I Will Disappear, Grand Duke

"Your Highness, I'm so touched to see you here when you’re so busy.”

Marquis Elody greeted the Grand Duke and his wife with a bright smile. The servants also formed a long line and bowed to them.

"We cannot stay long, as we have an itinerary. Please understand."

Fernan replied in a superior but polite manner and then entered the mansion.

The Marchioness came out into the main hall late and greeted Fernan.

"Welcome, Grand Duke. I'm afraid I’ve bothered the busy man.”

"And yet, you still asked me to come, knowing that I am busy."

When Fernan replied without sincerity, the Marchioness’s face distorted slightly. However, she immediately regained her unconcerned smile, and continued to speak smoothly.

"It's a shame that we can't provide you with a meal when you're here. How would you like to enjoy a tea party under our patronage instead?"

Due to the itinerary, they had to be back at the Imperial Palace before the evening was over.

The Marquis stroked his goatee as he continued to speak.

"My knights are in the middle of field training, it would be an honor for them if the Grand Duke could attend."

After he finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Julia, who stood beside Fernan.

"Julia, show the Grand Duke around the mansion. We'll call for you when the tea party is ready."

At her father’s suggestion, Julia glanced at Fernan. He was standing there uninterested, but nodded as if to tell her to take the lead.

As she walked up the stairs with him, Julia felt a little strange.

This mansion was the place of her childhood, riddled with pain and scars.

It was a place she never wanted to return to again, but being with Fernan made her feel secure somehow.

Perhaps it was because she was a little excited that he gave up his time for her.

"This is a collection of portraits."

Julia led him into the gallery and looked around at the paintings on the walls in turn.

This was where the portraits of the Marquis and his family hang. It was the most elaborately decorated gallery in the mansion by the Marquis.

It was also a place where Julia had never been allowed to set foot in as a child.

She turned her head away, as it seemed to bring back bad memories, and found Fernan stopped in front of one of the paintings.

“Ah, that’s…”

The painting he was looking at was a portrait of the young Julia. She was sitting expressionlessly.

Despite the Marchioness’s objection, Julia’s portrait had been hanging here for a long time. It was for the purpose of staging it to show to the guests visiting the mansion. Fernan stared at Julia's portrait for a long time, not even looking at the other paintings.

Julia looked at his profile suspiciously, and before she knew it, she was in a delicate mood.

The Julia depicted in the portrait was around thirteen years old. It was around that time that she had first met Fernan.

‘Could it be that he remembers me?’

A faint feeling of anticipation swelled in Julia's heart. But Fernan didn't say anything, he just stared at the picture. Julia kept her mouth tightly shut and remained silent. 

"Very well. Let's leave now."

"I heard that there are some works by famous artists in the other rooms. Would you like to see them?"

At her words, Fernan finally took off his gaze from the painting and stared at Julia.

He immediately exited the gallery, as if he had no more business there. Hastily following him, Julia touched her cheek, which for some reason had become hot.

When they returned to the main hall, the servant told them that the tea party was ready. On their way to the patronage together, Julia opened her mouth cautiously.

"Your Highness, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come with me today."

Fernan nodded without replying. There was an unusual soft glow in his eyes as they caught the sunlight.

Julia gave a small lift to both ends of her mouth and moved her floating feet lightly.

"There you are. Please have a seat.”

When they arrived at the patronage, the Marquis, who had arrived earlier, led them to their seats.

In a corner of the vast garden, a dozen knights were training.

After talking about the training methods of the knights for a while, the Marquis quickly changed the subject by talking about his own business. 

"So, I've expanded my business for a while now. If the Grand Duke is interested…”

Fernan kept his face rudely uninterested the whole time.

The Marquis was always an overbearing and scary father to Julia, but this was the only moment he seemed insignificant.

It was frustrating for the Marquis to not be able to talk to Fernan when there was hardly any response coming back.

Surprised at herself for thinking so, Julia fell silent.

After a while, the Marquis suddenly turned to her and asked,

"Oh, Julia. Will you follow me for a moment? I bought some accessories and dresses for you. I don't know if you'll like them."

The Marquis made a gentle smile and glanced at Fernan’s direction.

Fernan didn't show any reaction and just watched the knights training.

With his approval, the Marquis stepped out of his patronage and led Julia in a small, secluded room.

He looked around and immediately got to the point.

"How has the Grand Duke been lately? Have you noticed any signs of suspicious behavior?"

“… Suspicious?"

When Julia did not understand the meaning of the question, the Marquis added, frowning in frustration.

"In particular, does he seem to be wandering around outside or meeting with women from the outside?”

Julia's eyes gradually widened. She had never thought about it that way before. But when she heard the Marquis’s words, she thought it wasn’t impossible.

Even though they had been married for many moons, he still seemed unwilling to spend their wedding night.

Julia fell silent with a complicated look on her face and continued to speak as the Marquis urged her on.

"Why haven’t you answered?"

Julia finally shook her head.

"I don't know much about that. I only know that he’s busy. …."

"Ha, what the hell are you doing at the mansion? You should know where your husband is and what he's doing."

The Marquis frowned and shouted. Julia flinched and fell silent.

The Marquis, who clicked his tongue as if he didn't even like the sight of her, continued to speak.

"Did you use the medicine I gave you last time?"

"…"

Julia thought of the medicine the Marquis had given her the day he visited the Grand Duke's castle. It was somehow suspicious, so she put it on the shelf and forgot all about it since then.

"Not yet…"

"Why in the world are you waiting so long? Do I have to shove it directly into the Grand Duke's mouth? You don't know what you can do by yourself, do you?”

The Marquis's loud voice continued for a while. Julia endured her father's words silently.

The Marquis, who had finally managed to calm down, sighed for a long time and then opened his mouth.

"Julia, listen to me carefully.”

He was at a loss as to where to begin teaching and telling this innocent and dim-witted girl.

The Marquis decided it would work better to threaten her as he always did.

"You have not forgotten what I had told you many times, have you? If your marriage to the Grand Duke does not work out, you will no longer be my daughter.”

The Marquis continued to speak with a tone of sneer.

"If you don't want to rot for the rest of your life, abandoned like your own mother, you will have a child by any means necessary!”

Julia's hands flinched. Not because she was frightened by the Marquis' threatening words, but because of the discomfort that filled her heart.

Every time she was told to have children somehow, she felt like she was a livestock, and she was distressed. She wanted to cover her ears right away, but there was nothing she could do but lower her head.

"I know very well that the Grand Duke is not a kind man to you. Even in front of His Majesty.”

The Marquis clicked his tongue in annoyance. He had already experienced a few times what a terrible man Fernan was. 

Long before the wedding with Julia was decided, by order of the Emperor, a woman was secretly sent to Fernan's bed.

The woman was a countess. She was a well-known woman who remained a widow after losing her husband.

If it was revealed that he had slept with such a woman, no matter how tough he might have been, his impeccable reputation was bound to be damaged.