Confronting Threats Head-On
Confronting threats head-on was the true mark of a Grand Duke. Kairu's choice was only natural. Along with her pledge of loyalty to the Grand Duke, she promised to bring me every scrap of information immediately. I made sure to warn her never to let Daniela find out. If she did, my mercy would evaporate.
I didn't want to ruin Daniela's mood right now. The seat of Grand Duke was a tough one, but at least it beat constantly sifting through who you could trust.
The owl hooted in agreement.
I issued new orders. For the time being, forget guarding me—focus on surveilling the people around Daniela. If anyone showed signs of betrayal, execute them on the spot. And if it turned out to be a misunderstanding, they were to take their own life right there.
I returned to the office. Daniela must have gone to wash up as well. In the empty room, I pored over the documents again.
The response had come faster than expected. I hadn't thought the spy from the Imperial Palace would arrive so soon. But countering such plots was part of a Grand Duke's qualifications, wasn't it?
"Huuuuh...."
Daniela returned to the office with a strange sigh. She was dressed comfortably now. Something had changed. Her hair looked neatly trimmed, a bit shorter than before.
"Did you get your hair done again?"
Daniela nodded. The sides looked fuller, and there were no stray strands brushing her blue eyes.
I set the papers aside for a moment and stared at her intently.
"W-Why? Is something weird?"
"No, it suits you. You look completely like a Northerner now."
"Because I'm the Grand Duchess now."
"That's right. You are the Grand Duchess now."
What started as a forced connection might have been fate. Daniela came to the North, where she should have died by all rights, but she'd survived and made it this far. That alone was miraculous, but the air about her now was every bit the Grand Duchess.
That thought hit me. Call it jealousy if you want. What if Daniela hadn't lost to that Bosch bitch? Wouldn't she have become Crown Princess normally, the most revered woman in the southern Empire? When the Crown Prince became Emperor, wouldn't she have been Empress, mistress of the Imperial Palace?
Thoughts like that. Suddenly, something uncomfortable stirred inside me. I knew this feeling better than anyone.
No need to overthink it. This is jealousy, plain and simple.
"Uh, um."
I nearly blurted it out. Better to keep jealousy buried inside. That was a lesson I'd learned as Grand Duke. Showing it openly never did any good.
But right now, strangely, something was boiling over.
"What's wrong, Your Grace?"
"Nothing, uh, Daniela. Well, what I mean is..."
Words I shouldn't say danced on the tip of my tongue. My inexperience was showing.
If Daniela were just another subordinate, I wouldn't have to agonize like this. But she was the Grand Duchess, plain and fact.
"Um, um."
"Is there something you want to say?"
"How was the Imperial Academy? I've heard it's the best school in the Empire. Ha, the North probably still falls short of that. Haha."
I laughed awkwardly. Daniela gave a slight smile at my question. A soft pfft echoed through the room.
It's not funny. I'm serious.
"Well, the Academy... I have more uncomfortable memories than good ones."
"Really?"
My voice came out brighter than intended. Ahem, I cleared my throat. Nearly lost my Grand Duke composure there.
That wasn't what I really wanted to ask, anyway.
"Are you curious about the Academy?"
"No, not really. Just wondering if it was okay."
"It was fun in its own way. Made some friends, though they didn't amount to much in the end."
Daniela's expression was meaningful. Had she guessed what I wanted to say? I couldn't snap, How dare you presume a Grand Duke's questions! She was the Grand Duchess; she could do that.
But I was more curious. Daniela's Academy days, something I'd only glimpsed in the novel. The book barely described her actions or speech—just treated her as a typical villainess. Plus, too much time had passed to recall details clearly. And I hadn't known she'd be this pretty.
"Besides that, it seems like there's something the Grand Duke really wants to ask."
She nailed it. Her voice held certainty. What I truly wanted to know.
"It's nothing."
I didn't want to pry anymore. Digging into her Academy days or secrets she'd hidden might uncover painful things. Call it consideration... or whatever.
"The Academy, well... thinking back now, there weren't many times it felt truly good."
Daniela said it casually. She drew closer, coming around behind me and placing her pale hand on my shoulder.
"How could it compare to now?"
"B-But the Crown Prince was there too. And the guys you liked..."
"Jealous, Your Grace?"
This wasn't the Daniela I knew. This isn't her character.
I couldn't hide my fluster. Her voice seemed to swirl around me.
"I'm not going anywhere, Your Grace."
"I know."
"No, Theo. You were worried, weren't you?"
Even lies didn't work. Hearing my name called so naturally was electrifying. But facing threats head-on, pushing your opinion through the awkwardness—that was the Grand Duke's qualification.
"Theodore, I'm not going anywhere."
"Uh, yeah."
"The Crown Prince, other men—it won't matter."
"W-Well, good then."
"Because being with you now is better than any past I've known."
A sharp, fresh scent. Had she changed soaps? Every time she got close, it reminded me of the floral aroma from Bart Territory.
My body stiffened without me realizing. It was a first. I'd never trembled when nomad armies were at our gates, or when arraying Northern troops.
"Don't worry."
Why did my heart race like this in this moment?
A few days had passed since the banquet hosted by the Grand Duchess. Those who'd gone to the Imperial Palace still hadn't returned. I'd expected stalling, but it had dragged on past even my estimates.
In the council meeting, after economic matters, the topic turned—as expected—to those who'd gone to the palace. If they died, we'd have clear justification. Whatever answer they brought back, we'd profit. But I hated this dragging out.
"The palace is taking their sweet time. Hasn't the letter from the Bart family arrived too?"
"Yes, it seems they're buying time somehow."
"Hm. Looks like they're trying to wriggle out. I don't want to give them that time."
I pondered. I didn't want to sit idle while they cooked up new schemes at the palace. It wasn't urgent yet, but prolonged delays would only heighten scrutiny on the North. The southern nobles were best kept divided; inserting the North now would complicate things further. They were probably dragging it out to deny us preparation time. Even if not, the longer it went, the more ready they'd be for the coming offensive.
"James de Wintergard should be nearby right now."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Then we need to show the greatest threat we can muster. What’s Leor up to?"
"Forming a new elite unit."
The agreement with the Bart family—what they called an agreement was really the dowry the North was providing to bind them. Best to honor the first condition of our initial pact.
"Northern troops can only be commanded through proxies when deployed south. You know that's the condition for Northern forces marching south, right?"
"Yes. But that's just for show. Do we really need to adhere to it?"
"The troops to Bart are just support forces."
But things were different now. We needed to threaten the palace.
While Jackson and Leroy applied pressure, the North couldn't slack on its role.
"Summon Leor immediately."
"As you command, Your Grace."
"And assemble a cavalry unit ready to depart right now. Hoist... the Grand Duke's banner."
Murmurs rippled through the room. Normally, support troops or pact-mandated forces flew their family banners. It wasn't war; no need for the lord's banner.
"By 'Grand Duke's banner,' do you mean issuing formal mobilization orders to Leor?"
Hexon asked cautiously. Such cases were reserved for strikes against nomads.
But we weren't attacking the south. Just provocation. A military show of force.
"Tell them not to lower the Grand Duke's banner until the palace gives a clear verdict. Head straight to Bart Territory."
"Th-Then what’s the scope?"
"I'll decide that."
Until the palace reached a clear conclusion, the Northern Grand Duke's banner wouldn't come down—couldn't come down. That should make it clear this wasn't something they could stall out.