ITD

CHAPTER lX

Hendrick, seated in the plush interior of the carriage, marveled at the luxurious surroundings.

“Oh, goodness. This feels like a dream.”

“If it’s a dream, we’ll wake up soon enough.”

Courtney tried her best not to accept this surreal situation as reality.

She wanted to be prepared for when it all shattered, so she wouldn’t feel any regret.

Even if it turned out that she really was the bride the Emperor had chosen, something was definitely wrong. Unless the Crown Prince had lost a card game to Frederick, there was no way this could be happening.

But as she sat in the carriage, watching her father’s excited chatter and seeing the admiration of passersby, she couldn’t help the nervous flutter in her chest. The closer they got to the Imperial Palace, the more she felt the urge to run away. However, with her injured ankle, there was no way she could jump out of the moving carriage.

So, she had no choice but to calmly step out once they arrived at the grand guest carriage house inside the palace walls.

“We have arrived.”

The door to the carriage opened, and the Emperor’s chief attendant greeted them. It was unusual for such a high-ranking official to personally welcome someone, even a Duke.

Count Devon, pale as a ghost, stood up and nearly stumbled.

“Ahem… Courtney, something must be wrong.”

“I told you so.”

“Well, whatever it is, it’s not our fault. Don’t be scared.”

“You should worry about yourself.”

The Count was the first to step out of the carriage. Courtney stood up as well, briefly checking her ankle. Even if they had mistakenly summoned her, she couldn’t afford to make a bad impression with a limp.

Even if it breaks, I’ll walk straight, she thought as she stepped out.

But before she could take another step, the chief attendant suddenly knelt down on the dirt ground.

“……?”

“Please change into these.”

He offered her a pair of silk slippers, cushioned instead of heeled. If they hadn’t known in advance, it meant they had prepared them in the short time since she’d been called to the palace.

Having never experienced this level of care in her life, Courtney was momentarily speechless.

“Please,” the chief attendant urged.

There was no way she could let the Emperor’s chief attendant kneel on the ground for too long.

Hesitantly, Courtney extended her foot, and without any hesitation, the chief attendant removed her stiff shoes and slipped on the soft slippers.

“Are they comfortable?”

“Yes…”

Courtney nodded in thanks, though her voice failed her. Hendrick cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to hide his embarrassment. He had been so excited about being summoned to the palace that he hadn’t even noticed his daughter’s injury.

“Let’s go inside.”

Courtney linked her arm with her father’s and they walked forward. The pain in her ankle hadn’t disappeared, but it was much more manageable than it had been before.

The chief attendant led them to the audience room, a grand hall usually reserved for receiving foreign dignitaries. The Count swallowed nervously, while Courtney maintained her composure, at least on the surface.

In the center of the massive room was a soft sofa and tea table that seemed out of place, but neither of them dared to sit.

As the Count anxiously paced around the hall twice, the Emperor arrived.

“Oh, you’ve come as well, Lady Courtney.”

“G-Greetings to Your Majesty, the Emperor.”

The Count hastily bowed. Despite holding the title of Count and residing in the capital, he had lived far from central politics and had never had a private audience with the Emperor. He bowed low, as though he were a criminal being dragged before judgment.

Though Courtney was equally unsettled, she managed to conceal it better than her father. As she moved to lower herself in a bow, the Emperor gestured to stop her.

“No need for formalities, sit down.”

The Emperor casually sat in the upper seat. While his imposing figure and dignity were evident, just as they appeared from afar, his mannerisms were surprisingly casual.

The Devon father and daughter awkwardly sat down on the sofa. As the servants brought out tea and snacks one by one, no one dared to speak first. Hendrick was stiff, like a statue, while Courtney’s only thought was how she wished she could bring the snacks to her nephew.

After taking a sip of the hot tea, the Emperor spoke abruptly.

“So. Have you given it any thought?”

“Huh? P-Pardon…?”

The Count’s foolish response made the Emperor’s brow twitch.

“I sent a messenger yesterday. Did my message not get through?”

“Ahh…”

How pitiful, Courtney thought. But this wasn’t the place to scold her father as she usually would. She raised her hand slightly and spoke in a soft voice.

“Your Majesty, may I speak…?”

“Of course. Go ahead, Lady Courtney. Do you have any requests?”

The Emperor’s attitude toward her had been strangely kind from the moment he entered. Courtney wondered if there was some secret about her birth she didn’t know, or if she had unknowingly done something for him in the past. It was almost confusing.

“Pardon me for saying this, but it seems… there has been some mistake.”

“Mistake?”

“I just don’t understand why… why Your Majesty would make such an offer to me. Of course, it’s an incredible honor, but…”

Even for someone as thick-skinned as Courtney, she couldn’t bring herself to mention the marriage directly. She feared being laughed at, as if it were all some misunderstanding.

Listening intently to her hesitant words, the Emperor responded with a smile.