The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

”Sure,” Iliana agreed, nodding gently. Despite having a remarkably tight schedule for the following day, she could not find it in her heart to refuse the prince. After all, it was not as though royalty visited this secluded district every day.

”Wonderful!” Sylvian answered, his eyes brightening as he looked forward to the outing. ”You know, you could easily sell your paintings and earn a handsome living from them. Why do you choose to focus on baking, My Lady?” he asked, maintaining a soft, polite tone.

”Umm... it was my father’s business,” Iliana replied, her gaze softening. ”After his passing, I felt a duty to keep it running. Besides, the arts do not always provide a reliable, long-term income. And I also believe that some paintings are simply not meant to be sold.”

Sylvian looked at her, deeply impressed by the depth of her thoughts.

”I am curious about something, however,” Iliana said, tilting her head slightly as she looked up at him.

”Hmm? What is it?”

”Why is a prince roaming through Varos and its surrounding towns?” she questioned. ”The day Your Highness came to my house, my friend encountered you. She later mentioned to me that you are supposed to be preparing for marriage.”

”Your friend seems to know a lot about my affairs,” Sylvian chuckled softly.

”She is one of the admirer of yours,” Iliana replied. Feeling a sudden shiver from the cool air, she walked over to the stone bench and sat down. To distract herself from the cold, she picked up his sketchbook once more and began to study the detailed lines of his drawing very closely.

”Your Highness, once you color this, it will look beautiful,” Iliana replied, lowering the sketchbook on the table.

”Hmm.” Sylvian returned to the bench as well and sat down beside her. ”I do not wish to marry a noble lady,” he began.

”Why is that?” Iliana asked, turning her eyes from the sketchbook to him.

”I have yet to find anyone among them who truly understands me,” Sylvian replied.

”But you cannot marry outside the nobility, Your Highness,” Iliana stated plainly. ”Though, I understand your hesitation. I do not care for nobles either. My sister died because of them.”

Sylvian hesitated, not wanting to open a painful wound, but he could see how heavily the burden of her sister’s demise weighed upon her. ”May I know what happened to your sister?”

”She loved a man from a higher class, but on the very day she walked down the aisle, she discovered his affair with another woman,” Iliana said, tears beginning to well at the edges of her eyes. ”I still remember the shattered look on her face. I wish every day that I had stopped her from going through with it. And then, not long after, the news of her demise arrived.”

”Why did your sister not step back from the marriage when she found out?” Sylvian asked gently.

”She was terrified for our family’s reputation,” Iliana explained, her voice cracking as her body began to shake. ”We took the case to the magistrate afterward. The man was only given a few months of imprisonment before being released because the mental torture could not be legally proven. I cannot bear to think of what my sister endured during her time in that house.”

”May your sister’s soul rest in peace,” Sylvian murmured softly in prayer, before gently placing his hand over hers to offer comfort. ”You have been a good sister, Miss Iliana. Please, do not place the burden of another’s actions upon yourself,” Sylvian said.

Iliana did not reply. She kept her gaze fixed on the floor, her shoulders still tight with the remnants of her grief.

After a few seconds, she took a deep, shuddering breath and composed herself. ”The rain’s intensity has faded to a drizzle,” she said, her tone regaining its usual briskness. ”I think we can go now.”

She rose from the bench, and Sylvian followed suit, checking the sky himself. He closed his sketchbook with a soft thud as Iliana slipped off his overcoat and held it out to him.

”Thank you, Your Highness,” she said, avoiding his eyes as she handed the garment over. ”I shall go now. You should head back as well. I will see you tomorrow.”

Sylvian donned the overcoat, sliding the sketchbook and pencil safely inside one of its deep pockets. He hurried out of the gazebo and made his way down the slope, reaching the massive tree where he had securely tied his horse.

”Let’s go back,” he murmured to the beast, unfastening the reins and mounting swiftly before guiding the horse onto the main road.

As they traveled, his thoughts remained entirely occupied by Iliana. The woman possessed an uncommon clarity of mind and an unwavering strength of conviction.

A distinct part of him realized he had begun to form an affection for her, sparking a desire to pursue her further.

Yet, the harsh realities of the court weighed heavily on his mind; he knew his mother would never accept a simple baker as a daughter-in-law.

While his father might eventually be persuaded to agree for the sake of his happiness, the queen would remain unyielding. To bring Iliana into that world and subject her to such an ordeal would be entirely unfair to her.

However, his heart was entirely captivated. Unlike any of the noblewomen he had met within the capital, Iliana was a breath of fresh air.

’I shall fight for her then, if that is what it takes to truly keep Iliana in my life. I will live with regret for the rest of my days if I choose to simply walk away now,’ he thought with a resolve.

The horse neighed softly as Sylvian pulled gently on the reins, bringing it to a temporary halt. In the distance, a rainbow had arched across the horizon, painting the sky just as the sun began to descent.

”Turns out heaven is also signalling me to go forward with my heart,” Sylvian murmured with a smile.