Through the shaking carriage window, the panorama of the Princess Palace was visible.
Herdin's assistant, Luth Fenril, began to grumble while looking at the Princess Palace with disapproving eyes.
"His Majesty the Emperor is truly shameless. How can he even mention marriage? He was toasting when the Delmark family was falling into decline."
About ten years ago.
After losing both parents and his aunt, the Empress, young Herdin was left alone, and the Delmark Duchy was as precarious as a candle in the wind.
But when Herdin achieved great merit in the war and was hailed as a hero, Emperor Ivan came with a proposal of marriage to his sister.
It was an obvious attempt to subtly absorb Herdin's influence.
"Thanks to that, Her Highness the Princess is the real winner. She gets to sit back and obtain the empire's most eligible bachelor as her husband."
Luth thought unfavorably of Blair, whom he had never even properly conversed with.
With such a mother and brother, one could guess what the Princess would be like. No doubt cut from the same cloth.
"That's why I said what I said. You should have quickly found a suitable young lady and married her."
But unlike the grumbling Luth, Herdin seemed unmoved by the situation and remained silent.
This sight made Luth even more infuriated.
"Are you not even angry, Your Grace?"
"Luth."
Herdin, who had been sitting with his arms crossed and silent despite Luth's tirade, cut off his words by calling his name.
His gaze was still fixed outside the window.
At the same time, the carriage carrying the two men passed through the main gate of the Princess Palace.
"From here on, it's the Princess Palace."
Though his voice carried no emotion, Luth knew the implied meaning of those words and closed his mouth.
"…I apologize."
At last, the carriage came to a stop.
The steward of the Princess Palace, who had been waiting for them, guided them to the reception room.
Herdin entered alone, leaving Luth behind.
"Her Highness the Princess will be here shortly."
After the steward left, Herdin was left alone in the empty reception room.
As he picked up the teacup brought by a maid to wet his throat, he heard the sound of a door opening behind him. Herdin stood up to pay his respects to the Princess and turned around.
A delicate and pitiable beauty was entering through the open door.
Blair Sonnet von Ardel.
This was the name of the mistress of this Princess Palace and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the woman he would marry.
The woman before his eyes was as beautiful as if a doll that little girls play with had been brought to life.
Indeed, she was worthy of being called the daughter of the Empress Dowager known for her legendary beauty, but her beauty evoked no emotion in Herdin.
No, rather…
'It would be more fitting to call it a terrible face that makes one recall the past.'
Herdin hid his twisted smile as he kissed the back of Blair's hand.
"It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness."
At that moment, Blair's mysterious purple eyes, which met his, contorted for an instant.
It was an expression that seemed almost sad.
But when Herdin raised his head again, the emotion that had filled Blair's eyes had vanished.
"Thank you for making time in your busy schedule, Duke Delmark."
Blair naturally took the seat of honor.
Following her graceful movements, her soft platinum blonde hair and the lace of her dress fluttered gently.
Silence fell between the two as they sat facing each other. They merely lifted their teacups to wet their throats, without speaking.
Usually, in such unfamiliar situations, the lower-ranking person would initiate conversation with trivial daily topics.
But Herdin seemed to have no intention of doing so.
In the end, it was Blair who spoke first, as she fiddled with the rim of her teacup while staring intently at his face.
"I'll get straight to the point."
Blair set down her teacup and continued speaking.
"I don't intend to refuse the marriage proposed by my brother."
Up to that point, it was what Herdin had expected. Even for someone like her, it would be difficult to refuse the Emperor's command.
But what followed was something he hadn't anticipated at all.
"One year."
At the sudden word that popped out of Blair's mouth, Herdin looked at her with a puzzled light in his eyes.
"Please maintain this marriage with me for exactly one year."
"…What do you mean by that?"
"After a year passes, I'll divorce you due to my own fault. I won't change my mind and cling to you, nor will I bother you with reasons like love or anything of the sort."
Herdin's fine brows furrowed.
'A contract marriage for one year, what on earth is she plotting?'
As if reading his mind, Blair presented a proposal that he absolutely could not refuse.
"The fire incident at the Empress's Palace ten years ago."
At the unexpected topic that flowed from her lips, Herdin's eyes sank into a cold gaze.
"If you accept my proposal, I will cooperate to the fullest in uncovering 'the inside story of that day.'"
A cold sneer escaped Herdin's lips.
After keeping her mouth shut for a whole decade, what nerve did she have to bring up that story now?
Herdin still vividly remembered the emotions from ten years ago.
When the Empress was accused of being the culprit in the Empress's Palace incident, Herdin sent numerous letters to Blair, the only witness, to clear his aunt's false accusation.
But no answer came.
He heard her answer on the day of the trial for the Empress's Palace incident.
Unable to enter the courtroom due to his young age, Herdin heard Blair's voice through the slightly open courtroom door.
'I don't… remember anything.'
Lies.
You don't remember, that's all lies, isn't it? You ended up siding with your mother after all, didn't you?
The memory of that day remained with Herdin even now, ten years later, as a piercing sense of betrayal and resentment.