Chapter 21
He smiled kindly.
“I can tell you have some questions about what I just said.”
The Grand Duke, who understood Lilien almost as well as Cairn did, quickly picked up on her feelings.
“So, Your Grace… have you ever wanted something desperately, but couldn’t have it?”
“No.”
His firm answer sent a strange shiver through Lilien.
“Then why does Cairn, your son, need to learn to give up?”
A twitch played at the corner of the Grand Duke’s mouth—a reaction Lilien recognized from his more surprising conversations with her.
“Um… because, well, the Headingtons get whatever they want, don’t they? Just like the Grand Duke always has.”
“I was lucky. But Cairn’s fate may be different from mine.”
The Grand Duke’s elusive words made Lilien feel like the conversation was slipping out of reach.
She grew frustrated, while the Grand Duke only seemed to enjoy the exchange, his eyes warm with amusement. He gave her a small nod, encouraging her to ask more if she liked it.
The gesture reminded her, oddly, of Cairn.
“Well, then… What was the hardest thing for the Grand Duke to attain?”
“My wife’s heart.”
Lilien had heard bits and pieces of the Headingtons’ romance. The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess had met long after the usual marrying age, and their courtship had been the subject of plenty of gossip.
“So, Your Grace, even as the Empire’s most eligible bachelor, the Grand Duchess turned you down? Why?”
“It wasn’t so much a rejection as… she never saw me as a potential match. She simply had no interest in me.”
They had been married for so long She’d never learned how the two eventually married. Whenever the topic came up, Count de Bermore would cover her ears, saying it wasn’t a story for children.
“But still, you managed to win her over in the end.”
What mattered most to her was that her dear friend Cairn wouldn’t be left wishing for something he could never have. She had no idea what exactly it was Cairn wanted so badly, but she wanted to root for him, no matter what.
“I’m sure Cairn will succeed too, so please don’t worry about him.”
The Grand Duke sighed, a hint of skepticism in his expression.
“To me, it doesn’t seem so easy… But if that’s how you feel, then cheer him on all you want.”
Lilien was so busy empathizing with Cairn’s position that she missed a crucial detail.
How exactly was his wish tied to her marriage?
“I doubt Cairn will pull it off, so I’ll go ahead and introduce Marquis Partman’s son to your father as planned.”
The Grand Duke’s tone was gentle, but there was still a touch of cold realism beneath it.
In the end, it wasn’t Lilien who would get what she wanted—she found herself lowering her head in disappointment.
* * *
When the three men left for horseback riding, only Lilien and the Grand Duchess remained in the conservatory. The air was heavy with the scent of rare, exotic flowers, and the orange sunlight streamed through the tall, clear glass roof.
In the warm evening light, Lilien’s eyes drifted shut.
“You’re still such a child, Lilien.”
The Grand Duchess said, smiling at her gently dozing guest.
“I was up late last night… Sorry.”
The Grand Duchess waved her apology away, giving a playful squint. After dealing with her stoic son all day, watching Lilien nap so sweetly was oddly refreshing.
“What kept you up so late?”
“Reading. And copying passages… Oh, and some embroidery too.”
Feeling guilty, Lilien padded her answer with a fake hobby, then hurriedly changed the subject
“The flowers at Baltar Palace are lovely as always.”
The centerpiece on the table was an arrangement of dusky pink roses, which looked so inviting that Lilien reached out—only to prick her finger on a hidden thorn.
“Ouch!”
“Oh dear.”
The Grand Duchess quickly wrapped Lilien’s finger in a clean handkerchief.
“Shall I send for some ointment?”
“No, I’m all right. It was just a scratch. But… may I ask you something?”
The Grand Duchess’s face clouded over even more than Lilien’s had, despite being the one with the injured finger.
“Is something troubling you?”
Lilien had noticed the Grand Duchess sighing deeply from time to time and couldn’t help but worry.
The Grand Duchess managed an awkward smile, confirming Lilien’s suspicions.
“Lilien, does Cairn have anyone special in his life?”
For a moment, Lilien almost blurted out, “No—he hasn’t even had his first kiss,” but she managed to bite her tongue just in time.
“Ah… Maybe? I suppose he could?”
“Lily, you can be honest with me. I know you probably understand him even better than I do, as his mother.”
Lilien suddenly felt like she was Cairn’s teacher, cornered into a parent-teacher conference.
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