Chapter 3 – The Duke’s Radiant Princess

The next morning, upon hearing I’d been invited to the duke’s estate, Hanna sprang into action, adorning me with every possible accessory. Earrings, a necklace, pearl hairpins—where had she even stashed so many? Gazing into the mirror at my face, caked with unusually heavy makeup, I slumped my shoulders and sighed deeply.

This wasn’t a matchmaking session with the duke, nor a tale of being swept off my feet at the celebration. It was simply a job offer to tutor his younger sister, and I’d explained that to Hanna repeatedly. But her ears were deaf to anything beyond the fact that the duke himself had extended the invitation, leaving her utterly enthralled.

Blaming her wild imagination alone might be unfair. For a maid, seeing her unmarried lady return with a crested envelope from a duke’s household, lost in a daze, must have felt like a crisis.

Yet that was trouble enough—add to it another bothersome presence pacing the room.

“E-Ernesta… you’re truly, really invited by His Grace the Duke? It’s not some found invitation or hand-me-down, is it?”

Pacing restlessly was Uncle Dario, dressed in a proper jacket and tie with a small medal denoting his office—less formal than ceremonial attire but still formal. Unlike Hanna’s exuberance, his face was faintly pale, his mustache stroked nervously.

Hanna, in her loyalty, must have deemed the situation beyond her maid’s station, sending for Uncle Dario at the castle first thing in the morning.

“Uncle, please calm down. It’s a genuine invitation from him—nothing picked up or secondhand.”

“B-but why would His Grace send you such an invitation? Since when were you so close…?”

“Please don’t misunderstand, Uncle. We’re not close—not in any way. I met him yesterday for the first time, about tutoring his sister…”

“But Ernesta, that could lead to a marriage proposal from the duke’s family! Is it alright? With me, your father’s cousin, as your escort instead of him?”

“It won’t come to that…”

Why do adults always leap to marriage? I sighed again at my reflection. The dress, with its low neckline exposing my décolletage, felt wildly inappropriate for a job discussion. Caked in white powder and bright red lipstick, I looked like a stranger. Even my glasses clashed, the black rims glaring against my pale face.

With time before the appointment, I stood to change—when the dorm’s doorbell rang. Peering out, a grand carriage, too lavish for the university gate, awaited.

“M-milady! It’s His Grace’s carriage!”

“Wha… I said I’d walk! …Isn’t it for someone else? Maybe someone moving out?”

“What are you saying! A man of His Grace’s stature wouldn’t let his important lady walk the streets!”

Urged by Hanna, Uncle and I stepped out. An elderly man with gray hair stood by the carriage, tipping his hat and bowing deeply before opening the door. The Wolfzaine crest gleamed on the front.

It was, indeed, for me.

I felt Hanna’s excitement spike behind me, and Uncle’s sharp intake of breath.

“Lady Ernesta Emma Zickler, I presume? I’ve come by my lord’s order. I am Glad, the butler. …And that gentleman…?”

Raising his head, Glad’s eyes narrowed slightly at Uncle beside me.

“…My father’s cousin, Dario Cantillo Zickler. He’s a parliamentary clerk at the castle. Today, he’s…”

“A-an escort! Entrusted with her care in the capital by her father…!”

“Ah,” Glad nodded in understanding, and without objection, we were escorted into the carriage.

And then—

Stepping into the duke’s vast, splendid estate, I froze, eyes wide. The opulence rivaled the royal palace from my past life—or rather, that alternate future.

The Lemberg Kingdom, a prosperous nation on a large peninsula jutting from the western continent, boasts a mild climate and thriving agriculture. Bordered by two nations—the rugged mountain range to the east marking the Orfang Kingdom, and the Modava Empire across a strait to the south—it trades amicably with Modava via ports, but its rivalry with Orfang persists.

The capital, Marival, sits at the peninsula’s heart, while our Zickler barony occupies a tiny eastern corner. Closer to Orfang than the capital, it’s an agrarian region—quiet, or rather, rural and not particularly wealthy. Our manor, a noble house in name, houses just my family of three and fewer than ten servants.

A girl from such a place being overwhelmed by a top-tier duke’s estate was only natural. The Wolfzaine family, with vast southern lands, dominates agriculture and trade, their wealth a world apart.

Inside, walls bore paintings, pillars featured delicate sculptures, and ornate vases held flowers—luxuries foreign to a rural noble like me. Each piece likely cost more than our entire house.

Even Uncle Dario, seasoned by castle work, gaped at the grandeur.

I hadn’t expected such a gap.

I daren’t touch anything—damaging or dirtying it could bankrupt us or punish my parents. Treading softly on the marble corridor, I followed Glad, careful not to click my heels.

Yet even in the parlor, my tension didn’t ease. The lavish furnishings left me rigid until a maid served tea—exquisite china and a fragrant, fruity brew. Too afraid to lift it, I feared breaking it. “Please, have some” invitations were out—any scratch was unthinkable.

The maid, noting our odd behavior, remained professional, exiting silently without comment.

Uncle and I, too stiff to bow, sat frozen, awaiting the master.

How long passed?

A knock sounded. The door opened, revealing a man and a girl—the duke, Julius Kai Wolfzaine, likely returning from castle duties, wore a jacket and tie with his ducal medal, less formal than yesterday but still imposing.

He paused briefly upon seeing me—startled, perhaps, by Hanna’s makeover.

But my eyes were drawn to the girl beside him.

What a lovely, flower-like child. Her oval face, soft pink lips, and long lashes casting shadows exuded delicate beauty, despite her youth. Straight, smooth golden bangs framed her brows, the rest tied at her nape. Taller than a typical child but shorter than the duke, her simple light blue dress suited her. In a ballroom, she’d be inundated with dance offers.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Zickler. I was summoned to the castle for a meeting this morning and just returned.”

“Y-yes!”

I should’ve said, “Thank you for the invitation,” but my voice boomed awkwardly, cracking embarrassingly.

Overwhelmed since entering, I hoped he’d overlook it.

Unaware—or uncaring—of my plight, the duke approached, sitting opposite me. The girl followed, a soft, sweet scent teasing my nose. Did even her fragrance match her charm?

“I apologize for calling you so abruptly. The king summoned me urgently.”

“N-no, don’t worry.”

“Please, make yourself at home. This is Clerk Zickler, I presume?”

“Yes,” Uncle Dario bowed, his voice hoarse with tension.

“I’m honored you came. Please forgive my impudence in requesting this of your kin.”

“N-no, Your Grace, it’s an honor to be connected to you.”

“Likewise. Allow me to introduce my sister, Amelia.”

Called Amelia, the girl sprang up, bowing slightly, her ears peeking red through her hair.

“P-pleased to meet you. I’m Ernesta Emma Zickler. Please call me Ernesta, Lady Amelia.”

Rising to greet her, I caught a faint “yes” from her. The duke rubbed her back, urging us to sit. Amelia, face down, joined us, fists clenched on her knees—like Uncle and me earlier.

Wait… so…?

“I apologize for her lack of manners. As you see, she’s extremely shy. At eleven, she can’t attend the Royal School, which is troubling.”

“E-eleven?” I blinked.

Surprised she was eleven—and that school started at that age. Her height suggested fourteen or fifteen. Assuming she’d be around my entry age of sixteen, I’d misjudged.

“Do all noble families in the capital send children to school at that age?”

“Some as early as ten. I started at ten, as do most dukes’ and earls’ children—especially boys, for pre-university group life.”

“I-I see. Sorry, I’m ignorant from the countryside…”

“No need to apologize. I hear you skipped elementary school for university and outshone noble sons as valedictorian. Impressive.”

Was this duke skilled at winning hearts? Fresh from graduation envy, his praise felt sincere, making me blush. Uncle nodded excessively, pleased.

Unable to muster a proper smile, I scratched my cheek. The duke continued, hand on Amelia’s shoulder.

“Like other nobles, we enrolled her in elementary school. With few applicants, class sizes are small—manageable, we thought. But a problem arose.”

“A problem?”

“Well,” he began, and Amelia shrank, face redder. I guessed it.

“Our bloodline loves learning, but the teachers are all male scholars, and classmates are sons of good houses. She wants to study but can’t enter the classroom.”

“…I see…”

Indeed. I bit my lip.

The notion that education is for men persists. The capital’s progressive, but many still question women studying. Even with schools open to girls, few attend, and female teachers are nearly nonexistent.

A room full of men isn’t rare.

Even I, helping farmers in the barony, felt uneasy with boys my age. A country girl, I’d faced exclusion from noble sons.

For a sheltered duke’s daughter, that environment might be unbearable.

“That must be… quite regrettable…”

Recalling my own early days at the academy, I found myself murmuring, deeply empathetic. I understand how you feel. It must have been painful and frustrating to be barred from an environment where all you want is to study, to engage with academics.

Perhaps my voice reached Amelia, for she suddenly bobbed her head up. When her downcast eyes lifted towards me, I saw they were a sparkling, clear blue—deep, incredibly intelligent. As if relieved to have found empathy, the blush on her cheeks seemed to recede slightly. Looking closer now that I was calmer, I noticed features strikingly similar to the Duke’s, and a keen, dauntless spirit about her. I realized she was far more than just a shy, reserved girl.

“She’ll influence national politics as a duke’s daughter. Education is essential. So, we considered a tutor for home study.”

“And… me?”

“I consulted the president, who recommended you. Your research on insect-borne diseases, I hear—diligent, yet you neglect sleep and meals when focused…”

“Eek!”

“Ernesta, even now, you do that…?”

I hadn’t expected the president to know. Elbowed by Uncle, I ducked, heat rushing to my ears.

“She’s always been like that, Your Grace. Give her a book, and she devours it—ignoring calls until she finishes.”

“Amelia’s similar, Clerk. That’s why I thought of Miss Zickler.”

The duke chuckled. Amelia, once tense, now glowed.

“She’s shy but, biased as I am, excels and is eager. Miss Zickler, could you teach her the elementary curriculum?”

“P-please…!”

Amelia spoke loudly, her childish voice trembling with nerves, face flushed as she stood, fists at her chest.

“I-I want to keep studying! But I can’t enter classrooms… my legs freeze… I want to learn like other noble sons…!”

“I understand. I felt that way too. Even I, a country baron’s daughter, did—so it’s natural for a duke’s lady.”

“T-teaching from my brother disrupts his duties, troubling the king. I heard about you from him and begged for this.”

“Not a whim. Your desire to learn is admirable. If I can, I’ll gladly help, Lady Amelia.”

“Really? Thank you! Brother, thank you!”

Her face lit up—literally, as if sunlight bathed her. Her tension might’ve feared rejection.

I’d wanted work and intended to accept, but her empathy and passion swayed me.

Yet, agreeing without conditions, the duke looked surprised.