Chapter 52

On the third day since Rezette’s departure from the castle, Elise found herself seated in her office, clutching a pen in her hand. Her eyes were fixed on the paper before her, but her thoughts seemed to be stuck on the first sentence. This was, after all, her maiden attempt at composing a letter.

“Are you composing a letter, Your Highness?” Genovia Irrien’s presence was truly remarkable, to say the least. Elise raised her gaze with a composed expression, observing the vivacious Irrien seated across from her. Elise leaned her arms against the desk, resting her chin upon her hand as she watched Irrien’s eager curiosity. Lady Irrien possessed a natural beauty that rivaled even the esteemed First Lady of Van Yela, yet she bore no apparent airs.

Suppressing her discomfort, Elise returned her attention to the blank paper before her. Genovia inched closer, her eyes stealing a glimpse of the letter taking shape.

“To whom are you penning this letter? The Grand Duke, perhaps?” Elise chose to ignore her companion. She had no intention of engaging with Genovia unless the woman displayed at least a modicum of respect.

Yet, it was thanks to Genovia’s presence that Elise finally managed to ink the first word onto the paper. Rezette? Elise began, using his name.

“Rezette? You’re using his name?”

However, her sentence was prematurely interrupted by an irksome voice. Genovia, bearing a condescending expression that suggested she viewed Elise as nothing more than a child, offered a comment.

“This is an official missive to the Grand Duke. Can you really use such a familiar tone? It’s acceptable to be informal when it’s just the two of you, but…”

Elise maintained her silence, allowing Genovia’s words to linger in the air.

“I always include proper titles and honors when composing letters to the Grand Duke, regardless of how minor they may seem. Even if you don’t show me respect, showing proper etiquette to the Grand Duke, your benefactor, is expected.”

Elise couldn’t help but be affected by Genovia’s words at that moment. Her remarks carried several implications: firstly, she had corresponded with the Grand Duke before; secondly, their correspondence had been more than just occasional; and thirdly, she hinted at using titles and honors in her letters…

So, in private, you address him by his first name? Elise contemplated, her gaze unwavering on Genovia’s charming, smiling countenance. She chose not to dignify these comments with a response. Engaging in a battle of words with Genovia was not her intention, nor did she wish to descend to the same level as that woman.

She watched in stoic silence, her gaze remaining fixed on Genovia. As the laughter slowly ebbed from Genovia’s face, Elise observed the tiny emerald-like eyes flicker with a hint of embarrassment. Her watchful eyes remained trained as fine lines etched themselves onto Genovia’s forehead, and her deep crimson lips, adorned in a bold shade of red, pressed together tightly.

“…The look in your eyes,” Genovia Irrien snapped suddenly, her face twisting with disdain. “So, now you’re looking down on me?” She abandoned all pretenses of politeness, directing a piercing glare at Elise.

“I hope Rezette Kyrstan would strangle you,” Genovia continued with venom in her voice. “Maybe then, this world won’t be yours anymore, will it?”

“That would be a relief,” Elise murmured absentmindedly. If Grandel were truly hers, all the current anxieties and troubles that plagued her would be rendered meaningless. There would be no one left to threaten her, and no one for her to threaten in return. What would the problem be then?

But, in reality, the world had never truly belonged to Andrei, nor had it ever belonged to Elise. However, in Genovia Irrien’s eyes, it appeared quite the opposite.

“Could you even dare to occupy the position of Rotiara’s mistress and enjoy its privileges if you weren’t married to Rezette Kyrstan and weren’t as strikingly beautiful as you are? Your airs of nobility seem quite audacious, considering your origin as a commodity,” Genovia remarked, her words carrying a sharp edge.

Elise maintained her silence, her focus returning to the quill that had been momentarily still in her hand.

“Without the Grand Duke’s protection, a woman who would have met the gallows long ago has no right to regard me with such insolence,” Genovia continued, her facade unraveling surprisingly easily. But Elise remained disinterested; she had no inclination to delve into the depths of Genovia’s intentions or motivations for approaching her.

Elise resumed her task of guiding the quill across the paper. Lady Irrien of House Irrien had arrived in Rotiara bearing an imperial decree. Since it was believed that the one who had stolen the tribute could be hiding in Rotiara, she was expected to diligently search for the culprit upon her return.

“And now you choose to ignore me? Do you even realize the expression you’re wearing right now?” Genovia’s words brought a sudden realization to Elise. Perhaps, during critical moments, Rezette Kyrstan had appeared just as she did now. Annoyance building up, relentlessly questioning him, unable to restrain herself… The only distinction with Genovia was that Elise eventually resorted to pleading.

Would she too become like that if she remained silent in this situation?

“Your approach is rather convenient,” Elise mused, her lips curling slightly. She gathered paper and pen, preparing to conclude her work in her own chambers.

Genovia’s interpretation of her actions prompted her countenance to chill. “How much longer can you maintain this composure?”

Elise strolled past Genovia, paying her no mind. Just as she reached for the office door, Genovia’s fingers tightened like a vise around Elise’s wrist, yanking her back suddenly.

Elise’s breath caught in her throat, and she let out an inaudible gasp. The grip on her wrist was far more forceful than she had anticipated.

“Don’t think you can dismiss me so easily, Your Highness,” Genovia chided, a triumphant smirk curling upon her lips. She pushed Elise against the wall.

“I know your little secret.”

“If you persist in such impoliteness, others…” Elise began, but Genovia cut her off.

“Why don’t we call someone over? Then I can fling open that door and share all your secrets with whoever walks in.” Genovia easily subdued Elise’s feeble resistance, extending her right hand. Elise’s eyes widened as she realized where Genovia’s hand was headed.

Genovia’s palm came to rest on Elise’s abdomen, feeling the firmness of the corset underneath. A shiver ran down Genovia’s spine.

“You claimed to be pregnant. But even if you can hide it on the outside, it’s impossible to be this flat.”

Elise blushed, an overwhelming sense of embarrassment washing over her as Genovia’s hand glided over her belly. She struggled to break free, but Genovia’s grip only tightened.

“I had a feeling it would come to this,” Genovia mused. “It was rather peculiar, you know. Would someone like Rezette Kyrstan truly fall for a woman? Especially a princess like you? Even stray dogs passing by would chuckle, I’m sure. Men typically prefer to admire their trophies from a distance, that’s the rule. Where did that instinct go?”

“Release me!” Elise shot a furious glare at Genovia. 

“Shall I turn the tables on you, Your Highness?” Genovia’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper near Elise’s ear, laced with a cunning edge. “Why do you think His Majesty entertained such fantastical lies? Well, he still harbors doubts, which is probably why he dispatched me, but…”

Elise’s heart plummeted as realization dawned upon her.

Only now did she understand the true purpose behind the imperial decree. It had all been a ruse. This was the lady’s genuine mission.

The decree handed to the lady by the emperor served no other purpose but to surveil Elise’s well-being, to assess the condition of her body, to ascertain whether the emperor’s coveted heir was indeed growing within her womb…!

It wasn’t just Lady Petisson or the Rotiara staff whom she needed to be wary of. Elise’s web of deceit was so fragile that it could unravel with a single careless move from an unexpected intruder.

Genovia lightly tapped Elise’s navel area with her finger. “You carry yourself as though you’ve achieved a great feat when you haven’t even birthed an heir. If I were to jest about it upon my return to the palace, your head would be forfeit in no time.”

“What do you want?” Elise questioned, her voice trembling.

“What do I want?” Genovia chuckled merrily, her countenance so composed that it belied the biting words she used. “What I desire, my dear, is for you to cease your charade as the Grand Duchess, Elizabeth.”

“Why…” Elise began but was swiftly interrupted.

“Why look beyond Rotiara? This land has always been a part of our family’s dominion from the very outset. It was the price my father agreed upon when he aided His Majesty’s rebellion.”

Was Rotiara the real target all along? Elise felt a tightening in her chest. Genovia’s hand, still firmly resting on her abdomen, sent shivers down her spine. The once-bright eyes of the lady now appeared nothing short of menacing.

“So your aim was to secure a marriage with the Grand Duke,” Elise remarked. Since humans couldn’t demand land from a dragon, it appeared they were attempting to forge an alliance, even if it meant marrying into the family.

“Then go ahead and confess,” Elise struggled to maintain a steady tone, though her breath felt constricted. She was determined not to display any submission in front of this woman. She believed that shedding a single tear for someone who insulted her in this manner would be a futile endeavor.

“Confess to the Emperor. Tell him that everything was a fabrication, that there was never a child of the dragon… Instead of restraining me like this, return to your Emperor immediately!”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible, Your Highness. I apologize.”

“Why not?”

“His Majesty desires the dragon. And you, Elise, the princess of Argan, have the highest likelihood of bearing the dragon. It’s regrettable,” Genovia explained, her hand affectionately stroking Elise’s belly. A shiver coursed down Elise’s spine.

“Then bear the child. It would be even more advantageous if you bore two or three. Quietly, as if you were invisible, you can continue to exist in Rotiara with your mouth sealed shut. In return, the position of Grand Duchess will be mine,” Genovia added, as if suggesting that Elise should simply exist as a pawn in the Grand Duke’s court. She offered a sly wink.

“If you’re not here, I’ll have to shoulder all the responsibilities of the heir, won’t I?”

Elise was left utterly speechless.