Peony: Dreaming of the Dangerous Grand Duke

Chapter 2

Fate has made me the half-sister of my greatest foe, Prince Ludwig Freikahn Isodeium, the first prince. I bit down on my lip hard, not wanting to accept this reality. Caught under my sharp canines, my lower lip throbbed with pain. But there was no waking from this nightmare. This was indeed my reality.

And here I was, seated in a meeting to discuss the arranged marriage of Peony, the infamous simpleton of a princess, and Ernst, the empire’s sole grand duke. That meant Ernst had no idea that I, Gabriella, was the one now inhabiting this body.

What was worse, it was likely that he despised the body that nested my soul. A surge of emotions enveloped me, mine alone to withstand.

“Do you have any objections?”

It was a polite question, but a strange sense of authority lingered within it, as if challenging the one questioned. His voice was deeper than how I remembered it. There was an edge to his voice, like it was teetering on the tip of a cliff. I couldn’t resist any longer and turned to look at him.

The moment I looked into his eyes that mirrored the vast blue of the North Sea, I felt a wave of confusion sweep over me.

That’s Ernst Kassel Eques? Impossible. As Gabriella, I had died at the age of twenty and three. Ernst was only two years older than me. In my memory, Ernst had grown more robust since our marriage with all the wars he had to fight, yet he still had a youthful charm.

However, the man that stood before now looked more mature than ever. The Duke of Eques appeared older and more reserved, seemingly around thirty years of age. He was frosty and somber, and it felt like I was peering into the blue abyss of the deep sea. It was unsettling to look into his face, devoid of any emotions.

“It takes seven days to get to Dalton Port from the palace. We will then be traveling to Horren Port of Eques by ship onwards.”

I stared at Ernst as if hypnotized, my hand pressed to my chest.

I had no idea he could make such a fearsome face. The cold look on his face was completely unfamiliar to me. I supposed I was too used to the faint smile he would always wear for me. What I could detect from Ernst at this moment was pure loathing, forcibly masked with indifference. I could see right through his pretense. I alone could notice the dark revulsion and hatred submerged deep in his eyes.

It’s me, Ernst. I’m Gabriella. I wanted to tell him my desperate last-minute prayer had brought me back to life before I could cross the River of the Dead. But I couldn’t utter a word as my lips were pressed together as if they were sealed shut.

What is going on? Why can’t I say anything? Why can’t I tell him that I’m Gabriella? Throughout the meeting, I tried in vain to tell Ernst the truth. However, whenever I tried to say that I was Gabriella, my tongue would stiffen and refuse to move. I lifted a pen, but I couldn’t make myself write a single letter. Whatever these restrictions were, they were unnecessarily strong.

I can’t believe he’s right here in front of me, and I can’t even tell him about this miracle. It was as if my heart was being scorched with yearning.

In the end, the only eye contact I shared with him was the one we had earlier in the meeting. After that, Ernst withdrew his flat gaze and never looked back at me again. No matter how hard I stared, it was no use. He paid no regard to me whatsoever.

“It is now time for you to sign the marriage pledge, Your Grace.”

The archpriest placed two pieces of parchment before Ernst. With a hand so big that it made the quill look tiny, Ernst swiftly wrote his name. The gesture was devoid of any excitement or anticipation.

[9th of April, 826]

I looked down at the pledge pushed at me, noticed the date, and couldn’t help but accept the reality. Gabriella Nasirette had passed from this world six years ago, and I was sitting here as Peony Farren Isodeium.

“I shall see you when the day breaks in three days’ time. Until then.”

I squeezed my hands tight as I watched my husband leave the chamber with his men. The reality was like ice-cold water drenching me from head to toe, leaving my skin sore and throbbing.

I had just married my husband again, this time as the daughter of the imperial family he detested.

＊ ＊ ＊

How could this be? What am I to do now that I am inhabiting the body of his enemy? After the meeting, the maids hauled me out of the chamber and locked me in a room. The fire burned low in the frigid bed chamber, making me feel as if I were in a cemetery. I found a gown draped over a dressmaker’s mannequin. In three days, I would leave the palace in this glaringly white dress, which seemed to have no purpose whatsoever. I found myself in a state of confusion, having woken up in the middle of a meeting for my own arranged marriage.

It would be wise to take a moment to gather my thoughts. The Empire of Isodeium has been split into two distinct forces since its founding. The Forces of Day revolved around the capital and the prosperous southern region and were loyal only to the emperor and the imperial family. They placed absolute value on art, culture, and personal uniqueness. In terms of swordsmanship, they emphasized elaborate movements rather than practical combat skills, which led them to favor ornamental swords embellished with gemstones over functional weapons.

On the other hand, the Forces of Night were united under Duke Eques, who served as the commanding admiral. This naval society prioritized power and strict hierarchy, placing great emphasis on swift and practical swordsmanship, which was necessary to confront pirates.

The two forces revered different gods and enjoyed cultures of opposite values, so there was no reason for a marriage that crossed their factions. In each territory, those from the rival faction often faced discrimination.

I was puzzled about how this peace treaty marriage came to be. From what I had gathered in the meeting, the emperor had abruptly called for the reconciliation and integration of the two factions. I had no idea what was going on in the emperor’s head, but I knew there had to be some kind of scheme behind this suggestion.

The north was to gain various benefits from this marriage. The terms were suspiciously favorable to the north, making it acceptable to secure the deal first and investigate the emperor’s motives later. As I absentmindedly toyed with the pearls strung between the shimmering wedding gown, I suddenly realized that I had formed some sort of expectation as I observed Ernst’s cold attitude toward me.

Could it be that he still remembers me, his dead wife? My heart was beating slightly faster at the idea. I felt like my death had only happened yesterday, so much so that I could still feel a throbbing pain in my legs. I knew this had to be a mental condition, as Peony’s legs both had no wounds.

For Ernst, Gabriella’s death had been six years ago, so it was entirely understandable if he had forgotten about me and started anew. But throughout the meeting, his behavior reflected nothing more than a transactional approach. He didn’t look like a man who had found new love, nor like a man who had made up his mind to start a new relationship.

No, it’s unwise to have expectations. His dismissive attitude to Peony doesn’t signify that he still has memories of me. Ernst had despised the emperor and the Forces of Day since childhood. It seemed Ernst’s face had toughened, and he was slightly thinner. I hoped that my death hadn’t caused these changes, as it would plague me with guilt. But at the same time, I knew I would feel happy if it were indeed because of me. What a selfish sentiment this was.

I wish he had eaten well. Throughout our marriage, he would rarely eat a proper meal. I could just picture him. Ernst often skipped meals when he was focusing on work. Whenever something bothered him, he would seal his lips from that moment on. It was fortunate that his loyal friends and subordinates were passionate enough to hold him down to force-feed him some cold soup. I knew they would have taken good care of Ernst in my absence.

But I didn’t recognize any of his men in that meeting. I missed all of them dearly. As the shock subsided, I began yearning to see the black-blue sea of the north. It was funny how eager I was now to jump on a ship when, before, I had hated the waves striking the ship on stormy days and the nausea that followed.

How changeable humans were. I had grown quite close to Ernst’s trusted men during my marriage with him as Gabriella. Together, we had endured the polar nights—the sunless time that stretched from autumn to winter. In the unending darkness, we had fought through the solitude with heartfelt conversations.

Three years of struggling against the cold, darkness, earthquakes, and tsunamis had been far from easy. Although our marriage had an expiration date, I had done everything in my power not to be remembered as an incompetent duchess. Despite my propensity for seasickness, I had never feared boarding the ships, proving to my people I wasn’t a delicate duchess in need of protection.

I had the audacity to become happy. Ernst had cared for me in a way that was both subtle and evident, and I could feel my heart swell with warmth whenever I was with him. But I had to put all that behind me, as I was about to start anew with another identity. I was to take yet another journey with him.

Perhaps because I had possessed Gabriella once before, I was grateful to find that rather than panicking over this ridiculous situation, I could quickly pull myself together and move forward. I ran my hand through the pearls that felt oddly small, and stopped.

But why did I have to become Peony of all people?

Peony Farren Isodeium. All memories of her had been transferred to me, and I knew exactly what situation she was in. Poor, miserable Peony had been labeled as a fool and an imbecile since birth. She was well enough to walk and talk, but she had been looked down upon for having the intelligence of an infant.

But from Peony’s point of view, she had her reasons. She hadn’t been able to separate her dreams from reality since she was little. When a dream began at night, it would go on for a week or even a fortnight, distancing her from reality. While her consciousness wandered the dream world, her body would continue moving despite having no will to control it. That was how she was mistakenly named as an imbecile. It was likely that the rumors were amplified by one of her brothers, who were also heirs to the throne.

Do they have no love for their sister? I tutted as I went through my new memories.

Those heartless good-for-nothings. Yet ironically, Peony had survived because she was seen as a simpleton. There was only one way to become an emperor in Isodeium—all other heirs to the imperial throne had to be eliminated or subjugated. Even though the palace was filled with people constantly scheming to backstab one another, Peony had always been excluded from their calculations.

They would have thought they could slash out their fool of a sister at any given time. My problem was that I had to maintain the facade of being a simpleton.

At that moment, I heard the outer door burst open, followed by a sound of someone knocking on the inner door.

“Princess, I’m coming in!”

My brows shot up at the audacious behavior.