The Perfect Bride - Chapter 40

The couple that had once stirred not just Grand Batten but the entire continent had quietly returned to Dwan.

While Ian and Charlotte had been away on a year-long diplomatic tour, Edward and Eris had been absent for more than half a year, enjoying what seemed like a dreamlike honeymoon.

“Oh my goodness. Eris!”

Unable to sit still upon hearing that Eris’s carriage was on its way to Malik House, Charlotte immediately jumped up the moment she spotted her and shouted. Out of habit, she started to run and throw her arms around her, but with a start, she settled for clasping Eris’s hands.

Eris was rather fond of how Charlotte, who usually radiated an air that dared no one to speak to her, became unusually chatty only in front of her.

Charlotte shook her hands with great excitement. “Our Duchess Chaser, Her Highness Eris!”

Having married Edward, Eris became a duchess by his title and had recently been granted the honorific “Her Highness.” The journey to earning that title had, of course, been far from easy.

“Oh, Charlotte. How long has it been.”

“Let’s sit first. You must be tired.”

“A little.”

Charlotte carefully held Eris’s shoulder and escorted her to the sofa. The way she moved, as if handling fragile porcelain, was overly cautious.

Eris let out a laugh and looked baffled. “Oh my, you don’t need to fuss like this! You and your brother are exactly the same.”

Regardless, Charlotte knelt down beside her and couldn’t take her eyes off Eris’s belly.

“My goodness. Your belly’s really showing.”

“I’m already about seven months along.”

“I still can’t believe I’m going to be an aunt.”

Edward and Eris had originally planned to return to Dwan in the winter. But Eris’s pregnancy had hastened their return.

As Charlotte gazed with a warm smile at Eris’s belly, she suddenly furrowed her brow and looked up.

“You’re so slim, and yet you’re pregnant. Honestly, it makes more sense for Edward to be the one carrying the child. What’s the point of all that bulk?”

“Pfft. Edward said something similar once.”

Laughing at Charlotte’s indignant tone, Eris widened her eyes in amusement.

Seeing her looking so cheerful, Charlotte’s lips curled up slowly. Eris smiled easily and looked at ease.

Charlotte teased lightly. “Hmph. At least he has a conscience. But then why isn’t that foolish brother of mine here, when he should be carrying you around?”

“He’s still at Oberon Palace. I’ve been so sleepy lately, I couldn’t manage the trip there.”

Upon arriving in Dwan, Eris had first visited Windsorbell Palace to greet the Queen before heading straight to Malik House. Charlotte’s face filled instantly with concern.

“What? Should you really be moving around like this?”

“For now, it’s fine. But apparently, because of my age, I need to be especially careful.”

“Our queen really is something. Insisting you come all the way here.”

Violet had insisted that the baby had to be born at Windsorbell Palace.

“Not at all. I’m grateful she called for me.”

When Violet, who had adored her as a child, strongly opposed her marriage to Edward, Eris couldn’t help but be hurt. And since she understood why Violet opposed it, the guilt was all the heavier.

In the end, Violet did not attend their wedding last year.

But now, hearing that Violet had taken it upon herself to prepare a nursery at Windsorbell Palace, Eris felt as if she had truly been accepted, and it made her genuinely happy. These days, she found herself smiling often.

Charlotte followed her smile and murmured quietly, “You look good, Eris.”

“It’s thanks to you and Ian. You two really…”

“Do you still have nightmares?”

“Sometimes. But they’re not scary anymore.”

“Have you written to your father?”

“Yes, I did. He wrote back to congratulate me and even sent a childhood portrait of mine. I guess he hopes the baby will look like me.”

Eris had remained distant from her father, Frederick III, who had once forced her to marry Heinrich III.

“Good for you. Really, good for you, Eris. I also hope my niece or nephew takes after you more than Edward.”

“I’m hoping for Edward. Wouldn’t the baby be so much prettier…”

Overflowing with love, Charlotte made a slightly nauseated face.

“Once the baby’s born and you’ve recovered, you should go see your father.”

“Yes, I plan to. I think I can do it now.”

As if time had truly healed the wounds, the relationship between father and daughter was slowly improving.

Charlotte, as if praising her, carefully touched Eris’s neatly braided chestnut hair. At the gentle touch, Eris unconsciously lowered her lashes and smiled faintly.

Though only two years apart, the twins had always seemed simply cute to her. When had they grown so much that now they were the ones taking care of her? Sometimes, Eris felt deeply sorry for always relying on them.

“Charlotte, I…”

“You look good, so I can tell. Seems like our duchess prefers foreign lands over Grand Batten, hmm?”

Sensing her thoughts, Charlotte deliberately made a joke. Eris gave a faint smile at her consideration.

“Haha. Maybe so. The truth is, the trip was more enjoyable than I expected, and I thought we’d return a month later. But Ian… By the way, where is Ian?”

“Ian went to Oberon Palace to greet you and Edward. But you got here first…”

Knock knock. Just then, a hurried knock came at the door, and before Charlotte could even respond, it opened.

“Eris.”

It was Ian, dressed in his crisp white naval uniform for the first time in a while. The moment he saw Eris, his face lit up with a bright smile.

“Oh my! Look at him!”

“Stay seated.”

The timing was so perfect it was almost uncanny. Eris gave a delighted squeal and tried to rise, but Ian stopped her and practically ran over to her.

“Our Duchess.”

Kneeling on one knee before her, Ian whispered sweetly and kissed her cheek.

“Oh, Ian.”

Eris’s heart melted instantly. Among them, Ian was still the affectionate youngest.

“How’s your health?”

“Good. My goodness, you wore your dress uniform to go to Oberon Palace. You look amazing. When did you get so grown up… And how do you keep getting more handsome?”

Admiring his graceful form, Eris gave a cheer. Ian, used to being treated like a kid, gave a small snort and frowned playfully.

“Eris, I’m twenty-seven.”

When Eris had become the Duchess of Heinsnover, Ian had been about nineteen, still full of boyish charm. They hadn’t seen each other since, until she returned to Grand Batten three years ago. At the time, she’d been startled by how much his presence had changed.

For a moment, Eris realized how mentally healthy she’d become—she could now recall those days without being hurt. She gave a silly laugh.

“So, where’s Edward? Did he get it?”

“Ah, he did. Edward went to wash his hands. Said he couldn’t risk giving you any germs. He’s being dramatic.”

When Ian playfully furrowed his brow, Eris blushed, a bit embarrassed.

“Got what?”

Charlotte, who had been watching the reunion, tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

Eris hesitated, embarrassed. Glancing between Charlotte and Ian, she finally spoke slowly.

“…Ian, didn’t you tell your sister?”

Ian blinked innocently at Eris, then glanced sideways at Charlotte and gave a shrug.

“I had another appointment. Eris, I’ll see you at the formal dinner.”

With that, he slipped out of the room.

Watching Ian’s quick retreat, Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “What did Ian get from Edward?”

“Mm. The necklace Edward gave me.”

“…What?”

Charlotte gaped at Eris.

“If it’s something Edward gave you, then…”

In the Astiers royal family, it was customary to gift a necklace to one’s intended before the official proposal. The necklace had to be an heirloom from close family, so receiving one was regarded as the royal family’s approval to marry the recipient.

Because of this, in Grand Batten, giving a necklace sometimes carried more weight than an engagement ring.

“Are you talking about Mother’s ‘Starry Night’?”

The necklace Edward gave to Eris had once belonged to none other than Violet.

Nicknamed Starry Night for its resemblance to a black sky filled with stars, the necklace featured a star-shaped diamond pendant with ten sharp points and six strands of pearl chokers.

Starry Night had been a famous treasure featured in magazines. It was a gift from King Ernest II to Queen Violet when Edward was born.

When Edward asked for Starry Night, Violet had assumed he meant to give it to a princess he was being matched with at the time. She handed it over willingly.

But as everyone knows, Starry Night ended up with Eris, and their scandal became official. Already well-known, the necklace became a symbol of the sentiment: “Even if the whole world is against us, my choice is you.”

Caught off guard, Violet felt deeply betrayed by Edward and Eris. Out of consideration, Eris never wore the necklace at formal occasions.

“Yes, that one. He contacted me asking me to return early because he needed it for this weekend.”

Eris lowered her voice. The real reason for her sudden return to Grand Batten was none other than Ian’s request.

Of course, for Eris, handing over Violet’s necklace to Ian was no light matter. She could have claimed she thought Ian meant to give it to Sophia, but there was always the risk of falling completely out of favor with Violet.

Even so, Eris returned to Dwan with the necklace, without hesitation.

“It seems… he plans to give it to that baron’s daughter.”

“So it seems…”

“Actually, I ran into Princess Sophia earlier at Windsorbell Palace.”

After all, Eris was one of the few people who knew Ian’s plan.