Keeping the Yandere Duke in check chapter 103

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‘Honestly, I’ve worked so hard. Can’t the universe cut me some slack for once?’

From the moment I became Jurgen Nil Everdeen.

Not once had I betrayed the outrageous demand to act as a substitute heir in place of the real Jurgen.

I never intended to betray the trust of those who believed in me, not now or in the future.

So just this once, I pleaded silently.

At the moment I was desperate enough to pray, the heavy doors, which seemed as though they would never open again, began to part.

“Her Highness Princess Evelyn and Grand Duke Yudenet are entering!”

The blaring sound of grand horns announced the arrival of the two, and their appearance was, frankly, a mess.

“….”

‘You’ve got to be kidding me….’

Ernan, as always during public appearances, looked as emotionless as a doll carved from ice.

But the problem was the princess.

‘Anyone would think she’s been held hostage by a rebel.’

She seemed to be trying to appear composed, but anyone could see she was so nervous she looked on the verge of collapse.

Her pale cheeks lacked any color, her eyes were sunken as if she hadn’t slept, and her hair was greasy and frayed at the ends.

She hardly looked like a princess raised in the lap of luxury.

The real question was, who here was actually being treated as a criminal?

Hernan, encircled tightly by four palace guards as though he might escape at any moment, caught my eye.

When I looked at him in alarm, he gave a slight shake of his head as if to reassure me.

“Evelyn!”

The Emperor, visibly shaken by Evelyn’s haggard appearance, unconsciously began to descend from the throne, his jaw dropping.

But then, as if suddenly realizing who was present, he straightened up and barked with feigned anger.

“What is the meaning of this? How could you…!”

From the sidelines, the Empress, who had been silent until now, also rose and shouted at the princess.

“Evelyn!”

Her tone was like that of someone furious that their puppet had dared to move without permission.

Evelyn flinched and instinctively moved to hide behind Hernan.

But then, as if remembering her resolution not to let others dictate her life anymore, she met my gaze.

At that moment, she stopped retreating and stood her ground.

“Yes, I’m listening.”

Her voice was weak, barely held together, but she managed to finish her sentence.

Anyone could tell she was deeply anxious.

“Explain yourself! What were you thinking, causing this commotion?”

The Emperor’s tone, though angry, was laced with a tenderness that made me incredulous.

If only he had respected her wishes to avoid marriage from the beginning, everyone could have avoided this chaos.

As that thought crossed my mind, my eyes landed on the Empress again.

‘Clearly, she has a different agenda.’

Her glare was so piercing it sent chills down my spine, even as an onlooker.

“I… I’m sorry for not speaking sooner, Father. I… I….”

Evelyn hesitated, glancing nervously at the Empress.

When the Empress’s anger registered, Evelyn visibly flinched, drawing in a sharp breath.

“I… I….”

Her head bowed so low it seemed she might bury it in the ground.

The red flush on her neck, visible through her long hair, betrayed the depth of her anxiety.

But I couldn’t step in.

This was something Evelyn had to face herself.

“….”

As Evelyn trembled, unable to speak further, the Empress seized the moment to cut in.

“Your Majesty, it seems Evelyn has been swayed by these wicked individuals and has lost her ability to discern properly….”

The Empress moved swiftly to strip Evelyn of her voice.

But at that moment, Evelyn seemed to recall that she could no longer live like this.

She lifted her head and shouted with all her might.

“I don’t want to marry yet! Not to Grand Duke Yudenet, nor to any man!”

“What?!”

The Emperor looked utterly flabbergasted, as though he had been struck by lightning.

“Wait—what? Didn’t you express interest in him by accepting his invitation to dance?”

The conversation’s focus now shifted entirely to Evelyn and the Emperor.

“That’s not it! It’s just that Grand Duke Yudenet happened to be the closest person to me at the time! I don’t have feelings for anyone yet!”

The Emperor groaned in frustration, clutching his head.

It was clear he found this entire ordeal utterly humiliating, especially given how far he had gone, threatening and manipulating others to achieve his goals.

His actions would surely go down in history as the folly of a king who embarrassed himself and his country.

“Then what, pray tell, was the point of all this….”

As the Emperor muttered bitterly, Evelyn refused to stop.

She raised her head and continued, her voice trembling but firm.

“I apologize for causing you concern, Your Majesty. I understand that it is my duty as a royal to strengthen the kingdom through marriage alliances. So I won’t say I’ll never marry anyone.”

Her voice cracked at the end of her sentences, but there was a newfound strength in her tone.

“But I don’t want to passively accept a fate dictated by others while doing nothing in the comfort of your embrace. Please, grant me the chance to prove my abilities!”

“…!?”

“…!?”

At the princess’s shocking declaration, everyone in the audience chamber froze in place.

Did she even realize what she had just said?

Probably not. If she did, there was no way she would have dared to say such a thing.

The room fell so silent that you could hear a pin drop, and it was only then that the princess seemed to realize the gravity of her mistake.

Her flushed face turned as pale as a sheet.

“Ah, um, that is… I didn’t mean… it’s a misunderstanding…”

As the princess stammered, her face turning an alarming shade of blue, the emperor let out a dry, incredulous laugh.

“So, are you saying you intend to challenge your elder siblings?”

The princess frantically shook her head.

“No! Absolutely not! I would never… I mean, how could I…!”

“Why not? As you said yourself, you’ve never had the opportunity to prove the extent of your abilities or to test your limits. You are, after all, my blood and a rightful member of the imperial family. Perhaps it is unfair that you’ve never been given such a chance.”

The princess looked as though she might faint on the spot, unable to comprehend how things had spiraled out of control.

“When you set events in motion like this,” the emperor continued, his voice sharp, “you must also have the courage to deal with the consequences. As punishment for your audacity in disrespecting the imperial family, the grand duke’s deployment orders will not be rescinded.”

Ha. Of course, this wasn’t going to end easily.

The emperor’s words made it clear that he intended to escalate matters further, even involving the Council of Elders if necessary.

Fine.

If that’s how it’s going to be, I still had one card left to play.

‘Honestly, I didn’t want to reveal this here and now.’

But making a distasteful move was far better than letting things fall apart entirely.

Even though my interference here would be a gross breach of etiquette—practically an insult to the imperial family—I couldn’t stay silent any longer.

Stepping forward, I raised my hand and addressed the emperor.

“I have something to say. There is a clear reason why Grand Duke Yudenet was forced to decline the marriage proposal.”

Just as Hernan moved to follow me, intending to protect me, a page burst through the side door near the chamber’s entrance, his face pale with urgency.

He hurried up the steps to the throne and whispered something to the emperor.

‘What now…?’

I couldn’t fathom what could be so urgent that it warranted interrupting this tense moment.

But whatever it was, the emperor’s expression shifted to one of utter shock.

“What? So suddenly?”

The emperor’s uncharacteristic loss of composure made it clear that this was something extraordinary.

Even I couldn’t imagine what could be more shocking than the current situation.

For a reaction like this, it had to be something as catastrophic as the crown prince’s death or an invasion at the border.

As I tried to read the room, the page whispered something else to the emperor, who shook his head grimly before speaking.

“Bring them in at once.”

The page rushed out, and almost immediately, the blaring sound of trumpets filled the chamber as the audience hall doors swung open.

What appeared in the doorway was…

“You… What are you doing here?”

The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them, so shocking was the sight before me.

“Whew, just in time!”

It was none other than Berta Kalis Everdeen, infamous troublemaker and brawler, her sun-scorched red hair messily tied back and flying in all directions.

She was also the very cause of this entire debacle.

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