At the age of 17, Cedric went to the battlefield for the first time to eliminate the rebellion, yet he never once felt the slightest bit of fear.
However, on the night Arthur found Emily unconscious, that was the first time his body trembled, and out of nowhere, a feeling of fear and tightness in his chest emerged, as if the world were crushing him.
Cedric had never doubted his own abilities, but on the day Arthur told him that Emily and Damian had gone off somewhere together, a sudden wave of worry and insecurity surged within him.
What if Emily chose Damian?
Anyone could see that Damian was the perfect man.
Handsome, wealthy, and status—he had it all.
As for himself, what could he possibly offer for Emily?
There was nothing he possessed that was valuable enough.
Cedric was also a man of sharp calculation and logical thinking; even at a young age, his military strategies were capable of crushing rebellions and forcing their leaders to flee in fear.
But when he saw Emily sitting together with Damian through a restaurant window, all common sense left his mind.
He immediately stormed in, ignoring the restaurant staff who were startled by his arrival, and dragged Emily out of the place.
Cedric didn’t care if Damian was the grandson of the High Priest whom he deeply respected; he wouldn’t have cared even if it had been King Killian himself.
Everything Emily had done had shattered all the beliefs and principles Cedric had held dear.
Emily was an unpredictable anomaly.
The same was the case today in his office, when Cedric invited Emily to inform her of the wedding invitation between King Killian and Princess Asha, which will be held in three weeks.
… “So, in three weeks we’ll be leaving for the capital.
Is there anything you need, Lady Emily?
So Philip can get it ready right away,” Cedric asked as he sat in his office chair.
“I don’t think I need anything, Your Grace,” Emily replied without giving it much thought.
Cedric just shook his head.
This girl didn’t even think before answering.
“Don’t you remember the clothes and jewelry you sold?” GASP “Your Grace knows about that too?” Emily exclaimed in shock, covering her mouth with both hands.
Her face immediately turned red with embarrassment at being caught.
Hah… Cedric could only let out a long, frustrated sigh.
Sometimes Cedric wasn’t sure if Emily really came from a noble family, especially at times like this.
This girl was far too modest.
Philip, standing beside Cedric and understanding his master’s dilemma, finally spoke up to explain.
“Allow me to interrupt Lady Emily, but as the prospective wife of Grand Duke Cedric, how My Lady presents herself and carries herself in front of the other nobles will also determine the Grand Duke’s honor.” “Oh…” Emily finally understood.
She realized she’d been too naive.
Of course, as the future wife of a high-ranking official, she had to carry herself properly so as not to bring shame upon Cedric later on.
Even the wife of the hospital director where she used to work always arrived wearing designer shoes and a designer handbag, along with a sparkling pearl necklace so large it looked like a marble.
‘What was her name again?
Mrs.
Caroline?
I think I’ve spoken with her a few times; she was a very elegant woman who seemed wise,’ Emily thought.
“Forgive me, Your Grace,” Emily finally realized how short-sighted she’d been.
“Very well, I’ll set up a time for the two of us to go out shopping; it seems like you could use some fresh air, too,” Cedric replied as he continued writing on his documents.
Every day, Cedric was always busy with administrative paperwork, and for his upcoming week-long trip to the capital, it seemed like he had a lot to prepare beforehand.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Emily replied, bowing her head in gratitude.
Just as Emily was about to take her leave, Cedric suddenly remembered something equally important.
“Oh, right.
After the opening dance between King Killian and Princess Asha, we’ll also be in the spotlight as the main dance’s opening act.
Get ready,” he explained.
“A—a dance?” “Yes, a dance.” “Your Grace and I are going to dance?” Cedric then shifted his gaze from the documents to Emily’s face, which suddenly looked panicked.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace…” Emily spoke softly, as if unsure of what she was about to say.
“Go on,” Cedric ordered.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t dance,” Emily replied frankly, her voice trembling with fear.
Hearing Emily’s words, Cedric raised both hands and ran them through his face and hair in frustration.
Then he fell silent for a few minutes, seemingly deep in thought, before asking with a serious expression.
“Emily, I’m sorry if this is rude, but there’s actually something I’d like to ask you.” “Yes, Your Grace?” “As the daughter of the noble Maynard family—renowned for producing scholars and government officials—royal etiquette is surely a basic lesson there.
But you can’t even dance…” Cedric paused for a moment, as if to observe Emily’s reaction to his question.
Instinctively, Emily was startled, knowing exactly where this question was headed.
“And I’m aware of your relationship with your family.
Did you not receive a proper education from a young age?” Cedric continued hesitantly, afraid of offending Emily.
Emily herself was at a loss as to how she should answer this question.
If she were the original Emily, dancing and other aspects of aristocratic etiquette would certainly be a breeze.
But the Emily of today was a product of 21st-century modern civilization.
Then an idea popped into Emily’s head.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace.
But what you said is true,” Emily replied, making her face look as sad as possible.
I’ll have to talk to Anna a lot about this later.
And to Emily’s real family, I’m sorry, but a little slander like this won’t diminish how awful you all are.
So just accept it.
Cedric, who heard Emily’s shocking confession, was stunned, and his heart broke as well.
How long had Emily been suffering because of her family?
He never even imagined that Duke Maynard could be so cruel—even to his own biological daughter.
“I’m sorry, Emily.
From now on, if there’s anything you don’t know, just ask me, Philip, or Arthur,” Cedric replied, smiling sympathetically.
Even Philip looked at Emily with an expression that seemed to say just how pitiful this girl was.
I’m sorry for lying to you, Your Grace, but I’ve been attending seminars and emergency surgeries more often than going to parties.
How am I supposed to know how to dance?
Cedric then turned to Philip.
“Philip, please find a dance instructor and a tutor in basic etiquette for aristocratic events as soon as possible.
And most importantly, she must be trustworthy, so she won’t leak this information anywhere,” Cedric ordered seriously.
After all, the future wife of a Grand Duke must not appear to have any flaws; otherwise, Emily could become the laughingstock of the other nobles.
And Cedric didn’t want that to happen.
Philip looked deep in thought as he accepted the request.
“When it comes to someone trustworthy who won’t leak any information, I have no other candidate besides Sir Arthur’s younger sister, Lady Ava.
Although she has a rather stubborn personality, her loyalty is beyond question.
What do you think, Your Grace?” Cedric rubbed his chin, trying to weigh his options.
“The last time I saw her, she was still a child; I’m also curious to see what she’s like now.
All right, send a letter requesting assistance to Count Artion immediately; we don’t have much time,” Cedric replied firmly.
Then Cedric turned to Emily, his face full of hope in her abilities.
“Prepare yourself, Lady Emily.
This won’t be easy, but I’m confident you can do it.” GLUP Emily could only swallow hard.
What would happen to her next?
But no matter what obstacles arose at this wedding, she had to prevent them.
Because if Emily failed, it would mark the turning point leading to Cedric’s downfall.
The novel describes how, due to the evil plans of Elise and her henchmen, Princess Asha would suffer an incident at the ball that would leave her face scarred for life.
This incident made Princess Asha feel insecure, and her relationship with King Killian—who was naturally cold and never showed any emotion—began to grow distant.
And in her sorrow, Princess Asha grew close to Cedric, because Cedric was one of the people who best understood what it felt like to be lonely and shared her plight.
They fell in love with each other, which enraged King Killian when he found out.
Although King Killian did not love Princess Asha, his honor as king had nonetheless been tarnished.
Not wanting this scandal to be exposed, King Killian eventually sent Cedric on a mission and hired an assassin to kill him, so that the people would believe Cedric had died at the hands of an enemy.
Of course, Emily didn’t want Cedric to die in such an unjust way.
“But Cedric, isn’t seducing someone else’s wife also inappropriate?
The more I think about it, the more I realize this novel is truly a mess.” Emily clenched her fists tightly.
“No matter what, I’ll stop Cedric from falling into another woman’s hands!” Emily promised herself.
After all, what’s so hard about dance practice?
Emily even managed to master judo quickly.
Aren’t they the same thing?