# 3
---
At Ian's words, the dining table fell silent again. I quietly picked up my fork and knife.
“Let's just eat.”
I felt there was no point in talking to him any further.
'How did Ian and Eloise manage to eat breakfast together in this stifling cold weather every morning?'
Did they both have iron stomachs or what?
For a moment, I continued eating, but soon I found myf glancing at Ian again.
'In full uniform in the morning... is he going somewhere?'
Ian rarely dresses nicely unless he has something important to take care of. Usually, he wore light shirts, and sometimes a jacket. The reason I knew this in such detail is because the author described Ian's clothes very carefully in each chapter.
His appearance that shone even without expensive clothes, his face that- etc. etc. etc....
‘Honestly, this author was really something.’
I shook my head slightly. Why should I care whether he was wearing a full uniform or had his shirt unbuttoned? This is none of my business.
I tried to focus back on my meal, but Ian spoke first.
“It sounds like you have something to say. Please keep it short and to the point.”
What an idiot.
I was annoyed for a moment, but being the civilized person I was, I suppressed my anger and asked, “Are you going somewhere?”
He raised his head and looked at me with a dry expression. It was clear that he found this conversation boring.
After a long moment of silent staring, Ian looked away and answered.
“…It’s the monthly meeting day in the capital.”
"Yes."
So today was that day.
Ian Cloud, as his title Grand Duke indicates, was a person of royal blood. More specifically, he was the half-brother of the current emperor. The previous emperor had an empress and a royal concubine, the current emperor was the empress's son, and Ian was the concubine's son.
Normally, such a situation would lead to bloody conflicts between the two, but the current Emperor had been in love with Ian since childhood.
Ian showed exceptional talent in fencing and martial arts from an early age. By the age of 18, without any decent teacher, he had already become the youngest dueling master.
Instead of feeling threatened by Ian's abilities, the Emperor held him in high esteem, constantly praising him. As a result of this favoritism, Ian was given the title of Grand Duke and continued to serve as a special advisor to the Royal Knights.
Furthermore, he was asked to attend a monthly meeting in the capital, which was today.
It seemed like the author wanted to give Ian all the wealth, honor, and talent in the world.
'This is really sick'
I was lost in superficial thoughts when I heard Ian get up from his seat. When I turned my head, I noticed that his plate was actually clean.
“Okay, I'll go now.”
Aren't these the kind of words you say before you get up?
Ian straightened his clothes and looked at me.
“I'm late.”
“Yes, I imagine so.”
“You know that very well.”
I was being sarcastic, but that's okay.
Ian was unaffected by my sarcasm, turned around and began to leave the dining hall. Then he suddenly stopped and turned half to look at me.
“And one more thing, ma'am.”
"Yes?"
Ian raised his hand and tapped his cheek gently.
“No matter how good the food is, you should wipe the sauce off your face.”
…If he wasn't a sword expert, I would have punched him.
❖ ❖ ❖
Eloise Alpheus.
Second daughter of Marquis Alpheus, one of the ten largest founding families of the empire. Thanks to her beauty, grace, and impeccable manners, she was known as the Flower of the Social World, but because of her cold and distant demeanor, she was often given nicknames such as “Ice Princess” or “Ice Flower of the Marquis.”
Her marriage to Ian was largely influenced by her family's ambitions. Marquis Alpheus was a man of great ambition, and hoped to expand his business and strengthen his position by forming an alliance with the Grand Duchy of Cloud.
By coincidence, Ian also needed a Grand Duchess who could strengthen the duchy's position and run the household. With their interests completely aligned, the two families pushed through the marriage, backed by the full support of the Emperor.
In this process, Eloise was nothing more than a valuable pawn.
At this point, most noble young ladies would likely resist, declaring: “I refuse to marry without love!” But Eloise was different.
“If I can expand our business in exchange for marrying him, where can I find a better deal?”
It was a wonderful thing, as the Marquis sold his daughter for labor and Eloise willingly allowed herf to be sold.
'Now, let's think about this matter carefully.'
After finishing breakfast, I went up to my room on the second floor and relaxed to think. For the record, it's my room, not ours.
Ian and Eloise's bedrooms were located at opposite ends of the corridor, making it almost impossible for them to bump into each other by chance.
At this point, it was embarrassing to even call them a couple.
“Okay, so we are now in Imperial Year 273.”
She tapped on the table while flipping through the calendar the maid had brought.
“Let's see... Ian and Eloise got married in March two years ago, so it's been exactly two years and two months now.”
You would think they were still newlyweds at this point.
“Wow, it's amazing how inappropriate the word 'newlywed' is for them.”
She let out a light sneer.
The weather in this house was colder than ice, so how could this be considered a honeymoon?
“Anyway, Diana will return in the summer of Imperial Year 274.”
As I turned the last page of the calendar, I rested my chin on my hand with a bored expression.
So, there's about one year left until Diana returns.
“One year…”
It was a time that could seem long or short, depending on how you look at it.
As I counted the months on my fingers, I frowned. Frustration bubbled up inside me.
“Seriously, if I'm going to get involved in this story, couldn't it be before the marriage or after the divorce? Why put me in the two years since they got married?”
The timing was very bad.
I thought I would be happy to see my favorite heroine in person, but that fate was cruel.
I never wanted to get involved in this mess; I just wanted to help Diana.
“Anyway, now that things have come to this, I need to solve everything within a year...”
This marriage would end about six months after Diana's return. Here Ian finally realizes his feelings and demands a unilateral divorce from Eloise.
“The problem is that during those six months, Diana suffers greatly.”
A deep sigh escaped me as a familiar feeling of gloom washed over me.
“Ha…”
In the original story, Diana's devastation at Ian's wedding is described in excruciating detail. Reading this part left my heart unbearably sore. Even Ian's die-hard fans couldn't stop themves from sympathizing with Diana in that moment, which tells you how bad it was.
“And now I'm the one who caused her pain...”
The thought that I was now the source of my favorite character's suffering was indescribably painful. I suppressed the urge to bang my head on the table.
“…Should I just die…?”
No, I couldn't do that, not after I finally arrived in Diana's world.
With a tearful expression, I picked up the pen again and forced myf to continue writing.
“If I can get a divorce within the year and disappear before Diana returns, this might work out...”
Then Diana will be happy, and I'll be happy, and whether Ian is happy or not doesn't matter to me.
While I was making and thinking about my plan, my hand, which was busy scribbling on the paper, suddenly stopped. Something flashed in my mind like lightning.
“Wait a minute, isn't this an opportunity?”
It was exactly one year until Diana's return. If I could use my position as Grand Duchess to correct Ian's behavior during that time...
“I may not turn him into a perfect prince, but at least I can save Diana from complete disaster.”
The bleak future seemed to suddenly brighten, as if a ray of hope had shone.
“That's it!”
Why didn't I think of this earlier? There was a way I could help Diana even in Eloise's body!
With renewed determination, I clenched my fists and slammed them onto the table.
Before Diana returns, I will remake this desperate Ian into a perfect man just for her!
Considering Ian's current condition, it seemed like a daunting task, but it wasn't entirely impossible.
After all, I am the Grand Duchess in name, which gives me a lot of influence over Ian. Plus, as someone who has read this novel several times, I knew Diana and that idiot Ian inside and out.
If only I could put this knowledge to good use…
“...hehe...”
She laughed slyly, imagining Ian obediently sitting next to Diana, serving her like a gentleman.
“Just wait, Diana!”
I'll show you that even trash can be turned into something useful!