Jeff nodded. “Yes, our army will come along. The kingdom of Subartu’s forces have been gathering near the western forest for a while now. We can’t risk the delegation going unarmed and being taken hostage.”
“Is there a chance of war if negotiations break down?” I asked.
Jeff didn’t answer.
That meant the possibility was very real. The nobles who resented Jeff’s accomplishments probably saw this as an opportunity to send him into a dangerous situation.
There was no such thing as certainty in war. And no matter how skilled Jeff was with a sword, there was no guarantee he’d make it out alive.
I had assumed that even if something happened to me while serving as Princess Delphine’s body double, Jeff and Nonna would be able to survive and carry on. But now I was frozen with the fear of losing my husband and the thought of leaving Nonna alone.
Jeff gently placed his hands on my shoulders.
“I understand. You’re worried about me, and you’re terrified of Nonna losing both her parents, aren’t you?”
“Jeff, I never imagined you’d go to war. And leaving Nonna all alone again is…”
“Calm down. Just focus on fulfilling your duty as Princess Delphine’s double. I’ve thought about Nonna, too. In case something happens to both of us, I’ve asked my brother and his wife to take care of her. My brother said, ‘Should the worst happen, we’ll become Nonna’s guardians or even adopt her. So go on and carry out your duty without worrying.’”
“All right… That’s reassuring, isn’t it?”
I was the reason Jeff had started working in Shen and discovered the gold mine.
A wave of dark regret rose up within me.
It’s my fault.
I’m the one who set Jeff on this dangerous path.
I buried my face against my husband’s chest to hide the regret swelling inside me, pretending to seek comfort. But he gently pulled me away and took a good look at me.
“Anna, listen to me. No one knows you better than I do. Don’t blame yourself just because I’m being sent to somewhere dangerous. I’ll come back safe and sound—I promise. But don’t you go disappearing on me. I can’t bear to lose you again. I won’t allow it. You promised me you’d stay by my side for the rest of our lives, didn’t you?”
Jeffrey embraced me with a tender smile as I bit my lip and fell silent.
“I haven’t seen that expression on your face since we reunited in Cadiz. You’re usually so composed. Did you know you look utterly adorable when you start tearing up? It makes me want to lock you away in my arms forever.”
“Jeff…”
I cradled his face in my hands, committing every detail to memory. He leaned in and kissed me gently.
After a long, lingering kiss, Jeff said, “Well, I have to be off. Take care of yourself,” in a bright, cheerful tone, as if he was merely heading out for a stroll, then left the room.
I understood perfectly why Jeff had chosen to say farewell like that. He wanted me to remember him with a lighthearted look on his face in case this was to be our final good-bye.
As I stared at the door, a memory from when I was eight years old crossed my mind.
The day Lancome took me away from my home, my mother had run over to me. She had gently stroked my head and gazed at me without a word. I finally understood what she must have felt and what she must have wished for in that moment.
“Mother… It had to have been so hard for you to let me go.”
I closed my eyes, thinking of Jeffrey and my late mother. I swore I wouldn’t cry, but tears spilled out an instant later.
After I saw Jeffrey off, I returned to Princess Delphine’s chambers.
“Princess Delphine, I have a question I must ask you.”
“What is it?”
Normally, it wouldn’t be permitted for me to speak out of turn to the princess, but I had something I needed to bring up as her double.
I looked at her blue eyes in the mirror as I brushed her hair. “Princess Delphine, was it you who asked Nina to poison Elly?”
The princess showed no sign of surprise. She replied with a faint smile on her face. “Me? Why would I want to poison my loyal attendant? That’s a rather odd question, Kate.”
“A servant found an empty bottle of your favorite lotion hidden away in the trash out in the garden. The cap still carried the unmistakable scent of your lotion. The bottle had been washed to remove any lingering smell, but the cork still retained the fragrance. There’s no one else in the castle who uses the same scent as you, Your Highness. On top of that, Elly is the only other person here with the authority to dispose of an empty bottle of your lotion.”
The grin vanished from the princess’s beautiful face.
“Yes? What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I suspect that an empty bottle of your lotion was handed over to the enemy, filled with poison, and smuggled back into the royal quarters. The poison was removed, the bottle cleaned, and then discarded. Only Elly, who manages your cosmetics, could have done this. She was likely in a hurry to dispose of the bottle, which explains why she didn’t destroy it. Elly must’ve transferred the poison to a smaller container, hidden that in her sleeve, and added it to the food while serving it. I imagine it was quite the shock for her when she lived despite ingesting the poison herself.”
“If you’re saying Elly poisoned herself, then why are you blaming me?”
“The substance Elly consumed was weak. I believe this was because you instructed Nina to switch the poisons to a weaker one, so as to save Elly’s life.”
Princess Delphine gazed at me with a resolute expression on her face. “This is outrageous. It’s beyond the scope of your duties; your mission was to quietly play the role of being my double.”
“And it was the kingdom that assigned me this mission. It is my duty to report back to my employers everything I learn, even if it implicates Your Highness in an attempted poisoning. If I did so, they would conduct a thorough investigation, then report the matter to His Majesty and Prince Conrad. The noble council would certainly intervene regarding your actions.”
Princess Delphine’s face twisted ever so slightly.
If the truth came to light, not only would Elly face consequences, but even the crown princess herself could also be accused. Bringing poison into the castle and using it was a severe crime.
And if the truth was made public, Princess Delphine wouldn’t just lose her current position; she would also be separated from her children, who would be the future king and the future archduke. As a foreigner, her position was precarious.
A heavy silence filled the room.
I continued staring at her blue eyes through the mirror. It didn’t matter how disrespectful or bold I appeared. I couldn’t afford to lose my resolve here.
Suddenly, Princess Delphine sighed. The regal authority and commanding presence that was usually visible on her face vanished, replaced by the look of an anguished woman.
“A novice like me could never keep this a secret from a professional like you. I thought it might work, but…”
She picked up a vial of her favorite lotion from her dresser—it was a beautiful glass bottle, identical to the one discarded in the trash.
“All my lotions are scented with the fragrance of wildflowers that bloom in the northern regions of Eagal. My grandmother and mother cherished this fragrance, and it’s quite dear to me as well. A messenger from Eagal delivers them to me every two months, along with messages from my grandfather and father, who are concerned for my well-being.”