Wildflowers Bloom on the Grand Duchy’s Wall - Chapter 80

Christian’s eyes were filled with pity—the same kind of look you’d give a calf being led away to market. Lilien thought that maybe, if he knew this was truly her choice, it might ease his heart just a little.

“I chose this, Christian. I really did.”

Christian still didn’t like Cairn, but the anger that had burned so hot inside him cooled to ashes in an instant. Thanks to Lilien’s honesty.

Whenever Lilien spoke of Cairn, her features would soften in a way she never noticed herself, but Christian saw it clearly. That made it impossible for him to stay angry more than anything.

It was as if, in the wintry barrenness that had descended on the de Bermore family, a breath of spring was finally stirring in Lilien’s heart.

“…All right, Lili. If this is what you want, then maybe it really is the right path.”

Was it love? Even with all his insight, Christian couldn’t say for sure.

But seeing her smile like that for the first time in so long, he knew with certainty: there was no one, not even Cairn, who could make her happier. And that was enough for Christian.

* * *

“Please find a courtesan who can enter the palace at any time. I’ll pay generously, so the sooner, the better.”

Cairn’s strange request left his attendant speechless, his eyes darting in confusion.

“A… a courtesan, sir? You mean the kind I think you mean…?”

“Yes.”

He’d always thought his master, Cairn, was different from other men. Cairn only kept company with his mother, the Grand Duchess, or with Lilien.

When others made crude suggestions, Cairn would look at them as if they were insects. The only times he’d heard Cairn mutter anything about such things, it was always: “Disgusting.”

So to hear Cairn ask for a courtesan—it was shocking. Maybe he wasn’t so different from other men, after all. Maybe, finally, he seemed a little more human.

“Yes, sir. I’ll look into it right away.”

Still not meeting the attendant’s gaze, Cairn added in a cold voice.

“She should be very experienced.”

A faint smile played at his lips. The attendant, still wondering about the reason for this, glanced out the window—and saw Lilien, soon to be his new mistress, walking gracefully in the gardens.

How could Cairn look at his fiancée with that gentle expression, and then turn around and ask for another woman?

He had his doubts, but as a servant, it wasn’t his place to question his master.

Yet when he later brought a beautiful, experienced courtesan to Cairn’s chambers and saw the icy look in his master’s eyes, he realized.

Ah, he’d made a grave mistake.

He’d forgotten, even for a moment, that Cairn was not an ordinary man. And for that, he had to withstand Cairn’s withering glare.

* * *

Regardless of Lilien’s own wishes, the wedding day crept steadily closer.

One last dinner with the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess brought Lilien back to Baltar Palace. As always, they greeted her warmly, and she returned their welcome with an awkward smile.

True, it had been Cairn who had set this whole accidental marriage in motion—but Lilien couldn’t help feeling guilty too. News of their upcoming wedding had quickly eclipsed even Lady Denisa’s remarriage as the hottest gossip in Baltan.

At first, people kept it quiet, but once the invitations went out, everyone was talking. Some even spread absurd rumors that Lilien must be pregnant.

“Welcome. Come in.”

Before entering the drawing room, Lilien nudged Cairn in the side and whispered,

“Cairn, can we please just get through today without any drama?”

He only shrugged in response, saying nothing.

They were supposed to be rowing the same boat together, but it always felt like Cairn and Lilien were out of sync—constantly fighting over direction and pace. But with the significance of today, Lilien just wanted everything to go smoothly.

That hope was dashed almost immediately, as soon as they sat down.

“From now on, unless it’s for a special occasion, I don’t think I’ll be coming to the main palace anymore.”

Cairn announced before the main course had even arrived, dropping a bomb at the dinner table. As usual, Cairn hadn’t bothered to consult anyone, and Lilien’s brow furrowed with frustration.

“As I mentioned before, I’d also like it if there were no expectations about children.”