Weakness

"I'm sorry I did that to your elder brother. I didn't mean to force him to marry me but I was on my wit's end," Princess Cassandra apologized when they were alone having tea together.

"I do feel bad that my brother had no choice but to agree. But since he had agreed, I guess he wasn't really against it either," she knew that if Hendrick was strongly against it, he would have stated it outright. He would have disagreed even if the emperor had agreed to Cassandra's selfishness.

Valyenor wasn't in a position where they had to follow everything the Imperial family said even if they were against it. As the most powerful duchy, they had more leeway than any other duchy in the empire to disagree on matters.

"I'm truly sorry," Princess Cassandra apologized again.