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thereissomehope · 1 year

Text

Unexpected

grand duke Kaufman x reader

masterlist (TBA) • archive of our own • pinterest chapter board

summary: Since a tender age, you have been raised to be the perfect noble lady. You yearned for a different life, to be free, but it wasn't possible, your destiny was to be married to the best suitor. Still, you could hope for something different. it could never happen to you, could it?

notes: uploading this in tumblr. i didn't like Kaufman's ending in the novel (no hate to the autor tho) so I'm going to write something different. this is an sort of AU where the whole whitemond/princess Charlotte thing didn't happen.

warnings: manwha/novel spoilers

Chapter One: Garden

From outside the room, you could hear the quiet mumble of the voices of the maids, their dainty steps against the floors. You could also hear the chirping of birds, and the voices from the staff outside the manor. All were indicators that the day had indeed begun, but you wouldn’t open your eyes yet. Choosing instead to bask in your peace, hoping to be able to savor those few moments where you were no one and the world couldn’t bother you.

The sunlight streamed through the windows, the rays of the sun streaming inside the manor, filling it with the golden haze that comes with the sun, basking in golden the lavish furniture and the marble floors.

The curtain from the bed was pushed to the side, the sunlight from the windows streamed through the opening, hitting your face and making you open your eyes. You squeezed them while rising, resting on your elbows and turning to the side.

“Good morning, my lady.” The maid by the side of the bed bowed, the ones behind her did the same. “It is time to wake up.”

Elli, one of the maids, grabbed a towel, basking it in a basin full of water before helping you clean your face. Other maids helped you stand up, bringing trays with food and drink. They helped you undress, getting the nightgown off of you and dressing you back into new clothing for the day. They brushed your hair and helped you get ready for the day.

This was how most of your days would begin. The maids would come in, rising you from your slumber and back to the routine that was your day-to-day life.

You were used to it, to the routine. To the way, most events would repeat themselves through the week, and once again happen the next, and the next one after that. It was part of your life, of who you were. You still couldn’t help but wonder about more and yearn.

- What dress will you wear today, my lady? Will you like the blue one? - The weather is lovely, it's sure to be sunny for the rest of the day - what do you wish to eat today? I will notice the chef immediately. – The marquis sent a letter, my Lady. They said they will be back in a few weeks. - The voices of the maids surrounded you while they dressed you. One tied the blue lace of the dress while the other talked, and you were in the middle of their swarm.

Before long, you were parting from the manor. You told the butler your indications for the day and got on the carriage for your leave.

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“Did you hear that Lord Kosair is in a relationship? I’m so jealous!”

A group of noble ladies chattered in one of the gardens of the palace. The young women talked, waving their fans and giggling under their flowery sunhats. The long winter had finally faded, and everyone wanted to rejoice in the so waited spring. The young ladies were no exception.

“Ugh, yes, I heard that. There go any of my chances with him,” said one of the ladies, getting her blonde hair out of her face before continuing talking. “I guess I will have to find myself some company in the ball next week.”

“Some company? Why not better one pretender?”

“One?”

The ladies laughed loudly, covering their smiles behind hands and fans. They continued laughing and joking about noblemen while you listened, laughing occasionally.

You enjoyed talking with the ladies during your free days. Their company was amusing, a welcomed change to the usual quietness of the manor and the boredom of most of your days. It was a nice way to spend the sunny days of spring.

You were deep in thought when someone called your name.

“What about you? Are you going to go hunting in the ball, too?” the blonde smiled at you, the other ladies also watching with expecting smiles in their faces.

“Um, no, no.” you smiled sheepishly, “I don’t think I will… It is not my kind of thing, I guess,” you laughed at that, albeit a little awkwardly.

“Oh, well, I guess that means more for us. Isn’t that right, ladies?” the blonde asked, a flirtatious smirk appearing on her face. The ladies giggled at that, looking mischievously at each other.

“Well, do not forget to wear your best dresses. I’m sure that it is going to be a fruitful night for us.”

“Oh, yes, I heard that foreign visitors would be attending.”

“Is that so? Pray tell, who are they?”

“Well, there is...”

The chatter continued for some time after that. With all the ladies sharing their excitement over the ball and discussing their dressings. Before long, you were all splitting up, each continuing with your day before the sun set.

You looked around the palace as you walked. You didn’t have any urgent matters to attend to today, so you could surely take a rest before returning home. With that in mind, you walked towards your destination.

The garden was a quiet place, as always. The leaves of the trees were greener than you had seen them, the flowers bloomed and the daffodils danced to the gentle sways of the wind.

It was a beautiful day. The sky was lively, with some white clouds dispersed across the blue. The sun shone in the endless sky, shining brightly giving you blissful warmth from above. You sighted upon feeling the welcomed warmth on your skin and looked around.

The gardens of the palace were of your favorite places. Filled with stunning greenery that made you feel like you were in a forest, the garden was like a paradise for you. The plants and the flowers transmitted calmness to you, and you would constantly seek solace there.

Even though the gardens were beautiful, they were quite lonely. There were other open gardens, much bigger and with splendid views, those were much more visited. This one had turned into a secondary one, almost forgotten, with visits being either lonely people who wished to enjoy their solitude, or couples that looked for privacy for their affections. You were one of the former, the quietness allowed you to think in peace. You would always go there to clear your mind and appreciate the view.

You walked along the path and observed. This was a favorite part of yours, with tall trees and bushes, some flowers were speckled here and there too, with yellows, pinks, and reds dancing in your periphery. There were little sounds apart from the distant cries of birds and the whispers of the wind between the branches.

You stopped walking past some bushes when you heard it. A quiet, pitiful sound that would have been imperceptible if not for the silence. You turned, contemplating the sound before walking towards the bush. You peeked, if ever so slowly, and discovered a blue spot among the sea of daffodils.

A little bird was writhing on the ground; the poor thing was the source of the pitiful cries. Its wings were sprawled, moving when it jerked and turned. You walked some steps closer, beyond the bush, and kneeled. Dirt stained your dress, and the daffodils protested your movements. Still, you moved closer, lowering your hands, and with the most care you could, grabbed it and raised it from the ground. The bird shrieked at first but calmed after a few seconds. You took the chance to inspect it closely.

At first glance, it looked fine. If it was just based on its looks, its healthy blue feathers and plump body may have fooled you. Yet, a closer look revealed the problem, you saw how one of its wings rested lower, languidly.

Its wing was broken. That alone could prove to be fatal. A bird with a broken wing was helpless against predators and unable to feed itself, simply helpless. Even, if it had hit one of the windows or walls nearby and fallen down the hit could have caused internal damage. Leaving it here meant a guaranteed death. The only way for the bird to make was for it to go with you.

But, did you know how to treat it? You had some knowledge of birds, but one thing was reading about it and another doing it. It felt more pressuring knowing that what you did would have a consequence on an actual living thing.

But the thing was, the bird had no other options besides you. It needed your help, and it needed it now. There was no time to hesitate, you would have to act now. There would be plenty of time to doubt yourself later.

With a newfound resolve, you stood up with the bird in your arms. You could run towards one of the carriages, and once you were home you would be able to start helping. So you turned around and started sprinting, looking down at the bird and checking on it. You were about to raise your head when you crashed, hitting your head harshly, giving some backward steps before you lose your footing and started falling. A solid, firm wall had appeared on your way, from where you didn’t know, but it didn’t matter now. You really hoped your dress would soften the fall, it would really--

You hadn’t hit the ground yet.

Instead of the cold, harsh ground, you felt warmth enveloping you, holding you in place. You slowly opened your eyes, and what you weren’t expecting was a pair of clear eyes greeting your own. The confusion quickly turned to realization.

You didn’t hit a wall – oh, no - you hit the chest of a man. A tall one at that. A tall man that was holding you in place, holding you pretty close to him.

You forgot how to breathe, you didn’t move, you didn’t even think because you didn’t know how to function anymore. Time had seemed to stop in that instant.

Your eyes were set in those clear ones, – silver, you realized – and you couldn’t move your gaze. His eyes looked right back at you, seemingly looking so deep they might as well be seeing your soul. You couldn’t look away, you didn’t wa ---

There was rustling against your chest and your gaze was directed to it. When you looked at it, you snapped out of the daze.

'The bird!'

Thoughts came back to you and with them, the awareness of your… position. You pushed yourself quickly out of his hold.

“I’m…I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t mean to hit you!” You gave a quick bow to show you were sorry and hoped that the stranger understood your clumsiness. Yet, the man stared at you with an expression of surprise and heat rose to your cheeks. You could only hope your face wasn’t as red as you felt it was. You gave another hasty bow and passed the man, rushing to the nearest carriage you could find.

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Thankfully, your arrived quickly at your home and started attending to the poor bird.

With care, you cleaned the bird, looking for injuries. You were lucky because apart from its wing, nothing else seemed to have problems. You checked the bird as one of the books suggested, and everything was well. Its eyes were normal, nothing was bleeding and apart from the shock, everything hinted that she was well.

You wrapped a cloth around her wing and body, immobilizing the injured wing, and placed it on a cushion on your bed. It hadn’t moved yet, and wouldn’t do so in some hours, so for the moment, it was alright to leave it alone. You still had to search for a place to accommodate her, and you had the right thing in mind.

You rummaged through your room, looking inside your closet and under tables until you stopped in front of your bed. You knelt down and placed your arm under the bed, moving your arm left and right until you felt the iron bars in your hand. Once you had grabbed it, you pulled it out, small clouds of dust rising with it. Even though it had been there for a long time, the cage looked in good shape.

When you were much younger than now, you had gotten this cage with the intention to start raising a bird of your own. You had read more than a dozen books about birds in your preparation for raising one. You were incredibly excited about it and waited for the day you could get one. You thought that if you had a little companion with you, your days at the manor would be a little less lonely.

Your parents were quick to put the notion away. You still remembered what they had said. They couldn’t have you distracted from your studies by some ‘pesky, parasite-ridden beast'.

So the idea of ever having a bird, (or even a pet of any other kind) was thrown away.

You cried profoundly after that, not even the maids were able to comfort you, and you felt down for the next month or so. But maybe it was for the better. Your younger self, no matter how enthusiastic, wouldn’t have been able to care for a bird. Thinking that didn't push the bitterness of the memory away, though.

You interrupted the memory by calling a maid, asking her for some old newspapers. You watched the cage again, smiling faintly.

Even after the harsh denial, you had kept the hope that one day you could have a feathery companion. You had kept the cage for many years and even brought it with you after moving from the march almost two years ago. It seemed that it was worth keeping the hope because you had one now. Even though it wasn’t under the best of circumstances.

When the maid came in with the newspapers, you thanked her and asked her to prepare you a bath. You put the papers on the bottom of the cage, and with care, placed the bird on the center of it. You moved the cage to the warmest spot in the room, one that was close to the window. You put a cloth over the cage, hoping that it would help with the bird’s shock.

The maid came back at that moment to tell you that your bath was ready. You checked for the last time that the bird was fine, and walked to the bathroom. You took off your clothes and gave them to the maid, and once you were alone, entered the bathtub.

You submerged yourself in the warm water. The smell of the essences allowed your body to relax and you rested your head against the tub. A sigh escaped your mouth, and you started to clean yourself.

The water swayed with your movements, and your mind started to relax, as well. Your thoughts wandered over to the preparations of today. You weren’t particularly excited about the party. But an opportunity to expand your social circle was something it was better to take advantage of. Getting to talk with people you usually didn’t sounded good, as well. Maybe you could see some new faces in there.

Thinking about new faces, you remembered the stranger you met today. Or more like, the one you crashed against.

‘He was so handsome.'

Blood rushed to your cheeks, what were you even thinking? You splashed some water into your face, embarrassed at your own thoughts. You tried to remember if you knew of any noble with the stranger's appearance, but none seemed to match. Besides, you were sure you could not forget eyes like those.

You submerged your face in the water, that should help the heat in your cheeks.

You stepped out of the tub and once you had dried yourself, dressed in more comfortable clothing. You got back to your room and checked the little bird. It seemed to be resting on the center of the cage, its breathing was calm and even.

You looked at a chair that was by the window, it looked very cozy, so you grabbed a book nearby and sat down. You read through the pages until your gaze wandered to the window nearby. The sky was a lively shade of blue, and you watched some birds in the distance, flying high under the shining sun. You smiled to yourself, it was a beautiful day.

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