The First Princess's Gambit
Olivia took out the ornament and fastened it into her hair. The diamonds caught the light from her golden locks, shimmering like precious gems.
Not long after she had entered the Duke of Klaus’s estate, she had washed out the dye. From the moment she arrived, she had been determined to discard the disguise of "Lyla" and prepare to reclaim her true identity.
Duke Klaus gently stroked her hair and the area behind her ears.
"It suits you perfectly. Exactly as I had imagined."
"Thank you, Grandfather."
Olivia spoke with genuine sincerity. More than the beauty of the ornament itself, the deep love from the day he had purchased it and the long, lingering longing he had held onto for so long touched her heart more than anything else.
"If only your mother could see you now..."
"You will be able to see her soon."
"Yes."
Duke Klaus spoke with a voice thick with tears.
Adelheid was buried in the imperial family tomb. He had been loath to give up his daughter’s remains, but it was unavoidable. Because of that, he had rarely been able to visit her grave.
But now, things would be different.
How happy his daughter would be. The young maid had brilliantly executed the scheme they had concocted in their final moments, and this child had survived. Having grown into such a magnificent woman and returned, she would surely be happy even in the grave.
He would protect her, no matter what. Duke Klaus swore in his heart as he stroked the back of Olivia's hand. He would place this child on the throne and cut the throats of every last member of the Schwab faction to ensure her safety.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just then, three knocks sounded at the door.
"What is it?"
When Duke Klaus asked, the butler replied in a respectful tone.
"Count Lutgarth has arrived to see you."
"Show him in."
The Duke said, clearing his throat.
The House of Lutgarth was Olivia's benefactor. The previous Count of Lutgarth had cast aside his honor and endured shame to protect her, raising her to be this upright and well-bred. He had heard that they treated her like their own daughter. It wasn't just something he had heard from Olivia; his inquiries through Ferdinand had confirmed the same. There were even rumors that he had loved his foster daughter so much that he had abandoned his own biological son.
Since Theodore was the heir, the Duke felt he owed him a debt of gratitude as well. It was even more commendable that despite having every reason to harbor resentment over his mother's death, he had not done so and had instead sworn loyalty to Olivia.
Therefore, it was only right to welcome him in a more familial atmosphere rather than making him wait in a formal reception room. Since he and Olivia had grown up together, one could say they were like siblings.
Yet, strangely, a nagging sense of unease kept bothering him.
Soon, the butler guided Theodore into the living room. As the tall young man entered, his presence seemed to fill the spacious room.
"Greetings, Duke."
"Welcome."
"Please, remain seated. I am not someone worthy of receiving such formal courtesy from you, Duke."
"Don't get up."
Theodore and Olivia simultaneously stopped Duke Klaus, who was attempting to rise. Since it was actually difficult for him to stand and sit, the Duke laughed heartily and eventually remained seated, merely extending his hand.
Theodore took his hand and shook it lightly. His gaze shifted toward Olivia.
"Princess, did you sleep well last night?"
"I'm always fine."
Olivia felt awkward, brushing her hair behind her ear and slightly averting her eyes. Theodore’s gaze swept over her ears and hair. It looked as if he were observing the ornament, but that gaze made Duke Klaus feel strangely uncomfortable.
"Hmm."
Even though his attitude was perfectly within the bounds of etiquette, the Duke knew why he felt this way.
'Our Via is so beautiful, it’s no wonder men are bewitched by her. Ferdinand is the same way.'
But Olivia was still young. And there was no good to be found in getting seriously entangled with some man. She would eventually have to marry and produce an heir, but that could wait until she had enjoyed her life and achieved her goals.
Before that, she could just enjoy a lighthearted romance with someone who wouldn't be a hindrance. Whether it was the Count of Lutgarth or the Count of Zeppelin, they were the types to bring too much troublesome baggage. Duke Klaus thought this quite seriously.
Soon, the butler brought a new tea set. Olivia picked up the teapot on the table and filled Theodore’s cup.
Duke Klaus asked, as if testing him for no reason.
"Come to think of it, when do you intend to hold your succession ceremony? I heard you came to the capital for the oath ceremony."
"Yes. I had intended to swear my oath of loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor first, and then return to my territory to hold the title succession ceremony, but..."
"It seems the processing is quite delayed."
"They said at the Imperial Palace that Princess Roella would act as a proxy for the oath ceremony."
Theodore said. Duke Klaus let out a sound of disbelief, "Hah!"
"Don't tell me that has become the norm while I was in seclusion."
"That is not the case. Until last year, it was done by the Emperor's edict."
"That is better."
Duke Klaus said in a voice tinged with anger.
Even if the Emperor himself did not appear, an edict represented the imperial command, so the oath sworn before it was sworn to the Emperor. But if a princess acted as a proxy, wouldn't the one receiving the oath of loyalty become the princess herself?
"They seem to think that since she has come of age, it is acceptable. In fact, I heard that she took over one oath ceremony that took place after Princess Roella's coming-of-age ceremony. It was a minor noble's oath ceremony, though."
Duke Klaus frowned. He had known the Emperor had completely stepped back from the front lines, but he hadn't realized he had stopped performing even the most basic ceremonial duties.
"The Count of Lutgarth’s oath ceremony cannot be done that way."
"When the proposal first came, I hadn't even considered it, but it seems they had intended this from the moment they suggested I hold the succession ceremony in the capital."
"You refused, of course?"
"Yes."
Theodore answered without hesitation. The very thought that he would accept such a proposal was absurd.
"I requested to swear the oath directly to His Majesty the Emperor, rather than by edict. I thought it would be an opportunity to gauge the Emperor's current situation."
"Well done."
Duke Klaus could not help but praise him.
It wasn't just any family; it was the oath ceremony of the House of Lutgarth. No matter how powerful the Schwab faction was, they couldn't just do as they pleased.
"We can do it after our Via finds her rightful place. If the 1st Imperial Princess acts as a proxy for the oath ceremony, those who pushed the 2nd Imperial Princess forward won't be able to say otherwise then."
"Yes, that is my intention."
Only then did Duke Klaus release his anger. Olivia looked at Theodore and asked.
"But, you didn't come all this way just for that, did you?"
"Ah, of course not, Princess."
At Theodore’s tone, which answered as if it were a matter of course, Olivia bit the inside of her cheek so no one would notice.
His formal address reminded her of her past life. The long years they had spent together, protected by him, yet never once truly touching. It also felt like a foreshadowing of how the future would unfold.
Theodore spoke with a serious face.
"Last night, Lady Zilke was stabbed."
Olivia was not surprised. Instead, it was Duke Klaus who looked at her with a startled expression.
"Was this what you meant when you said you had taken care of it?"
"Don't misunderstand, Grandfather. I never gave an order to attack her."
All she had done was secretly leak the fact that Lady Zilke was, in fact, a spy for the Schwab faction.
It might not have mattered much to high society or the imperial nobility, but it was a different story for the writers and intellectuals who gathered in Zilke’s salon. The fact that the noblewoman they had considered their staunch supporter and the cradle of their ideology was actually a spy tracking and monitoring them came as a massive shock.
In reality, Zilke was closer to a honey trap than a spy, but to those who had been betrayed, there was little difference.
Theodore said.
"The Marquis of Berg seemed very shocked as well. He vented his frustration to me for quite a while, even though I am someone unrelated to the matter."
"That fellow had a heart for scholarship... So, did one of those so-called thinkers stab her?"
"Something like that."
Theodore nodded and continued his explanation.
"Quite a few people who frequented Zilke’s salon have died or gone missing. Until now, they probably didn't know why that happened, but they have finally learned the reason. Among them were some who had active comrades."
"If they were handled secretly by the Schwab faction, they must have been quite the radicals. Their comrades likely were, too."
"Yes."
Although it was he who had made them aware of Zilke's movements, Theodore did not bother to mention that part.