Chapter 57

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 57

Chapter Title: The Disguised Grand Duchess

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Axion Grand Duchess Martine was the mother of the former Empress Roxellin and Arpad's maternal grandmother.

That made her my husband's maternal grandmother, in a sense.

It was only natural to pay her respects, but arranging this secretive meeting had an entirely different purpose.

'I needed to make contact in secret.'

This rendezvous absolutely could not be discovered by the Empress or Evangeline Ruth.

The Solenu marquis's daughter had never received any understanding from her parents or grandfather about her work as a designer.

The same went for the Axion Grand Duchess.

People thought it unbecoming for a noble lady of high birth to dirty her hands with such lowly sewing.

But unlike the Solenu marquis or the lesser marquis and his wife, the Grand Duchess was a bit more lenient toward the Solenu marquis's daughter.

Perhaps because she had lost her husband early and even her daughter, she doted on the girl all the more.

'Yet she's distant with her own grandson Arpad... how peculiar.'

And Arpad didn't seem to mind that at all.

When I told him I planned to approach the Grand Duchess through the Solenu marquis's daughter,

he hadn't objected or shown discomfort—he had simply smiled and said,

"I'll root for you. It won't be easy."

...He hadn't offered any real advice.

'That's Arpad for you, always.'

In any case, reaching the Grand Duchess through the Solenu marquis's daughter hadn't been difficult.

It was only natural for the young lady to pay regular visits to offer her respects.

I had asked her to pass along a single message, and upon hearing it, the Grand Duchess had made the secret journey to the capital.

'Alright, now it all depends on how I play this.'

As the door closed, one of the maids spoke sternly.

"Her Highness the Axion Grand Duchess. Show proper respect."

Her words weren't wrong, on the surface.

The Axion Grand Duchess was an elder of the imperial family, and to me, a senior in the family by marriage.

But there was something that took precedence over any situation.

I smiled brightly and shook my head.

I didn't bow my head or bend my knee. I couldn't.

"That's only true when I was the Delphin Duchess. Now I am His Highness Arpad's wife, the Crown Princess. The only woman I need show respect to first is Her Majesty the Empress."

This was simple fact.

The Crown Princess held the second-highest rank among the women of the imperial family in precedence.

Even if there were imperial princesses, the Crown Princess came first.

Thus, the wife of the late Emperor's younger brother, Grand Duke Axion, could only rank below me.

What I was saying was this:

'You're the one who should be bending the knee first, Grand Duchess.'

The elderly woman seated at the head of the room furrowed her brow.

A voice full of dignity rang out.

"You summon this old woman from afar, only to refuse to kneel in greeting?"

Tsk tsk. She clicked her tongue.

"Not even officially acknowledged as Crown Princess, and yet so arrogant."

I smiled softly and shook my head.

"Those words aren't for you to say."

"...What?"

"Because you're not Her Highness the Grand Duchess."

The brow of the elderly woman in the center twitched.

Ignoring her, I approached the maids standing behind her.

More precisely, the stern-faced old woman standing most rigidly at the very back.

Her face, upon close inspection, bore a faint resemblance to Arpad's.

I smiled brightly and said,

"It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness the Axion Grand Duchess."

At that, the Grand Duchess's deep indigo eyes trembled faintly with surprise and delight.

Of course, the reason I'd recognized the Grand Duchess was simple.

'I'd seen her face in my previous life.'

It had only been a passing glimpse, but she was the type who left a strong impression.

'Besides... the place we met was Arpad's funeral.'

Even at the funeral of her last remaining blood kin, the Grand Duchess hadn't shed a single tear.

But amid everyone's astonishment at her appearance, she had done something unbelievable.

Slap—!

She had struck the Emperor across the cheek.

The people around had been shocked and outraged, but the Emperor remained impassive.

As if receiving a deserved punishment.

Without even confirming her grandson's coffin, the Grand Duchess had turned away after one cold remark.

"In the end, Walter, you couldn't protect even a single one."

Even I, who knew nothing of the details back then, could tell one thing.

The Emperor's expression at that moment was that of a man who had truly lost everything.

The broken Emperor I'd seen in my second life must have completely fallen apart starting from that point.

In any case, Arpad was alive now, and the Emperor hadn't crumbled.

There would be no reason for the Grand Duchess to slap him.

Not yet.

As I took my seat opposite the Grand Duchess, I steeled myself.

In the meantime, the Grand Duchess—exposed—returned to her place with an amused chuckle.

The elderly woman on the central sofa seated the Grand Duchess with utmost courtesy.

Another maid draped a gray silk shawl embroidered with silver thread over her shoulders.

That alone transformed the Grand Duchess's presence completely.

Just moments ago, she had seemed utterly like a maid; now, even in her modest attire, no one could mistake her for one—her aura was overwhelming.

The Grand Duchess crossed her legs and asked,

Her imperious gaze looking down on others was strikingly similar to her grandson's.

"How did you know?"

I answered honestly, but only in part.

"Because you resemble Arpad so much."

"Hmph. I thought my appearance didn't favor that child much. If anything, Arpad takes after his father too strongly."

Her voice brimmed with dissatisfaction.

Clearly, the Grand Duchess was displeased that Arpad resembled her son-in-law rather than her daughter or herself.

I shook my head with a smile.

"No, you're far more similar than I imagined—easy to recognize. Especially your eyes, and some mannerisms are astonishingly alike."

My words apparently didn't displease her.

The Grand Duchess let out a small snort of laughter.

But her smile vanished without a trace soon after.

"Fine. Whether Arpad told you or the Solenu marquis's daughter defied my orders and described me beforehand..."

"I would never do that, Great-Aunt!"

The Solenu marquis's daughter blurted out in surprise.

The Grand Duchess furrowed her brow.

"Don't interrupt me."

"...My apologies."

The Solenu marquis's daughter retreated, abashed.

I spotted another similarity between Arpad and the Grand Duchess.

'Tyrant of high society? Tyrant of the western social circles.'

It made sense—no ordinary personality could stand against the Empress and split the empire's social world in two.

"Whatever the truth, let's say you have sharp eyes."

"Because I do."

I grinned shamelessly.

The Grand Duchess's chuckle grew louder.

"But, girl. You're still greatly mistaken about something."

The nuance of that "girl" was subtle.

Not acknowledging me as her granddaughter-in-law, but condescendingly addressing a mere upstart.

"You don't really think you're the Crown Princess, do you?"

"It's not a delusion—I'm already the Crown Princess. Married to His Highness Arpad."

"When I heard Arpad had performed a bride abduction marriage, I thought, so it has come to this at last."

Everyone's reactions were much the same, it seemed.

"I thought he'd finally gone mad."

It dawned on me anew that for Arpad to abduct me like that had required considerable resolve.

'Hmm, a bit sorry... No, not really! I'm the one saving his life and making him Emperor anyway!'

"But you soon realized otherwise."

"Yes. He didn't seem to be raving mad from mania."

"You must have been relieved."

The Grand Duchess twisted her brow.

"No. If anything, I was deeply disappointed."

She spat the words.

"To pick up a woman who's been clinging to a half-wit like Ludwig for over three years, while in his right mind."

"......"

"If he'd been insane, at least it would be forgivable. But no."

Tsk. Her tongue-click carried more force than the fake Grand Duchess's earlier.

This was harsher than expected.

Expressed almost as if deliberately trying to provoke my anger.

I wasn't angry, but I couldn't help being surprised.

Of course, I wasn't so foolish as to show psychological disturbance.

"And for the girl he dragged in like that to not know her place, babbling nonsense about making a Grand Duchess show respect to the Crown Princess..."

Her deep indigo eyes observed me intently.

Analyzing my reactions.

"If you had any sense at all, you'd disappear on your own before claiming to be Crown Princess or whatever. It would be better for Arpad."

She pressed her brow and waved her hand dismissively.

"No need to have come all this way to see you. I'm disappointed. Get this thing out of my sight."

At that, the flustered Solenu marquis's daughter forgot her recent reprimand and interjected.

"Y-Your Highness? Even so, treating her like this..."

"Will you shut your mouth or not."

Feigning a headache, the Grand Duchess still watched my reactions closely.

She reached her conclusion quickly.

I smiled brightly, nodded promptly, and issued the order.

"Our guest is leaving. See her out."

Annie, who had looked resentful at the Grand Duchess's insults, went wide-eyed.

"Y-Your Highness?"

"What did you just say...?"

And it wasn't just her.

The Solenu marquis's daughter and the Grand Duchess's maids were stunned as well.

I reassured the Solenu marquis's daughter.

"Don't worry, Lady Solenu. Even if this falls through, I'll keep the promise I made before. We'll meet again at the Crown Prince's palace."

"Y-Yes?"

Smiling, I commanded the Solenu marquis's daughter.

"So relax and escort Her Highness the Grand Duchess back."

When I turned, the Grand Duchess's face was more contorted than ever.

"You're telling me to leave?"

"Yes. This is Arpad's safehouse, so the guest should depart."

If the house doesn't suit you, the guest leaves—not the host.

Upon hearing my calm reply, instead of flushing with rage as one might expect, a soft smile appeared on the Grand Duchess's face for the first time.

"Quite the gutsy girl."

...Blood truly was a wondrous thing.

A grandmother and grandson so alike, without even meeting face-to-face.

Or perhaps arrogantly testing others was a royal family trait.

The Grand Duchess murmured in quiet admiration.

"Now I see why Arpad chose you."

I replied with a faint smile still on my lips.

"Have a safe journey back. I won't see you off."

"What?"

Cracks of bewilderment appeared on the Grand Duchess's face.

I smiled, utterly unshaken.

'You're not the only one who can test people.'

The Grand Duchess apparently hadn't realized that.