A Misaligned Fate

The voice she thought she would never hear again spoke the name she had longed for. Dalia instinctively lifted her head, feeling as if time had stopped.

At the ends of black hair reminiscent of the dark night, red eyes gleamed. It was Clayton.

At the appearance of the man she had only traced in her mind, Dalia's body stiffened as if every joint had been coated in wax.

'Why is that man…?'

'…here?' With a gaze full of disbelief, Dalia slowly observed the man.

His haggard appearance and sharp aura were vastly different from the man she remembered five years ago.

The atmosphere surrounding him was heavier and darker than before, even exuding a sense of apathy toward the world.

Had she unknowingly been staring at Clayton's face for a while? Dalia instinctively lowered her head at the clear voice that broke the silence.

"I can't express how delighted I am to finally meet the Duke of Seiyer, whom I've only heard of."

As the princess spoke, blushing shyly, Dalia began to quietly grasp the situation.

'Today is the occasion for the princess to meet her prospective husband for the first time. That means….'

It meant that Clayton had come all this way to marry the princess. The moment she realized this, her blood turned cold. Her heart, which had been pounding loudly, felt like it plummeted to the ground.

Clayton was going to marry another woman.

The shocking reality, as if unreal, was etched into her mind and refused to leave.

"Was your long journey troublesome in any way? You must be quite tired from crossing the sea for such a long time."

"It was fine."

While the princess showed her interest with a soft voice, Clayton's reply was plain.

Gloria persisted, asking Clayton various questions, but when his attitude didn't change, she eventually fell silent.

It was far too one-sided to be considered a proper meeting.

Unhappy with how things were progressing, Gloria seemed to think for a moment before calling out to Dalia, who stood behind her.

"Grace. Pour the duke a cup of tea."

Hesitating briefly at the princess's order, Dalia slowly stepped forward, recalling something Gloria had once said.

'If things don't seem to be going the way I want, come closer and pour him some tea.'

She believed that Dalia's violet eyes would bring good fortune. It was a rather absurd belief.

But in her current position, Dalia couldn't go against the princess's orders. Nor could she let Clayton recognize her.

At this moment, all she could do was avoid drawing attention to herself. Thus, instead of rejecting the princess's command, she chose to carry it out as discreetly as possible.

Even with her brief reply, Dalia worried he might recognize her. Silently nodding, she stepped forward. The princess, satisfied as she watched her, continued speaking.

"This is a tea we take pride in here in Easter. The harmony of the dried fruit's sweetness and the bitterness of the tea leaves is exquisite."

Ignoring the princess's words, Dalia lifted the teapot from the trolley and began walking slowly.

Her once-calmed heart began to race again. Sweat formed on the hand holding the teapot, and her hand trembled faintly.

'Please….'

I hope Clayton doesn't so much as glance at me like now. I hope he doesn't hear my pounding heart or notice me trembling.

One step. Then another.

As she drew closer to Clayton, she even silenced her breath to hide the sound of her thundering heart.

Before long, Dalia stood close to the man and tilted the teapot toward his empty cup. Her trembling fingers caused ripples in the filling teacup. At that moment...

Perhaps because her hand was sweating, the teapot slipped from her grasp.

Ah.

With a short gasp, the hot water in the teapot spilled out. She tried to stop it somehow, but she couldn't prevent all of the water from splashing on the man.

The sound of the teapot hitting the floor was followed by a brief silence. Then, Gloria, realizing what had happened, stood up in shock. The once-quiet room erupted into commotion.

"My goodness…!"

Dalia, as startled as Gloria, reached out to wipe the water off Clayton. She didn't even realize that more water had spilled on her own hands than on his thigh.

The moment her reddened fingertips, scalded by the hot water, brushed against Clayton's thigh...

The princess quickly approached and pushed Dalia away.

"Duke! Are you all right?"

Gloria used the handkerchief she had to wipe the spilled tea off his clothes. Watching silently, Dalia withdrew her hand and stepped back quietly.

Then, with an uneasy heart, she studied Clayton's face.

Though his brows were furrowed, he fortunately hadn't glanced at Dalia.

He was merely staring at the spot where Dalia's touch had briefly brushed.

* * *

"He seems even more splendid than I had imagined."

After her meeting with Clayton ended, Gloria's voice was filled with excitement as they returned to the room. Contrary to her earlier worries, she had found Clayton to her liking.

Sensing her good mood, the maids began adding their comments one by one.

"Exactly. I had heard he was a fine man, but seeing him in person, he's even more impressive."

"Yes, his reserved demeanor, handsome face, and title as a duke of the empire—there's nothing lacking. It's clear why the king chose him as your match."

Enjoying the maids' words, Gloria tilted her head slightly.

"But why did the former duchess run away, I wonder? I thought he might be cold or intimidating, but he seems kinder than I expected…."

Gloria recalled the incident from earlier, when Dalia had spilled tea on Clayton. It wasn't cold water but hot, and it could have easily turned into a serious accident.

Naturally, Dalia should have been held responsible. Yet, Clayton had merely wiped his clothes in silence, without reprimanding her. That image lingered vividly in Gloria's mind.

'He really seems like a kind person.'

He was undoubtedly someone who forgave and embraced the mistakes of subordinates—a truly gentle person.

Thus, she couldn't understand why the Duchess had disappeared. Gloria asked the maids nearby about the Duchess of Seiyer.

"What kind of person was the duchess? Do you know anything? Even something trivial would be fine."

At Gloria's question, Dalia's shoulders flinched. But the others, oblivious to her reaction, answered.

"Well, I heard she came from a modest family, but her beauty was exceptional. They say she had silver hair, just like you, Your Highness."

"Really? Silver hair isn't common in the Granos Empire. How fascinating."

"That must be why he married her. Though, of course, her silver hair couldn't have been more beautiful than yours, Your Highness."

At one maid's comment, everyone nodded in agreement. Gloria smiled at the flattery, even though she knew it was insincere, and then turned to Dalia.

"What do you think, Grace?"

"Pardon? About what…?"

"The Duke and me. Don't you think we look good together?"

At Gloria's quesion, Dalia recalled the image of the two sitting across from each other.

The noble princess and Clayton, the empire's duke, were a striking pair, so much so that even a passing child would agree they looked perfect together.

And while she didn't want to admit it, she couldn't deny the truth.

"…Yes. Very much so."

The hand scalded by the hot tea earlier throbbed with pain.