One month had passed, a single month.
Trojan remained in the Palace, still trying to think up a plan on how to counter this impossible situation he was in. He did not have support from the peasants because of the rumours, actually, the peasants were his current challenge. From what Domino's scouting suggested, the peasants were rebelling against him and were doing several undesirable things. Luckily, the peasants did not know where Trojan was, otherwise, the Royal Family would have likely been dragged into it.
Trojan's options were spread thin. His only willing ally was Domino, no other noble family would dare to ally themselves with Trojan in such a situation. The Royal Family would never help him in such a situation, the King benefitted from the situation far too much. Duke Phoenix could very well be the cause for all this commotion, so Trojan could not even think about allying with him at the moment. He could perhaps have Emilia help him, seeing as they were supposed to get married. The chances of her being willing were low too as she may end up getting roped into things.
Trojan thought about having Domino wipe the memories of the peasants, but there was no way Domino could perform such a large spell.
In his room, Trojan pondered. He no longer had his reliable staff with him, and he was basically in the middle of enemy territory. There was no help, and he needed to find a way to dig himself out of the hole he was in.
"My lord," Domino called him.
Trojan looked up, looking at Domino, who was also rather stressed from the whole situation. Domino used to be carefree and often slacked because Trojan was rarely ever in trouble. But now that Trojan was in the middle of such a storm, Domino's work to send messages seemed endless.
"The Princess wishes to speak with you," Domino told him.
Trojan got up and walked towards the door. He had mostly been isolated in the Palace and had yet to talk to anyone in particular. It truly felt like a prison, but Trojan felt that even prison would have been safer than the situation he was in.
A servant guided Trojan to a room, Domino following behind him.
He knocked on the door, and a voice came from inside the room. "Come in."
He opened the door, and in the room, there was a high-quality bed, as well as a table just big enough for tea. There were two chairs around the table, and the Princess, Eve, sat on one of the chairs. She had a polite smile on her face as she greeted him, "It is a pleasure to meet with you again, Duke Trojan."
"Likewise," He told her, still not entering the room. "I heard that you have something to discuss with me?"
"Indeed, do enter," She told him before looking at Domino. "Alone, please."
Trojan entered without Domino. The last time Trojan spoke with the Princess, they had to hide the true meaning in their words in case Alastor had been eavesdropping on them. However, with Domino also there, their conversation was able to be kept a secret.
"May I know what you wish to speak to me about?" Trojan asked after the door closed.
"Have a cup of tea," The Princess told him.
Trojan sat down respectfully and held a cup of tea up to his nose, taking a brief whiff before drinking it. Thankfully, the tea was not poisoned. He put the cup of tea down after having taken a sip. There were a few snacks laid down on the table, desserts that all looked splendid and probably tasted better.
"Try some of our scones," Eve suggested, pointing to the scones. "The pastry chef is rather proud of it."
Trojan did so, taking a bite before sipping some of the tea. He commented, "This is delectable."
"I know, right?"
They continued with having some light desserts and tea for a few minutes. Eventually, Trojan asked, "May I know if you wish to speak of any official matter or if this is simply a casual afternoon tea?"
"I would prefer it to be casual," Eve told him. "But there are some official matters I wish to go through, or rather, personal matters."
"Go ahead," Trojan told her. "My mage will ensure that none of whatever you say is leaked to your family."
The Princess adjusted her posture to sit more formally. She looked him dead in the eyes before she asked him, "Would you like to marry me?"
Trojan had to stop himself from spitting out the tea he had been drinking at the moment. Instead, he maintained his composure, putting the teacup down. He had not expected the Princess to say anything of marriage with him after what had happened the last time he was in the Palace.
"Um... I did mention that none of your words will reach your family, so there is no need to twist your words," Trojan told her, thinking she was speaking the same way he had instructed her to previously.
"I am serious about this," Eve told him.
"Did you not have a boyfriend?" Trojan asked.
Eve's posture dropped for a moment before a slight look of dejection mixed with frustration crossed her face. She let out a long sigh, saying, "He broke up with me a couple of weeks ago. I mean, he was a peasant and was swept up in the whole rebellion going on outside. Since the peasants are all against the nobles and royalty, in particular, you, there was no way he could have dated me."
Before Trojan could give a response, Eve adjusted her posture and gave him a small smile. "I mean, marriage with me would greatly benefit you, no? You will be able to get the support of the Royal Family, and if Alastor really tried, he might be able to change this whole situation for you."
Trojan looked at the Princess, seeing that she was being completely serious.
"May I know what drove you to make this decision? Was it your father?" Trojan asked.
"Not at all," Eve replied. "My father may be sheltering you, but he would never think of allying with you right now with the whole rebellion going on outside. This is a personal offer, just between you and me."
Eve took another sip from her teacup.
"I have been thinking about it since you last visited the Palace a month ago," She continued. "You are capable, and I do not particularly dislike you. I can help you if you choose to marry me."
"I will think about it," Trojan told her.
They continued with the afternoon tea.
That day, Trojan realised that the Princess was not as idiotic as she seemed. She must have gotten her ability to think from her father. She definitely had an ulterior motive, Trojan could tell from a glance. However, for some reason, Trojan was unable to accurately tell what her motive was. He was too stressed, the month he had taken to think things through had worn him out too much. Perhaps that was the reason why Eve waited as long as she did before she decided to speak with Trojan.
Trojan was worn out.