Chapter 217
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
Dahlia stood there for a long while before she regained her composure and entered the mansion.
‘If things go on like this, it might really turn into a big problem.’
Not only was the engagement announcement planned, but the royal family was also willing to host a debutante for her. If that happens, their relationship will be considered a done deal.
And that’s not all. It would turn the anti-royal faction into enemies by default.
This would completely deviate from the direction Dahlia had in mind.
No matter what, she had to prevent that from happening.
Once she was tied to the royal family, the other nobles would also become certain about Dahlia’s connection to Duke Heinrich’s bloodline.
Adrian had once tried to marry Princess Eponsen for the legitimacy of his bloodline.
So, they would think Dahlia was trying to claim the Bayern bloodline.
Dahlia regretted her foolish choice. She wanted to turn back, but it was already spilled water.
Instead of trying to gather it back, she needed to find a solution.
Dahlia entered the mansion and headed upstairs.
On her way toward the office, she was stopped by Byne.
“Is there a problem?”
“…Sir Byne, I need to meet with my brother.”
“Is it urgent?”
She had no time to explain. Dahlia didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
“It seems the king plans to announce our engagement.”
“…I will inform His Grace right away. You can go to the office.”
Byne, having understood the seriousness, immediately began to move.
Dahlia nodded and went into the office.
Her brother, with a furrowed brow, was standing there.
❖ ❖ ❖
Mikhail, having finished his shower, looked at the peacefully sleeping Emilia.
He couldn’t even fathom the back streets of Delphora.
She must have been exhausted hiding in such a place. She even had to face knights.
The moment he saw the scars on her body, Mikhail felt an overwhelming urge to storm the royal palace and behead the knights immediately.
Why was she so reckless with her own body?
If she had run away with someone else and hid, he would never have found her.
But Emilia had once again stayed behind, facing the knights alone.
It was reckless, even foolish. Yet, if the same situation arose again, she would choose to stay alone without hesitation.
How could a person be this selfless?
Mikhail found her foolish, yet he didn’t hate her for it.
‘It doesn’t seem like she became a knight by choice, but the more I watch her, the more it suits her.’
Mikhail couldn’t take his eyes off Emilia, who was sleeping.
He reached out, pulling the blanket up, and sat at the edge of the bed.
He gently took her hand out from under the covers and examined the wounds. After asking Dell to bring him some ointment, he carefully treated the injury.
With a small cut on her hand and her body looking more frail than when she was at the Duke’s residence, Mikhail felt concerned.
He had stayed by her side, and before he knew it, he looked up at the sound of a knock on the door.
He leisurely got up from his seat and opened the door to find Byne standing there.
“Your Grace, the Miss wishes to see you. She’s waiting in the office.”
“Dahlia?”
“It seems the conversation with the King was about the engagement.”
“…Engagement?”
He furrowed his brow. No matter how much their thoughts might have diverged, he couldn’t believe she had thought about taking Adrian’s hand.
It seemed Dahlia was still chasing only what was immediately in front of her, unable to see the bigger picture.
He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled a tired breath.
Fatigue was creeping in, but if she had truly had such a conversation, a plan needed to be put together quickly.
Now that he knew, Dahlia must have asked to speak with him.
Mikhail glanced at the sleeping Emilia before turning to leave.
As he closed the door behind him, he suddenly stopped and said to Byne,
“Stay here and keep an eye on the Duchess.”
“Understood.”
“If anything happens, call for the maid Dell.”
Mikhail headed for the office.
After reaching it, he took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure he could face her with a pleasant expression.
Though he had been neglecting things lately, this situation was troublesome.
‘I’m exhausted.’
Mikhail could feel the pain from the wound as he clenched his teeth.
He stepped into the office and saw Dahlia, stiff and tense.
Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying.
“…Brother.”
Her voice was wet with emotion, and she looked as though she might burst into tears any moment. Mikhail’s brow furrowed.
“Crying won’t solve anything. You know that, right?”
“I know. I… I misunderstood. Back then…”
“What did the king say to you?”
He leaned back against the sofa. The pain had grown sharper since he hadn’t taken any painkillers.
He pulled out a cigar, lit it, and took a deep breath, inhaling the smoke.
“He said he’d consider it if we swore a blood oath.”
“So, did the king swear the blood oath?”
The thick smoke seemed to divide Mikhail and Dahlia. She waved her hand to push the smoke away.
“He said he would, but he didn’t. So, I don’t have to keep my word either, right?”
“Dahlia, that’s not important.”
“…Why isn’t it important?”
“What matters is that you agreed with him. By accepting the proposal I had already rejected, you gave it legitimacy.”
“I had already mentioned it but it didn’t seem to be enough. Lady Luther will likely act immediately.”
“She’s certainly the type who would do that.”
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