Honestly, I had come here only half-believing it, but there really was a Grand Duke of Bayern.
And with only a few words, he had let her know that he was in the same situation as she was.
After being shown to her room by an aide, evening came.
As a guest, Ibel sat at the same dining table as Victor.
“Since I returned, I assumed you might have returned as well. If not, I would have made other plans. But I needed you.”
“Why me?”
“Because it had to be someone I could trust.”
The sight of the Grand Duke pouring himself a drink while wearing nothing but a white shirt was strangely sensual.
The loose fabric naturally draped over his broad shoulders, gathered casually at his waist. His sleeves were rolled up roughly, exposing his forearms.
Having cast aside the neat, cold demeanor of a commander she had always known, he seemed far more relaxed.
It felt unfamiliar—she had never imagined the Grand Duke could look like this—but Ibel did not show it.
She still had no idea how to process all the memories of the battlefield.
“Isn't it possible that someone besides Your Grace and me returned as well?”
“It is. But if that were the case, they would have come to me. The fact that no one has made contact means that, for now, it's only the two of us.”
“Ah.”
That made sense.
Among the others, there were plenty of people with enough status to contact the Grand Duke immediately.
Even those without the rank to write to him directly could reach him through Lucas or Heinrich.
There were many ways.
“People's memories may return gradually over time, so it's best to wait and see. Still, I intend to bring all twelve of the last survivors to my territory.”
“Understood.”
Just as the final twelve were precious to her, they must have been precious to him as well.
Still... it would be nice if at least one more person remembered.
But wishing wouldn't make it happen.
And for their sake, perhaps it was better if they remembered nothing.
“After understanding the full situation, the reason I searched for you first was...”
Victor Bayern was not a man who rushed.
Even when speaking, he always paused.
Knowing that, she waited patiently.
“I once told you about my nieces and nephews. I want someone who can properly care for them. Someone who won't reveal what they've seen or heard.”
Prominent veins stood out across the back of his hand as he set down the bottle.
Watching him slowly rotate his wine glass as though revisiting an old concern, Ibel swallowed and asked casually,
“Are they ill?”
“In a manner of speaking. Whether mentally or physically.”
A self-mocking smile briefly crossed his unrealistically handsome face before disappearing.
His deep blue eyes met hers directly.
“I intend to live differently this time.”
“Yes.”
“I'd like your help.”
“…Yes.”
A request instead of an order felt surprisingly unfamiliar.
To think she actually had the right to refuse. It felt like a luxury.
“This is a contract. Read it carefully. If you agree, stamp it. If not, I'll buy you a house wherever you wish. You've earned that much.”
Ibel silently looked over the document handed to her.
The contents were surprisingly detailed.
“We will use separate bedrooms before marriage, but after the wedding we must share one. Of course, each of us will also have a private bedroom of our own…”
“Even though we met under these circumstances, I plan to tell people that I fell in love with you at first sight.”
He said it calmly, but Ibel nearly spat out her wine.
Love at first sight?
Victor Bayern?
“...So you're saying it's a contract marriage, but it needs to look like a love match?”
“Exactly. You'll also have to play the role of a high-ranking noblewoman. At the very least, you'll need proper etiquette. Here.”
Ibel decided not to pry further.
After all, she needed money.
And she needed to keep it out of her twin brother's hands.
He says I can simply take the house, but then Abel might find me. If I enter the Grand Duke's household, he won't be able to threaten me.
Her brother was sharp enough to connect her disappearance to the House of Bayern.
But that was all.
What could he really do?
If I can secure stable funds, I could go abroad, continue my research, and keep working as a doctor.
In some countries, a female doctor wasn't considered strange at all.
Time and money to prepare for asylum.
Freedom from her unbearable family.
The offer was incredibly tempting.
“Take control of the household and perform the duties of the actual Grand Duchess...”
As she skimmed the contract, she realized there was no mention of heirs.
“Do I not have to bear children?”
Perhaps that was too direct.
She blinked at the Grand Duke's momentary pause, then felt relieved by his answer.
“There is no need for an heir. I intend to pass everything on to one of my nieces or nephews.”
“That's a relief. I don't want children.”
“You don't have to try to love me. Just pretend. I imagine you're quite good at acting.”
“Because I've spent years pretending to be a man?”
The Grand Duke silently agreed.
Ibel took a short breath.
“How long have you known I was a woman?”
“From the beginning.”
“...What?”
Had she heard him correctly?
She had thought she concealed it well.
Perhaps her stunned expression was obvious because the Grand Duke raised an eyebrow.
“I don't understand how anyone could fail to notice.”
“...You have sharp eyes. Did everyone else know too?”
“Half and half. Your bone structure is different.”
That stung her pride a little.
She had cut her hair short and deliberately worn oversized clothes.
Grumbling inwardly, she returned her gaze to the contract.
“I have one condition.”
“Anything.”
“My twin brother knows my secret. Send him somewhere he can never come back from.”
“What else do you need?”
She hadn't expected him to agree so easily.
The Grand Duke looked willing to grant nearly any request.
“Hmm... then when the contract ends, arrange passage on a ship for me. I want to travel safely to another country. Preferably somewhere that won't be involved in a war.”
“That will be easy.”
They shared memories of the future.
They knew which countries would wage war and which would remain peaceful.
The difference was that Ibel lacked the wealth and power necessary to change the future.
But at least my own life... this should change it for certain.
As long as her leech-like family didn't find her and cling to her again.
“One more thing. Don't let my face appear in newspapers.”
“I'll take care of it.”
Just as she started to relax, thinking everything had been settled—
“Since our contract is agreed upon, perhaps we should begin speaking more casually.”
“...Pardon?”
“This isn't a battlefield. I'm not your superior anymore. It would seem more natural if we addressed each other by name.”
For a moment, she was speechless.
It wasn't that he was wrong.
The problem was that her first thought was:
How could I possibly do that?
They had agreed to marry, yes.
But from her perspective, the Grand Duke was still a superior so far above her that he felt untouchable.
“You can take your time getting used to it during the engagement period. I'll make the effort first.”
“Ah, um... Your Grace.”
“If speaking casually is difficult for you, wouldn't it look better if we both spoke politely instead?”
Her heart dropped as though she had done something wrong.
Without her noticing, he had already changed the way he addressed her—from you in the sense of a subordinate to you in the sense of an equal lady.
“...Understood.”
“Then allow me to escort you to your room.”
