Chapter 245

Count Isalani did not look pleased. He knew very well that the Crown Prince was unlikely to favor his daughter. Abelus only kept company with women whose beauty was already famous in society.

And that was exactly what Marquess Lykeandros wanted—a Crown Princess the Crown Prince would never favor. With the same smiling face, the Marquess pressed for an answer.

“I understand your second daughter is not yet engaged. What a wonderful thing it would be if it came to fruition. The most noble position in this country.”

If it came to fruition, that is.

The Marquess’s words were unrealistic. And considering that Alecto had publicly denounced Megara not long ago, it made even less sense. Count Isalani regarded the Marquess with wary eyes.

After a moment, a possible reason surfaced in the Count’s mind.

‘To make her a puppet?’

Even with the unmarried young ladies of the great noble families all facing trouble, Alecto would not be next in line. Several young ladies had better conditions than she did. Moreover, Valentin was not directly involved in the crime of deceiving the Imperial Family that the current Duke had committed, so the Imperial Family would not have completely removed her from the candidate list.

If Alecto suddenly became Crown Princess in this situation, there would be talk no matter what. Nobles who believed their daughters were far better would rebel, and the Crown Prince would resent his new wife.

The Crown Princess’s position was noble. But society also knew how to bind someone hand and foot while maintaining a façade of courtesy. Especially now, when the Crown Prince’s attention was fixed on only one woman.

What the Marquess was recommending was not a woman suited for the true role of Crown Princess.

It was a sacrifice—someone forced to sit in that seat and endure a life of hardship.

Once he reached that conclusion, Count Isalani’s fury flared at the premise beneath the Marquess’s proposal. The Marquess was assuming the Isalani family would willingly offer up their second daughter. That despite her flawless, lofty status, she would still be swayed by nothing more than the Crown Prince’s mistress.

But who could say his arrogant calculation was wrong? The current court truly was the world of Marquess Lykeandros and his daughter.

The Marquess watched the Count tremble, his eyes cold.

Of course, the Imperial Family held the authority to make the final decision on the Crown Princess. But when there was no single clear candidate, and the Council of Nobles actively recommended someone, the Imperial Family was likely to take the suggestion seriously.

At the right timing, nobles the Marquess had already won over began to speak one by one.

“Lady Alecto would be fine.”

“I heard she was known for her intelligence at the academy. I envy you, Count Isalani, for having such a wonderful daughter.”

Their tone made it sound as though it had already been decided. Everyone present could see the stage had been set.

Duke Grunehals suddenly spoke.

“Well, I don’t know.”

The conference room fell silent as if on cue.

Among the three Grand Duke families, House Elandria had originally been the most prestigious. In history, wealth, and even the influence of their in-laws, no one could rival them. But everything changed after House Wells fell and Elandria’s rebellious intent was revealed.

Of the remaining two Grand Duke families, both the Duke and the Little Duke of House Ganielo were staying out of public life due to health, and they were often slighted for being a foreign line to begin with.

So now, in the Imperial Capital, House Grunehals had become the most prestigious noble house. After Natasha failed to become Crown Princess and disappeared, many flatterers who had once clung to the Duke scattered—but the influence he had built remained.

And if you asked whom Duke Grunehals hated most in the world, Marquess Lykeandros and his daughter would certainly be in the top three. Opinions differed on whether Abelus would be the remaining one.

No matter how many people the Marquess planted in court, Duke Grunehals was not someone whose opinion could be brushed aside.

The Duke continued, confident.

“His Highness the Crown Prince isn’t in a hurry to marry. So is there any reason for us to offer a second-best option simply because she’s the right age?”

Count Isalani disliked hearing his daughter described as second-best, but he kept his mouth shut and listened to see where this would go.

Marquis Kendall added as well.

“Most young ladies of the great noble families are either married or have… complications. I understand Marquess Lykeandros’s intention to consider other options, but is this not something that should be decided in haste without hearing the opinions of the parties involved? And if we must choose, should we not first consider foreign princesses or Grand Duchesses who are no less qualified than the daughters of great nobles?”

It was the correct argument—more principled, and aligned with far more people’s interests.

The atmosphere shifted. Even though Marquess Lykeandros had secured support in advance, he could not treat the firm stances of two great nobles as nothing. And Count Isalani himself was clearly reluctant.

In the end, the agenda of selecting a new Crown Princess passed without resolution. As soon as the meeting ended, Marquess Lykeandros left his seat with a trace of displeasure.

“Marquess…”

Count Isalani had been planning to protest today’s conduct. He wore an incredulous expression as the Marquess walked off without a word.

Marquis Kendall spoke to him.

“Don’t worry about it. Everything that happened today… Marquess Lykeandros wouldn’t understand how painful it is for a daughter to become a victim of a power struggle.”

The Count swallowed what he’d been about to say. After all, he was hearing this from a man who still kept the body of his daughter—who had died as a victim of that very struggle—in his bedroom.

Duke Grunehals approached and patted the Count’s shoulder.

“I’m having a few people over for dinner tonight. If you’ve nothing else to do, would you like to come? It’s a comfortable place, so don’t feel pressured.”

Count Isalani understood the meaning.

If you don’t want today to happen again, join our side—now that we’re extending our hand.

The Count was not a particularly affectionate father. He often disliked his daughter, who shut herself in her room with a dark face, or threw gloomy words at her older and younger sisters. And he knew well that with the Isalani family’s influence, it would be difficult to place his daughter as Crown Princess—let alone as the mistress of a great noble.

If his reflexive anger at Marquess Lykeandros had cooled, he might have changed his mind. If his daughter withered on that glittering throne, he might still have been satisfied by the splendor of the seat itself.

But after seeing the expressions of the two great nobles today, he sensed that even if he tried to offer his daughter to the Imperial Family, the path would never be easy. He also realized exactly why those two—who had never been especially close before—had naturally aligned today.

They had gathered to bring down Megara and Marquess Lykeandros.

To avenge what their children had suffered at Megara’s hands.

Even if Alecto failed to become Crown Princess, Marquess Lykeandros could simply choose another noble young lady who would be easier to control. And when that happened, House Isalani would be reduced to scraps.

Having decided, Count Isalani replied with a smile.

“It would be an honor, Duke.”

❖ ❖ ❖

“Achoo! Achoo!”

Dianne sneezed several times in a row. In a dusty cabin like this, it couldn’t be helped—but a complaint came immediately.

“I told you to be quiet.”

“No, I—achoo! I’m not doing this because I like it—achoo!”

Talfrin sighed.

When the assassins sent by Marquess Lykeandros attacked the McKinnon family’s carriage, a Shadows operative among the escorts coordinated with Talfrin to detonate a magic bomb. Using that chaos, he smuggled Dianne out while faking her death.

It had been a perfect escape—possible only because Talfrin, infiltrated in the Imperial Capital under Nerys’s orders, detected the Lykeandros Marquess family’s movements in time.

Nerys and the McKinnon family had long agreed that when this day came, Dianne would be smuggled to Maindulante to escape the Imperial Family’s grasp. But that plan had been made last year, and the situation around the Imperial Capital had changed significantly since then. Inevitably, Dianne’s journey to Maindulante carried risks.

To minimize those risks, Talfrin prioritized rescuing Dianne. He left behind all the McKinnon servants who had been smuggled out during the attack, and moved with her alone under disguise.

That was where the problem began. Dianne McKinnon was a young lady raised in comfort.

It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t complain about the cheap clothes, cheap inns, or cheap food she was experiencing for the first time, and she endured the unpleasant rattling of shared carriages. But no matter how strong her will, she was still a wealthy noble young lady, and her condition began to worsen.

‘So this is what happened.’

Talfrin had more to do than protect Dianne. According to his original plan, he should have handed her off to a low-ranking operative at one of the Shadows bases hidden near the Imperial Capital by now. From there, she should have been sent toward Maindulante in the fastest carriage available.

But what choice did he have? The two of them still hadn’t gotten far from the site of the attack.

That was why they were hiding now—in an old, abandoned forest cabin Dianne would never have set foot in, in her life. It was fortunate Talfrin was meticulous. Otherwise, they would never have even thought of slipping through wartime security this strict.

After sneezing until tears streamed down her face, Dianne said quietly, dejected.

“Um… I’m sorry.”

Talfrin raised an eyebrow.

They were both a mess right now. But Talfrin knew how precious Dianne was meant to look—how perfectly she fit the image of being dressed by a maid, then smiling with confidence.

He didn’t like seeing her wilted. It didn’t suit her. Dianne McKinnon was at her best when she was angry and shouting at that Nerys.

“What is there to be sorry about?”

“If it weren’t for me, you would’ve gotten out of here quickly.”

“Then it wouldn’t mean anything. It’s work. Don’t worry about it.”

Dianne pursed her lips. Talfrin had seen that expression before—the one she wore when she first came to Maindulante and heard Nerys’s cold words. The look of someone upset, forcing herself to be strong.

Talfrin wasn’t the type to care whether others were sulking. He didn’t know how to comfort people. If anything, he was more likely to be sarcastic.

So, not knowing what else to say, he asked with a grumble.

“What did you even trust to follow me in the first place?”

Dianne tilted her head.

“Why?”

“Why? You were attacked by men you don’t even know, and then a man you’ve never seen before appears and tells you to come with him. You didn’t think it could be a second trap?”

“No. I know you.”

Dianne said it firmly.

Talfrin faltered. He had met Dianne before. He had spoken to her. He had saved her from a fire and handed her a handkerchief. But the disguise he’d worn then was not the one he wore now.

“Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”

“You saved me in Dreikum.”

Talfrin had rarely met people who could see through his disguises. Nerys was one of them—because she was Nerys. But this seemingly innocent young lady had seen through him too?

His pride stung.

And yet, strangely… it didn’t feel bad.

Summer sunlight spilled through the cabin’s half-broken window, turning Dianne’s eyes startlingly clear—like shining beads.

She wiped at them and smiled brightly.

“Thank you for helping me so many times. And I’m glad Riz sent you because she was worried about me. If I’m taken hostage, my mother, father, and brother will all suffer, right? They’ll suffer even if they find out I’m going to Riz. It’s for me and the people around me, so I’ll do my best too. I can handle it being harder, so let’s use the best method you can think of!”

Talfrin stared at her for a moment, then suddenly spoke.

“…Then, would you be to try this?”

(T/N : Okay. Talfrin x Dianne is happening. Mark my words!)