banquet, she had tried to talk to him under the pretense of it being a long time since they’d met. After exchanging just a few words, he made an excuse to speak with someone else and walked away.

 

“There’s no real reason for us to meet again.”

 

“That’s so harsh! I’m just doing my best for someone I like.”

 

“I’m already married.”

 

“But you still don’t have a lover, do you?”

 

Her shameless response made Frederick’s brows furrow tightly.

 

“That kind of joke goes too far.”

 

“Oh dear, but I wasn’t joking.”

 

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

 

He had no time or patience to entertain this woman with idle banter. Frederick was about to walk away and end the pointless exchange.

 

“Are you participating in the jousting tournament?”

 

“What brings up that question so suddenly?”

 

Rayleigh asked out of the blue. Though it annoyed him, Frederick replied politely.

 

“I’ll be presenting the award to the winner.”

 

“I see. Then I hope everything goes well. I have some business to attend to, so…”

 

“Would you join me for tea, even next time?”

 

“I don’t usually drink tea. I’m afraid I’ll have to decline.”

 

He had no interest in who would be presenting the awards at the tournament, and he certainly had no desire to have tea alone with her. Offering a formal goodbye, Frederick turned and walked away. As he headed toward his usual palace chambers, a past conversation with Rubens came to mind.

 

“Rayleigh wants to marry you. She’s even pleaded with our father.”

 

Several years ago, Rubens had smiled slyly and casually asked Frederick,

 

“Any interest on your part?”

 

“None at all.”

 

Frederick responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

 

“Good. I was afraid it would turn into some tragic love defying opposition.”

 

Frederick had frowned, not understanding Rubens’ intent behind such a comment. Rubens had simply laughed it off, saying it was just a joke.

 

“When Father refused outright, I actually felt a little bad for her. If you had even the slightest feelings for her, I was thinking of helping you out.”

 

“I’m not even remotely interested.”

 

Frederick had ended the conversation firmly. His stance hadn’t changed to this day. Even if he hadn’t been married, his answer would still have been the same.

 

‘What a nuisance…’

 

It felt like he had gained a thorn in his side for his time in the capital. Frederick let out a small sigh.

 

 

“Here are the handkerchief designs, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

 

Grace presented the patterns to the Crown Princess.

 

“That was quick!”

 

The Crown Princess beamed as she accepted the designs. Each one depicted a knight in different poses—holding reins, raising a spear, or hoisting a flag.

 

“You may choose whichever you like. Since you said it’s for the jousting tournament, I thought depictions of knights would be most fitting.”

 

“The outfits… they look a lot like those of our royal knights?”

 

“Yes, I observed the royal knights during training and based the poses on their most dynamic movements. The outfits naturally ended up resembling theirs as well.”

 

“You’ve done well. These will look absolutely lovely when embroidered onto the handkerchiefs.”

 

A pleased smile spread across the Crown Princess’s face.

 

“Your drawing skills are truly impressive. The designs are adorable and full of life.”

 

“You flatter me.”

 

Grace replied with a shy blush.

 

A few days later, the embroidery work on the handkerchiefs began.

 

Grace and several noblewomen gathered in a room prepared by the Crown Princess to work together on the embroidery.

 

“Lady Winstaine, how should I do this part?”

 

“Well, for this part…”

 

The women frequently sought Grace’s help. They’d ask her how to express certain parts of the design or whether they were using the right colors.

 

“You’re doing well. But here… this might look better if done this way.”

 

Questions poured in for days—except from just two women.

 

Diana and Sarah, despite clearly being unsure how to proceed, acted as if they’d rather die than ask Grace for help. They never once approached her.

 

“….”

 

They always kept their mouths pursed and eyes downcast whenever Grace came near, avoiding her entirely. Grace, in turn, didn’t bother engaging them either. She focused only on completing the task the Crown Princess had assigned, patiently guiding the slower ladies.

 

“Oh, look at this! It’s like the knight is about to jump right out of the handkerchief.”

 

“Right? I didn’t realize it at first, but now that it’s finished—it’s beautiful. Especially the colors.”

 

As the days passed, completed handkerchiefs began to pile up. The women compared each other’s work, discussing what looked good and what could be improved. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

 

“Come in,” said the Crown Princess.

 

As soon as she spoke, the door opened. All eyes turned as a small woman with platinum-blonde hair entered.

 

“Your Highness, the Princess!”

 

The Crown Princess called out, and all the ladies bowed deeply. A princess…? Grace also followed suit and bowed politely.

 

“It’s nice to see you all. Have you been doing well?”

 

“Yes, we’ve been doing well without trouble, Your Highness.”

 

A marchioness standing beside the Crown Princess answered.

 

“I heard you’ve all been gathering often lately with the Crown Princess. I was curious, so I thought I’d stop by and take a look.”

 

Rayleigh smiled and glanced around the room.

 

“We’re making handkerchiefs for the jousting tournament participants, Your Highness.”

 

“Handkerchiefs? May I take a look?”

 

“Of course, here.”

 

The Crown Princess showed her one of the finished pieces. Upon seeing it, Rayleigh let out a small gasp.

 

“Oh, the embroidery is quite unique. Usually, you’d see flowers or butterflies…”

 

“I wanted to create something to commemorate the tournament.”

 

“Who came up with these designs?”

 

“The Duchess of Winstaine. I personally asked her.”

 

Rayleigh’s eyes scanned the room and landed on one person.

 

“The Duchess of Winstaine? Ah, there you are!”

 

“Hello, Your Highness.”

 

Grace bowed her head politely. The only official event she had attended so far had been the banquet, and she hadn’t seen the princess then—this was their first formal introduction.

 

“I saw you from afar at the banquet. I had hoped to meet you properly… So this is where you’ve been hiding.”

 

“It’s an honor to finally greet you.”

 

Grace answered with her head still bowed.

 

“I heard you’re quite the talented artist. I also saw one of your prints—carved and made by your own hand. It was wonderful.”

 

“Oh—thank you.”

 

Grace’s eyes widened. It must’ve been one of the prints distributed from Winstaine to the capital. The princess had seen one? Maybe she was someone who appreciated art.

 

“I think I’d love to have a few handkerchiefs like these for myself. Would you be able to make me a few?”