Are We Still In love?

“Cecilia—ah, no. I should call you Grand Duchess now.”

The Emperor, having called her by name out of habit, quickly corrected himself. He had known Cecilia since she was ten and had always regarded her with the familiarity of a niece. That was entirely separate from Cecilia’s discomfort around him.

“You’ve grown even more beautiful.”

“You flatter me, Your Majesty.”

Cecilia smiled politely, like a figure in a portrait, and responded with the expected courtesy.

“Judging by Eden’s expression, married life must be treating you well.”

The Emperor teased, and Eden responded with a brief nod and a small smile. His lack of denial came off as rather smug.

“Look at you—married and already acting like an old fox.”

The Emperor clearly found his fully grown son endearing, even admirable. His gaze toward Eden was full of affection, a stark contrast to the Empress, who sipped her tea with indifference, barely acknowledging either Eden or Aster.

“Even so, you summoned a newlywed couple to the palace, who must be quite busy enjoying themselves.”

The Empress set her teacup down as she spoke, her tone lacking any real warmth or welcome.

In truth, she had never shown much interest in anyone except her biological son, Damon.

“Still, it’s only proper to pay our respects to our elders.”

“Her Grace the Crown Princess is right.”

Princess Isabella smiled gently, and Cecilia echoed her sentiment. Cecilia hadn’t seen Isabella in years—not since Aster was dragged into war and lost his life in her previous life.

Though she had been tense, the gathering wasn’t as uncomfortable as she had feared. That peace, however, shattered the moment Damon’s marriage was brought up.

“Aster has a marquess family, Eden has a duke’s house behind him—but I’m to marry into a baron’s family?”

Damon could not contain his anger.

“Damon Oberon Wyatt!”

The Emperor roared, but Damon paid him no mind and stormed out. His inability to control his temper was unchanged from the previous life.

“He’s still young, Your Majesty. I’ll go and speak with him.”

Even the Empress, who had kept a calm facade until now, looked flustered. She quickly stood and assured the Emperor she would calm Damon down.

“I’ll excuse myself. Forgive us for this disturbance on such a day, Grand Duchess Burnett.”

“I’m quite all right, Your Majesty.”

With hurried steps, the Empress left. The Emperor, visibly displeased, cleared his throat sharply.

“How long must he be coddled just because he’s young?”

Irritated, he turned his head away and closed his eyes as if he didn’t want to look at anything.

The unexpected family discord made the guests shift uncomfortably, glancing around for cues.

“Baron Orca’s family is indeed lacking to be matched with the Third Prince. They’ve achieved little of note recently. Would it not be better to seek a more suitable match?”

Aster stepped in, trying to mediate.

“Damon is too greedy.”

But the Emperor curtly cut him off. He was the same man who had sent his beloved second son away from the palace to avoid threatening the Crown Prince’s authority. He harbored no hesitation toward his youngest, whom he held no affection for.

Damon, in turn, resented both Aster and Eden. Cecilia had pitied him for the unexplained hatred he received from his father. It seemed even in a family, there were “fingers” that ached less.

“Still, Damon…”

“Aster, remember this—you are the Crown Prince of Wyatt. One day, you will be Emperor.”

As expected, the Emperor was unwavering. His voice was low, but his tone was firm and stern.

“As humans, we all have personal feelings. But you must never let them sway or endanger you.”

“……”

“Even if those feelings concern your family. That’s the burden of the throne.”

At the Emperor’s words, Cecilia lowered her gaze in silence.

Had Eden’s coldness in her past life stemmed from teachings like this? The question circled in her mind, with no answer in sight.

It left a bitter taste—subtle, yet unpleasant.

After the Empress and Damon departed, the awkward tension did not last long. The Emperor, citing a headache from his son’s antics, soon left as well.

Normally, he would have stayed longer just to spend time with Eden, whom he rarely saw. But Damon’s outburst had clearly left him in no mood.

“I’m sorry, Grand Duchess. Damon is still immature.”

Aster gave her an apologetic smile, clearly embarrassed.

“It’s quite all right. But… Her Highness the Crown Princess seems to be trembling a little.”

Aster turned quickly to Isabella, who had been adjusting her shawl.

“Isabella, if you’re unwell, you should have told me.”

“I’m fine, Your Highness.”

Isabella leaned half against Aster, who was checking on her with concern. She gave Cecilia a sheepish smile.

“I think I’ll go and rest for a bit.”

Aster had always been a gentle man toward his wife, both then and now.

“But…”

“Don’t worry about it—I’ll see her off. Someone, escort Her Highness.”

Aster gave the order. Though Isabella hesitated, she didn’t resist; she seemed tired.

“Please, go ahead.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Cecilia. I’ll be sure to invite you properly next time.”

Cecilia smiled warmly as she bid Isabella farewell. Isabella’s slender figure faded into the distance, just as fragile as Cecilia remembered. So delicate… no wonder Aster’s sudden death had also led to the demise of the unborn child and Isabella herself.

“Ah, I nearly forgot to deliver the gift…”

The realization struck her belatedly. As Cecilia glanced around in mild embarrassment, Eden gestured toward his brother.

“Don’t worry about it, Grand Duchess. I’ll deliver it for you.”

Reading Eden’s signal, Aster quickly spoke up to appease his brother.

“Turning the Crown Prince into a deliveryman… His Majesty might have a word about that.”

Unfortunately, Aster had no talent for jokes. Cecilia could only smile awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

“Bring the gift.”

Eden stepped in to settle the matter. At his gesture, an attendant brought forward the gifts prepared for the Crown Prince and Princess.

“Just a small token in return for the lovely gifts you sent us.”

“You didn’t need to trouble yourself…”

“It’s just tea leaves and a few books, Your Highness. Please accept them freely.”

Cecilia had prepared fine tea leaves and a tea set for Isabella, and for Aster, a book. He loved books enough that Cecilia thought he would’ve made a fine scholar, so it was a fitting gift.

“Thank you, Grand Duchess. Isabella will love it too.”

Aster offered his thanks without resistance, his eyes particularly drawn to the history book Cecilia had given him.

“I had hoped to find a book about Laner Island, but I couldn’t manage it in time.”

At her unexpected comment, both Eden and Aster turned their attention to her. Though Laner Island was technically an Imperial domain, it had all but been forgotten.

“One of the new maids serving in my chamber is from Laner Island, which piqued my interest.”

Cecilia shifted the topic naturally. Both men appeared curious, Eden especially.

“When I asked why she had come all the way to the capital, she said life had become difficult and she left home early. I’ve since learned that the cause of that hardship was a maritime conflict with Venia.”

Cecilia didn’t wield power. She had only been a duke’s daughter, and now she was merely the Grand Duke’s consort. She had never been involved in politics, and suddenly stepping in to make a change with her own strength was unrealistic.

“I wondered if His Highness the Crown Prince might take an interest in the matter.”

Thus, under the guise of goodwill through her gifts, she introduced the subject, hoping to draw Aster into the issue.

“I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve overlooked the hardships our people are facing.”

Aster immediately called for an attendant to gather the books.

“Her Grace spoke with the best intentions, Your Highness.”

“I took no offense, Grand Duke. It simply made me realize how many things I miss or fail to notice.”

Aster’s voice was gentle, easing Eden’s concerns. Truly, he was a kind and gracious man—so much so that Cecilia now understood the longing Eden often displayed when speaking of his older brother.

“I’ll be sure to read this. I’ll also look into ways we can support Laner Island. May I seek your assistance, Grand Duchess?”

“…My assistance?”

Startled by the unexpected request, Cecilia widened her eyes. Aster gave a calm nod.

“You brought the matter to our attention first, after all.”

Aster didn’t hesitate to entrust Cecilia with the matter. It wasn’t that he found it troublesome or wanted to delegate it out of disinterest.

“As the honor of the Grand Duke and Duchess of Burnett grows, so too does my strength.”

He wanted the prestige of the Burnett family to rise. Since Eden was firmly aligned with the Crown Prince’s faction, any honor gained by Burnett would, in essence, belong to Aster as well.

“I’m not sure how much help I can offer… but if Your Highness would grant me such an honor, I would gladly accept.”

Understanding his intent, Cecilia did not decline his request. Besides, if something went awry, it would give her the opportunity to step in and correct it.

“I’ll look into the details and discuss possible solutions with His Grace.”

Aster nodded with a contented smile, clearly pleased. While the Emperor ruled with visible pressure—balancing praise with dominance—the Crown Prince wielded authority through kind words and veiled expectations. He was a fine candidate for the throne.

And for the first time, Cecilia felt an unusual certainty.

That change would come, shaped in the form she desired.