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“I greet Her Highness, the Princess. I am Jeremy, aide to His Excellency, Duke Kedrey.”

It was a person she hadn’t expected to see in this place. And if Jeremy was here, there was a high chance that Raphael had come as well.

Cayena greeted him back. “It’s a pleasure, Sir Jeremy.”

“My master is visiting the temple and wanted to say hello to Your Highness, as you had arrived first.”

Why would Raphael come to a temple known for aiding childbirth?

‘But knowing him…’

He was someone who didn’t waste a moment once he made a decision. He had presumably traveled here as soon as he heard Cayena was going.

“It’s not dinner time yet, but would you give the Kedrey family the honor of serving Your Highness?”

Seeing how Raphael’s aide came with a respectable excuse to meet, Raphael seemed to be determined, if not thoroughly prepared.

“All right.”

“Then, once Your Highness is ready…”

“I’ll go right now.”

Jeremy was slightly confused. Cayena’s outfit was by no means appropriate to meet with someone important.

‘Did she leave her ladies-in-waiting behind?’

Her hair wasn’t completely dry, either.

If a hundred ladies in the empire were asked to meet with Raphael in the same outfit as Cayena, all one hundred would turn pale. Of course, Cayena was beautiful enough to make a man woozy without dressing up.

As soon as she stepped out the door, she saw Raphael facing away in the middle of the garden.

Honestly, she felt a little uncomfortable—but at the same time, she felt a sense of stability. Cayena acknowledged it.

She was happy to see Raphael, and she was happy that he had come to see her. She thought that she shouldn’t feel this way, but she couldn’t help it.

“Master.”

Raphael turned around at Jeremy’s call. He looked as gentle as one of the noblemen who frequented literary salons.

Raphael walked up to Cayena. Smoothly, he kissed the back of her hand. He parted his lips and, with a calm and bold manner, greeted her.

“I greet Her Highness, Princess Cayena.”

Cayena’s face had inexplicably become emaciated in one day. Her escorts didn’t seem to realize it yet, but Raphael could tell with one glance.

When he told her of her nanny’s passing yesterday, Cayena had pretended to be fine, but she was clearly different from usual. In addition, her first act after hearing the news was to visit this temple.

The temple’s location wasn’t very nice. Behind was a shantytown, and the security nearby was said to be poor.

‘Is there anything important about this temple?’

Whatever it was, Raphael’s feelings told him that Cayena was plotting something.

Cayena blinked, surprised. Then, she managed to smile and opened her mouth to reply.

“Well met, Duke Kedrey. I didn’t think… we’d encounter each other in a place like this.”

Raphael glanced about the temple again. Anybody could see from his face that he wasn’t here for the temple.

“Yes. I heard this place is miraculous, so I visited here out of curiosity.”

Whether it was miraculous or not was of no concern to Raphael, though.

With a slightly puzzled expression, Cayena asked, “Do you know what kind of place this temple is?”

He nodded. “Yes. I heard that this temple helps you make babies.”

“Cough!”

Jeremy, who had stayed by Raphael’s side, choked at Raphael’s frankly spoken words. It was all too easy to misunderstand what he meant.

“It’s famous for that, yes, but it’s also well known for helping arrange marriages.”

Raphael’s eyes instantly narrowed at the mention of marriage. He felt the considering gazes of the escorts and opened his mouth.

“I see. The temple has allowed me to borrow its dining room. If you’re ready, we can head over now.”

Raphael suavely held Cayena’s hand, looking for all purposes like a man besotted with her.

Cayena’s hand twitched. Raphael smiled a little at the small rebellious movement and gently escorted Cayena into the temple.

“Your entourage’s share has been prepared elsewhere.”

Cayena nodded and ordered her escorts away to eat and rest, letting them know they should not follow her to the dining room. Their eyes gleamed as they departed, following her commands.

‘They’ll want to inform Rezef quickly.’

She knew from the beginning that the knights who accompanied her were Rezef’s people.

Once Cayena and Raphael entered the dining room, Raphael’s servants opened up the plate covers.

Cayena sat in the chair Raphael had pulled out for her and looked at the table. She wanted to ask him something before they started eating.

“Why did you come here? There’ll be bothersome rumors about you.”

It was a natural question. Meeting up like this in secret wasn’t wise, especially since they weren’t engaged to each other.

“It’s fine. I thought you’d have a more plausible reason this way,” Raphael said casually.

“…What do you mean?”

“I don’t think that Your Highness came here to pray, not really. Any sharp-eyed person will think that you came for something else.”

Cayena quietly listened to his words.

“If I’m also here, it will just seem as if you were on a date with me.”

In other words, he came to give her an alibi.

Raphael saw Cayena go still. He tacked on, “And I also think it’s time to hear the specifics of Your Highness’s plans to make a husband.”

Raphael could tell that Cayena already had many burdens. He didn’t intend to be so cruel as to add onto that by confessing his feelings to her.

That was why he had come up with another excuse, her fake husband.

Cayena lowered her gaze. She didn’t need that plan anymore.

She intended to rush into something that may be impossible, like a foolish moth reaching into a flame. She would face her fate head-on instead of running away. No longer would she be a foolish doll; she would become a foolish person instead.

However, she couldn’t just say that. With a bitter smile, she said, “There are many kingdoms beyond the borders of the western duchy. Adjacent to the Kedrey duchy, there’s Heimbel, the city without a king.”

Heimbel was originally a part of the Madrena kingdom, which operated under a feudalist system. But after the kingdom fell, it became uncertain to which nation Heimb belonged.

The city was bordered on either side by the Eldaim empire and the country of Urlyung. The two great powers were eyeing each other, seeing which one would claim it first.

“The lord of Heimbel must find it difficult to fight against the barbarians. How long can a city last without a king?”

In fact, it was admirable how long the city had endured. Lord Heimbel would want to sell it off while it was still profitable. Besides that, he must have witnessed how Raphael cleared the western border at once before he became the duke.

“Do you think Heimbel wants to be assimilated into my territory?”

“Of course…”

“But Urlyung also covets that city. It’s an appetizing slice of pie.”

The city was the center of trade between the eastern and western continents. Furthermore, it was largely populated and possessed an outstanding shipbuilding trade.

“If you buy the city, even at a reasonable price, you’ll go bankrupt.”

Cayena, of course, did not intend to buy it at a fair price.

“The city will enter your borders if they want to live.”

“……”

Cayena was saying that she could make Lord Heimbel bend.

“You don’t have to doubt it. Just accept it as it comes. This will be my gift to you.”

How much wealth and power would enter the Kedrey duchy’s hands if they managed to acquire Heimbel for free?

The duchy fulfilled a vital role in defending the western border. If they swallowed Heimbel, they would be right against the border of Urlyung.

‘In that case, Prince Rezef shouldn’t be against me marrying Cayena.’

It would be a great benefit to the imperial family if they were linked to the Kedreys, who had a lot of influence.

That is, if everything was normal.

‘But the Prince Rezef I’ve seen is…’

Raphael frowned slightly.

Rezef’s eyes didn’t look at Cayena as just something to be used.

“If Your Highness pretends to marry the heir apparent of the Madrena kingdom, it will be difficult for your family to interfere.”

“Of course, I’ll need Your Excellency’s cooperation for that. You’ll need to recognize him as a relative of Madrena royalty and concede a few things to me and the emperor.”

“Would Lord Heimbel allow that?”

Cayena only laughed in response. Lord Heimbel would have to allow it, if he wanted to live.

‘People should live with integrity. If not, they should at least be careful.’

Unfortunately for Lord Heimbel, though he was prudent, Cayena knew his weak point from the novel.

‘He sent young children to the barbarians as tribute. In return, they would steal some food, but they wouldn’t invade the city.’

However, the abductions would be discovered someday.

‘His head should be cut off after the Kedrey dukedom takes in Heimbel.’

Cayena moistened her lips with wine from a silver cup.

Raphael suddenly asked, “Then, have you thought of a name for your fake husband?”

‘The husband’s name?’

She paused, not having expected the question. The husband wouldn’t exist anyway, so she didn’t think about naming him.

Cayena spoke a name that came to mind.

“…It’s Bayel.”

“…It sounds like a real person’s name.”

~~~