The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 73

Chapter 73. Imperial Palace Banquet

“Your Highness, since you’re already here, why don’t you stay a little longer? It’s been a long time since Emilia visited the ducal estate.”

Hearing that the grand ducal couple was leaving, Duke Berthe rushed out to the front courtyard. The carriage from the Grand Duke’s manor, the one Emilia had arrived in, was waiting there.

“No. We’ve rested enough.”

Louid, standing in front of the carriage, rejected the Duke’s words coldly.

“Me too, Grandfather. I need to get back and prepare for the imperial palace banquet. I’ll see you soon at the palace.”

Emilia, standing beside Louid with a bright expression, supported Louid’s words.

“O-oh. Alright, then.”

Leaving behind Duke Berthe, whose expression had stiffened, the two stepped into the carriage and departed for the grand duke’s manor.

The ducal estate shrank into the distance outside the carriage window.

Phew, thank goodness.

She’d felt overwhelmed at the thought of dealing with the Duke for days, but it was a relief that Louid had come.

‘But how did he manage to come at the perfect timing like that?’

Louid had arrived less than a day after Emilia reached the ducal estate. Which meant he must have left not long after she did.

If he was going to follow her that quickly, he could’ve just accompanied her from the beginning….

Emilia looked at Louid, who sat across from her, with a puzzled expression.

“Emilia, how did it feel to visit the ducal estate after so long?”

Louid spoke after sitting quietly beside her for a while in the carriage.

“It wasn’t bad. Since it’s where I grew up.”

Lost in thought, Emilia answered calmly.

It wasn’t bad? Her vague reply made Louid’s dark eyebrows twitch ever so slightly.

“Hm… Duke Berthe said the bedroom you slept in last night was the one you used since you were a child.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Louid looked at Emilia, who seemed to have no particular feelings toward the ducal estate, and sank into thought.

‘Why is there no trace of her in the place where she supposedly grew up?’

There had been no childhood portrait of her in her bedroom. More than that, Duke Berthe’s attitude toward her held no warmth whatsoever.

True, Duke Berthe was a strict man, but he was known to be affectionate toward his bloodline. Yet the way he looked at Emilia seemed colder than the ice on the mountain peaks in the northern continent.

‘Could it be because Emilia’s birth mother was a dancer?’

Duke Berthe was not someone who would ever accept a dancer as a daughter-in-law. That meant Emilia, born from such a mother, might not have been treated as a proper granddaughter.

‘I’ll have to look into this.’

Louid became curious about Emilia’s childhood. He couldn’t shake the suspicion that her upbringing had not been peaceful.

***

The day after they returned to the manor, the two visited the imperial branch of Madame Bella’s Boutique, called Melissa’s Boutique. Bella’s younger sister was the head designer there.

“Welcome, Your Highness the Grand Duke, Your Highness the Grand Duchess. I’m Melissa.”

A woman with a face resembling Bella greeted them warmly.

“Nice to meet you, Melissa. We came on Bella’s recommendation,” Emilia said with a smile.

“Yes, she informed me through a letter. Please, this way.”

They were guided to the VIP room and sat on the sofa.

“I made a request to Bella beforehand….”

“Yes, it’s almost finished. You can have your fitting today.”

Before coming to the capital, Emilia had asked Bella to design outfits for both herself and Louid, so she could collect them at the capital branch. Since a palace banquet was approaching, she planned to wear it there.

Louid simply watched as Emilia and Melissa talked. He didn’t have anything in particular to say in a dress shop.

“Louid, you need to try on your outfit.”

“Ah, right.”

The two of them went to the men’s and women’s dressing rooms behind the partition to change. Louid, who changed first, stood looking out the window while waiting for Emilia to come out.

A moment later, the partition opened and Emilia stepped out wearing her dress.

“….”

Louid was left speechless, as if the goddess of beauty had descended before him. Emilia, wearing an ivory dress adorned with green patterns perfect for summer, smiled brightly at him.

“How is it?”

“…It suits you well.”

The words you’re beautiful almost escaped his lips, but Louid forced them back. They were only in a contractual relationship, not one where such words were appropriate.

“It looks wonderful on you both, Your Highness the Grand Duke, Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”

Melissa and the staff even applauded in admiration at Emilia’s stunning appearance.

“I heard there will be a palace banquet soon. You’ll wear it there, right?” Melissa asked in a gentle voice.

“Yes.”

“I’ll make sure it’s completed in time.”

“Thank you.”

Even as Melissa and Emilia continued their conversation, Louid heard none of it. He simply stood rooted to the spot, staring at Emilia.

***

Half a month later, the imperial palace held a banquet in honor of the grand ducal couple. Contrary to the Emperor’s claim that it would be a simple welcoming banquet, it was a grand event beyond imagination. It seemed as if every unmarried young lady and young gentleman of the Richert Empire had gathered.

Their middle‑aged noble parents watched proudly from the second and third floors of the ballroom.

When the music announcing the entrance began, the men and women lined up in two rows and entered the ballroom. The grand ducal couple—the stars of the night—were to enter last.

“Emilia, take my hand.”

Louid arrived in the Grand Duchess’s waiting room and held out his hand. Smiling, Emilia took it.

She wore the dress completed at Melissa’s Boutique, her hair half‑tied and secured with a jeweled pin, and a small tiara decorated with fine diamonds rested on her head.

When they stepped outside the waiting room, a long line of nobles was already entering the ballroom hand in hand.

They hadn’t come with partners but seemed to have been paired in the order of the line, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. With so many attendees, even the entrance alone took quite a long time.

Waaah—!

Finally, when Louid and Emilia entered, applause and cheers erupted so loudly the hall seemed to tremble.

From the high guest seats overlooking the ballroom, the Emperor watched the two with satisfaction.

“They suit each other well. Don’t you think so, Duke?”

“Yes, they do.”

“If I had known earlier that Dave had a daughter, I would’ve taken Emilia as my adopted child.”

At the emperor’s unexpected words, Duke Berthe’s white eyebrows twitched.

‘Then Damian might have become the Emperor’s adopted child too? If Damian had been the Emperor’s adopted son, the next emperor would have been….’

In the Richert Empire, the throne passed to sons, and if there were no sons, then to daughters. So if the twins had become the Emperor’s adopted children, the order of succession would have been Damian, Emilia, then Louid.

By hiding the twins’ existence, he had lost the chance for his bloodline to inherit the throne.

If Damian were still alive, he could at least tell the Emperor of his existence and ask if he would take him in as an adopted child. But since he had killed Damian, even that was impossible.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. Emilia was always so weak that I didn’t know when she might die, so I couldn’t bring myself to tell you.”

The Duke clutched his chest, which began pounding violently, and barely managed to answer.

“You should’ve told me anyway. Had I known earlier, I would’ve treated Emilia well. It’s regrettable that so many years have passed.”

“I’ll make sure she visits Your Majesty often from now on.”

“Good. Yes. I’m glad I paired her with Louid.”

The Emperor looked fondly back toward the ballroom. Duke Berthe’s face turned pale. His hand gripping the armrest trembled uncontrollably.

***

Lively waltz music filled the grand hall as Emilia and Louid stood in line with the young nobles. Among them were Asher and Lina as well.

Once all the participants stood in place, the group waltz began. First, each pair of men and women faced each other and exchanged greetings.

With a puzzled expression, Emilia followed the young ladies beside her, lifting the hem of her dress and curtseying to Louid. Louid also placed one arm forward and bowed to her.

After greeting each other, the partners immediately extended their hands and began to dance. Emilia hadn’t expected the dance to be performed in a large group, but she kept watching the movements of others and diligently followed along.

Hundreds of pairs of young nobles performed the same steps together, and when the music changed, each woman moved one spot to the side to dance with a new partner.

“Your Highness the Grand Duchess, it is an honor. I’m Carlos of House Willard.”

“Lord Willard, it’s a pleasure.”

After finishing her greeting, Emilia took both his hands and began to dance.

‘This is fun.’

A wide smile never left Emilia’s face as she danced.

“Your Highness the Grand Duchess, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Frankie of House Dwight.”

“Lord Dwight, it’s a pleasure.”

When the song changed again, a new partner greeted her.

She’d been separated from Louid quite some time ago and danced with several young noblemen. The music continued endlessly, and so did the dancing.

Caught up in the excitement of dancing, Emilia didn’t notice that a man dancing a little distance away from her was staring at her intently with dark eyes.

“Your Highness the Grand Duchess, it’s an honor. I’m Ian Billiot.”

After several song changes, the man who became her new partner bowed respectfully to her. His voice was strong and deep.