# 22
The man's touch as he treated her wound was delicate and careful, as if he were handling something precious.
Then his touch moved to Helen's cheek.
Then he kissed her slowly.
Under his skillful leadership, Helen's body heated up, and she responded to what her heart dictated.
After they moved away for a moment, their breaths intertwined again.
Looking back now, I felt so naive.
'Even though I fled like a thief at dawn...'
Even after she returned to Beitstein, she couldn't stop thinking about that kiss, it was so moving.
Around that time, a marriage proposal came from the Duke of Rendel's family.
Because she felt that it was time to focus on Duke Rendel's eldest son, she did not search for the man.
And so, she lived forgetting about it.
Now, even if she wanted to know who he was, she couldn't remember much clearly.
The man was wearing a mask.
Although she tried to conjure his face, she was disoriented, perhaps because she was drunk.
But she remembered that his dimples were charming when he smiled.
Despite his sly smile, he was a good kisser.
She recalls that tender emotional night with his tender touches.
[“...Call me Ish.” ]
She remembered asking the man to call her Ish.
She mistakenly believed that she had never revealed her real name to anyone in her childhood.
Although she had forgotten about him over the years, an important fact came to her mind.
‘Wait… didn’t Grand Duke Esh call me?’
Helen realized this and was horrified. She felt like her heart was beating hard.
‘I was wondering how he knew my name in my childhood, but is it possible…’
Baroness Dion saw Hélène turning pale, so she called her several times.
“Your Highness, Your Highness. Are you okay?”
“Madam Baroness, one moment please.”
Confused, Helen couldn't hear Baroness Dion's words.
Platinum blonde hair and violet eyes.
Assuming that eye color could be changed with magical potions, the man did not have jewel-like eyes.
‘Wait a minute, couldn’t the jewel-like eyes be hidden by magic? Is it possible that he is the Grand Duke?’
Then Helen remembered that the Grand Duke had a twin brother, so she asked Baroness Dion:
“Madam Baroness, you said that the Grand Duke has a twin brother, right?”
“Yes. He is the twin of the former Grand Duke, Lisenoa Belzeit.”
“Did the twin brother also have jewel-like eyes?”
Baroness Dion shook her head at Helen's question.
“Lesinoa’s eyes were not jewel-like. His eye color was a normal violet.”
“……!”
A man without jewel-like eyes, with ordinary violet eyes.
“What about his hair color?”
“I remember he was pale blond.”
The man with whom Helen spent the night...
He was none other than the Grand Duke's twin brother.
Even though she knew his identity, there were aspects that were still mysterious to her.
"If he's calling me Ish, it means he knew about the woman his twin brother spent the night with. But how did he know it was me? And why did he send me a marriage proposal?"
Legally, it wouldn't be a problem, but the situation was awkward.
‘What is the Grand Duke’s intention? ‘I felt very embarrassed.
Why did he have to be the Grand Duke's twin brother?
If he really knew, that would make things even more complicated.
The Grand Duke knew that she had spent a night with his brother.
However, he accepted the royal marriage proposal, which made her think that he was an open-minded person.
Thinking about being in his place, and imagining herself in the same situation...
You will never be able to do that.
‘If the man had been the Grand Duke, I wouldn’t have been so worried… Ah, I forgot that I was with Baroness Dion.’
Helen looked at Baroness Dion and remembered her presence again.
She was lost in thought, and had forgotten what was around her.
“Madam Baroness, I have an urgent need to remember. I apologize."
Helen felt guilty, so she smiled awkwardly.
“Huh.”
Instead of being upset, Baroness Dionne smiled warmly.
“Her Highness has always had a tendency to dig deep until she finds the answer.”
“...Did I do that?”
"Yes. Our princess has never changed.”
Helen's eyes met Baroness Dion's, and she reopened the outstanding topic.
“…If the relationship is complicated before it starts, wouldn’t it be better not to get into it at all?”
Helen was really worried.
She was constantly wondering if she should stop preparing for the royal wedding.
Baroness Dion thought carefully about Helen's question, then shrugged.
“If it's complicated before it starts, I want to step in and solve it from the beginning.”
“Why?”
“Wouldn't it bother you constantly if you gave it up?”
Baroness Dionne's words made sense.
As she said, if Helen went into hiding, her relationship with the Grand Duke would remain tense, and the memory would haunt her forever.
‘Isn’t this a political marriage to promote harmony between the two countries?’
Since the Grand Duke already had a son, there would be no need for an heir.
If they maintain a formal appearance and keep their distance, their relationship as a couple may not be so bad.
“Thank you. “That was very helpful.”
She extended her hand first.
I looked outside and noticed the sun setting.
“I overlooked you. You should go now.”
“Don't say that. It was a pleasant meeting, Your Highness. Please call me again.”
Baroness Dion suddenly made a deep bow.
“Baroness?”
“Although my daughter is still inexperienced, please take good care of her.”
The Baroness's concern for her daughter was palpable.
Serving a member of the royal family may mean falling victim to power struggles.
Knowing this, Baroness Dion sent Elisha to work as a maid at Largon Palace...
'She must be hoping this will help me.'
“She's a smart girl. Don't worry.”
“May Freya’s protection be with you, Your Highness.”
After Baroness Dion left, Helen calmed down and went out to the balcony.
She has gone through an incredible series of events.
Not only did she divorce Revan, who she thought she would stay with forever, but she also discovered his secrets...
She even had a past where she spent a night with her partner's twin brother.
“Ah…”
She wondered if she should thank God that she had not gone crazy despite all these events, and she let out a sarcastic laugh.
Helen covered her face with her hands.
Her marriage to the Grand Duke seemed to portend further complications in her future.
Moreover…
“Aachen Requier Belzeit. How will he react?”
She didn't know whether the Grand Duke would pretend to know this or feign ignorance.
Ricoir Empire, in the garden of Emperor Caliosa.
Empress Caliosa frowned, as she rested in the garden.
It was because of Aachen, who was sitting in front of her, that got on her nerves.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…Why am I looking at you like that? Do you realize what you’re saying?”
Empress Caliosa put down the teacup violently.
“I heard that in Beitstein, your marriage partner was changed midway. I accepted it, and now Princess Helen is set to marry again.”
"This is correct."
“Do you think it makes sense that I only know about this now?”
Empress Kaliosa tried to bear it while listening to the birds chirping, but she finally reached her limit and exploded in anger.
The trouble began when the Prime Minister visited the royal court in Beitstein.
The Minister began to talk about the informal engagement between Grand Duke Belzeit and Princess Helene.
Empress Caliosa was surprised by this.
Ricoeur and Betstein's boundaries were delicate.
To avoid bloodshed, they planned to cement good relations through a royal marriage with Betstein.
Since Beitstein had only princesses, Aachen had in mind a groom.
But Aachen refused without hesitation, saying that it was still too early after the funeral of the former Grand Duchess.
Reluctantly, they arrange for Violet, a distant relative, to be the bride to consummate the royal marriage.
'And now he suddenly wants to marry Princess Helen?'
Empress Kaliosa was distraught. It was ridiculous for her to learn from someone else that her son was getting married again.
“...What's going on?”
“I was busy handling matters at the academy related to Luan, so I was going to tell you, but it was late.”
“Do you hear what you're saying?”
Despite Empress Kaliosa's displeasure, Aachen remained unmoved.
“Too busy to report to me, aren’t you?”
Although he prevented Countess Qin from informing Emperor Caliosa, intending to do so himself…
Right after Countess Qin left, he heard that Luan had quarreled with a classmate at the academy.
Dealing with this matter and meeting with the headmaster left him no time to return to Ricoeur.
Emperor Kaliosa seemed very angry at the sudden royal marriage.
“Your Majesty.”
But Aachen had one way to convince Emperor Kaliosa.