Chapter 70
Raylenne looked directly at Harbian and spoke clearly.
“Among the empire’s citizens, only those of imperial birth have such golden hair.”
Not all imperial family members were blonde, but a high percentage of them had golden hair. And while there were some non-imperial people with blonde hair, this bright golden color was unmistakably that of the imperial family.
The same was true for the eye color. In particular, David’s reddish-gold eyes were identical to Harbian’s.
Harbian looked at Raylenne with narrowed eyes.
“What if I say that child is not mine?”
“Then we’d have to take him to the imperial palace to verify the truth.”
This was essentially a threat to escalate the matter.
Of course, Raylenne had no intention of actually involving young David in such a scandal. She already felt guilty for bringing him here for this purpose.
This was merely a bluff.
Anyone could see that this child was the spitting image of Harbian. Taking him to the imperial palace for a paternity test would only confirm what was obvious.
‘They’d say he’s Harbian’s son.’
Moreover, Crown Prince Harbian was reportedly competing with his uncle for the position of future emperor, so getting embroiled in such a scandal would do him no favors.
If Harbian was smart, he’d know not to let this issue escalate.
After quietly observing the child, Harbian turned his gaze to Raylenne.
“Lady Raylenne, what is it you want from me?”
Harbian seemed to have quickly grasped the situation.
It was evident from the fact that he didn’t waste time asking unnecessary questions about who the child’s mother was or where the child had been found.
After instructing the nanny to take David away, Raylenne spoke.
“I want Your Highness to cancel our engagement as if it never happened.”
Faced with her firm attitude, Harbian momentarily looked blank. But soon, he let out a low chuckle.
Seeing this, Raylenne frowned.
‘Is this really the time to laugh?’
“Lady Raylenne, you truly are an interesting person. To go to such lengths because you don’t want to marry me.”
“I simply dislike promiscuous men.”
Raylenne coldly spat out these words before draining the rest of her tea.
“For someone who claims that, you seemed to dislike me from the moment we first met… Was it because you thought I was promiscuous even then?”
Though his tone was light, the content of his observation was quite sharp.
While she had been surprised by the sudden talk of marriage at their first meeting, Raylenne hadn’t shown any signs of discomfort or wariness towards Harbian.
Yet Harbian knew that she had found him disagreeable that day.
“No, I just didn’t like your first impression then.”
Raylenne answered honestly.
There was no need to save face at this point anyway.
“Ahaha!”
Harbian burst into laughter, louder than before.
Seeing this, Raylenne seriously wondered,
‘Has he lost his mind…?’
As Raylenne was looking at Harbian with a dubious expression, his laughter gradually subsided.
Straightening his posture, Harbian spoke with a lingering smile.
“As you wish, Lady Raylenne, I will cancel the engagement from my side.”
Raylenne let out a sigh of relief.
“You’ve made a wise decision…”
“For now, at least.”
Raylenne frowned at Harbian’s additional comment.
“What do you mean by that?”
“It means exactly what I said. I’ll back off this time.”
It was an unsettling answer, but Raylenne decided to accept it.
She couldn’t fathom what Harbian was thinking, but there wouldn’t be a next time anyway.
Thinking this might be her last chance, Raylenne wanted to ask something she’d been curious about.
“Why did Your Highness suddenly decide to marry me in the first place?”
Harbian was already the Crown Prince and next in line for the throne without marrying into the Ergen family.
She couldn’t understand why he’d deliberately side with Duke Ergen, creating friction with the Emperor and causing unnecessary trouble.
Of course, if he coveted the immense power that would come with having the Ergen family as in-laws, it would make sense… But from what she’d heard, Crown Prince Harbian hadn’t been known for such power-hungry tendencies in the past.
That’s why she was curious about why Harbian had suddenly decided he needed to marry her.
Harbian suddenly looked out the window.
He slowly surveyed the ducal estate’s scenery before speaking.
“I like this castle.”
Confused by this unexpected answer, Raylenne blinked slowly.
Harbian smiled lightly and explained further.
“I’m quite fond of the scenery of this ducal estate. The view of the mountains from the main gate is especially excellent. That’s why I decided to form a connection with the Ergen family.”
It took Raylenne a moment to process this abrupt talk about scenery.
“…Is that really all there is to it?”
“Yes, that’s all.”
Harbian answered firmly with a smile.
She wasn’t sure if he was as frightening as Lavita had described, but he certainly wasn’t in his right mind.
“Ah. Of course, I was also feeling bored when Duke Ergen brought up the marriage proposal.”
“Because you were bored…”
As Raylenne muttered in disbelief, Harbian added,
“Pursuing entertainment is a primal human instinct, after all.”
Raylenne was simply astonished that such a frivolous reason was behind a marriage that could shake the entire empire.
“I understand your reason, but I don’t need to be sacrificed for Your Highness’s entertainment.”
“But it wouldn’t be a bad deal for you either, Lady Raylenne. As the daughter of Duke Ergen and rising to the position of Empress, no one would dare treat you carelessly.”
“Even now, no one except Your Highness treats me carelessly. So the position of Empress holds no appeal for me.”
She wasn’t suited for such a role, nor was she interested in it.
Besides, she had many other things she wanted to do in the future.
“That’s a shame.”
His expression didn’t look particularly disappointed, despite his words.
He was certainly an inscrutable person.
“I hope Your Highness finds a good partner who can entertain you better than I could.”
Raylenne stood up.
There seemed to be no need to waste more time talking.
“Then, please take care, Your Highness.”
* * *
After that, Raylenne realized that Crown Prince Harbian had kept his promise well. The atmosphere in the ducal palace had become like thin ice after the Crown Prince’s visit. Of course, Duke Ergen was the main culprit. Walking around the palace with a fierce expression, he made everyone wary.
Caverion, looking down at Duke Ergen walking outside the window with a grim face, said, “I heard that Crown Prince Harbian’s heart had changed, and he told Father he wanted to withdraw from the marriage talks.”
Although she felt sorry for the employees who were on edge, Raylenne was having tea time with Caverion, feeling relieved that the matter had been resolved safely.
“It won’t be easy for Crown Prince Harbian to deal with Father’s aftermath,” Caverion remarked.
Raylenne thought this might be true since Harbian had unilaterally cut off the marriage talks. However, recalling her conversation with Harbian, she wasn’t too worried. He had seemed rather unhinged.
Raylenne calmly replied, “Well, that’s his burden to bear.”
“Indeed. He coveted someone beyond his reach without knowing his place, so he must pay the price,” Caverion said heatedly.
Grateful for Caverion’s anger on her behalf, Raylenne smiled softly. “Anyway, I’m glad things worked out well.”
It was also good for Lavita. As promised, Caverion immediately paid Lavita once the matter was settled.
‘I’m not sure where he got such a large sum of money so quickly,’ Raylenne thought.
Lavita had said that when David grew a bit older, she would use that money to leave the marquis’s household. Together with David, to another country. Raylenne thought Lavita’s resolve was admirable. To protect her child even if it meant leaving her family.
‘Mothers are amazing,’ she mused inwardly.
While she was lost in admiration, Caverion’s somewhat subdued voice reached her ears. “Now that we’ve lost the Crown Prince card, I wonder how Father will deal with things going forward.”
Indeed. Duke Ergen would surely prepare another plan. Soon, an Awakened One would appear from the Bedeusian ducal family, and at that moment, the Bedeusians would gain the upper hand.
Raylenne furrowed her brow and said, “As you say, it’s a bit concerning.”
“I’ll keep a close eye on Father,” Caverion said kindly, as if telling her not to worry.
Caverion seemed to be in a good mood these days, perhaps because the Harbian affair had been resolved well. While Raylenne thought it strange that he would be so pleased about her affairs working out, she decided to accept this inexplicable kindness and affection without question. After all, sometimes people you viewed indifferently could suddenly become likable.
More than that, seeing Caverion in a good mood made Raylenne want to ask something she’d been curious about. Watching for the right moment, she cleared her throat and looked at Caverion.
“Ahem, Brother.”
Caverion met her eyes at the sound of her voice. Raylenne asked with a serious expression, “May I ask what you plan to do with Aiden from now on?”
Raylenne had always been curious. If Aiden didn’t go berserk as he did in the original story, what would become of him? Would Caverion or Duke Ergen eventually take pity on Aiden and release him…?
‘Probably not Duke Ergen,’ she thought. The Caverion of the past wouldn’t have either, but now she thought there might be a slight possibility. Caverion’s attitude towards Aiden had definitely changed compared to before.
“Well…” Caverion pondered, arms crossed, before answering in a serious tone. “I’m not sure. Personally, I don’t think we can keep Aiden as a prisoner indefinitely, but… Father won’t be willing to let him go easily.”
Disappointed by his words, Raylenne lowered her gaze. “I suppose so…”
Caverion quietly observed Raylenne as she hung her head. Raylenne let out a small sigh and slowly raised her face. She found Caverion’s blue eyes fixed on her.
Touching her face, Raylenne asked, “Why are you looking at me like that…? Is there something on my face?”
Raylenne asked quizzically, but Caverion shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
