Chapter 17
It was obvious that her awkward reaction was because she didn’t like being called “Your Grace, the Grand Duchess.”
And Noel had done it on purpose. He grinned mischievously.
“I used to call you Warrant Officer, but now that we’re officially engaged, you’ve become too important for me to call so casually.”
“Noel. Are you mad about last night and taking it out on me?”
“I’m used to nights like that.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I’m scared of seeing Agathe’s face, so I’m thinking of requesting a transfer. What do you think?”
Curtis finally realized why Noel was acting out and chuckled.
“If you do transfer, be sure to tell Agathe, ‘It was proud Second Lieutenant Noel Monfils who blocked my marriage to Miss Monfis.’”
“Please don’t say such terrifying things, Your Grace.”
It was no secret that Noel’s only sister had been in love with Curtis for a long time. She even joined the royal guards because of him.
But her behavior was problematic in many ways. In fact, Curtis had once considered Agathe a possible candidate for his wife before Chloe. The one who stopped it was Noel.
“She’s not suitable.”
Not because he worried about his sister getting hurt politically.
Noel actually cared more about Curtis than his own sister.
If Curtis had genuinely liked Agathe, Noel might’ve thought differently. But he hadn’t.
Now that Curtis’s engagement was announced to the whole kingdom, Noel could only imagine how dramatically Agathe was reacting at home. He rubbed his temples in frustration in front of Curtis.
“Anyway…”
Just as Curtis was about to speak, knock knock—
Someone tapped gently on the parlor door.
Both men instantly fell silent and turned their eyes to the door. A servant entered, walking past the toilette room, and politely announced:
“Miss Chloe Ambroise is here.”
“Let her in.”
Curtis waved his hand, visibly relieved.
Chloe peeked in timidly and entered. She looked just as sleepless as the others.
While Noel dismissed the servant and shut the door, Curtis rolled up his sleeves and walked toward the parlor. Chloe stood awkwardly near the entrance and instinctively saluted.
“Loyalty. Chloe Ambr—”
“That ridiculous salute needs fixing first, my future Grand Duchess.”
At the mention of “Grand Duchess,” Chloe looked at Curtis as if someone had poured mud all over her face.
It was a pretty amusing expression.
Curtis rubbed his chin with interest as he studied her dazed look and asked Noel,
“Did I look like that earlier?”
Noel shrugged.
“They say couples start to resemble each other.”
Curtis scoffed.
“That’s creepy.”
Chloe finally snapped out of it, but it was already too late.
“Sit down,” Curtis said casually, slumping into the sofa.
“I was about to call you anyway. How’s the annex?”
Chloe sat up straight and answered.
“Ah, Iris and Leia were surprised, but they’re resting now.”
“Good. Did you make sure they’ll keep quiet?”
“I convinced them.”
Explaining a sudden marriage when she didn’t even have a boyfriend yesterday must’ve been hard.
Curtis was once again pleased by his aide’s competence.
“I trust you handled it well. So, what brings you here?”
“There’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
Chloe hesitated before speaking up.
“Can we delay the wedding a little?”
Even the most capable aide would struggle to convince the family about a wedding happening next week. Curtis had expected this and shook his head.
“No. It’s because of that superstition, isn’t it?”
“…Yes. My sister’s worried. She says I should at least wait a year.”
Chloe didn’t seem surprised by his refusal, and answered calmly.
Curtis picked at his ear lazily.
“You’ve been out of the navy for three months, so she wants you to marry nine months from now?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t believe in that superstition, do you?”
There was a superstition passed down in the Ivanez navy.
It said that unmarried female sailors who married within a year of retirement would meet misfortune.
Seeing Curtis’s unimpressed look, Chloe replied defensively,
“It’s not just superstition. Even the royal family excluded all noblewomen still serving in the navy from being considered as brides last year.”
It was true. As absurd as the superstition sounded, it was old and held tradition.
It came from the founding legend of Ivanez.
Long ago, a man lived on the coast of Prado. After losing his lover to an evil landlord, he threw himself into the sea to die.
But he encountered a dying young dragon and saved it.
With the dragon’s help, he defeated the landlord and got his lover back. The people, grateful, asked him to rule them.
He became the king of Ivanez. The dragon, before going into a deep sleep to grow into an adult, asked the king to create a navy to guard it on the Prado coast. The king agreed.
So far, it was a typical founding myth.
But here’s where it got weird. The young dragon had one more request:
To fill the navy with beautiful young women so that when it awakened, it could choose a bride.
It was an outdated idea, sure—but that’s how the Ivanez navy began 300 years ago, and to this day, 70% of its members were women.
To join, they even had to sign a clause agreeing to “become engaged to the dragon.”
Some thought it was just ceremonial, but it had real effects.
Women had to retire before marrying—and if they married within a year after retirement, the dragon would curse them for betrayal.
Because of this, the Prado coast was treated as sacred territory by surrounding countries.
“All of that is just made-up nonsense.”
Curtis scoffed. Chloe frowned.
“How can you be sure?”
“What’s the ratio of women in the navy?”
Everyone in Ivanez knew this. Chloe, being ex-navy, knew it too. But why was he asking?
She replied shortly,
“Seventy percent.”
“And among high-ranking officers?”
“…Oh.”
Chloe narrowed her eyes, immediately grasping Curtis’s point.
Curtis smiled.
She got it right away—he found that interesting.
Although women made up 70% of the navy, few reached senior ranks.
Why? Because most left to marry before they had the chance.
“You think the navy leaders would stoop so low to use a superstition like that?”
“…Well.”
Curtis pointed behind him—toward the palace.
Chloe sighed through her nose. Just last night, she had witnessed the king acting incredibly childish.
“You’ve served on the Prado coast. You know that the real reason no one goes near it is because of the sea currents.”
“…They’re incredibly fast, yes.”
Chloe agreed.
Indeed, while the Prado coast was the main sea route to invade Ivanez, the waters were fast and shallow—dangerous for any ship.
Even other nations avoided it, not because of the legend, but because they had more to lose than gain.
“They pretend it’s sacred to save face.”
Chloe had long suspected as much while serving.
The coast guards stationed there rarely sailed far, and their discipline was poor.
Despite her doubts, she had never voiced them aloud.
Now, Curtis was confirming everything she had only dared to think.
“If 70% are women, but the top brass are all old men, do you really think marrying right after retirement brings misfortune?”
“Can I be honest?”
“Go ahead.”
“I think nothing could be more misfortunate than being called ‘Grand Duchess’ right now.”
It was the kind of blunt statement that could get someone punished for insubordination.
But Curtis didn’t mind.
After all, early that morning, he had already acknowledged her as his superior.
Just look at the glowing mark of “Holy Flame” on her finger—proof enough.
Curtis grinned.
“Since you like it so much, you should start calling me ‘husband’ instead of ‘warrant officer.’”
“Sorry, what was that?”
Just then, Noel returned with Curtis’s jacket and smiled brightly.
“The two of you seem like a perfect match. I’m glad to see it.”
Both Curtis and Chloe looked like they’d swallowed something bitter.
Curtis recovered first.
“Alright. Did you bring what I asked for?”
“More or less…”
Chloe handed over the document she had been holding.
Second Lieutenant Noel took it and gave it to Curtis.
Curtis picked up his glasses from the table and, deliberately reading out loud, said—
“Marriage Contract.”
