Chapter 28
Louiyan turned his head and looked around. There was no better spot in a place crowded with people. Since he wasn’t the center of all the fuss anyway, it didn’t matter where he stood. If he drew the Crown Prince’s attention, getting away would be difficult—he could only endure it. Louiyan let out a sigh.
He hadn’t come here to listen to idle chatter among bored noble ladies. Even as he stood here doing nothing, work was piling up. He sighed again, irritated without wanting to be. For almost fifty years, the Padivan Empire had not faced a single war. It had never invaded another country, and the system had been reformed only four years ago. Even if the workload didn’t decrease, it certainly shouldn’t have increased—yet the documents were piling up noticeably.
*Impossible to understand.*
This year was particularly severe. Louiyan shook his head as he watched the Crown Prince, sitting on the highest platform with a bored expression, glancing around the hall. Useless speculation was a waste of time. Better to process at least one more document than think about pointless things. The chattering voices of the ladies suddenly died down. Louiyan lifted his head. Even from a distance, the vivid crimson hair drew the eye. His gaze lowered—black uniform.
“…A uniform.”
“…Well, I suppose there’s no outfit that would suit her better right now.”
“They say His Highness personally ordered it. He must know about the young lady’s situation.”
“Rumors are all over the capital. No one can rival His Highness’s kindness.”
Louiyan frowned. Strange—Jordan being described as *kind* was not completely wrong, but… Louiyan, who had stood by the Crown Prince during the preparations for the inauguration ceremony, knew something the others did not. Jordan had prepared **two uniforms** for her: the official white one, and the meaningless black one that Louiyan regarded as pointless.
*…So it was mourning attire.*
If she came out wearing black, it must have been her choice. There were too many unsettling things about the Crown Prince’s “generosity” to accept it at face value. Who knew what that fickle man was testing this time? Louiyan studied Jordan’s expression. Still bored. He supposed it didn’t matter. He turned his gaze back toward the woman.
Louiyan watched the woman as she walked toward the Crown Prince, exhaling a sigh. By now, five more documents must have been added to the pile. Thinking about the paperwork growing in his office, he wished time would move faster. When the ceremony ended and he saw the woman leave, he also turned to go.
“Duke.”
Someone grabbed him. Jordan smiled when he saw Louiyan’s face, full of dismay. Louiyan had hidden that expression quickly enough that others wouldn’t notice, but such tricks were useless against the Crown Prince. Louiyan forced a smile. Why was it that he could not produce this easy false smile in front of **her**? Back when Isilia used to chase after him, he could smile as much as needed just to push her away… After realizing his feelings, everything became difficult when she was involved. The fact that he didn’t understand why only made it worse.
“Are you even listening to me?”
“You haven’t said anything yet, Your Highness.”
“Haha. You know it’s rude to be lost in thought. Insulting royalty is not a light offense.”
A tyrant, truly. Louiyan reluctantly opened his mouth.
“…My apologies.”
Jordan nodded with a laugh. He seemed unusually cheerful. The Crown Prince smiled with his eyes at him, making Louiyan frown slightly. Whenever Jordan looked like that, he only ever asked for things that did Louiyan no good—an alarming sign. Louiyan started to give his farewell greeting to leave, but Jordan grabbed him again.
“Where do you think you’re going, Duke?”
“…I have urgent documents that require approval. I must return.”
“To where?”
“My office.”
“Then on your way, bring Marillian to me.”
“…Who might that be?”
“You really didn’t listen to my speech, did you. Marillian von Enderic. Young Lady of House Enderic.”
He wanted *him* to bring her. Putting aside why he had to be the one—how was he supposed to find her? And he just said he had to return to the office, yet Jordan said *on the way, bring her*. If he brought her, Jordan would surely seize the chance to keep him there. No escape. Louiyan frowned. Meanwhile, the documents kept multiplying by the minute.
“I told her to rest for a while after the ceremony. She shouldn’t have returned to the mansion yet.”
Then there was no need for *him* to go searching. Jordan smiled as if he knew exactly what Louiyan was thinking.
“But look at her condition. Do you think she’s in her right mind? When someone is exhausted, nothing around them registers. Better to finish your task and send her first. So bring her to me.”
“…Yes, understood.”
So what was the point of giving her rest in the first place. Too lazy to search for her himself, yet unable to order someone else to do it—so he sent *Louiyan*. Just figuring out what that cunning Crown Prince was thinking was exhausting. How could someone the same age as Isilia be so… different? Louiyan froze as the thought surfaced. His chest tightened painfully yet beat faster, washing away his fatigue.
…Terminal case, it seemed. Swallowing a hollow laugh, he left the hall.
—
Regardless of how he found her, he only needed to bring the young lady back. Louiyan called to the nearest guard, relayed the Crown Prince’s orders and the young lady’s description, and turned away. He would sit in his office and work through the paperwork until the guard reported back. With that thought, he headed toward the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—when something familiar caught his eye from the shrubbery. Crimson hair. Louiyan sighed. Unlucky. Better to finish this quickly and get back. Ignoring the guard’s distressed reaction, he cut straight through the bushes, ordering him not to follow because the chattering was distracting.
“…My lady?”
At his quiet voice, the woman flinched. He considered leaving her alone for a moment, but remembering the Crown Prince waiting, he couldn’t. He’d heard the rumors too—pitiful, certainly, but that was the fate of powerless nobles.
“That hair color… the Enderic family…”
He hesitated, wondering what to say, but no reply came. Louiyan remembered the handkerchief in his pocket. He couldn’t ignore her—not if he had to bring her back. *No choice.* He pulled out the handkerchief, revealing the clumsy embroidery.
**Isilia von Endrianz.**
A tiny gift she gave him not long after they married. A worthless scrap of cloth, he once thought—but that feeling vanished when he saw her uneven stitching. He smiled. He could show her a smile so easily, when it had been impossible before.
*[If you don’t like it, don’t keep it! I’ll just use it myself.]*
She had pouted and stuffed it into his drawer. The handkerchief was old, but well preserved—still pristine. The young lady examined it and smiled, likely having noticed the embroidery.
“I am Louiyan von Endrianz. His Highness is looking for you. Would you accompany me?”
Her tears had stopped—good enough to bring her back. The paperwork waiting on his desk made him anxious. It had been a long time since he’d seen Isilia’s face. He sometimes ran into El and Johan, but his wife, busy with social gatherings, was never home when he returned.
“While searching for you, I happened to come here. For now—my lady?”
As he tried to assure her—hoping to prove he had at least made an effort before the Crown Prince questioned him—her expression looked odd. Her eyes were vacant, unfocused. Louiyan frowned. He recalled Jordan’s words about her condition and swallowed a sigh.
“God’s cruelty.”
“…Pardon?”
Why invoke God now? If this dragged on, *he* would suffer for it. Louiyan lowered his gaze. Amber eyes, tinged with yellow, looked up at him. Like… a gemstone.
“Whatever is troubling you, it is not God’s cruelty—it’s His Highness’s.”
If he was late, he’d die. Truly. The woman flinched. She must have known the Crown Prince’s temperament from working as his aide. Louiyan turned toward the palace, then halted—remembering something. He looked back. Her confused amber eyes followed him. The damp handkerchief hung in her hand.
He knew asking for it back now was not proper… but after hesitating, he held out his hand. She stared, puzzled.
“Could you… return it as soon as possible.”
Humiliating. He didn’t know why, but it felt embarrassing. Ignoring her amused little gasp of understanding, Louiyan nodded. Heat gathered on his face, his ears burning. Clutching the returned handkerchief, he headed toward the Crown Prince.
—
**Chapter 6. Twisted Feelings**
Leaving the Crown Prince’s office, Louiyan sighed. Unnecessary documents—none requiring his personal attention—but if he left them to subordinates, everything would take longer. Junior staff couldn’t handle the sly Jordan. They couldn’t rush a member of the royal family, so they wasted time in silent frustration. Even though Jordan liked to toy with people, he still did his work properly—so there were no administrative disasters, only exhausted and depressed officials. Better for Louiyan to handle things himself than be delayed while trapped by Jordan. After handing over the documents to the Crown Prince, who was slouched on the sofa, Louiyan turned and looked out the window.
