Chapter 21 - The Duke

Chapter 21 – The Duke

Diana didn’t believe in God, but she wanted to think quietly. This could be the main reason why she found herself sitting alone in a serene chapel while orienting herself that she could trust God again if she could get away from this crisis. But neither side was easy. As she tried to concentrate her mind, she could hear footsteps behind her back.

“Charlotte? ”

There was no answer. The steps were different. Instead of Charlotte’s careful footsteps, she felt a heavy step.

But no one dared to come into this chapel. 

There were many guards at the doors, and even they would not dare to step their footsteps inside the chapel. It is our worldly acts that separate us from God’s mercy.

Oh, who was it?

As soon as Diana turned around, she was greeted by a large man who was looking down at her with his dark eyes. His unique, robust physique caught her eyes at that instant. The hair was as dark as the pupils. Diana instantly knew who he was.

“Greeting to you, Miss.”

When Diana stood up to pay respect, Edwin calmly looked at Diana, waiting for her to give an introduction. “I’m Diana Carl.”

“Ah… So, you are the crown prince’s princess? Finally, glad to meet you.”

Contrary to his words, his gaze was tenaciously fixed on Diana. The glare of light broke through the stained glass in the chapel and spread beautifully.

But the light was nothing but a direction to imprint Diana’s beauty as if it was the only purpose why it existed. Edwin’s intuition felt that he would never forget the sight as he saw the platinum hair, the skin as white as snow, and the tranquil eyes as blue as the lake.

“Not yet… no.” Diana’s pink lips were moving, and her voice was flowing. Edwin was just looking at Diana as if there’s no tomorrow. As he savored this moment slowly, his eyes grew in earnest.

Edwin unknowingly felt a force in his chin. His sharp lines of face were more prominent in Diana’s gaze, with a more masculine color.

“Yes, not yet.”

Edwin utters the words slowly. Diana’s blue orbs remained still, her gaze at the great Edwin seemed to calmly observe and capture him. “Have we met already?”

The silence was cut off for a while. Diana shook her head.

“Well, I wouldn’t have forgotten it if I had met a beauty like you.”

“It’s a compliment. Thank you.”

But Diana had met Edwin before she became the Empress. In other words, it was a record that Diana herself has not experienced. If there was a ray of hope in the book’s contents, it was Edwin Chester, the man involved.

The moment he first saw Diana, the Crown Princess’ candidate, he fell in love with her while he devoted his whole life to others. But it was such a short life. Edwin, who left for the Civil War, never came back. Diana’s heart was already frozen after she heard the news that the only man she had given her heart to had died.

“You’ve never seen me, how did you know I was a Duke?

“With that look, I guessed.”

Black hair and black eyes were uncommon. The young Grand Duke was already a celebrity in the Empire, and the praise for his appearance was widespread, so it was a good answer.

“May I sit next to you?”

It was a courteous request and a smooth move at the same time since Edwin’s body had already sat next to Diana. Although there was a distance between them, they could feel each other already.

Diana felt conscious for the first time, so she looked straight as if he didn’t exist. It was strange to sit side by side with Edwin, who was also looking at the sculpture to praise God.

“What were you praying for?”

Edwin, famous for his inability to talk, is now trying to take all the time in the world just to keep talking to Diana. As soon as the light from the piece of stained glass shone on Diana, Edwin would imprint her image in his mind…

It was a moment he had never experienced before. For Edwin, this introduction with Diana is not a matter of knowing but feeling. At that moment, emotions of as many colors as stained glass flowed into Edwin’s heart.

“I’m actually…not very religious.”

“That’s a coincidence. So am I.”

Edwin rarely feels the existence of God. But when he first saw Diana, he just realized that God is somewhere, and fate is real.

“But now I want to pray.”

Of all things, it was such a pity that his opponent for Diana’s love was the Crown Prince.

Of the countless women in the world, Diana was the only woman he could never have. It was impossible to tell whether it was a trick of fate or a very fixed fate for no reason at all.

“So do I.” Diana put her hands together for prayer. Her other senses seem to function more actively than they did before; she could feel Edwin’s captivating smell and body temperature.

Only then did Diana immediately understand why Edwin was an essential person to Diana in the original story. It was an instinctive attraction. With him, Diana could guarantee she could be happier.

Yeah. If it were with Edwin, not Lucas. 

Suddenly, at the thought of brushing her head, Diana turned and stared at Edwin. When she saw his strong face, Diana felt as if she had missed him somehow.

“This is a chapel. Everyone who meets under the name of God is the same. No wishes, no secrets…” Edwin said affectionately.

“That’s God’s mercy. Maybe even the coincidence that we met here.”

A faint smile spread around Diana’s mouth.

“In fact, I was praying. I was begging God that I won’t become the Crown Princess.”

“What?” Edwin’s black eyes hardened. It was hard to tell whether it was a fantasy or a reality.