Orchid was completely taken aback by the lack of any response.
“There’s no way Iris would just ignore me.”
She had never been late once, not when handling any matter. Orchid worried that perhaps his letters hadn’t reached her, so he sent multiple follow‑ups—yet still, no reply.
“How could Iris possibly overlook my letters?”
His younger sister's silence struck him harder than he’d expected.
“…I see. Iris doesn’t appreciate her brother’s good intentions.”
Still, he believed that once summoned to the capital, she would hurry home. She was never one to refuse when help was needed.
Kaidrich sighed
:
“Perhaps… she’s struggling to adapt in Leontheim, and can’t even draft a reply.”
“Not even bothering to respond to her brother?”
Kaidrich’s face twisted in displeasure.
“I’ve told you repeatedly you shouldn’t coddle her just because she’s pretty.”
“Oh, Father, why do you blame brother for sister’s fault? She’s the one who failed to send a reply!”
“Liliana, hush. Daddy and brother are talking.”
Liliana pouted and pinned Orchid with an accusing look.
“Why is everything about my sister? I’m the one stuck here!”
She felt betrayed—ordinarily, the family would have fussed over this poor prison version of Liliana. But now, not only had Iris failed her, she hadn’t even written.
Were three words of apology really too much?
“None of you care about me anymore!”
Liliana wailed, tears brimming in her wide eyes.
But neither Father nor Orchid seemed to care. Instead, Kaidrich barked:
“Liliana! How dare you shout at me like that!”
Her wide eyes filled with shock—he’d never spoken to her like that before. The betrayal cut deep.
“Daddy yelled at me.”
Daddy had always defended her when she cried, even reprimanding Iris on her behalf. But now he spoke harshly to Liliana.
“I hate all of you.”
She burst into fresh tears. Kaidrich merely sighed.
“So… no one’s contacting you at all? You couldn’t even send a note saying you arrived?”
“It seems she’s unhappy about this marriage.”
“Still! To go on a rampage at her own family over an arranged union—she’s supposed to be a noble!”
Kaidrich clicked his tongue, thinking of Iris.
“So selfish to the end.”
He believed he’d done his duty as a father. Despite her shortcomings, he hadn’t abandoned her; he spent lavishly on her upbringing, clothing, education. He’d never beaten her severely, even if she failed to measure up to other nobles.
If that dullard had at least become capable, it was due to his own efforts.
“Perhaps I miseducated her. Who knew she’d turn out so strange.”
He hadn’t shown extra favoritism over his other children, but still—his restrained love wasn’t sinful.
Iris surely understood that, and I trust that she—
Even if not her siblings, she must respect me as her father.
He composed himself and spoke firmly.
“I’ll write to her.”
In secret
, Iris’s letters never stood a chance.
The capable maids of Leontheim screened every missive ruthlessly. When a weary maid came upon another pile of Valentine letters, she shook her head.
“Good grief. Didn’t he get the hint yet? How many more times?”
“Why not use the paper as kindling? It’s wasteful otherwise.”
Another maid, gently smiling, applauded.
“Sure—let’s use it to roast sweet potatoes. I’ve been craving some.”
And so, the fate of those letters was flame.
Meanwhile, in the warm glass greenhouse
, a group of noble ladies gathered in small clusters.
All from the North, but dressed and speaking like city debutantes.
“How was the new Grand Consort of Leontheim?”
They had all attended the wedding, and meeting Iris for the first time had left them utterly astonished.
‘I heard she was practically invisible in the capital, so I thought she must’ve been plain…’
But the bride, with hair shimmering like silver-touched lavender, walked with brilliance.
She had a presence so captivating that not even empty compliments could do her justice.
Even those who had come prepared to scorn her found themselves struck silent in awe, admiring the elegance that flowed from her like natural sword Qi.
Of course, that only made their pride burn even more.
Iris should’ve been beneath us.
‘But what infuriated me even more…’
…was the look in Cedric’s eyes as he gazed upon the Grand Duchess.
The Archduke’s gaze, fixed on the bride draped in white, was unmistakably that of a man deeply in love.
The more he watched her—so full of quiet care, as though fearing even the wind might harm her—the deeper their hearts sank.
It should’ve been me standing there.
Every noble daughter in the room had once set her eyes on marrying Cedric.
They had all assumed, at the very least, that he’d choose someone from the North, not from the capital.
“Indeed… there’s something about her hair that seems to hold men’s eyes.”
One noble lady finally broke the silence, tone laced with subtle venom.
“She must’ve had no shortage of entanglements when she lived in the capital, right?”
“No. Apparently, there were none,” another replied, her expression twisted with mild resentment.
“Well, I suppose she thought herself too noble—being a Valentine and all—to involve herself with just anyone.”
“But really, even if she’s a beauty by capital standards, can she truly be called a Northern beauty?”
“Exactly. When I think of Northern beauties, I think of someone like Lady Yordin.”
Their gazes drifted toward one corner of the room—
To a woman with fiery red hair, wearing a green dress that clashed with the wintry hues of the North.
“Weren’t you saying Lady Yordin once had quite the special bond with Grand Duke Leontheim?”
It was well known that Viscount Yordin openly boasted that his daughter, Camilla, was destined to become the next Grand Duchess.
And truthfully, she had been the most likely candidate.
Though the Yordin family lacked long-standing prestige, they had amassed great wealth through merchant ventures—
A classic nouveau riche house.
In the North, where gold often spoke louder than blood, their influence was not insignificant.
And Camilla’s striking beauty didn’t hurt either, even if it paled compared to a Valentine.
Camilla, holding her teacup, lowered her head slightly with a sorrowful expression.
“It’s a misunderstanding. I’m sure he remembers me only as a childhood friend. We merely attended the same cultivation academy…”
“But… didn’t you two call each other by name?”
Her closest companion quickly chimed in to elevate her position.
“Oh my, is that so?”
“That’s a clear sign of intimacy, then.”
Among noble scions, especially between unmarried men and women, first names were rarely exchanged.
It was a sign—not of friendship, but of something deeper.
Perhaps a marriage had once been discussed.
In any case, since the current Grand Duchess wasn’t present, Camilla quickly became the center of attention.
“There was a time… yes. So, you can imagine my surprise when all this happened. I couldn’t even attend the wedding properly—she didn’t even send a formal invitation.”
As she brushed her hair back with a wistful sigh, sorrow clouded her features—
A subtle implication that something more had once existed between her and Cedric.
“An invitation?”
“Unbelievable. That would never fly in the North. I suppose she just doesn’t understand our customs, being from the capital.”
A chilling thought passed between the noblewomen.
“Then… she likely doesn’t understand Northern society either.”
The Northern social world was famously closed off—its elite circles nearly impossible to enter without proper lineage, etiquette, and standing.
“No matter what titles she holds, the Grand Duchess isn’t truly fit to serve as matron of the North.”
Camilla clapped lightly, as though just struck by an idea.
“Why don’t we take it upon ourselves to teach her about Northern customs?”
The noble ladies’ eyes glittered with veiled malice.
It was the perfect opportunity to disgrace the new Grand Duchess—
A woman with nothing to her name but lineage and beauty.
And since they’d do it together, the risks were low.
“We’re only doing this for her own good, after all. Better we correct her now before real issues arise.”
“Exactly. No one more qualified to offer guidance than us.”
“Someone fetch a quill—I’ll write the letter myself!”
Camilla, smiling sweetly as ever, lifted her teacup again.
But behind the porcelain rim, her lips lost all warmth.
No matter how prestigious the Valentine family might be in the capital, this was the North.
And the woman who had married Cedric was a nobody. Easy to push around.
Or so they thought.
They didn’t even get to see the Grand Duchess’s face.
Because she never let them in.
“We’re sorry, my lady has instructed us not to open the doors,” the guards said firmly.
“What? Are you telling us to turn around and leave?”
“Is this how the Grand Duchy treats its guests?”
The noblewomen turned red with fury, their faces twisting in indignation.
“The Grand Duchess left a message,” the guard announced, then read it aloud:
“Arriving uninvited, without prior appointment, is a breach of Felsis Empire etiquette. If you wish to be received as honored guests, then come prepared with the manners of one.”
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
“Until you reflect properly on today’s conduct, none of you shall be permitted to set foot in the Grand Duchy of Leontheim.”
The closing words were sharp, cold, and brutally direct—too harsh for the capital,
But perfectly in line with Northern formal speech.
The Grand Duchess had just issued her first public strike—and it landed with the precision of a cultivator's sword.
Chapter 43