I Don’t Want the Obsession of a Twisted Archduke

“Your Highness! How…? How…? How…?”

“Uh, um… Just calm down and speak slowly Jean.”

I was currently having a quick chat with Jean over lunch.

Honestly, it would make more sense to say that Jean was unilaterally chatting to himself excitedly. He was very moved by how I saw Marina off this morning.

While I was trying to get over the subject, he asked me again.

“How did you make Sejan behave like a docile sheep?”

It was not quite an accurate description of him. I didn’t think it was right.

“Well, it just happened.”

I couldn’t really say that I signed a contract with Sejan, so I was vague about how the whole thing happened. Fortunately, it wasn’t the most important part for Jean, so he didn’t look more into it.

Instead, he continued to share his impression he felt on the situation.

“Really, really… A great person. Her Highness… Really, really is Romani’s hope.”

Somehow, I think I could hear Jean’s hazy thoughts.

“Thank you for the compliment.”

He smiled embarrassingly as he continued speaking.

Despite the euphemism, Jean continued his emotional speech containing all kinds of rhetoric about me for the next 10 minutes.

‘… I can’t do this. I’m going to have an upset stomach or pretend to have one.’

Abruptly, I decided to turn the conversation around.

“But, Jean, there’s a middleman in Romani, right?”

“What? Do you mean my subordinate? Yes, there is.”

“I see. May I know who it is?”

“Of course, I can tell you who she is. She’s a maid named Vanessa. She’s from the west, good at her job and has been in charge of the maids since last year.”

I listened carefully to Jean’s words and reflected on her name.

‘Vanessa, Vanessa.’

Sadly, it was not a name that I could remember.

“Your Highness, you will be responsible for all the employees. Of course, you have to, because you’re the madam of the Great Duchy. This is also something I was going to tell you when the wedding was over.”

I wondered if Jean could tell I was deeply in thought and felt like reassuring me. Such a nice person, but I shook my head at him.

“It’s ok, just leave it alone for now.”

If I suddenly take my place, I might feel upset.

Then I added one more thing.

“However, I will be managing all future decisions for Marina.”

***

After that stormy conversation, I came into my office, sat in my chair and crumpled my chin into my hand.

“ – Your Highness, you can do whatever you want, regardless of your concern. Do not worry yourself.”

This was what Jean told me, nodding without objection to everything I did.

‘Oh, don’t you trust me too much?’

Just by looking at his actions, Jean seems too soft on me. While considering he was in charge of the Great Duchy; he was definitely too nice to me. Honestly, Jean wasn’t the only one. Most of the Romani people were very generous to me. Of course, there’s some people who will flatter themselves, but most of them show me pure goodwill.

‘I purposely try not to establish deep connections with them.’

I couldn’t help it. I would go back someday. That’s why I didn’t want to get attached to anyone here.

“…”

Why am I getting so worked up over this? I could feel my shoulders dropping at the thought.

Well, that’s it.

‘Let’s solve this emergency first.’

After a moment of silence going through the complicated thoughts in my head, I opened the map on the desk evoking the atmosphere.

I told Jean to prepare it for the wedding arrangements.

“Let’s see. South, south.” I muttered, pointing my finger to the south of the empire.

I told Kyle yesterday about the wedding location situated in the Arcane temple, and how I wanted to survey the place. I didn’t think we would leave so soon to visit it.

That’s why I was looking at the map at the moment, it will be useful in many ways if you know the way in advance. The paper map was unfamiliar, but I try to think of it as an immobile navigation.

‘… The Arcane temple.’

There was a library in the Arcane temple.

It was the largest in size in the empire and, in accordance with its reputation, the library itself was divided into two separate libraries.

Naturally, there would be many books on curses.

However, while the first city hall library was open to anyone, the second one was not.

‘If there is any information relevant to my research, it would be in the second library. It’s not liked the royal family, or the nobility would let everyone in.’

I remembered someone from the original story.

Obviously, only with that person’s permission, I could enter the second library. However, there was a problem there, he was a bit of a picky person.

‘Better use that method to coax him.’

I came to a quick conclusion.

‘Then I’ll wrap this up here, go to the library and find out more about the war.’

Having decided on it, I got up from my seat and walked toward the door. Then I pulled the doorknob. I pulled it…

“…!”

Surprised. I was surprised to find Kyle leaning against the wall of the door.

‘Don’t you know how to knock?’

Anyway, I barely calmed down my surprised heart and opened my mouth.

“What happened to the Archduke?”

“I came to inform you, I’m leaving tonight.”

What is he saying while showing up out of nowhere?

“Where are you going?” I asked, holding back the twisted thoughts in my mind.

“Arcane temple.”

‘What did you say? Instead of me?’

“What? Where are you going?” I asked back, doubting my ears.

“I said I’m going to the temple.”

So, why all of a sudden? Was it possible in the first place?

Kyle said, when I gave him a look instead of an answer.

“Were you not the one who asked me to go? That’s why I came to inform you first.”

It meant that he was only informing me without asking me. That also meant Jean didn’t know either, but he will find out soon enough.

I grabbed my throbbing head and said, frowning.

“Of course, I’m the one who asked you to go, but I didn’t mean to leave like this. There must be things you need to prepare in advance.”

“I have the authority to go in and out of the temple at any time, so it’s okay. You can sleep in the villa halfway through the journey. Even if you’re camping outside, I will thoroughly set up guards.”

“…”

“The night departure is to pass through the south’s forests safely. It’s not too late to leave until the next day when the sun passes through the forests.”

I didn’t know if it was in my mind. Kyle explained every point I wanted to argue. Kyle certainly wasn’t wrong.

‘But.’

“And the Romani’s knights love a sudden departure, they consider it an adventure and romance. They like it.”

Oh, my God. He even cleared my last argument. After all this, there was only one option left for me.

“Okay, then let’s leave today.”

***

After that, everything happened at the same time.

The maids prepared clothes, accessories, anything I could need with familiar hands at an incredibly fast-paced. The items needed for the trip were packed in a moment.

Jean’s voice rang out from time to time from the hallway.

Somehow, it seemed his back was bending wildly in stress.

‘… Poor Jean.’

Still, it was a pretty familiar situation to see that he doesn’t hurry and calmly direct everyone.

‘Is it from the dragon’s whimsical mood boiling over.’

It was surely Kyle’s fault.

While shaking my head, I went to the library and read a history book.

Evening came in no time. As the sun began to fall, the employees carried cylindrical lights one by one. Seeing they were still busy; they must still have a lot of work to do.

I walked out of the hall with Kyle, looking at the lively figures. Jean and several other employees were lined up and waited for Kyle and me.

“Your Highnesses, have a safe trip.”

“Thank you, Jean. I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be back.”

Somehow, we made our way to the gate while Jean seemed to have aged a full decade. Behind me was Lily, the maid who would accompany me as my personal maid for the trip.

As I walked for a long time to reach the gate, I saw the Romani’s knights this time.

They paid a silent tribute to Kyle and focused their attention on me.

“Have you been in peace, your Highness? I am honored to be escorting you today.”

The knights bowed their heads in unison when vice-captain Noxis gave me a polite greeting.

‘Looks like a dozen people.’

Huh? Now that I see it, there was a playful atmosphere around us. They looked like they wanted to wave their hands at me and say hello.

It was when I was looking through the knights, Noxis’ black eyes shook unexpectedly. He looked somewhere behind me while making a funny face.

‘Isn’t that a random thing?’

As soon as I looked back wondering, I saw Sejan walking towards us. With the unexpected appearance of Sejan, everyone froze around.

“What are you doing here?”

Noxis asked Sejan while keeping the same expression on his face.

“It’s only natural for her Highness’ personal escort to follow.”

“What?”

“What, didn’t you hear that? Why are you so slow?”

“Oh, no, I’ve heard the news.”

Noxis, who was going to say something more, blotted out the end of his words. He was looking at Kyle, then straight at me.

‘He must have said too much in front of the Archduke and the Romani’s knights.’