The Archduke’s Flower Is in Danger - Chapter 2

“Please go to the Imperial University.”

The capital’s downtown area was bustling, as it had been a while since she’d been out. Idel was out under the pretense of going to a dress shop, as instructed by the Countess.

After stopping by the dress shop, she hailed a postal carriage instead of the Count’s carriage she had arrived in.

“My lady? The Imperial University all of a sudden? And taking a postal carriage…”

Bien, the Count’s maid who had followed her, asked in a flustered voice.

As soon as they entered the dress shop, the lady scanned the dresses with a listless gaze.

‘I’ll take this one,’ she said, picking a dress at random, quickly paying without even trying it on properly. Then she asked, ‘Is that the back door?’ and hurried out of the dress shop.

Bien had hastily followed and boarded the postal carriage that the lady had caught.

“Were you surprised? Just bear with me, Bien. I heard that a book I’ve been wanting to read is in the Imperial University library.”

As a lady who spent all day with a book in her hands, it was somewhat understandable that she would go to borrow a book she wanted to read, but this impulsive behavior was unlike the usually prudent lady.

The Countess might get on her nerves if she found out about the lady’s rebellious behavior.

“You know it’s been a long time since I’ve been out. And who knows what will happen after I get married.”

“My lady.”

The expression on her face as she quietly murmured and looked out the window was so forlorn. The warm morning sunlight that entered the carriage illuminated her delicate features like a porcelain doll. The scene was etched into Bien’s vision like a beautiful masterpiece.

‘Such a beautiful lady and yet she’s ostracized because she has no scent.’

Bien was the second daughter of the Ingrid baronet family, a vassal family of the Fleure Count family. So, she had been assisting Idel since she was a young girl, according to the family’s orders. Naturally, she knew very well how she had been treated and raised in the Fleure  family.

The Count, who was busy with outside affairs, was indifferent to domestic matters. The Countess, avoiding the Count’s eyes, subtly despised and isolated the lady.

Bien, who was right next to her, also knew that Lady Roseline, who was praised as lovely as a fairy in the world, had subtly agreed with it.

If the lady had not been born into the Fleure family, there would have been no reason to be mistreated for not having a scent.

If that were the case, this elegant, beautiful, and intelligent lady would have been a beloved young lady to everyone. It hurt to think about it.

‘And the marriage proposal she got is…’

The Shale Marquis family, which Idel was about to marry into, looked wealthy on the surface, but due to the mysterious deaths of successive Marchionesses, it was a position that all prestigious aristocratic families with marriageable daughters avoided.

The Marquis, who was about the same age as the Fleure Count, continued to take young ladies from lower-ranking aristocratic families whose fortunes were declining as his second wives.

After the death of a certain Baron’s daughter who had recently married, the fact that the person being replaced was Lady Idel. I hoped she would marry into a good family, leave the Count’s family, and live happily.

‘Poor thing.’

Bien took out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. The Countess might scold her if she found out later, but if there was anything she, a powerless person, could do for the lady, she decided to agree to this small, possibly last, act of rebellion.

‘I’m sorry, Bien.’

It just so happened that the entrance exam was being held at the library. Idel apologized inwardly to Bien, who firmly believed her lie that she was going to borrow a book, and swallowed her apology.

Idel turned her head and took in the Imperial University in the distance.

She had to thoroughly deceive Bien so that she would be scolded less when the truth was revealed later.

“Will you wait here? I’ll borrow a book from the library and come out. It’s my first time, so it might take a while to find it, so feel free to relax.”

She left Bien on the terrace of a cafe on the Imperial University campus and moved on. The Imperial University, which she was visiting for the first time, was much bigger and wider than she had thought.

She passed through a plaza with a large fountain and headed towards the library where the exam was being held. She deliberately wore a cloche that came down to her lower face, but she could feel people’s eyes on her.

It wasn’t that there were no female students in the university at all. A small but growing number of women from relatively wealthy middle-class or lower-ranking aristocratic families who could afford tuition were entering the university.

However, among the upper-class aristocrats who valued elegance and dignity, these women were treated as defective rejects who could not get married even when they were old, or as heretics who did not belong to high society.

“I’ve come to take the entrance exam.”

At the woman’s clear and soft voice, the man who was acting as a guide was startled and looked ahead. Her face was not completely visible because of the hat she was wearing, but the beautiful lips and slender silhouette that were revealed below were enough to guess that she was a beauty.

“I’m Idel, number 136.”

The exam verified identity only by exam number and name in order to ensure fair progress. The dazed man hurriedly handed over the exam ticket and guided her to the exam hall. Idel bowed briefly and turned to head to the exam hall.

The guide, who had seen the fair and white hand that received the exam ticket and the elegant way she walked, thought that she might be a noble young lady from a high-ranking family, but soon shook his head.

‘There’s no way such a young lady would take the Imperial University exam.’

Judging from her simple attire, she was probably the daughter of a fallen aristocratic family who had once received a good home education.

It was an entrance exam that even the most skilled aristocratic men failed. The guide thought that the woman’s chances of passing were very low, but he wished the beauty, who was rare at the Imperial University, good luck.

‘It’s easier than I thought.’

Idel carefully examined the questions on the exam paper and wrote down the answers in essay form without hesitation.

From the foundation of the Empire’s history to the changing society and the views on laws and administration that should be newly enacted in accordance with the economy. The questions continued in depth, but there were no major difficulties because she had been preparing until late at night every day.

Finally, she carefully and meticulously examined the answers she had written and submitted the exam paper. She didn’t have much time to spare because Bien was waiting.

‘Already…?’

The middle-aged man who was the supervisor stared at the woman who submitted her answer sheet first with surprised eyes. She handed over the exam paper politely and quietly left the exam hall.

Her dignified gait, which did not feel any particular movement, looked like a lady who had properly learned etiquette.

‘Did she give up?’

Other examinees were still holding their exam papers, agonizing and frowning. Professor Nitzen of the Department of Public Administration, who was the supervisor, assumed that she had given up halfway through because the exam was difficult. So, he glanced at the answer sheet without much expectation.

However, the paper, which he had expected to be empty, was neatly filled with neat handwriting. Moreover, because she answered clearly in a deductive way, he could tell that it was a properly written answer just by reading the first sentence.

‘Who the hell is she?’

Throughout the reading of the answers, he nodded his head involuntarily at the words that were absolutely correct. Nitzen, in shock, held the near-perfect answer sheet and stared blankly at the place where the woman had disappeared.

* * *

Meanwhile, Idel left the exam hall and headed to the library’s book repository where the books were located. Since she came under the pretext of borrowing a book, she was going to pick out a couple of suitable books to borrow.

She judged that it would be better to borrow books in the field of social science, which was changing rapidly recently, and moved to the place where related books were located.

Perhaps because of the entrance exam, the book repository was quiet without any signs of people. Thanks to this, Idel, who was able to look around the books to her heart’s content with a comfortable mind, took off the stuffy cloche that was blocking her view.

Her luscious wheat-colored hair flowed down softly. Her hair fluttered in the wind that came in through the slightly open window.

‘This is a book I haven’t seen before.’

Idel, who had discovered a book she had never seen before, perhaps because it had been recently published, took out the book with a delighted expression. After hesitating for a moment, she couldn’t resist her curiosity and slightly opened the book she was holding.

‘Let’s just look at the table of contents.’

Contrary to her decision, Idel, who had fallen into the book, naturally turned to the next page.

She wanted to read more, but she didn’t have time. Thinking of Bien, who was waiting, she was about to turn around with her eyes fixed on the letters.

The moment she turned around, something blocked her path. It was a man’s broad chest. He was a tall man with broad shoulders that she had to look up to. The large body filled the fairly wide book repository, giving her a sense of intimidation.

Perhaps because she was too immersed in the book, Idel, who didn’t know of the man’s existence until he was close by, gasped in surprise. She quickly took a step back, but she lost her balance for a moment and dropped the book she was holding.

“Ah!”

At the sight, the man grabbed her faltering wrist with one hand and lightly caught the falling book with the other.

Perhaps because it was a book repository located on the inside where the sun didn’t shine well, and because the sun was covered by clouds, the man’s shaded features were not clearly visible.

However, the action of handing over the book while wearing a frock coat made of luxurious material was so elegant and flawless that she could guess that he was the young master of an aristocratic family.

“…Thank you.”

Idel, who had regained her balance and received the book thanks to him, expressed her gratitude.

“…?”

But for some reason, the man was still not letting go of her wrist.

As if wondering, she looked up at the man. Then, she immediately met his deep blue eyes that were looking down at her. They were eyes that shone vividly even in the darkness.

Her surprised heart began to beat even faster. She felt uncomfortable being alone with a strange man in the book repository. She was eager to get out of this place as soon as possible.

The moment she tried to put strength into the wrist that was caught by the man, the sun that had been covered by the clouds came out and illuminated the dark book repository. Now, the man’s features that had faced the light were revealed.

“You are by any chance?”

The woman’s eyes shook violently as if she couldn’t believe it when she saw the man’s face.

‘His noble and overwhelming appearance evokes the awe felt in front of a sculpture created by a master.’

The expression that had once described him in a newspaper article felt somewhat inadequate. It was a flawless appearance that evoked pure admiration.

This man, who was praised as the aristocrat of aristocrats, was a combination of the authority and dignity possessed only by those born with the royal blood of the Jupiter Imperial family.

1. “Grand Duke Helios?”

Kairon Roman de Helios. He was the only young Grand Duke of the Jupiter Empire that she had only seen in newspaper photos.

The difference between him, whom she had seen in black and white photos, and him whom she actually met vividly was so great that Idel’s mind turned blank.

His status was too high to protest about the man’s rudeness in holding her wrist and not letting go. However, it was also difficult to greet him with courtesy in this situation.

Idel lowered her voice as much as possible and spoke carefully.

“Grand Duke, I would like to pay my respects but could you please let go of my hand first?”

However, the man was unmoved by her words.

The area of her wrist that was caught by the man felt hotter and hotter, like his gaze. He, who had been staring at her as if to penetrate her, slowly opened his mouth.

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

“…?”

“Do you use perfume?”

“…!”