The Useless Duchess' Second Chance

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A luxurious carriage bearing the Alison family crest stopped on the palace grounds. From the inside, Ariana jumped out in an unusual outfit. After Ariana got used to wearing pants, the dress that used to be her favorite outfit made it difficult for her to move freely. Now, Ariana prefers to wear clothes with pants, along with a sword that is always carried around her slender waist.

Because of her unusual attire, Ariana is the subject of conversation among people in the palace again. Not to mention because this time Duke Andrew wasn't with her, people felt they could gossip more freely in front of the girl. Throughout Ariana's steps, she could hear someone whispering about how she had gone crazy after the accident.

“Those shameless people. Lady Aria, please allow me to punish those people who don't know their place anymore.”

James' face darkened, as he couldn't stand the sight of those people talking about Ariana, who was of a much higher status than them. But when James wanted to move to teach them a lesson, Ariana immediately held his hand and shook her head. “To find a sincere friend, we can look at how they treat us when we are at our lowest point. Just let them be, James. They make it easy for me to see who is my friend and who is my enemy in this palace.”

This time, James had started to get used to Ariana's thinking that was not suitable for her young age. He just obeyed the girl's orders obediently. But his eyes didn't stop remembering the faces of people who dared to act rude to Ariana, as a form of reporting to Duke Andrew later.

“James, is anyone still watching us here?”

In the middle of their journey, Ariana suddenly stopped walking and asked James. “There's no one around us, Lady Aria. Would you like me to check on a wider range?” answered the butler quickly. Along the way, it was James' duty to always be aware of their surroundings. The man could answer quickly because he was sure of the answer.

“No, but I want you to do something for me. If we continue walking straight from this place, we will find a castle that looks abandoned in the middle of the forest. It's the palace where Prince Raoul lives. I want you to go there, and make sure that His Highness is alone before I arrived at the place.”

It was common knowledge that the existence of Prince Raoul's Palace could not be discovered by just anyone. Some people even thought that Prince Raoul did not live in the capital because the prince was never seen on the palace grounds. Only a few people knew that Prince Raoul's Palace was actually in the middle of a vast palace environment. The old castle where the prince lives is surrounded by forest within the palace, which is often considered a haunted castle due to its explorable condition.

"I understand, Lady Aria."

James carried out Ariana's orders responsively after that. Since Ariana seemed to know exactly what he could do, James didn't hold back as he displayed his incredible sneaking ability.

When James was looking for the whereabouts of the castle that Ariana was referring to, the man actually found an old castle building surrounded by many tall trees. The maid couldn't believe that a castle, that looked like it could collapse with just the wind, was the residence of a prince in the prosperous Kingdom of Sigmund. Prince Raoul's residence castle was in stark contrast to Crown Prince Emilio's Palace, which was so extravagant that it could be seen from the royal palace's entrance gate.

As James was surveying his surroundings, the man found Prince Raoul seriously reading a book in the backyard. His expression was far different from the expression the prince gave everyone at the crown prince's birthday party. James didn't expect Prince Raoul to look so serious and dignified, as he slowly turned the pages of the book he was reading.

Rumor has it that due to his birth defect, Prince Raoul shouldn't be able to read or think too hard. Yet, Prince Raoul in front of James clearly had no trouble reading or thinking at all. What Ariana meant by James would understand what Ariana meant when he saw Raoul's condition with his own eyes, the man began to understand those words.

After confirming that they weren't being followed and that no one else was around the castle grounds, James returned to Ariana, who was still waiting where she was standing. James moved without making the slightest sound until Ariana herself was quite surprised when James suddenly returned.

“As The Lady might have guessed, the Prince was seen in the backyard of the castle with no one around. Are you going there now?”

Ariana nodded confidently. “I'll see him,” the girl replied confidently. Ariana was just about to walk in when James suddenly knelt in front of her.

“The road ahead is too dangerous, Lady Aria. Please allow me to carry you to go there,” James said seriously.

Seeing James' serious face, Ariana wanted to let him know that she had gotten used to walking that road alone in the past. But she couldn't just ignore James' good intentions. The girl didn't complain at all, as she let her body be carried by James to go to Prince Raoul's residence.

With James' ability, they were able to arrive in front of the castle quickly. Ariana was put down, then walked towards the backyard quietly. She would rather not surprise Raoul, especially when she came so suddenly today.

To be honest, relying on dream fragments alone wasn't enough to give Ariana the confidence to meet Raoul. She was still unsure about her relationship with Raoul. But for the sake of the family and the kingdom she must protect, Ariana can only rely on luck and her thick face to approach the prince.

When Ariana arrived in the backyard, she found Prince Raoul reading a book under a shady tree. Raoul's image was the same as the dream she had had all along. The boy was calm and had sharp eyes as his eyeballs kept moving to read the word for word of the book he was reading.

“Ariana greets His Highness, Prince Raoul. May health and prosperity always be with you”

Perhaps because Raoul had previously been too focused on the book he was reading, the boy immediately flinched when Ariana suddenly came close to him and bowed to greet him. For a moment, Raoul didn't know how he should behave in front of Ariana. He should have pretended he didn't know Ariana like he did yesterday. But faced with Ariana meeting him at their secret place, Raoul actually slightly hopes that Ariana will remember their true relationship.

Ariana, who had lost her memory, will not remember the whereabouts of this hidden castle. However, if Ariana's memory did come back, Raoul knew Ariana shouldn't be so polite when she was with him.

“I ….”

“Gabriel Alison's Book of War. I'm glad Your Highness read the book I brought with me at the time.”

Raoul's eyes immediately brightened when Ariana showed that she had not forgotten their previous relationship. The wariness and doubt that Raoul had initially displayed disappeared completely, as he approached Ariana with high hopes.

“You remember? People keep saying you lost part of your memory in that accident.”

Ariana was surprised when Raoul suddenly turned very familiar, just because she used a fragment of one of her dreams to talk to the prince. Now, Ariana can be sure, that they did have some kind of relationship in the past. Ariana doesn't remember how they met for the first time. But Ariana knew she was used to bringing Raoul books and food whenever she had time to visit the prince.

“I did forget a few things, including why I fell into the pool that time. But I still remember you, Your Highness. That's why I'm quite sad, you pretended not to recognize me at the birthday party yesterday.”

“It is because-!”

Raoul's words caught in the middle of the road. His face was filled with regret, as he stopped himself from saying more.

Seeing Raoul's expression, Ariana knew the prince actually knew something. Her movement to take out the book she had prepared stopped, as she looked straight at Raoul.

“Because of what, Your Highness?”

Raoul's hands were tightly clenched when he heard Ariana's question. While what people say isn't entirely true, Ariana's change in attitude appears to be true. Ariana in the past would never speak to him in such a formal tone, or look at him with such a serious face. The Ariana that Raoul knew was a beautiful and kind-hearted girl, who takes him out from a pit of despair because no one cared about him in the palace.

But it wasn't just her attitude that changed. This girl in front of him didn't even like her pretty dresses anymore. Now, Ariana also carries a sword at her waist, although the girl has always said that she hated violence and swords in the past.

Ariana no longer smiled widely when she met him. Raoul's temper lowered when he saw Ariana still staring at him with a serious expression, apparently still waiting for the prince to answer her question. The prince secretly clenched his fists, before he spoke in a loud voice.

“Her Majesty the Queen said that you were in an accident because you knew me. Because of me, you almost lost your life that day!”