The Perfect Bride - Chapter 30

“What I mean is, you should choose your partner as an Astiers. Someone who at least makes sense. When a scandal finally breaks after a lifetime of silence, and the other party looks like that, I can’t even lift my head from embarrassment.”

At her mother’s weary voice, Charlotte mentally ran through her brothers’ scandal partners. One was a divorcee, the other a sensual novelist. Both were spectacular time bombs.

“He’s been so well-behaved until now. These days, I really don’t know what Ian is thinking.”

“If you summoned me to understand what’s going on in Ian’s head, then you’ve called the wrong person. I don’t know everything he thinks.”

“Do you only come to see me when something’s happened?”

That had been Charlotte’s plan, but she dodged the question with a sweet smile.

Violet winced.

“Anyway, whatever Ian is thinking, that girl is out of the question. A woman with all sorts of vulgar nicknames and indecent rumors—how dare she.”

“But judging by what the papers say, it looks like the one who’s infatuated is your son, Mother.”

Charlotte recalled Ian bursting out in soft laughter over dinner lately. Though it was closer to a scoff, it was rare to see him react to anything. He genuinely seemed amused.

Things were taking an unexpected turn.

“Even hearing it again, I still can’t believe it…”

Violet murmured blankly. She had trained him with the finest taste and education from the moment he learned to read. The result was hard to accept.

“Apparently, that girl feels burdened by Ian. Well, what does an unmarried lady gain from accepting a man destined to marry a foreign princess? At best, she’ll be branded a mistress.”

“At least she hasn’t gone completely mad.”

“Oh, but.”

Charlotte’s eyes lit up as if something had just occurred to her.

“Come to think of it, didn’t her marriage prospects dry up three years ago because of that sensual novel scandal? In that case, she might end up accepting Ian’s feelings.”

“…Then go and tell Ian: if he doesn’t stop meeting that girl immediately, his appointment as crown prince will be postponed.”

Charlotte’s lips curved meaningfully. Violet, caught in her own tangled thoughts, failed to notice.

As someone who believed the throne was a position everyone deeply desired, Violet was convinced Ian would choose it over a problematic girl. She didn’t realize she was repeating a similar mistake to what happened with Edward.

Still, her instincts—honed by years of hardship with a difficult husband—remained sharp.

“…Something about this feels too unsettling. We need to move up his marriage.”

Violet was certain that Natalie Daus could never become Ian’s match, even without interference.

Baron Warfield’s daughter and the former Grand Duchess Eris were fundamentally different.

Edward’s partner, Eris, had been married before but won her annulment suit, and both her parents descended from royal blood.

So Violet believed the woman to stand beside Ian would be the one she had chosen. Not some baron’s daughter.

Still, she couldn’t ignore the lingering unease that had been growing. She decided to act swiftly.

“We must invite her before the end of this season.”

“You mean Princess Sophia of Fossa?”

“Yes. I should have summoned her earlier and arranged the engagement.”

Sophia was Violet’s cherished niece, daughter of her sister Alexandra who had married into the Kingdom of Fossa.

That made her Ian and Charlotte’s cousin. Marriages between cousins were commonplace to preserve noble bloodlines.

“With a proper fiancée by his side, Ian will come to his senses, and this dreadful scandal will settle down. That girl will realize her place, too.”

This time, Violet planned to come out strong from the very beginning.

“If your brother truly isn’t mad, he’ll understand that escorting Sophia is a prince’s duty.”

“I’ll tell him exactly that, Mother,” Charlotte replied with a bright smile as she elegantly lifted her teacup.

As she sipped the now lukewarm tea, her thoughts drifted to Sophia, her cousin five years her junior. The last time she’d seen her was during a trip to Fossa with their mother when she was thirteen.

From what she remembered, eight-year-old Sophia had been…

‘Certainly sweet-natured and kind… but somehow utterly impossible to connect with.’

A strong-willed girl with extraordinary self-confidence—a formidable match in many ways.

***

At Dwan Central Station, the southbound platform was a flurry of chaos with passengers and those seeing them off. Amid the crowd, the baroness was clinging to her daughters, lamenting for several minutes straight.

“My heart sinks just thinking of leaving you both behind. Especially you, Natalie.”

Today, the baroness was returning to Warfield.

“I never imagined Prince Ian to be so lacking in honor. What could he possibly be thinking, to toy with an unmarried young lady like this…”

Though the train had arrived and the boarding gate was open, her worries kept her from stepping aboard.

“Natalie, you should come home with me after all. We’ll tell His Highness your health has declined. Once you’re out of sight, he’ll come to his senses.”

At first, the baroness stubbornly denied the scandal between Prince Ian and her daughter, thinking it couldn’t possibly be true. But it was impossible to ignore the daily headlines featuring the two.

Why in the world would Prince Ian be interested in our Natalie?

Even seeing it with her own eyes, she could hardly believe it. But just like the papers claimed, Prince Ian did seem entirely taken with her daughter. Eventually, the baroness had to admit that the prince’s absurd behavior was, in fact, courtship.

“Thanks to His Highness, the duchess is being kind to us. The Itman Station opening ceremony is next weekend, so we should at least stay in Dwan until then.”

Using the prince’s invitation as an excuse, Natalie did her best to soothe her mother.

Just yesterday, Prince Ian had come all the way to the duchess’s dinner and invited Natalie to the ceremony in front of everyone. Refusing had never been an option.

“If not for that invitation, I would’ve taken you straight back to Warfield.”

“If not for that invitation, I would’ve gone back to Warfield with you, too.”

Natalie tried her best to match her mother’s mood.

“Then promise me. As soon as the event is over, you’ll return home.”

“Alright. I’ll come back right after the event. Just a little while to keep an eye on Dorothy, then I’ll return.”

But she couldn’t bring herself to lie so blatantly.

“You’re not even handling yourself well… Who are you going to look after? This won’t do. Dwan is frighteningly different from Warfield. I’ll stay. You get on the train right now.”

“You can’t even stand the papers. How would you stay here? Warfield may be slow on news, but at least it’s quiet.”

Even if your eldest daughter elopes with a prince. Natalie suppressed a scoff behind her faint smile at the thought.

“Natalie, look into my eyes.”

Apparently not finished, the baroness clutched Natalie’s arms and pleaded.

“You need to stay sharp. His Highness is just toying with you. If you get swept up in this, your path to marriage will vanish forever.”

Then, she finally said what she truly meant.

“If he were an ordinary gentleman, it’d be one thing, but he’s royalty. If you get involved with someone you can’t even imagine a future with, then really…”

“My sister’s marriage prospects ended three years ago, remember? Nothing new.”

Dorothy, growing tired, cut in curtly. The baroness turned to her younger daughter with a stern expression.

“Dorothy, how can you say something so cruel in front of your sister?”

“Wouldn’t it be an honor if she can build a connection with His Highness while she has the chance? He doesn’t seem like a petty man.”

“My goodness, listen to you! What kind of ‘connection’ between a man and a woman? You have no filter!”

“It’s not like I said anything that scandalous.”

They said all sorts of things right in front of the person concerned.

“Madam, if you delay any longer, the train really will leave without you.”

‘Nice timing, Donna.’

If not for Donna’s careful interruption, Natalie’s patience might have run out.

“Mother! You really must go now.”

Natalie, flailing dramatically, grabbed her mother by the shoulders and steered her toward the boarding gate. The baroness begrudgingly boarded the train. Even as she did, the nagging didn’t stop.

“Natalie, remember this. I can’t bear the thought of you becoming someone’s mistress and remaining unmarried forever. Absolutely not! Never let anyone see you alone with him. And meeting him every day now is—”

“Yes, yes, I understand. Donna, please take good care of my mother. I’ve packed enough fare for your return, so make sure she comes back in first class.”

“Thank you, Miss Daus.”

Just in case her mother changed her mind and tried to get off, Natalie physically blocked the boarding gate and handed the fare pouch to Donna. Only after making sure the two were seated did she leave the train.

“Natalie! Please remember what I said! You must come home the moment the event ends!”

Just before the train departed, the baroness leaned out the window and cried out loudly.

Instead of answering, Natalie offered a faint smile.

Pooo…

With a blaring whistle, the train let out clouds of steam and began to pull away.

As the clatter of wheels faded, Dorothy finally turned around as if she’d been waiting. Natalie followed a step behind.

In the carriage back to the duchy, Dorothy leaned her chin on the window frame and stared outside the entire time.

It wasn’t until the carriage finally escaped the congested station and rolled along the quiet riverside that Dorothy, seemingly deep in thought, suddenly spoke.

“So what are you really thinking?”

Natalie was caught off guard. She hadn’t expected Dorothy to start a conversation.

“About what?”

“Everyone says Prince Ian is going to marry the Princess of Fossa soon.”

“…And?”

“Ha. I knew it.”

Frustrated by the lackluster response, Dorothy sighed and straightened up. With arms crossed, she looked at Natalie sternly.

“Natalie, get a grip. Do you think you can become the prince’s mistress with that half-hearted attitude?”