The Archduke’s Flower Is in Danger - Chapter 8

Long eyelashes fluttered slightly as her eyes slowly opened. Eyes as green as grass blades heavy with morning dew wavered for a moment, scanning the surroundings to grasp the situation.

She was inside a large bedroom adorned with classical ceiling paintings and ornate cornice moldings. When she pulled back the bed curtains, a sprawling, well-manicured garden came into view through the window directly ahead. One fact was certain: this was not the room where she woke up every day.

I left the Count’s estate yesterday.

It only now felt real. The fact that she had escaped the House of Fleure, a place she had longed to leave. Although it had not happened quite the way she had planned.

Kaeron Roman de Helios.

Recalling the man who had extended his hand at the very moment she felt stuck in a mire, Idel Fleure gripped the sheets tightly. She still felt uncertain whether taking his hand was a wise choice.

“You are awake.”

“Ah… good morning.”

With a short knock, the door opened, and a middle-aged woman entered. Her neat, unwrinkled attire and hair pulled back without a single stray strand reflected her disciplined character. Bowing politely, she introduced herself.

“I am Marlin, the Head Maid of the Grand Ducal House. From now on, I will be serving you, Lady Idel, the prospective Grand Duchess.”

Idel flinched slightly at the title “prospective Grand Duchess.” Everything was now truly becoming an irreversible reality. Seeing her look somewhat confused, Marlin spoke in a gentle voice.

“You fell asleep immediately last night, so you likely have no memory of arriving. This is the Grand Duchess’s chamber. It is the space you will be using from now on.”

“The Grand Duchess’s chamber?”

“That is correct. Such a suite is prepared both in the castle within the Helios Duchy and here in the Grand Ducal residence in the capital. It is a historic space passed down since the time of the House of Roman.”

Roman was the Grand Duke’s middle name and the name of the Ducal family of the late Empress. It had been the highest-ranking noble house in the Empire before becoming the Grand Ducal House.

Idel recalled reading an article stating that when the current Emperor ascended the throne, he had bestowed the title of Grand Duke of Helios upon his older brother. The Grand Duke had also inherited the vast wealth and estates of the House of Roman, his maternal family, which had no other heir.

“To be honest, I was anxious wondering when the owner of this room would finally arrive, but I am glad to meet you at last.”

Marlin’s eyes sparkled with emotion as she guided Idel toward the bathroom located within the suite.

“Please wash and prepare yourself first. His Grace has requested that you join him for luncheon.”

“I will. Thank you, Marlin.”

Even in her just-awakened state, Idel looked elegantly composed due to her straight posture and graceful movements. It was a short conversation, but a person’s character often revealed itself in the way they looked at and spoke to those below them.

She is indeed the Grand Duchess His Grace brought here himself.

A soft smile spread across Marlin’s lips. She liked the prospective Grand Duchess at first sight. Knowing that the Grand Duke had personally carried her here already indicated that she was someone of special significance to him, so Marlin’s impression of her was favorable.

Gazing at the Grand Duke’s coat lying on one side of the bed, Marlin was suddenly reminded of him during his days as a Prince. Possessing exquisite features inherited from the late Empress, the Prince was infinitely beautiful to look at. However, unlike his appearance, he possessed an incredibly indifferent and cold temperament.

One day, there was a lady who had fallen for him and thrown herself at him like a moth to a flame. Intentionally bumping into him, the lady pretended to fall, hoping he would catch her. In the end, someone did catch her. The lady had gripped his coat tightly to steady herself.

—I… I am so sorry. My foot slipped…

The lady had blushed and apologized to him. As he stared coldly at the hand gripping his lapel, the embarrassed lady sheepishly let go. The Grand Duke silently removed the coat he was wearing.

—Discard it, Marlin.

It was a perfectly fine coat with no damage, but his attitude suggested it had become filthy the moment another person’s hand touched it. Leaving behind the lady whose face had turned bright red as if she were about to burst into tears, he had coldly turned away.

I thought he had a severe germaphobia…

The Grand Duke had acted toward others, especially women, in a way that made people think his aversion to contact was extreme. Yet, that very man had personally carried a woman wrapped in his own coat yesterday.

Furthermore, perhaps because there were circumstances that forced them to leave the Count’s estate in a hurry, he had instructed Marlin to invite Madame Ponfuen, the top designer of women’s wear in the Empire, for the prospective Grand Duchess who had been unable to pack her things.

That wasn’t all. The Grand Duke had issued orders to ensure the prospective Grand Duchess could stay without any discomfort and commanded a re-inspection of all facilities within the residence.

Thanks to this, the renovation of the study that the prospective Grand Duchess would use began early this morning. Knowing she enjoyed reading, he had even ordered books of the caliber found in the Imperial Palace and the Imperial University library for the residence’s private library.

Finally, His Grace has truly found his companion.

The Grand Duke’s life had been excessively perfect and smooth. His face, often devoid of emotion as if he were transcendent of all matters, sometimes made him look as if he were bored with life.

Marlin’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as she looked at the fresh, clear face of the prospective Grand Duchess who had just finished washing. She felt certain that this woman would change his life, which until now had felt no inspiration.

The news of the woman who captured the Grand Duke did not stir only the Grand Ducal House.

The press release Gregory had prepared last night under Kaeron’s orders had reached the newsrooms in the Empire, and this morning, every newspaper featured the news of the prospective Grand Duchess on their front pages.

“Is this true?”

“It is, Your Majesty.”

Pascal, the current Emperor of the Empire and the Grand Duke’s only younger brother, asked Chief Attendant Isaac once more in disbelief. He looked down at the newspaper in his hand again.

“Idel Fleure of the House of Count Fleure…”

Pascal’s mouth hung open in shock at the sudden announcement of the Grand Duke’s marriage, of which there had been no prior word. Moreover, it was the first time he had even heard that there was a woman named Idel in the House of Fleure.

The woman I knew was named Roseline.

He recalled a woman as fresh and flamboyant as a rose who had caught the eyes of many noble sons at the last New Year’s ball. He was aware that she was being called the “Flower of Fleure” and was gradually dominating social circles.

Though the newspaper did not have a photo of the prospective Grand Duchess, the name was definitely different from the daughter of Count Fleure he was familiar with. It was possible if she had not made her debut in society, but that wasn’t the only surprising part.

“She passed the Imperial University entrance exam at the top of her class?”

“Yes. They say she is entering the Department of Administration this year. The Grand Duke is reportedly providing active support…”

For a lady of a noble house, and one who was to become the highest-ranking noble as the Grand Duchess, to enter the Imperial University.

“If I may say so, for her to enter the Imperial University at the top of her class, her learning must be quite substantial.”

Chief Attendant Isaac, an alumnus of the Imperial University himself, knew how difficult the entrance exams were. Therefore, he could easily guess that the prospective Grand Duchess possessed a very high level of academic knowledge and insight.

“What on earth is my brother thinking?”

Pascal frowned slightly. His brother was always a man whose inner thoughts were hard to read. To suddenly announce a marriage and welcome a prospective Grand Duchess who took the unprecedented step of entering the Imperial University.

Knowing how thoroughly indifferent he was to women, it was even more shocking. Since Gregory, the Grand Duke’s aide, had personally written the press release, the intent to officially announce and recognize the Grand Duchess’s existence was clear.

“I must see my brother in person. Send an invitation to the Grand Ducal House. Tell them I wish to host a dinner for my brother and the prospective Grand Duchess.”

Was he not the brother who had handed over the throne to him, saying it was too bothersome? There had to be a special intention behind a man of that temperament welcoming a Grand Duchess in such a public manner.

“Also, conduct an investigation into the prospective Grand Duchess. Find out what kind of person she is and how she was raised in the Count’s house. Investigate as thoroughly as possible.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

At the end of the article, it stated that the prospective Grand Duchess had already moved into the Grand Ducal residence to prepare for her wedding and receive the necessary education.

While there were precedents for this when a bride came from a foreign country, it was strange for a prospective Grand Duchess to move into the Grand Ducal residence early when the Count’s estate was right there in the capital, unless there was a special reason.

Usually, a family that cherishes their daughter would want to keep her even a moment longer.

There seemed to be a reason why Idel, known as the eldest daughter of Count Fleure, had remained unknown to social circles unlike her younger sister, Roseline.

The Emperor’s blue eyes shone with interest, curiosity, and a slight sense of vigilance toward the mysterious prospective Grand Duchess. In his dislike for variables, he was the mirror image of his brother.

“This makes no sense!”

Cosmetics in expensive porcelain containers shattered with a loud crash. The gold-trimmed vanity mirror reflected a woman huffing in rage, her fury still not spent despite throwing things.

Roseline, whose eyes had turned as red as her hair from indignation, glared at the woman kneeling on the floor. The one forcibly dragged in by Roseline’s maids was Bien, Idel’s maid.

“I told you to tell me everything you know! How did my sister take the Imperial University exam, and when did she meet the Grand Duke!”

“I do not know. As I told you earlier, all I know is that Lady Idel went to the city to have clothes made and then went to the Imperial Library to borrow books.”

The rose with its sharp thorns was biting. Bien, whose cheek was swollen from being slapped by Roseline, repeated the same answer.

Roseline threw the newspaper at Bien’s face. The sharp edge of the paper must have grazed her skin, as red blood began to drip onto the floor.

“How does it make sense that you, her personal maid who was always by her side, do not know? Not content with deceiving us and becoming the Grand Duchess, she even entered the Imperial University!”

The Countess had already been bedridden with shock since Idel left the Count’s estate with the Grand Duke yesterday.

Roseline also wished this was all a nightmare, but the newspaper delivered this morning contained the news of her sister being officially recognized as the prospective Grand Duchess, along with the news of her university entrance—something she never knew.

To think the reason she read books until late every night was to prepare for the Imperial University exam. Recalling her sister’s expressionless face that always hid her emotions, Roseline felt a surge of indignation.

Originally, a noblewoman entering the Imperial University was something to be criticized by high society, yet the Grand Duke had officially declared his support for her enrollment. No noble was bold enough to contradict the stance of the Grand Duke, the highest-ranking noble.

The only noble Grand Duchess in the Empire.

Roseline bit her lip until it bled, unable to tolerate her sister ascending to such a position.

A mere scentless artificial flower!

She disliked her sister, who possessed a beauty and a unique nobility that could not be hidden even in plain attire. Even when Roseline wore expensive, flamboyant dresses and jewelry and looked at her with a sense of superiority, her sister’s indifferent eyes never showed a hint of envy.

The only moment her sister’s expression crumbled was when her existence was denied within the House of Fleure. Whenever Roseline reminded her that she was a “sinful seed born without a scent,” she felt the thrill of seeing those unwavering light-green eyes quiver.

I am different from my sister.

Roseline picked up a perfume from her vanity and sprayed it on herself. As the thick scent of roses entered her lungs, her foul mood improved slightly.

The Flower of the Empire who ascends to the highest position is me.

She hated the phrase “Flower of the Empire” used in the newspaper article to describe the prospective Grand Duchess’s family, the House of Fleure. That modifier should have belonged only to her.

An artificial flower should act like one.

It was most fitting for her to live as if she were dead. Roseline’s eyes sharpened like a rose revealing its thorns.