Chapter 12
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The wound on her wrist was re-stitched.
“Mother and father will be back soon, Diana. And, as you know, father isn’t the kindest person.”
Diana nodded. She could understand what Guinness was trying to tell her. The Grand Duke of Philadelphia was a man who would send Diana to a mental institution without hesitation in order to protect her reputation and prevent her from ending herself.
He was a strict man with clear standards. That was the Grand Duke of Philadelphia.
Way back when, Diana used to think of her father, the Grand Duke, as being a cold person. The whole time growing up, she felt fear towards him and avoided him when she could. But that was just Diana jumping to conclusions.
‘Diana, honey. I know you didn’t do this. I didn’t raise you like that.’
‘Father…’
‘…..Let your father turn everything back to the way it was. Everything will be fine.’
He stood by Diana’s side until the very end. The Grand Duke of Philadelphia went into an unwinnable battle in order to protect his daughter.
‘If the Grand Duke goes to the battlefield and manages to secure a victory, the queen might be able to keep her position. People often get lost in the oncoming issues rather than the present. If there’s anything that could put this scandal to bed, maybe this will bury the story of the queen’s affair.’
Hearing people say that, it was only then that Diana realized.
There was love hidden in his blunt gaze, and within his strictness was an unshakable faith in his daughter.
The Grand Duke of Philadelphia died on that battlefield. The news hit the Kingdom of Leonid and the people quickly forgot about Diana’s false affair. The Grand Duke threw away his life, covering up Diana’s scandal with a bigger one.
The people honored the Grand Duke, who dedicated himself to protecting Leonid, and eventually they started to outright deny any rumors of Diana’s infidelity. Only then was Diana forced to believe what she didn’t want to.
Her father protected his daughter with his life.
So now, it was Diana’s turn to protect him.
Guinness reached out and grabbed Diana’s cold hand once more. In his chest was a feeling of anxiety that his younger sister would waste away like this.
“Let’s tell them you’re going to be staying in the territory for a while, Diana. You’re going to go there with me until your wounds are healed. How about it?”
“Okay,” Diana nodded. It was then that Guinness let out a sigh of relief.
She’d known from the beginning that her wound would hurt the hearts of her mother and father more than it would ever hurt her.
But she wanted to show Iandrus her determination.
Going to visit the territory might be a good way to give herself another opportunity.
With that in mind, Diana pulled her heart together.
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The Grand Duke of Philadelphia visited the room of the Grand Duchess with an exhausted expression on his face. The Grand Duchess looked down at him as he lay down on the bed without taking off his clothes.
“You need to wash up before you lie down.”
“It’s late, but the kids have already left for the territory, haven’t they?”
“So I heard. Guinness was apparently so stubborn about it, even the butler couldn’t stop him. He said Diana needed to get some air so he wanted to take her on a tour of the territory.”
“Hah…..Guinness is deciding things on his own. That kid, he probably didn’t want to work so now he’s dragging his little sister around.”
“Perhaps. Diana is well-behaved, so she might’ve listened to him.”
The Grand Duke slowly blinked with tired eyes as the light that was once brightening up the room went out, saying, “But Diana has been acting strangely lately.”
“You needn’t worry. She must be feeling strange since she’s getting married soon. And besides, you have too many other things you need to be worrying about. There have been rumors of a war lately as well………”
“It might happen soon.”
“Hah. You have too much on your plate to concern yourself too much with Diana so I will take care of it. Hopefully she will change her mind soon. I know how much she loves Prince Iandrus.”
“……I see.” The Grand Duke closed his tired eyes, but then suddenly opened them as if he’d remembered something. “But if Diana really doesn’t like this, then find another way. There are plenty of young ladies within Philadelphia’s extended family who would happily take her place.”
“Of course.”
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It was thanks to Iandrus that Guinness and Diana were able to move so late at night. According to national law, no matter how large the Grand Duke’s carriage was, it had to be smaller than the ones of the palace. But Diana needed space to rest, so Iandrus gladly gave up his carriage for her. For once, it was fortunate he was in the position of being shunned by the rest of his family, so he was able to get away with that.
Guinness held his breath as he looked down at the pale faced Diana.
The small breath that escaped from between her delicate lips seemed as though it would be cut off at any moment. Like a vicious death was lying in wait, hoping to devour Diana.
Iandrus had failed to convince Diana. Seeing his pale face, Diana’s most earnest desire was made clear as day by the fact that she had told him to leave her room and give her time.
In fact, the face Iandrus had made earlier was not so different from the face Diana was making now.
Iandrus said he would visit the royal villa within Philadelphia territory as soon as he received permission from the king once the morning came. He said it was because he wanted to stay by Diana’s side. And considering the king was incredibly indifferent towards his sons, he would definitely say yes without any hesitation.
“Diana…..”
Diana was so deep in sleep, she wouldn’t wake even as Guinness called her, which made him incredibly nervous. And as that anxiety took him, he instinctively reached out his finger beneath her nose. Luckily, he could still feel her breathing. Confirming she was still okay, Guinness let out a harsh breath.
Diana said she knew about the future.
What the hell could’ve happened?
Diana just told him that everyone would die. And as Iandrus told him with his own words, death was likely the reason why she was trying to refuse the marriage.
But why would Prince Iandrus be the cause of death for both Diana and Philadelphia?
Their feelings towards each other were genuine, that he knew. And yet the both of them still ended up facing tragedy. So that meant something intense must’ve happened, and he couldn’t even imagine what. Unless Philadelphia committed treason or something similar……..
Treason.
But the Grand Duke of Philadelphia was not the kind of person to do that. He was a loyal and honorable man to both the royal family and his nation. He had no desire nor the justification to do so.
…..Were we falsely accused?
That would make sense. There were many nobles who disapproved of the bond between Philadelphia and the royal family. They were staying quiet for now, but they weren’t blind.
Guinness reached out for the blanket that was slipping down Diana’s body and pulled it back up.
…….She’s too small.
He didn’t know what exactly happened or the things that she had seen, but seeing the depth of pain on her small and youthful face made him upset. That’s what he thought as the carriage that was holding them rushed off through the dawn at high speeds.
He would not allow Diana to return until the wounds of her heart had healed. Diana needed time to breathe, and so the territory would be the best place for her to stay. Guinness sighed, giving Diana a light kiss on the forehead.
“Sleep well, little sis.”
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Iandrus returned to the castle with a darkened expression.
He felt like his head was about to explode. Why did a single tear shed by Diana cut Iandrus deeper than any tears he shed himself? Her empty expression and terrified eyes—Diana was rejecting him with everything she had.
“I need to know more details.”
Iandrus shook his head.
He didn’t realize it until now.
He didn’t know he had these feelings inside of him when he had Diana by his side. Now that she was gone, he felt alone in a world that was quickly fading to white. For Iandrus, Diana was the only person he would allow for himself.
If Jaymus was the light, then Iandrus was the darkness.
Even in the royal palace, due to the queen’s disdain for him, the atmosphere was always cold towards Iandrus while the king had no deep interest in either of his sons. The only person who acted like real family to him was Jaymus. Jaymus was filled with light because of the love he received from the queen.
Jaymus didn’t find it hard to share what he had. Rather, he readily shared so many of his things with Iandrus, and it was because of Jaymus that he was able to live the life that he did.
But none of those things ever truly belonged to Iandrus. All of them belonged to Jaymus, and thanks to his consideration and selflessness, they also belonged to Iandrus by chance.
Only Diana was different. She was the only thing that was chosen for him from the beginning. He may have acted cold as he dealt with his complex emotions, but Iandrus really loved Diana. She reminded him of his brother. She was cheerful, constantly smiling, and had eyes that were straightforward and endlessly honest. Like Jaymus, she was someone made of light.
Other people would look at Iandrus with pity, but not Diana. She always looked at him with sparkling eyes. But naturally, opinions were divided among the public when it came to accepting the marriage between Diana and Iandrus.
What was the point in giving Iandrus, who had no political backing, the power of Philadelphia, they all thought. But Iandrus already knew the answer. For the queen, Iandrus was someone who could be killed as easily as crushing an ant with a single finger. It didn’t matter if he had Philadelphia behind him.
When he died, what use would the power of Philadelphia be? Iandrus was still just a kid, only fifteen years old, and the chronically ill king would soon abdicate the throne to Jaymus.
Iandrus narrowed his eyes with a grim expression.
He only had one light in his hands.