Peony: Dreaming of the Dangerous Grand Duke

Chapter 5

Ernst’s face quickly smoothed out. The little frown faded away so quickly that I couldn’t be sure it had really happened. Instead, it was Ludwig who clenched his teeth this time.

“I distinctly told you to use only Foyer pearls, did I not?”

“I’ve confirmed it at least four times, Your Highness. It seems the pearls were replaced after the gown arrived at the palace. As you know, the princess is…” Prince Ludwig’s aide trailed off, and Ludwig gave a tut, soft enough to be carried to only those who stood near him, like Ernst and myself.

With a cheerful smile on my face, I clapped my hands together, acting oblivious to the atmosphere around me. “Oh, Ludwig, Peony wanted to ask you. Peony wants to take this girl as her maid. Peony doesn’t really like the others.”

“Of course, dear Sister. That’s the least I could do for your wedding gift.”

“Oh, Peony is so happy!”

And that was how I managed to whisk Sonya away.

Sonya stood awkwardly among the frightened maids, bowed low, and then quickly joined the procession. The rest of the princess’s entourage would do well to prepare themselves now. Prince Ludwig loathed anything that threatened his reputation.

“Have a happy life, dear Sister. Do write to me should your husband make you sad.”

“I s-shall.”

Ludwig gripped my bony shoulders with ferocity.

That hurts! His grasp was fierce enough to leave handprints on my skin. I flinched, but kept my lips curved in a smile. This was a performance, and the curtains had not fallen yet.

“I’ll take good care of my wife, Your Highness,” a voice said all of a sudden. “You will have nothing to worry about.”

I was smiling as if I felt no pain, but Ernst stepped forward after observing me quietly. With his gloved hand, he slapped the prince’s hand away, as if he felt no shame in his audacity. He even cast a contemptuous look at the prince, daring him to respond.

“Preposterous! This is most absurd!”

“He dares to put his hand on His Highness!”

The nobles from Ludwig’s faction raised their voices, but soon snapped their mouths shut when the officers in red uniforms and boots stomped in unison.

“Now, if you will excuse us, we have a long journey ahead. We’ll take our leave.”

This time, Ernst placed his arm around the shoulder that Prince Ludwig had gripped. The warmth was so overwhelming that my lips trembled.

“Your hand, Princess.” Ernst stretched his hand out to me in front of the carriage.

At first glance, he might look like he didn’t care whether I took his hand or not, but I knew better. He was being caring. He was someone who didn’t value the formalities typically followed in the territory of the Forces of Day, but he displayed a level of decorum that exceeded any nobles present. By his action, he was declaring that he would respect me as a wife from now on.

My heart aches. As soon as I placed my hand over his, my heart began thumping so wildly that it hurt. I felt breathless during the brief moment that our eyes locked. I had thought I would never see my husband again. Over the past few days, I had worried that this might all be an illusion. Yet here we were, together again. I felt my eyes welling up with tears.

“Let us leave,” said Ernst.

“Yes, Your Grace!” shouted the officers.

I gingerly climbed into the carriage, and Ernst sat opposite me. This was also a gesture of thoughtfulness. He had no obligation to share the same carriage as me. It was clear he intended to protect me from the conflict with Prince Ludwig.

How could I not love this man? Although the concept of knighthood had long faded away, he still lived with chivalry, devoted to protecting the powerless. I sighed as the door closed, and the prince vanished from view. The wheels began to roll vigorously.

I’m finally free, I thought with relief. And I was returning to the cherished territory of the night.

“It may be uncomfortable for a few days since we’ll be camping,” said Ernst.

“Oh.”

“Once we reach Eques Castle, I’ll have the eastern villa prepared for you. That is where you’ll live with your maids.”

It had been only ten minutes since our departure. His low, husky voice tapped on my ears, waking me from my pondering. His attitude and tone were dry and indifferent, unlike before, when he had protected me from the first prince. But it didn’t hurt me at all. I had no reason to be hurt. It was a pure miracle that I could be with him again.

I drew my eyes away from the window and studied him closely, trying to figure out how and where he had changed. Twenty-five-year-old Ernst was clearly different from the thirty-one-year-old Ernst. He was more mature and sophisticated, and his voice and gaze had grown deeper. I wondered what had caused those changes in him during the past six years. It was truly regrettable that I had missed all those moments.

“Do I have something on my face?” Ernst asked.

“No, you don’t.”

“I asked because you’re staring at me.”

It looked like I had piqued his attention. I pondered how to cover it up, then decided to respond with sincerity.

“Um, it’s just that my husband’s very handsome.”

He returned my compliment with a serious look, as if to advise me not to joke around. He was certainly someone who didn’t appreciate humor. It was true that he was handsome. In fact, he was so good-looking that I was sure I would never grow tired of looking at him. But I knew Ernst never enjoyed compliments about his appearance. Reluctantly, I came up with a reply that he would accept more easily.

“In fact, my gown is very uncomfortable.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. Does the waist band bother you?”

“Yes, it does. It’s uncomfortable.”

“I see. I’ll stop the carriage, and you can summon your maid to—”

“No,” I interrupted him on purpose. I knew how he would react, so I had to hurry. “I can’t bear it anymore. Couldn’t you undo it for me, Ernst?” I pleaded.

Ernst kept silent for a length of time. His cold, deep, blue eyes pierced right through me as if trying to decipher all the secrets I had hidden. It was making me feel a little excited.

My heart is beating so fast. I wished he wouldn’t look at me as if he would soon find out that I was actually Gabriella, not Peony. I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

“I’d like to ask you something,” he said.

“Yes?”

“Did you do that on purpose?”

His question was missing a key detail, and one would be required to read between the lines to grasp its meaning. I flashed a sweet smile, pretending to be clueless.

What was I expecting? Ernst might be a sharp, perceptive person, but how could he possibly recognize that a different soul had taken over this body? Moreover, it had been six whole years, not just one or two. With a veil of hatred obscuring his view and the rumors of my being a simpleton—along with the common sense of the world—there was no way anyone could realize that I, Gabriella Nasirette, was trapped inside the body of Princess Peony.

Haven’t I been telling myself that I shouldn’t get all hopeful? I couldn’t understand why I was being so silly. But there was nothing I could do about the foolish nature I was born with.

It’s not likely that he’ll recognize me right away. I have come back to him, and that is a miracle by itself. I shouldn’t ask for anything beyond that. I bit the inside of my cheek once, then reached my hand behind my back to loosen the waistband. I knew Ernst wasn’t going to do it for me no matter how long I waited. He showed respect for me in public, but it was clear he had no intention of getting closer to me in private.

Trying to edge closer to him now would only provoke a negative reaction from him. I leaned back on the cushion after opening up my airway slightly, but Ernst remained silent.

“Husband?”

“It’s nothing. I imagine you’re disappointed that we didn’t have a proper wedding ceremony.”

“Not at all. I’m just eager to go to a new place!” I answered brightly.

Ernst clamped his mouth shut again. He looked pensive, as if trying to figure out if I was really a simpleton or just acting it. I feigned a yawn and cuddled the purple cushion, acting like a child.

It’s not the right time yet. My goal was to have Ernst naturally recognize me. For that to happen, I needed to lower his defenses first. He was always a wary and distrustful person.

If he’s the Ernst I remember, then he only would have agreed to marrying Peony because she’s a simpleton. If Peony had shown a hint of intelligence or if there was any possibility of Peony threatening the north, he would have rejected the marriage. Or should I say, the offer wouldn’t have even reached Ernst, as Sebastian Desens, his loyal tactician, would have turned it down himself.

This is all frustrating, but I can’t let people know that I’m not a simpleton. It would only raise walls between us. One wrong move, and it would all come crashing down. Given how sensitive things were right now, people might misinterpret me as trying to mimic Ernst’s deceased wife.

I need to keep in mind that I’m a princess, and that I am someone from the Forces of Day. It would do me well to remember how the northerners loathed anyone from the Forces of the Day.

I should be a little more patient. I had to wait until I was something like a friend to him, until trust grew between us, or until my exorcism was done and over.

But the eastern villa is a little bit much, isn’t it? The eastern villa was a guest quarter for annoying guests. It was extravagant, yet quite detached from the main castle. If I were to live there, we could live our entire lives without ever running into each other if that was what he wanted. It was a declaration that he had entered an arranged marriage for the north, but he had no intentions of treating me like a true wife.

I knew he may have intended this from the beginning, but as I wasn’t actually Peony, I couldn’t let him send me off to the eastern villa. I had to continue my charade of being an imbecile to stay as close as I could to Ernst. That way, I would make him see me one day.

Please, don’t take too long. Clenching my concealed hands tightly, I closed my eyes. It was more painful than expected that I couldn’t reach my beloved, even though he was right there before me.