Ingrid played with the fabric of her dress as she sat across from her father. The grand duke rarely summons her to his office, and whenever he does, it's always about something serious.

"Papa, is there something wrong?" Ingrid asked nervously.

Perhaps because of her nerves, she had a hard time reading the grand duke's emotion.

"About the prince of Aradhya..."

A cold sweat broke out on Ingrid's back at the mention of the Aradhyan prince. Though she suspected the prince was the reason for her summons and had prepared for it, her heart still fluttered nervously.

"I am aware that you fancy that bas~ehem prince."

Ingrid was pretty sure the grand duke was about to say bastard.

"Don't think that I don't know that the prince has been sneaking into your bedroom these past few days," he added with narrowed eyes.

Thinking about it still pissed Grand Duke Rasmus. That scoundrel wasn't even trying to hide his presence. It took every ounce of self-control to resist the urge to barge in whenever he sensed his presence.

Ingrid froze. She looked at her father with eyes filled with horror and panic.

But if he long knew, why only tell her now?!

"Papa, it's not what...we didn't...I...we..."

"I know. I trust you. But Prince Aleric is not a good man, sunshine. I know I said you could marry anyone you wish to marry. However, that prince clearly does not love you. He's only using you for his gains."

Ingrid smiled. But her smile did not reach her eyes.

"I'm well aware, Papa."

She knew that in this world, no man would ever love her as genuinely as her father. Such was the cost for standing at the pinnacle of beauty.

And so Ingrid swore to also never give away her love. What she and the prince have is nothing but a collaborative partnership—she uses him and he uses her.

"However, I still wish to marry the prince, papa. I'm fine with him not loving me as long as he respects me."

She has no need for love, for love disgusts her.

Grand Duke Rasmus was stunned to see the determination in Ingrid's eyes. He noticed that ever since regaining her memories, she was slowly changing.

For the past six years, Ingrid lived her life like a songbird in a gilded cage. She would sit in her cage all day, staring at a far distance. However, even with the cage door open, she never dared to test her wings and fly.

But it seems that the little songbird was finally stretching her wings.

However Grand Duke Rasmus couldn't help but fear. Lady Joan's words lingered at the back of his mind.

Is the little songbird really trying to fly to freedom? Or is she heading to a path of doom?

"Elias, summon Prince Aleric inside."

"As you wish, my lord."

Ingrid gave Grand Duke Rasmus a questioning look.

Moments later, Elias came back with the prince and Vernon in tow. Prince Aleric's brow arched upon seeing Ingrid. An amused smile graced his lips.

Ingrid was likewise surprised.

The speed of their arrival suggested that today's meeting was prearranged.

Ingrid looked at her father. But the placid expression on his face did not give her any answer.

Prince Aleric sat on the chair across from Ingrid while Vernon stood behind him. Vernon slightly bowed towards Ingrid when their eyes met.

"Prince Aleric, I heard you'd soon be leaving for Aradhya?"

Prince Aleric wasn't surprised that the grand duke knew about it. They came to the empire of Learia with the excuse of opening trade for the two distant empires.

They had already signed the trade contract a few days ago. Without any legitimate reason to stay, it was time for them to leave before their overstays caused an alarm.

But one person in particular was taken aback by this sudden revelation.

Ingrid did not dare look at Prince Aleric with her father with them. But it's evident that her mind was in turmoil.

If Prince Aleric was leaving, then what about their contract?

"Indeed, I believe we've already overstayed our welcome. Besides, there are things that I need to settle back in my empire." Prince Aleric answered with a perfunctory smile.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

No prince is crazy enough to openly call an empire his, in fear of being beheaded for treason. But they didn't call the prince of Aradhya a madman for nothing.

"In that case I give you a month," said the grand duke.

Prince Aleric tilted his head to the side, confused.

"In a month I expect you to give my daughter the grandest proposal."

Ingrid's eyes went wide in surprise.

"However, if you are even a day late, my daughter's hand would be off the table."

Prince Aleric smiled an ambiguous smile.

"Then you shall expect a proposal worthy of your daughter's beauty, father."

Elias handed the grand duke a handkerchief once it was only the two of them left. Grand Duke Rasmus accepted it without a word and began wiping his eyes.

“Isn't it too early for you to cry, my Lord?”

Grand Duke Rasmus glared at Elias.

“Do you even have a heart? I am about to lose my daughter to a foreign tyrant!”

"You were the one who offered her hand to him in marriage, my lord,” he reminded him.

The grand duke glared at Elias once again.

The latter quickly raised both his hands in defeat, as his master can be really petty and unreasonable.

When Ingrid was kidnapped six years ago, Elias first saw horror in the face of the most fearless man he had ever met.

The grand duke showed no fear even when they marched towards the home of the giants living west of the empire. Or that time when he was attacked by a mystical beast after accidentally wandering in its lair.

Even in the face of rulers famed for their tyranny and strength, the grand duke remained fearless and immovable.

However, Elias witnessed how the grand duke's confidence and sanity slowly crumbled at the loss of his daughter. If it weren’t for him, keeping everything together, the grand duke would have long turned this entire empire upside down.

When they learned that it was Prince Aleric that saved Ingrid during the hunting festival, Elias saw defeat in the grand duke's eyes for the second time. The prince sending a capable person like Iris to protect Ingrid afterwards was like rubbing salt in the grand duke's wound.

Then, Prince Aleric saved Ingrid once more, and they learned that the prince had been going in and out of the young lady's chamber without their knowledge.

At that time, the look of defeat in the grand duke's eyes turned to resignation.

“When Ingrid was still in her mother’s womb. I often prayed that she doesn’t take after her mother, for that would mean inheriting her fate," Grand Duke Rasmus spoke while staring at the far distance.

"Did you know that I was one of the few to discover that the daughter of the grand duke of Lennox was endowed with beauty that the world had never witnessed before?”

Elias silently listened. He watched as Grand Duke Rasmus walked towards his window, his eyes lacking their usual luster as he stared at the blue sky.

"I was on a scouting mission outside of the capital when I found this young girl with a sack over her head, her hands and feet tied. Oddly, a soft cushion was laid beneath her, and cotton padding was put underneath the rope that tied her. Even the daughter of the archduke, who was once abducted, was never given such careful treatment by her abductors.” He chuckled.

"When night came, I snuck inside their camp and saved her. But when I removed the sack covering her head, I was met with a face so beautiful it was almost blinding. I remembered myself trembling at the sight of her. She was such a marvelous sight that I thought I had accidentally ingested a hallucinating drug.”

Like the grand duke, Elias recalled a similar awe when his father introduced him to the grand duchess. He was among the select few permitted to see her face.

Elias still remembers being unable to speak at the sight of her. In the end, his father did all the talking, as he was too astonished to speak.

“At that time, there was a rumor circulating in the capital that the duke of Lennox was hiding her daughter because of her extreme ugliness. But it turns out to be the opposite. Father was hiding her because he knew her beauty may either destroy her or the world.”

Elias face turned solemn.

Though the grand duchess's face was hidden from the public, the grand duke remained cautious. Afraid of what might happen if his wife's extreme beauty is one day discovered, the grand duke began building his power.

But the strength he accumulated proved inadequate to defend his wife from the danger that lurked in the darkness.

“Then the thing that I dreaded the most came true. My daughter ended up inheriting her mother’s unparalleled beauty.” The Grand Duke’s voice quivered.

"Following my father's example, I spread rumors of my daughter's ugliness. However, I never anticipated my enemies' attempt to publicly expose her face and humiliate me, thus revealing her extraordinary beauty."

Anyone who had never seen Ingrid before would probably think that the grand duke’s words were but nonsensical arrogance of a father. After all, it is impossible for someone to look beautiful in the eyes of everyone. There will always be those whose standard for beauty is different.

Ingrid's beauty, however, surpasses all human standards. Her fairness is such that even her enemies cannot bring themselves to call her ugly, not even to spite her.

“I tried my hardest to protect my daughter. But I failed in the end,” Grand Duke Rasmus said, his eyes darkening as the memory of what happened six years ago resurfaced.

“And what happened these past few weeks made me realize a lot of things. Had the prince of Aradhya abducted my Ingrid, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything. Although I hate to admit it, that bastard prince is far more capable than I am,” he grunted. However, a glint of relief could be seen in his gloomy eyes.

“He will do better at protecting my daughter.”

The Grand Duke pressed the handkerchief on his eyes as he began to sob.

Elias turned his face away. It was really tough to see such a giant man cry.

***

"Why did you agree to the grand duke's demand? You knew he was deliberately making things hard for you," Vernon asked with his arms crossed the moment they were in their temporary abode.

“Even with the Lightning Horses, it would take us seven days at most to reach Aradhya if we travel without rest. The return trip would take even longer given that we have to carry engagement gifts back with us. But he wants us to return within a month?”

Aleric smiled in amusement as he unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt. “The grand duke is testing me.”

“Test you for what? At a very young age, you turned a small kingdom into a massive empire. You’ve destroyed countless cities and kingdoms, famed for being indestructible. Isn’t that enough of a testament to your ability? ”

“It can’t be helped. My rival isn’t someone ordinary after all. He wanted to see if I could stand against him."

“But can you?” Vernon asked, his voice a mixture of worry and sarcasm.

Prince Aleric grinned. “I’ve never fought the King of the South before, so who knows.”

Vernon pursed his lips. He didn’t like the uncertainty in their odds. As Aleric’s tactician, he never executes a plan he isn’t sure they can win. He hates doing anything rash and likes to carefully plan. But planning requires time.

Time, however, was something they currently didn’t have—especially if they wanted to proceed with their plan to take down Selite.

Vernon couldn’t help but sigh. If the south really becomes a problem, they might end up postponing their conquest of the north—wasting all their previous efforts.

This was an oversight on his part. Had he known that Ingrid had attracted the eyes of the southern king, he would have never added the grand duke in the chessboard.