The Northern Duke’s Daughter Will Never Fall

Episode 82. Let’s Have Tea (3)

Astrid stared at Violet, utterly dumbfounded.

Even if Ashray was her stepbrother, asking his sister for help to seduce him was beyond absurd. 

Ashray wasn’t particularly endearing, but to Astrid, who had clung to this unfamiliar world, he was family—a brother she had grown to care about.

“Of course, I’m not asking for your help for free.”

“No, free or not, this is…”

【What do you mean it’s absurd? Isn’t it obvious you should help?】

‘Hey, he’s your brother. Your brother. How can you talk like this doesn’t concern you?’

The more Astrid listened to the inner voice, the more flabbergasted she became.

“Hey, hey, Astrid. Just hear me out.”

Seeing Astrid’s displeasure, Violet grew desperate.

Honestly, she thought if she promised to help Astrid get together with Leopold, Astrid would jump at the offer without hesitation.

Astrid wasn’t the type to overthink things. Her single-minded focus and, frankly, lack of intelligence in such matters made Violet believe she’d easily win her over.

But surprisingly, Astrid hesitated.

“What is it?”

Without another word, Violet grabbed Astrid’s hand.

Has Violet ever felt her heart race like this before?

Never.

This was the first time, and likely the last.

If she missed this chance, she’d end up as an old maid, mocked as a washed-up relic. 

Though she was known as the “White Shark of Autria” now, in the future, she feared she might be called the “Dugong of Autria.”

She couldn’t let that happen.

“Asti—no, sister. Even if you don’t help, I’m not giving up. One day, I’ll make you call me sister-in-law. In the South, we have a saying: even the toughest clam eventually opens its shell.”

“Ugh.”

Violet probably thought it was a clever line, but to Astrid, it was anything but. Judging by her expression, Astrid was clearly unimpressed. Realizing this, Violet decided to switch tactics.

“You know why I joined the Crown Princess Selection, right?”

“I do, more or less.”

Astrid recalled Violet mentioning her family’s desire for her to marry into a prestigious position, possibly as the Crown Princess. 

It wasn’t a particularly memorable conversation, so she’d mostly forgotten about it, but she vaguely remembered the gist.

“If I get together with Ashray, my family achieves its goals, and I find my prince charming. Isn’t that perfect?”

【That’s a solid argument.】

‘True, but…’

The real problem was whether Violet could actually help her with Leopold.

‘Not that it matters; I’m not trying to marry Leopold anyway!’

【The sooner I succeed, the faster you can go back! Don’t you see that?】

‘And besides, Leopold already likes me. Do I even need her help?’

Astrid couldn’t deny that Leopold had feelings for her. She wasn’t dense enough not to notice. But she deliberately ignored it, unwilling to address it. She simply wasn’t ready to accept it.

Her lingering awareness of her previous identity and gender held her back—a truth she couldn’t compromise on or let go of.

【His Highness likes me, not you.】

‘Yeah, no. That’s definitely not true.’

Even Astrid could see that wasn’t the case. But she chose not to argue. Denying it outright would make things even more awkward.

“Either way, helping you seems a bit much. I’m still his sister, you know.”

“Then just stay out of the way!”

“What is that supposed to mean!?”

Violet’s request to simply not interfere left Astrid speechless. As she stared in disbelief, Violet flashed a bright, cheerful smile.

“Just don’t get in the way. I’ll handle seduc—uh, convincing him myself.”

“Did you just say something strange?”

【It’s not a bad match. There’s no real reason to object, is there?】

The inner voice had a point. Violet’s family, the Southern Naval Fleet Admiral’s household, was a prominent noble family, one of the founding supporters of the kingdom.

Although Ashray wasn’t a blood relative of the Miterien family, he still bore their name. As a recognized member of the family, he wasn’t lacking in status compared to Violet.

‘It’s a good match for both sides, but…’

Still, Astrid felt uneasy.

It wasn’t Violet she was worried about—it was Ashray.

“For now, let’s rest today and meet Lord Baizik tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

“There’s a guest wing you can stay in. You’re planning to meet Astrid, I assume?”

Leopold felt a twinge of discomfort at Ashray’s bright expression as soon as Astrid’s name was mentioned.

“Yes, I’d like to see my sister.”

“You seem to have a good relationship.”

“Well, I suppose you could say that now, but we weren’t very close before. It wasn’t hostility exactly, but my sister… she, uh, used to beat me up quite a bit.”

“Did she?”

Leopold tilted his head, puzzled. Ashray and Astrid seemed close now, but apparently, that hadn’t always been the case.

“Yes, a few months ago, my sister had a major accident.”

“She did.”

Leopold was well aware. Astrid had supposedly fallen down a staircase.

“After that, she completely changed. It felt like she became a different person. And ever since, she’s been so kind… it’s almost overwhelming.”

Ashray’s awkward laughter only deepened Leopold’s unease. Something about this didn’t sit well with him.

And the way Ashray described her—completely changed—caught his attention. It wasn’t just Leopold who felt this way; even Ashray noticed the difference.

‘…So, it’s not just me she’s become kinder to?’

That thought nagged at him.

“Well, I suppose it’s for the better. Astrid, are you outside?”

There was a brief sound of shuffling before Astrid opened the door and stepped inside. 

Ashray’s face lit up as soon as he saw her, which made Leopold feel distinctly displeased.

“…Spend some time together as siblings today. Violet, let’s have a word.”

“Why?”

“Hmm?”

Violet looked openly annoyed, leaving Leopold momentarily flustered.

“I wanted to have a more meaningful conversation with Ashray.”

“Well, I understand that, but there’s something we need to discuss. And besides, today is a good chance for siblings to bond, isn’t it?”

“Ugh…”

Even as she pouted, Violet couldn’t take her eyes off Ashray. Watching her, Leopold grew certain his suspicions were correct.

“Well, I’ll take my leave then, Your Highness.”

“Take care. Astrid, enjoy your time with your brother.”

“Yes, I will.”

Astrid and Ashray both bowed and left the room. Leopold assumed they’d head to a nearby teahouse or restaurant to talk.

But if any surprises were to arise, he was sure they would come from Ashray.

As for Astrid…

‘…Should I have expedited the preparation of magical artifacts?’

If anyone were to use magic to manipulate Astrid, it would be disastrous. Leopold felt frustrated with himself for not acting faster.

“So, what is it you wish to discuss, Your Highness?”

Violet’s tone was curt, her displeasure evident. She sat across from Leopold, crossing her legs as she glared at him.

“Cadet Violet, I didn’t know you had such preferences.”

“What’s wrong with my preferences? People are entitled to diverse tastes.”

“That’s true. I never said there was anything wrong with them.”

Realizing he wasn’t mocking her, Violet felt slightly mollified. More importantly, Leopold didn’t appear to be looking down on her.

“Cadet Violet, I have a proposal for you.”

“Go ahead.”

Violet uncrossed her legs and looked at Leopold with a serious expression.

A woman’s intuition was sharp, and Violet had a strong feeling that what Leopold was about to say would not be to her disadvantage.

“If you succeed with Ashray, it wouldn’t be a bad outcome for the Autria family, would it?”

“That’s true. A marriage with a ducal house is always advantageous.”

‘He didn’t specifically say marriage, though.’

Leopold was certain his instincts were correct—Violet had feelings for Ashray.

“Then, let me make a proposal. Or rather, consider it an order.”

Leopold clasped his hands together, resting his chin on them, and smiled faintly.

“You must win Ashray over. Right now, he seems to have some interest in Astrid. Of course, since they’re not blood-related siblings, there wouldn’t be much public scandal if something happened. But for you, the situation is different. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s correct.”

Violet met Leopold’s gaze with equal seriousness.

“Make sure you ‘devour’ Ashray. Prove that the title of ‘White Shark of Autria’ isn’t just for show.”

“Leave it to me. And you, Your Highness, should focus on your own efforts.”

Leopold chuckled softly at Violet’s confidence.

“I will. Leave it to me.”