Chapter 47.2

The news of Duke Ihar and Marquis Vale arriving at the capital the previous night spread quickly.

Canillian also heard the news. Pepe chattered about how the carriage that was to carry the duke charged into the Academy, causing a huge fuss late in the night.

“Pepe, how do you what happened during the night?” She asked while buttoning her uniform.

Clearly proud of herself, Pepe said, “The news spread fast! Everyone is talking about it and cannot wait to tell anyone and everyone who walks by. Even about how Count Shelby’s daughter, Marilyn, proposed to the young Duke at the gallery.”

“Proposed?”

“It was the young Duke that postponed their engagement in the first place. Apparently, she told him that she’ll visit the north once Kieran’s engagement is over. What do you think that means? It means that she’s done waiting, and that she’ll set the date.”

Lia nodded while imagining Claude with Marilyn.

The two of them were a very fitting couple. Although they were not engaged yet, everyone said that Marilyn was going to be the duchess.

“If that happens, then I’ll be achingly jealous of Marilyn. The young duke is a bit standoffish and cold, but he is so handsome. I much prefer the young duke to the prince,” Lia mumbled to herself, while Pepe whispered, “I…. think Kieran is the best.”

“What about Prince Ian? I heard that he’ll put in a formal marriage request to the Marquis.”

“That’s a joke. And I am not getting married. Forever.”

“That’s what you think.”

Pepe smiled, finished dressing Lia, and folded a handkerchief to give it to her.

The Empire was in a celebratory mood as it was the day before Princess Rosina’s engagement. The dressing shops were bustling with people ordering new dresses, and the carriages transporting foods filled the streets.

After getting ready, Lia found her carriage and horseman. The hot morning sun streamed in through the carriage’s small window, warming the interior of the cabin as they travelled through Iona Park toward the academy. Lia gazed out the window, but she was lost in thought and did not really see the sweeping gardens bathed in morning light as they rolled by.

As Pepe had said, she should be preparing herself for the future. Once Kieran and Princess Rosina’s engagement party was over, an engagement for Marilyn and Claude would be announced.

For the first time, Lia desperately wished that she were old enough to be considered an adult. She wanted to run away from everyone who knew her as Canillian and live normally in a place where no one knew who she was.

Just as she got off the carriage after arriving at the academy, a servant who was wiping the tiled ground approached her to hand her a letter.

“Last night, I was asked to give this to you.”

“To me?”

“Yes. A well-groomed gentleman insisted that you receive this.”

Well-groomed?

“Thank you,” she said, taking the letter. The envelope was strange in that there was no official seal, just unadorned red wax. She opened the envelope to find a letter written in clean handwriting.

Walking into the academy her eyes widened and her steps slowed as she read the letter:

“Laura has a long-lost daughter.

We know she is Marquis Gliad Vale’s bastard.

Shall we meet?”

Improperly there was no signature, or any other indication of who penned the letter, but she feared that she knew who he was.

Her heart pounded in her chest so hard that she feared it would stop altogether, and other students started to gather around her, murmuring with concern, as she stood pale and still in the middle of the hall.

Nodding with reassurances that she was fine, she gently extricated herself from the worried group, and retracing her steps she approached the servant.

“Excuse me…. The man who handed you the letter. Was he wearing round glasses?”

The servant who was sweeping the floor with a broom, nodded vigorously.

“Yes. And he smelled of disinfectant. And perhaps some other strange medicine.”

It was the doctor.

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Lia thanked the servant, and walked away in a daze as the reality sank in. The doctor had dropped off the letter. They knew that she was Marquis Vale’s child, and they also knew that she attended the academy. They must be observing her, perhaps even now.

She could not help but look around for anyone who might be looking in her direction, but she did not see anyone obviously suspicious.

Her mouth went dry, and her chest felt constricted, as a new and overwhelming sense of unease washed over her.

***

“I want to put in a formal request for marriage, Marquis Gliad.”

For a moment, the marquis doubted his ears. Kieran was also surprised. Anastasia dropped her teacup, and the flustered attendee ushered all of the other servants out of the drawing room.

After finishing their breakfast, the marquis had invited Ian to their townhome to let him know about the emperor’s invitation. But what came out of the prince’s mouth made him forget about the palace and put everyone in tizzy.

Shamelessly, Ian’s expression remained completely relaxed despite the effect his words had caused. Smiling, he gently put down his teacup.

“Please tell me that you’re not going to keep insisting that Canillian is a man, even to me?”

“Prince Ian, you’ve taken me off guard. You wish to take Canillian as your wife?”

“I’m not saying I’m going to marry her immediately. I am asking for a promise. After one year, let her have her debut. Then we’ll announce the engagement.”

The Marquis closed his eyes, his mind momentarily blank. Not only did Ian know Canillian’s actual identity, but he apparently also had feelings for her.

“Canillian wants to live quietly, prince.”

Anastasia, who had kept quiet until now, lifted her head and blinking rapidly she said, “The place beside a prince isn’t a fitting position for her. The Royal family wants to have a connection with Geore. Why not engage one of the princesses….”

“Canillian is enough, madame,” Ian interrupted.

Anastasia’s hands began shaking.

The Marquis struggled to maintain his composure. He had slept poorly for many reasons, least of which was that he had brought the diamond back to the townhome.

Sighing, he said “She’s been living as a boy for a reason. We should hear Lia’s opinion. What would you do if she said no?”

“We’re going to get married one way or another,” Ian said resolutely, “You forced her to live like a man until now, shouldn’t you let her live the rest of her life as the distinguished and beautiful woman that she is?”

“That’s true but…”

Cutting him off, Ian said “I’ll take that response as your blessing and await the day of the announcement.”

Ian smiled and stood up, looking down on the Marchioness’s conflicted expression.

He laughed as she sat wringing her hands, trying to act calm.

Just as Ian moved to leave, the marquis, who had been deep in thought, stopped him.

“The emperor formally invited you to the palace. So, for now, hear me out.”

“The emperor invited me?”

Gliad nodded once and stood up to approach him.

“Accept the emperor’s invitation. And before we discuss anything to do with marriage to my daughter, I have a question. About Geore’s noble, who apparently owns the neutral territory.”

Ian crossed his arms, and from across the room he met Kieran’s accusing eyes over Gliad’s shoulder.

Kieran, his face a mask of anger, suddenly got up and came toward him.

“You don’t have to search far for that noble, father.”

“Kieran, what are you…”

Unlike Ian, who smirked, Kieran’s expression had grown even more forbidding.

“Prince Ian is the owner of the neutral territory, father. And prince, I think its time we had a chat.”