By Zephyria 
The warp stone, which instantly moves the user’s location, was not yet officially announced, so only the royal family could use it.
Thanks to that, or because of it, I was able to use the Royal Knights, who were hiding their identities, as escorts for free while I was in the Grand Duke’s territory. Anyway, it wasn’t a bad deal for me. It wasn’t like I couldn’t seduce the guy I had to seduce just because there were more eyes watching me, and I had my own plans.
The Crown Prince emphasized how much he was using two of the only five warp stones that the Magic Tower had given him for this matter. (Since it was such a valuable warp stone, it meant that I had to be worth two warp stones during my next Heat cycle.)
I was grateful that he had gotten permission from my father, but who was it that insisted on following me even though I said that if he was so busy, he really didn’t have to come, and that I could go alone?
The Crown Prince spent all day processing the documents he brought with him, and at night he would put me in his arms because he said he was cold and tormented me as he pleased. It was the middle of summer, and it was stuffy even at midnight, so I was the only one who suffered.
In the mansion, most of the people were Betas except for my family and a few knights, so I wasn’t embarrassed, but almost all of the Royal Knights that the Crown Prince brought with him this time were Alphas, so I was conscious of them every night. It felt like the Crown Prince’s and my Pheromones were mixing and flowing out every time the carriage moved.
“Please stop. Please… I’m too embarrassed for the knights to see…”
“Oh my? If you come out like this, it’s not a small loss. I haven’t even filled the value of one warp stone yet.”
“Ah, how much is it! Tell me right now. I’ll borrow from my father or beg him, I’ll do whatever it takes to fill it all!”
“Chuckles. I know, I know. I was going to stop soon anyway, so don’t worry. I don’t want to reveal to the Grand Duke’s family, who aren’t even on my side yet, that you’re the future Crown Princess.”
“…Really?”
“Really and truly.”
As if he intended to keep his word, the Crown Prince didn’t bother me anymore from the third day on. Even when he habitually touched me here and there, he would just caress me gently with his Pheromones tightly bound. Thanks to that, I, who had been tense with my eyes and shoulders full of strength, was able to relax.
The detailed map that the Imperial family monopolized was so good that even though it would take eight days to get to the entrance of the Grand Duke’s territory no matter how fast you went, it only took six days to arrive.
I promised the Crown Prince to meet here again in exactly one month and parted ways. Since we had already formally requested a visit in advance, the Grand Duke’s envoy would soon come out to guide us, so there was no need to overlap our routes and take unnecessary risks.
Unlike the Count and his wife, who were worried sick about me leaving, the Crown Prince, who always seemed relaxed, was belatedly uneasy when it was time for him to leave, and he rummaged through the magic tools he had and handed them over to me. To be honest, I was planning to beg him to give them to me no matter what if he didn’t give them to me, so it was good.
“Noah.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“…”
“Your Highness?”
“No, it’s nothing. I’ll see you again in a month, in good health.”
“Yes, Your Highness, please be well too.”
He grabbed my hand tightly once and then broke the warp stone.
“Young Master. Are you sad?”
“Huh? Me?”
I was quietly looking down at the hand that had been grabbed, feeling somehow hot and tingly, when Nicole asked as if throwing a stone while walking.
Of course, it was nice not to feel lonely because I had been living with someone almost constantly for 24 hours after the system’s message window went silent.
“Hehe, you can fool others, but you can’t fool me. Your expression looks completely like that?”
“No, I’m not? What are you talking about?”
I glared at Nicole with a stern expression.
“Yes, yes. I understand.”
Whether I did that or not, my attendant, who had long lost his fear, just burst into laughter.
Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I glanced around…
“…”
…Ugh.
“Everyone, don’t laugh.”
“Yes…”
“Don’t look at me with a pleased expression either.”
“Yes, yes…”
The Crown Prince’s henchmen, who were forming a protective circle around me like concentric circles, subtly turned back one by one and began to shrug their shoulders at almost the same time, as if they had planned it. In a very suspicious manner, as if they were about to disobey the (future) Crown Princess’s orders and burst into laughter.
Ha, I’m so embarrassed, I can’t live. I felt like the back of my neck was tightening.
“A member of the most fertile land pays respects to the ruler of the vast mountain range.”
I bowed deeply with one hand on my chest. The only person in this empire who is qualified to receive the monarch’s respect, except for the Emperor and the Crown Prince. It was towards Grand Duke Graham.
“It must have been hard just coming all the way from the capital. Is there anything else you need? Young Hamilton, please rise immediately.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Grand Duke.”
The longer you pay your respects when you first greet someone, the more it is proportional to the authority of the monarch who receives the respects, so the Grand Duke’s consideration in allowing me to get up right away was as welcome as rain on a drought-stricken rice paddy.
“I’ve heard of Young Hamilton’s brilliant beauty. Now that I’ve seen you in person like this today, it seems like the rumors were understated.”
The Grand Duke, who was just entering his fifties, flattered me with unnecessary praise, but the Grand Duke’s own face was shining even more. I felt sorry for him for not appearing even once in the main game with that face!
As one of the main capture characters, Grand Duke Carlisle Graham’s appearance was naturally not lacking compared to other Alphas. However, to match the only ‘younger man’ keyword… how should I put it… even though he was an Alpha, he had a strangely delicate feeling, or a scholarly, weak impression… It didn’t quite fit my personal taste, but the Grand Duke in front of me, with his sense of age, was, to put it frankly, ‘real’.
“By the way, this is quite peculiar. To insist on visiting during this hot season. Everyone agrees that the highlight of the Grand Duke’s territory is the snowy scenery.”
“That was precisely why.”
“What was?”
“I wanted to witness with my own eyes and broaden my perspective on how much more elegantly beautiful the Shadow Castle, which is already so beautiful covered in snow, would be under the warm sunlight.”
“……”
The Grand Duke looked down at me silently with an expression that seemed to say, ‘Oh, really? Look at this.’ It was a positive sign even if you fell backward. Because of that, I had to try hard to suppress the corners of my mouth from bursting into a smile.
Even though their outward appearances tended to be somewhat contrasting, the Graham father and son were roughly similar on the inside. The line I had prepared in advance to seduce Grand Duke Carlisle Graham worked very well on the Grand Duke too.
“Haha, good. You’re a rare and innovative young man these days.”
“You flatter me.”
“Make yourself comfortable during your stay. If you have any inconveniences, let the head butler know at any time.”
I offered my thanks and bowed deeply once more. It was a thought I was sorry to have in front of the Grand Duke, but… now that I had safely arrived in the Grand Duke’s territory, Grand Duke Carlisle Graham was as good as a fish in my hands.
It was difficult to meet him because of the physical distance, but once I met the Grand Duke, whose target direction was clear, I was confident in capturing him. The diary I had been reviewing over and over for that purpose was now almost tattered.
Originally, as Allen had done, I could have been introduced to Beatrice when the Grand Duke came to the capital in the future… but that was at least another year away. There was no need to waste time like that when I had plenty of it. I decided to move one step ahead.
After successfully completing the audience, I slowly left the hall. The Count’s castle in the Hamilton estate was quite splendid and large for a noble family’s castle, but it was nothing compared to the Ducal Palace, which had been used as a royal palace of a country until a few generations ago. It seemed comparable to the Imperial Palace.
Above all, unlike the capital, where you sweat even when you stand still in this season, I liked the corridor that maintained coolness without any special devices the most. Where else could you find such a summer resort in an era without air conditioning? It felt foolish that everyone only flocked here in winter to see the snow.
For the next few days, it seemed best to relax and thoroughly learn the geography inside and outside the castle. The places where the Grand Duke would appear were obvious, so there was no need to be impatient.
When I returned to the assigned room, Nicole was waiting for me as expected. Nicole, who was neatly organizing the mountain of luggage in the dressing room, was about to rush at me as soon as I entered, making a whimpering sound, ‘Doryeonniiiiim!’ He tended to take care of me in an exaggerated way, but he wasn’t usually so easily frightened, so I wondered if something had happened while I was away.