Chapter 11

Translated by XyeHeart Edited by XyeHeart

“How much of this would you reveal to me? You are not required to tell me if you do not wish to.”

“No, I decided to put my trust in you.”

They’ll be married soon enough. Meriel inhaled deeply.

She clutched her trembling hand. The carriage was coming to a stop slowly, but she opened her mouth, thinking it would be impossible if it wasn’t now.

“His Majesty assassinated my parents.”

“…what?”

“He’s attempting to kill me after discovering that I know he’s the one responsible for their deaths.”

“……That’s ridiculous.”

“Since I’m a fool, the guilt of my father and mother’s deaths appears to have kept me alive. Isn’t this proof that I’ve grown up?”

Klaus clenched his teeth. As veins welled up in his clenched fists, he appeared to be holding back his rage. He wasn’t supposed to be angry, but he was. His heart suffocated as a result of his obvious rage.

“I chose to keep doing what I’m doing now over feeling guilty.”

Meriel, the former Emperor and Empress’s daughter. Emperor Draven, the former Emperor’s brother.

What would the nobles do if they knew Meriel wasn’t a fool? They must abdicate the throne to Meriel. Meriel was the rightful heir to the throne, not the current Crown Prince, Draven’s son.

Emperor Bondi, Meriel’s father, used to sit in this seat. It’s the place Meriel should be. Emperor Draven desired to remain where he was and was concerned that the truth of the past would be revealed.

“I can’t believe it…”

“It’s okay if you don’t believe it.”

The carriage came to a complete stop. To hide his distorted expression, he covered his face with his hands.

The expression on his face was so dark that she assumed she was seeing things.

“I… wished to remain a fool.”

Unless her life was in danger. If he’d just let her live like that. Meriel looked at Klaus with a dark expression on her face, trying to swallow her words. She could feel his astonishment, anger, and sadness, but she couldn’t say anything else.

Meriel bowed her head and went inside the palace first, while Klaus looked at her, not thinking about getting off the carriage.

Klaus, who had been left alone, lingered for a long time. He had to admit that the Emperor’s unexpected secret was terrible.

“You’re still a fool,” he mumbled.

* * *

Meriel grew accustomed to life in the Grand Duke’s palace.

Klaus tightened the palace’s security after learning the truth. The impenetrable fortress, which already occupies the eastern part of the country, had security close to perfection, which is called impregnable, but it has been strengthened several times more.

* * *

“The knight commander complained to me a while ago.”

“Captain Bran?”

Meriel, who is forming a white snow circle in her garden, asked. She asked Kiyan, who was standing next to her in a thick coat, watching her play in the snow.

“Should I inform the Grand Duke?”

“Why?” she asked once again.

“I heard you grumbling.”

“I’m just whining, that’s all. I didn’t show any signs of displeasure!”

“Is that correct?”

“Yes, and Bran is really cool.”

Meriel threw a small snowball on the floor, causing the snow to clump even more tightly.

“Do you believe he is?”

“That’s correct.”

“Is he more attractive than the Grand Duke?”

“Why do you ask?”

“…can’t I just be curious?”

“Did the Grand Duke ask that? Should you be the one to ask such a question on behalf of the Grand Duke?”

“…just a little?”

Meriel recalled what she had witnessed during their months together. She rolled her eyes, leaving a fairly large snowball, and began to build a new one.

“How come you’re changing the subject?”

“When did I do that?” she shot back.

“Now.”

“Well, you’re a little persistent.”

Meriel pursed her lips and tapped her eyes. While listening to the squeaky sound, she pressed it hard to form a ball and made a big motion to be called out. Her nose turned bright red from the cold, but she didn’t stop.

“……so.”

“Huh?”

“Is it the Grand Duke or the knight commander?”

Kiyan inquired sternly. Even though he appears to be persistent, he did not give up. Meriel smiled, thankful that her mouth was muffled by a thick muffler. However, the fact that the eyes are naturally curved is overshadowing.

“Ummm… honestly, what’s cool about the knight commander?” he asked once more.

“It’s better to say the Grand Duke is beautiful than cool.”

“Your vision appears to be a little off.”

“I have pretty good eyesight.”

“I’ll inform the Grand Duke of this.”

“Don’t you think he’ll get hurt? He’s a little timid.”

Kiyan, who had been frowning, burst out laughing when she said those words.

“Why is the Grand Duke so timid?”

“From what I’ve seen of him, he’s also quite narrow-minded.”

“Ha! Which part?!”

She couldn’t bring herself to say, “ This is what it is ,” and Meriel giggled and laughed.

She placed on top of a large snowball that was smaller than her original snowball to capture her constant shrill smirk. When she piled it on top of it, a proper snowman was formed.

“Which part is he narrow-minded?!” Kiyan persisted in his questioning.

Meriel placed two pebbles she had prepared ahead of time.

“Ummmmm… you know… oh! Kiyan, give me that.”

“Let’s get this straight…Oh, there you have it.”

He took a small carrot from his arms, muttering and looking dissatisfied as he waited for an answer.

Meriel, of course, took carrots from him and stuffed them into the snowman.

“There’s something missing… ”

“You haven’t responded yet.”

“Kyan, you are so persistent. What is it about the Grand Duke that has you so intrigued?”

“Because he is the person I most admire…”

When Kiyan says the word ‘admire’ he looks so embarrassed.

Meriel smirked and removed her muffler, wrapping it around the snowman.

“Oh! Done! What do you think? It’s a snowman.”

Kiyan still looked unhappy, but he sighed when he saw Meriel’s snowman.

“What exactly are you, a child?”

“I want to make this when it snows like this.”

“…it’ll melt in no time.”

“However, I had a good time making it, so it’s all right.”

Meriel giggled, rubbing the cold on her flushed nose and cheeks.

“You’ll catch a cold as a consequence.”

“Kiyan is prone to catching a cold.”

“How come you say that?”

Kiyan sighed deeply and untied his muffler, wrapping it around her. Meriel smiled as she blinked her eyes open.

“When the Grand Duke sees it, he will be envious.”

“…you think it’s better than catching a cold?”

“No, the Grand Duke is narrow-minded.”

“….No, he is not.”

“Kiyan appears to adore the Grand Duke.”

“Doesn’t the princess not like the Grand Duke?”

Meriel smiled as she noticed his shoulders sag a little. Meriel replied as she looked at him, his neck stiff from taking off his muffler for her.

“Oh, but the Grand Duke is sweet.”

“Don’t try to flatter him now. I’ll tell him everything you’ve said so far.”

“Really.”

“….”

She smiled as she covered her mouth with her two hands after noticing Kiyan squinting his eyes.

“He’s like a fool when it comes to being sweet.”

While coughing, Kiyan turned his head. He patted her hand-made snowman, whether he was aware that his own ears were blushing.

“Shouldn’t it be bigger?”

It was a far cry from his previous outburst, in which he grumbled like a child.

‘Who’s like a child?’

Kiyan, who was feeling better, suggested they build a bigger snowman, but Meriel shook her head.

“It’s time for me to study.”

Meriel began studying after the date of her marriage to the Grand Duke was set. She requested that the Grand Duke allow her to do things she had never done before while pretending to be a fool.

“……Are you having a good time?”

“Yes.”

“Selina is said to be a genius.”

“That’s correct.”

“Didn’t you think you were stupid?”

“Because I was acting like a fool.”

“I don’t believe so…”

“Today is a very important day to learn something very important, so Kiyan, you should go now.”

Meriel said goodbye with a wave.

“Can you tell me what you’re learning?” Kiyan asked, his face frowning.

“Education on Gender.”

“What?”

“Today is the day to learn about sex.”

“Se…did Selina teach you that?”

“Of course,” she answered.

“That has nothing to do with education!”

Meriel shook her index finger at Kiyan, who yelled in embarrassment.

“It is the most important type of education. You might end up with a child you don’t want if you’re not good at contraception. I’m going to leave you right now.”

“Oh! Mouth! Give that mouth to me!”

Kiyan closed Meriel’s mouth with his hand. Meriel tilted her head, her mouth shut, and a red ripe face met his gaze.

“Ummm…umm!..”

She couldn’t say anything because her mouth was still shut.

“Unless you go insane…Why do you keep saying such things in front of me?”

“Ummm…!”

Meriel puts on an unfavorable expression as he shuts her mouth and asks her questions.

He let go of her mouth as she sighed.

“What exactly do you mean?” she asked hopelessly.

“In such a relationship… such obscene language.”

“Is Kiyan still a virgin?”

Kiyan became alarmed and turned away.

“That reaction is really necessary so……never mind.”

She turned around and entered the peaceful palace after saying her final piece. Kiyan, who was left alone, had been frozen like a stone statue for a while, covering his red face with his hands and not even looking around.

Translator’s Note:

Imperial Palace = where the imperial family resides

Palace/Castle = Grand Duke’s residence

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