Crazy Duke and Fallen Queen

After those few words with Martia, I decided to live a few months pretending to be oblivious about the future.

I managed to stop his majesty from sending the young Grahm to Polis, which made me gain points with the Count. However, I didn't say anything about letting me go. It was early, and all the counsellors that feared my claim to the throne could think of it on their own.

They already did it once; they can repeat that thought.

Wilhelm and Bertha reached me in the capital, one for fun and the other because her parents finally accepted Grahm's marriage offer. They were set on linking my family to theirs, and with close links at that.

«Let's go celebrate,» Wilhelm stated as soon as we were together.

«I can't. I'm a nice lady now,» Bertha shrugged. «Also, Lyana decided to stay in Stoneyard. She mumbled something about learning how to keep account cleans and disappeared... I don't want to be associated with you two if she's not here.»

«Oh, you always talk like that but, in the end, you tag along,» Wilhelm complained. He crossed his arms and thought awhile before resuming his speech. «We're not going who knows where. There's a festival in the capital. It's the only one even nobles attend, so it will be fun.»

«A festival, a few days after his majesty's death?» Bertha mumbled.

«It's a few days after a coronation, to be precise,» he pointed out, and all the girl's objections disappeared.

«Candied fruits?»

«Commoner events are full of that stuff.»

«I'm in.»

I sighed, wondering if a festival in the capital was the same as in Polis. Were there all those people dancing and singing? Would I have been able to eat street food?

In my first life, I hadn't been able to see much of the world. It was a good chance to do it.

The festival was huge, even more than those I visited in Polis. Street food was sold everywhere; dancers performed on every corner, and people enjoyed the warm evening.

Bertha had already spent a fortune on small things she had no use of, and Wilhelm had already been slapped by two girls. Everything was just as usual.

A few wealthy men were strolling around, but the promised nobles were nowhere to be seen. The three of us were the only ones with a title on the whole street.

«Wilhelm, you liar,» I accused him with a grin. I didn't care about it; I was just curious about why he thought there would have been more people from the Palace out of its walls.

«Ah, don't pretend like you're unhappy about it!» he replied.

«I like it more like this,» Bertha intruded. «It's refreshing. And we see those pompous roosters every day. No need to deal with them even during our free time.»

«You'll soon be a married woman, have fun while you can,» Wilhelm reminded her.

Then, he turned to me.

«You too! You'll soon be married...»

«What the heck are you spitting, Wilhelm? I won't get married soon.»

Five years more.

«Well, you should. It's time!»

«And you?» I rebuked. Why was he so annoying all of a sudden? «When are you thinking of settling down?»

«I'm still young.»

«We're the same age.»

«No, I'm a year younger.»

«You're not a year younger, Wilhelm,» Bertha pointed out. «Just ten months. You're the same age.»

«You're old,» he replied, cold and offended.

«I'm younger than you. I indeed am a year younger than Alexander.»

«But you're a woman. You age faster.»

«That's not true!» She crossed her arms and glared for a second. «Let's make a bet: we should see who among us looks better in ten years.»

«Ten years is too much; let's make it five,» I proposed. Who knows if I would have any chance to see them that far in the future.

I shook my head, realising that I wasn't doing what I had decided to. I still relied on my knowledge too much.

I was curious to see whether my Queen remembered me but, at the same time, I was afraid to ruin everything with my behaviour.

Martia had believed me, and she accepted my memories with a child's trust. However, an adult would have seen what my sister didn't.

I was not a normal person. There was something wrong with me that made me see the future and long for a life that had surprised me the first time I lived it.

Any adult would have looked at me with contempt, or even worse pointed at me as a demon. I had to hide that part of me, pretending that all my knowledge came from a talent I didn't have.

«Well, I was going to bring you to a party,» Wilhelm confessed. «This is nice and all, but the real fun is somewhere with people that know how to celebrate.»

«I knew it,» Bertha rolled her eyes. Regardless, she followed Wilhelm towards the wealthier part of the city.

On the way, I stopped in front of a seller of old, consumed books. It was a rare sight, and he wasn't doing much business.

There weren't enough commoners that knew how to read. Nor can they afford a book either.

My eyes flew on the titles, wondering who wrote all of that stuff. I hadn't heard of any of those authors, yet I decided to give it a try. I opened the first book, and I understood why I hadn't heard of it.

It was a popular narrative. Something the nobles despised and wouldn't give a chance to. It hadn't been part of my education, and I wasn't supposed to stumble upon that sort of art in my entire life.

Indeed, the first time I hadn't.

«How much?»

«One silver the book if you choose from those in front of you. One gold for those that still have a cover.»

It was such a low price for a book.

I chose some tomes randomly, wondering if I could make something out of all those unwanted books.

Then, I read the title.

«How to treat women,» I phrased. I remembered a couple of books about that matter from my first life.

A woman's body is a complicated system. You need to focus on it for a long time if you want to learn how it works.

I knew a lot thanks to my Queen's patience. But was it enough?

In the end, I reached out to it and grabbed something that seemed valuable on the spot.

I couldn't predict that it was just a bunch of crap about how moody girls can be. The author must have been stood up several times. And he didn't learn a thing out of it.

First of all, it suggested you treat women coldly to make them desire something they supposedly can't have easily. Then, you should pretend to concede and make void promises.

Lastly, it said that women like cold, overbearing types. They feel safer next to dangerous bastards than to a kind, reserved man.

Knowledge is a weapon one can use to woo a girl, but it can't compete with aesthetics. Charm is more effective than muscles. But in the end, all women agree to the most profitable marriage.

I wasn't sure all of that was false, but it felt so wrong. My experience with my Queen had been quite the opposite. I hadn't shown her any prowess. And I certainly wasn't as trained as I became the second time.

My achievements and power couldn't even be compared among the two lives.

However, she loved me when I was nobody.

I regretted spending one gold on that book. But I didn't throw it away. I brought it with me and placed it among the others in Kyre. It stayed there for years, untouched. I read every word of it, but it didn't help me.

In truth, I couldn't understand how much of it was reliable. It didn't add up to my knowledge, but I decided to cultivate every part of me.

Just to be safe and not let my Queen down.

The rest of the festival was full of colours and the scent of fruits and frivolous cocktails.

Wilhelm brought Bertha and me to the house of a Marquise who celebrated every year because his birthday fell near the date of the event or something like that.

It was boring, but at least I understood that aquavit goes well with fruit juice. It can make interesting combinations.

I was busy trying to find out what fruit could give that shade of blue when my eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar image. I had been drinking almost alone for a while, but then I remembered that I was surrounded by people.

And one of them attracted my attention.

I got up from my seat and walked in her direction. I didn't notice the colour of the dress, the way she stood while talking with someone.

I didn't see anything except a cascade of hair.

Light blonde hair, curled locks that resembled the sea waves.