Peony – I Saw the Future with the Killer Grand Duke - Chapter 9

TL: Jaemicy

Chapter 9

“…..…?”

Christian shuddered and looked back at me in disbelief.

“…I’ve never told you my last name, so how did you know my last name?”

“I know. I hope we can greet each other properly next time.”

After answering back like that, I left my seat and stood up.

But the next moment, a thought flashed through my mind.

‘Maybe Christian would recognize me easily.’

Christian was like my younger brother who followed me very well.

When I felt too depressed, I used to pretend to be a cat and lie down on my stomach.

He was a guy who recognized me like a ghost even if I changed my face a little.

Having made the decision, I looked back at the startled Christian and whispered very quietly.

“And don’t be so obvious just because you have someone you don’t like in front of you. You’re a major now. You have to let your subordinates see and learn.”

“You…!”

It hasn’t changed how fun reactions come out when you poke at him.

The only thing that has changed is our relationship.

Christian, as I know him, will certainly dwell on what he has just heard for a long time.

Hearing such a thing, it wasn’t in his  personality to run and tell Sebastian or Ernst.

‘You’d rather keep an eye on me with your determination not to bother them.’

Until he’s sure that I’m a threat.

That’s what I needed now.

Christian’s persistent gaze.

‘Well, I thought it’d be okay.’

Is he feeling sick too?

Soon out of Christian’s sight, I tilted my head and swept my chest.

I just felt like all sorts of emotions were clinging together in here.

I can’t express everything in words, so I just pat myself and tell myself it’s okay. ‘It’s okay. It’s a miracle to be back.’ I repeated it like that.

We can pile it up little by little.

Even if no one ever recognizes me as Gabriella.

‘So don’t be upset.’

You already knew it wasn’t going to be easy on the first day of becoming Peony.

Although I didn’t even see Ernst’s face today, it is not futile.

Even if she’s a Grand Duchess that no one recognizes, I took care of the Northern Navy as much as I could.

Even if no one really recognizes me and Ernst and we can’t be a loving couple….

‘I’m still the Grand Duchess of Eques.’

That’ll do.

Everyone in the Northern Navy has their own sea.

It’s my job to light up that sea.

My sea is still dark, but footprints are clearly left on the sandy beach where I walked with a lantern.

When I look back, I think, ‘Oh, I walked this much.’

That’s enough for now.

***

On the fourth day of the trip, I was quite

tired and dozed off in the carriage.

To be honest, when would an imperial daughter, who grew up only in the castle, have ever traveled like this?

A few days of camping with the slender body of Peony was almost like a forced march.

“Princess! Princess, please come out!”

Bang!

Just as I was dozing off, just as I was about to fall into a shallow sleep, someone knocked very roughly on the door of the carriage.

The moment I came to my senses, I had a hunch.

‘It’s started.’

The two forces that have been hostile to each other for a long time are going a long way together.

If there’s no noise in between, it’ll be even stranger.

I woke up with a sigh and opened the window.

“What’s going on?”

“My name is Gehan, I am responsible for the transportation of food that His Majesty has bestowed with his infinite grace. To, well, these ignorant Northern Navy soldiers!”

“Ignorant?”

“They’re asking to divide the food in half right now and give it to them first. They say they’ll get to the port faster and will put it on board, but how do I believe that?”

My tone of voice became cold for a moment, but the person who called me rudely didn’t seem to notice.

I coughed loudly and summoned the acting skills within me, who had been asleep for a while.

“Then can’t you just give it to me?”

“What do you mean just give it to you?”

When I asked again innocently, the person who asked, named Gehan, jumped up.

Then why don’t you just hit your chest and only talk about what you have to say?

“This is clearly an act of ignoring me and further ignoring the Emperor. Food… I’m supposed to lead it to the harbor safely, but how dare they give me only half of it!”

So the reason why Gehan was angry was simple.

‘The Northern Navy should come begging for something to eat. That’s why you tried to enjoy a sense of superiority over your position, but you can’t do it if they take half of it off first.’

There’s also the third prince, but the reason why he came to me would mean that Johannes didn’t even deal with them at all.

That’s why he’s betting on the easy Peony to be able to do whatever he wants.

My mouth twisted automatically, but I hid my expression and smiled in a docile manner.

There are countless people on the emperor’s side who are watching.

Now was the time for acting.

“Please come down and say something. I mean, they’re not going to listen to what I’m saying!”

It was such a loud voice that people buzzed around my carriage.

I smiled with satisfaction when I found Christian with a look of trouble and a group of soldiers standing behind Gehan.

‘It turned out for the better.’

That food transport commander is a shameless fellow who gets a jeweled hairpin for every jar of honey.

I thought I could take this opportunity to clean it up.

“Your Highness, so what happened was…….”

Christian, who came close to the carriage through the crowd, tried to say what he had to say without being rude again.

As I jumped out of the carriage, listening to Christian’s words, I unfolded my wrinkled skirt.

Then she put her fingertips on her lips and tilted her head slightly.

The movement was cute and lovely like movements of a little bird that drew attention–

“Yes, I see. But I don’t know because it’s such a difficult story.”

“What?”

This is hard?

Gehan looked dazed, doubting his ears.

The situation was simple. It was a simple request.

All she had to do was come out and say ‘Ahem’ and give him power by putting up the status of the imperial princess.

But what’s so hard about that?

“Excuse me, Princess.”

Gehan was frustrated, but he tried to tell this stupid girl his demands again.

Gehan was actually the nephew of a relative of the son of the emperor’s cousin’s sister.

He is related to his precious blood, so he even took such a great position.

He’s in charge of food transport!

The 36-year-old Gehan, who had been eating and playing at home all the time, was very excited about his first mission.

‘If I give the Northern Navy guys a hard time, I might be able to take on more similar jobs.’

Gehan, who wanted to solidify his position in the future, raised his wild boar-like voice and made a loud noise.

Most women get scared when he comes out like this.

“You may not know much, but according to Your Majesty…”

“But I do? I know this. Who are you to insult my husband’s army?”

But I was one step ahead of Gehan.

I pouted my lips and whined.

“And how dare you speak of His Majesty, the Great Emperor in your own right? If you don’t honor and respect His Majesty, then I don’t respect you.

“What? When did I do that…?”

“I’ve never seen such a brute as you. I’m disappointed.”

“?!”

“Just looking at your face will make me hate you. I don’t want to take you home. Pack your bags and go back to the palace right now!”

As every word I said continued, the expression of the knights sent by the first prince hardened.

In fact, this is not wrong.

If you take a closer look at what Gehan just said, it’s true that he borrowed the emperor’s power.

Gehan, whose face turned red, came forward breathing hard as he sensed that the atmosphere around him was unusual.

“What do you mean, princess? What a ridiculous setup!”

“No way, are you talking back to me?”

I clutched my heart pitifully as if I were genuinely shocked. Then, she gasped for a short time and performed with her whole body as if she had a seizure.

“I, I don’t even want to see the people you work with. Everybody go back! Or… or I’ll write to my brother and tell him that you ignored the imperial family!”

With a loud sound.

Everyone who saw me opened their mouths wide.

Among them, Christian’s expression was the best.

“Two-faced…”

Christian, who was muttering like that, closed his mouth with a start when I looked.

‘Yeah, you should be quiet.’

I walked somewhere, raising a cold wind, huffing like an angry crow. I saw someone who’s dressed similar to Gehan in white and fine silk gloves and pointed at him.

“You, you can take charge of the food transportation instead.”

“Do you mean me?”

“Yeah. You don’t like it?”

“Oh, my God, I will not disappoint! I can do it well! I’ll do it! I’m much better than that crab, man!”

“That’s right. It seemed like that at first sight. Then you take it.”

“I see. You’re so smart, princess!”

“I don’t know your name, but you’re responsible for making that ugly fellow disappear.”

I gave a cool command until the end, and my eyes glared as if to fulfill my order quickly.

“Don’t touch me! I am! Your Majesty!”

“Hey, Gehan! Didn’t you hear her Highness, the Imperial Princess? She told me I look better in charge!”

The two, who were quarreling, eventually grabbed each other by the collar.

‘All right, it’s going as planned.’

It’s sad to think that I’ve been wandering around for the past few days and just handed out honey tea.

I observed the relationship between people.

Who doesn’t like who, which two are rivals, etc.

One of my few personal belongings, a jewel pin… The top priority was to analyze the surrounding relationship.

I mean, this is the result.

“Oh, there’s something interesting going on here.”

It was then.

“How dare you act like that!”