Chapter 09
I Missed You
Marriage.
Leonard clenched his jaw tightly.
On the day of the forced engagement ceremony, the condition the Emperor had sneakily inserted was this:
“If Leopold Otero’s temporary ducal title exceeds five years, his succession as Duke shall be officially recognized, and he shall proceed with marriage to the imperial princess.”
It was nothing more than an attempt to offload a troublesome daughter. A forced sale, really. Leopold had no favorable feelings toward the princess who had used his mother as leverage to pressure him into the engagement.
But as a mere temporary duke, he could not easily break off an engagement with the imperial family. Even a broken engagement required the Emperor’s approval.
However, it wasn’t entirely without a way out.
The Emperor avoided both war and political strife. His desire to avoid unnecessary conflict meant he was highly sensitive to public opinion.
And what kind of era was this now? It was a time when industrialization was accelerating, wealthy commoners were gaining influence, and disgruntled nobles were raising their voices in protest.
In short, it was an age where money bought power. The absolute authority of the imperial family was already a thing of the past. In such an environment, the Emperor had no choice but to be even more sensitive to public sentiment.
That was why Leopold had been focusing on creating a false scandal. By leaking signs of an unhealthy relationship with the princess, he intended to stir political unease and push public opinion toward breaking the engagement.
But now there was less than a year left.
Damn it.
There would be no marriage in his life. Especially not with a princess who felt like a daughter to his father in a twisted sense. He had to find a way—tonight, even if it meant confronting the Emperor directly.
“Your Grace, the carriage for the two of you is ready.”
At that moment, a servant’s voice came from beyond the door. Leopold slowly stepped away from Erica and straightened his posture.
The princess still wore a smug expression, as if she believed she had won.
How irritating.
As if brushing off something filthy, Leopold dusted his coat collar.
“Whether this becomes a marriage or an annulment remains to be seen, Your Highness.”
“What did you—!”
The princess’s face twisted again in anger, but Leopold ignored her.
“It seems I’ve disturbed your mood, so I will take my leave separately.”
He nodded lightly in farewell and stepped out, completely ignoring the princess’s furious voice behind him.
Violeta felt hollow.
In her memory, it had definitely been a shabby hired carriage. No matter how many times she recalled its plain appearance, it didn’t change. Even Raina had agreed with her.
“Then… if it wasn’t a hired carriage, what was it?”
She muttered as she trudged through the fading evening streets of Bern.
The answer she had just received from the carriage association was simple and clear.
“That time? Amor Park? No carriage went there.”
“Not a single one?”
“None at all. Miss, look here—there’s no ‘Amor’ in the dispatch log!”
The middle-aged clerk who introduced himself as the association secretary even showed her the official dispatch records. He looked rather annoyed at Violeta’s persistent questioning right before closing time.
“And even if someone called, the storm would’ve stopped them anyway.”
“…Ah.”
“Just think you got lucky for a ride, yeah? Honestly, you were fortunate, weren’t you?”
Lucky.
Violeta wanted to believe that too. It was better than dying that night in the rain, she thought.
“But still…”
As time passed, her memory of that night became sharper. The uneasy feeling that it might not have been a dream slowly wrapped around her entire body.
The duke’s face was too vivid. It felt less like an illustration and more like something real.
How can it be that vivid?
Of all things, she couldn’t forget his silver eyes.
Like the moon shining quietly in deep darkness. Cold, distant, like a blade of silver ice—completely devoid of warmth.
It pierced into her chest.
Even if it had been just a dream.
The man was like an ink stain spreading the more she tried to erase it. If she had never noticed the ink in the first place… if she had forgotten that dream… she wouldn’t be this anxious.
But what if—just what if—it hadn’t been a dream at all?
What if she had actually ridden his carriage without permission?
What would happen then?
Violeta shook her head violently, as if trying to escape a nightmare.
No, that couldn’t be. If it were true, that infamous moneylender duke would have already tracked her down and demanded an impossible repayment.
But since she didn’t even know whether it was real or not, she couldn’t exactly go to him and say, “I’m the one who hitchhiked your carriage without permission.”
Kicking pebbles along the stone road, she walked absentmindedly until she slowed near a crossroads by a luxury café. It was a newly developed street near the theater district, lined with high-end shops catering to nobles.
The sound of hooves, whips, and car horns mixed chaotically from that direction. Golden-trimmed carriages and glossy black automobiles stood like works of art, each displaying their owner’s status.
Yes. That was exactly why it made no sense.
There was no way the duke, a great imperial magnate, would ride a carriage that looked so ordinary.
Just as she tried to push the thought away—
“Vivi!”
At the sudden call, Violeta turned her head.
There stood her childhood friend of four years, someone she hadn’t seen in days.
“Hyugo!”
She smiled warmly as she greeted him. Hugo stared at her for a moment as if dazed, then scratched his head awkwardly.
“Vivi… are you feeling better?”
“I’m fine now. But you! You didn’t even visit me in the hospital!”
She puffed her cheeks in mock complaint. Hugo rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, and Violeta’s violet eyes softened.
“I missed you.”
Perhaps because of the sunset, Hugo’s face turned as red as a ripe tomato.
“I-I was busy! I had a lot of things going on… appointments and stuff.”
“And now?”
“Now? I’ve got plenty of time, as you can see.”
He answered shyly. Violeta smiled brightly.
Though he was an introvert, he had always been someone who worried about her and treated her gently. Thinking of his kind nature made her smile naturally.
“Then, want to get some apple pie with me?”
She grinned.
The bakery she mentioned was located at the end of the marketplace, right by the main road. It was where they first met—and their usual spot. It was also where Violeta always came to soothe heartbreak after every breakup.
As they reached the boulevard, Hugo, who had been unusually quiet, hesitated before nodding gently.
“Really? That sounds great!”
Overjoyed, Violeta spun around at the street corner like an excited puppy.
And at that moment—
“Vivi, watch out!”
A sleek black car with a shining engine hood narrowly passed by her.
Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt, but she was startled by the sudden appearance of the vehicle—and even more so by Hugo pulling her into his arms.
But what froze her breath completely was the figure she saw through the window as it passed.
Silver eyes… black hair…!
It was him.
The man from her dream—or perhaps from reality.
He looked at her with a displeased expression. Exactly as she remembered.
And now she was certain.
He was unmistakably… the duke.
In the vast imperial banquet hall, only the cold clinking of cutlery echoed.
Even though golden embroidery and candlelight made the table shimmer beautifully, silence hung heavily between the Emperor, Empress, crown prince couple, princess, and Leopold.
Everyone had come with their own agendas. In such a gathering, silence was inevitable.
Emperor Rodrigo placed his silver cutlery down with a soft clink, seemingly finished eating. Then he glanced at his son and spoke casually.
“Ahem… it would be nice if we had such family gatherings more often.”
It was clear he was already considering sending his daughter Erica abroad after annulling her engagement. This was likely just an awkward attempt to soften the mood. That was how Ian saw it.
The Emperor, who showed little affection for family matters, was fundamentally a man of self-interest.
But now, it was important to appease him.
“Father, now that we have a new family member, we should have gatherings like this more often.”
Ian lightly held the hand of his wife, Princess Eleanor, and smiled. Across the table, Erica scoffed.
“Pathetic.”
“Erica.”
“Brother, you’ve fallen for a trophy like that? Tsk.”
“Mind your manners in front of your sister-in-law.”
Ian’s tone turned sharp.
At that moment, the atmosphere in the dining hall grew cold again.
