The Duke's Unwanted Wife

“I ran into her in the garden and was finally able to have a normal conversation with her. It turns out we have so much in common. Isn’t that wonderful, Natalia?”    

    

“Real wonderful. You didn’t need a push after all. I’m happy for you.”    

    

“You don’t look or sound very happy. Is something the matter?”    

    

“It’s nothing. I’m just a little tired.”    

    

“Well, you have been working yourself sore these days. It’s like there’s something you want to accomplish in a hurry. It’s worrying to see you like this. If there’s something you want, maybe I can…”    

    

“Thank you for your help, Fredrich but the only way you can help me is if you find what I ask you to. Have you found it?”    

    

“Well, I’ve found a few locations and ordered for them to be searched but I haven’t found what you asked me to. If you can tell me why…”    

    

“Until I find it, I won’t be disclosing everything. Since you have been able to have a proper conversation with her, shouldn’t you be sending a letter?”    

    

“This back and forth isn’t going to help us, Natalia. But if you insist that I should leave you be, then I will do just that. Let’s talk later.”    

    

The mirror rippled and Fredrich’s face was gone. The spell she needed to communicate with her friends using mirrors was a complicated one she used years to complete. Now, she could talk to multiple people at once. She didn’t share the spell, finding no reason to.    

    

She put her mirror away and walked out of the room. It was past the time for breakfast and she ignored the initial calls, hoping to do something else before Fredrich rang up her mirror. She didn’t realize how empty it would be without Marvis. It felt like her heart was empty.    

    

“What’s that look of melancholy on your face? You could swear he’s never coming back. I’m sure he’ll be fine if Amaika and Cheese are with him.”    

    

“Bastian, shouldn’t you be having breakfast with the princess?”    

    

“If my sister is acting all depressed like this, how could I ignore her?”    

    

“I am not depressed. I am simply not in the mood to socialize with people.”    

    

“As ambassador, you don’t have any other choice, especially with the auction coming up.”    

    

“You don’t have to remind me, Bastian. I know how to handle my business. I dislike it when everyone else is telling me how I should take care of my health. I am fine.”    

    

Sebastian walked closer and pulled her cheeks. She glared at him but he didn’t stop pulling until she cried out in pain. He let go of her, a satisfied expression on his face.    

    

“Just wanted a little reminder that you were still human. Come on, we have to get to breakfast.”    

    

She rolled her eyes and went with him. While they had the freedom of eating breakfast when they wanted, Adelie was in the middle of a fast. She had to pray long hours in the church and try to connect with Ducroft, which was easier said than done. After she was finally done with her prayer, she felt like she could devour a horse, yet she had to hide her intentions as she didn’t want anyone to pick up on her weakness.    

    

“Your holiness, you have guests.”    

    

“Who is it?”    

    

“It’s Lady Hazel and her husband. We have ushered them to the reception room. Do you want to head there now?”    

    

“I have to change my clothes before I meet them. Send someone to tell them that I will be with them soon.”    

    

“Yes, your holiness.”    

    

A bath and a change of clothes later, she was heading to the reception room. She took a deep breath before she entered, planting a smile on her face so she could meet her mother. The way Vivia’s face brightened when she saw her daughter, Adelie would do anything not to diminish that.    

    

“Mother, I thought you were on vacation,” she said as she hugged Vivia.    

    

“I was but Micheal wanted to see the famous church of Ducroft and I wanted to see how you were doing. You don’t come home often and it worries me.”    

    

“It’s very busy here but I do send letters to you regularly. Since I’m not sure where to address them, I send them all to Natalia. I have missed you as well, Mother. You too, stepfather.”    

    

“It feels a little weird to hear that from the Saintess herself. Maybe I was lucky in my last life?”    

    

“Maybe. You have such bright mana, stepfather. It’s usually a sign of good fortune. If you wish, I can give you a tour of the main church myself.”    

    

“Thank you. I’ll really appreciate that.”    

    

“Are you sure, Adelie? You look a little pale and your cheeks are sunken. Are you eating and sleeping well?”    

    

“Mother, I don’t know the easy way to say this but part of my job as the Saintess requires me not to eat for days at the same and pray for long hours for the kingdom and the people. It’s my responsibility, what I chose to do after becoming the Saintess. I know this would break your heart but I would really like it if you supported me.”    

    

“If this is your wish, then your mother will listen to you. However, I have a wish of my own. If you receive a letter or a request to visit from the Grayson family or the Hazel family, turn it down immediately.”    

    

“Why? What happened? Did they threaten you? Try to do anything to you?”    

    

“Baron Grayson wants to recognize you officially as his daughter and add you to the family registry. After that, he wants to handle your marriage and become politically affiliated with the royal family. He claims that he didn’t know you were his daughter and has finally found proof so he can take you back after these long years of estrangement. What do you think?”    

    

“He’s finally starting to make his move. Well, I am of marriageable age and there is no rule against the Saintess getting married. If he recognizes me as his daughter, that means he will be able to choose my marriage partner as my parent. How annoying.”    

    

For a moment, Vivia felt her innocent and gentle daughter disappear, a mysteriously cruel person replacing her. But when she saw her smile, she felt like it was all in her imagination.    

    

“I will speak to her highness Princess Alana to speak to the king on my behalf. I’m sure there is something I can do.”    

    

“Wouldn’t it be better to speak to the king directly? You are the Saintess.”    

    

“You’re right. I should do that. But we can put that aside and go on that tour I promised. There are many things I want to show you, mother.”    

    

While in the cave, Amaika had a faint feeling they had been there recently even though they hadn’t visited the ancestral grounds in over a century. Even the process of bloodline activation, they felt like they had done it before for Marvis. It was confusing for them but they didn’t deviate from the task at hand. Once they were done, instead of leaving right away, they looked around the cave, annoying Marvis.    

    

“We are finished, right? Let’s go back immediately. I want to see Natalia. I’m worried about her.”    

    

“There is something important I must investigate and I am not leaving without knowing it. If you’re that eager to leave, then you can go with Cheese.”    

    

Marvis sighed in defeat, knowing he could just return with Cheese. He followed closely behind them as they investigated the walls that had strange writings and symbols on them.    

    

“That’s weird.”    

    

“The fact that you’re trying to decipher a dead language? No, I think that’s the standard for you.”    

    

“No. The fact that I have definitely been here before and still haven’t noticed these symbols before even though I can read them perfectly. They’re for a teleportation spell but it doesn’t say where, which would probably mean it’s a secret location. That’s strange.”    

    

“I have forgotten you are seriously ancient. Are you going to be teleporting with that thing?”    

    

“Yes.”    

    

“Seriously?! You don’t know where it leads to! And I’m the reckless one.”    

    

“You are very reckless and inattentive. You probably do not know the advantage of what you have just done and would leave it like that.”    

    

Marvis regretted caring about them in the first place. They cut their thumb and used their blood to trace the symbols on the wall while silently muttering the words written above them. They started to glow a bright green color.    

    

“It’s my mana signature. But how?”    

    

“Like I said, you’re ancient.”    

    

“I will remember if I ever did something like this before and I am supposed to remember everything. But lately, I’m starting to think the things I’m remembering may not even be real.”    

    

“Like I said, you’re ancient.”    

    

Amaika ignored Marvis’s rude input and fully activated the teleportation portal, all three of them disappearing to an unknown destination.