the in-betweens: studies and alchemy.
˖ ࣪⭑ ⸱ hi I've been reading isekai romance manhwas with the dukes and I cannot for the life of me stop thinking about duke anaxa. here have this.
˖ ࣪⭑ ⸱ tags : royalty au, love rectangle???
˖ ࣪⭑ ⸱ featuring : DUKE! Anaxa, PRINCE! Mydei, KNIGHT! Phainon.
This story is best read after you've read my previous ROYALTY! AU featuring PRINCE! Mydei and KNIGHT! Phainon.
Duke ANAXA is one of the most notorious aristocrats in the Kingdom of Amphoreus, or so you’ve been told by Royal Advisor Aglaea in more than one of your tea sessions. She warns you of the man who resides in Grove of Epiphany, the scholars’ city – to avoid him unless you want your ears chewed off about his latest mad scientist research. After hearing what Aglaea had to say about the man, you plan on steering clear of him. Unfortunately, fate has twisted plans for you.
MYDEIMOS is the one to break the news to you; the elders in the council aren’t satisfied with the future king getting married to someone who barely knows the history of Amphoreus. Alas, they’ve made the decision to send you to the Grove of Epiphany to study.
MYDEIMOS assures you that it’s not your fault, that you aren’t less qualified to be his betrothed just because you’re of foreign royalty. Should you wish to not leave, he will find a way to make you stay. He gives you time to make the decision.
PHAINON almost drops his cup when you tell him that you agree to study at The Grove. He asks you if you’re sure, but he’s witnessed firsthand your thirst for knowledge, and he also knows that you’d rather inconvenience yourself than MYDEIMOS. PHAINON looks sullen for the rest of the day.
MYDEIMOS tells you that you’ll be studying only for a few months. He’s arranged for your stay in Duke ANAXA’s estate, much to your anxiousness. MYDEIMOS tells you that should the Duke be a thorn on your side, he will swiftly take you back to Okhema.
The first time you step into the Murmuring Woods, you are greeted by the large tree that stands out in the middle of the forest. Duke ANAXA is waiting for you as you exit the carriage, and he introduces himself as ANAXAGORAS.
PHAINON, your escort for the journey, is still a Chrysos Knight stationed in Okhema and cannot stay with you, much to his dismay. Despite that, he tells you to write often, and that he’ll be anticipating your return; the Palace will be much lonelier without you.
Contrary to your expectations of the cold Duke, he is surprisingly welcoming in his own aloof way. ANAXAGORAS gives you a tour around his estate; his great library, his off-limits laboratory, and his Luminary Garden. You can tell that despite his huffs and puffs of having to “take care of the council’s whims”, he always accepts those who are eager to learn — a true scholar’s spirit.
The Duke is pleasantly surprised when you call him Duke ANAXAGORAS instead of his shortened name. You say it along with your gratitude for the welcome, and a promise that you’ll study hard during your stay. He brushes off the small smile threatening to pull on his face.
Days with Duke ANAXAGORAS are slow; when you wake up, ANAXAGORAS has left to Nousporist before you, and when you return, he’s locked himself in his lab. There are rare moments where you catch him walking out of his lab, and you invite him to eat dinner together. He wants to refuse, but remembers that you’re MYDEIMOS’ betrothed, and grumbles under his breath before accepting your invitation.
Dinners are a little awkward. He brushes off your attempts of small talk, trying to eat quickly so he can return to his research. Despite this, you still make an effort to talk about what subjects have been interesting you (he doesn’t care, he knows all the things taught in The Grove by heart) and ask him about his research (he says that you’re aeons too early to understand, no offense to your intelligence). Finally, you brave yourself to say that it’s less lonely to eat with ANAXAGORAS than eating alone.
This is what catches ANAXAGORAS off guard; he runs calculations in his mind all the time, tasks to assign the maids, classmates, and professors for your best comfort, but has never once taken into account of how lonely you might feel being in such an unfamiliar place. He clears his throat, but you notice he snaps back at you less.
The next morning, you find ANAXAGORAS by the estate doors, looking bored. When he sees you, he clicks his tongue, quipping about how you’ll be late if you’d taken just another second. Nevertheless, he walks with you to Nousporist.
On the way, he tells you that he cannot walk home with you, but to knock on his laboratory door once it’s dinnertime. ANAXAGORAS swears he’s never seen someone sporting a brighter smile when you nod excitedly, telling him that you’ll be looking forward to dinner.
ANAXAGORAS slowly opens up to you about his own bank of knowledge, and is surprised to find out about your interest in learning alchemy. You’d learned from your peers that ANAXAGORAS is the most skilled alchemist, and you tell him that you want to learn from the best.
This is how ANAXAGORAS ends up staying up with you late into the nights, practicing basic alchemy in the Luminary Garden. He scoffs when you get excited after learning a basic transmutation, taking his hands in yours and jumping around giddily, but he can’t deny you a small smile and a pat on the head.
With your little time in The Grove, you work hard to finish your studies. ANAXAGORAS have always liked diligent students, but he’s especially fond of you, offering small praises whenever you ace a quiz. Though it’ll be a backhanded compliment most of the time, you can feel the sincerity of it.
One day, MYDEIMOS and PHAINON drops by for a diplomatic visit. You greet both the Prince and the Knight with a hug before running your mouth about the great time you’ve had thus far as a student. Amidst the catch-up, you miss how Duke ANAXAGORAS’ face scrunches ever so slightly. It doesn’t take a genius to see how smitten the Prince is, as well as how clingy the Knight seems to be around you.
When you tell MYDEIMOS and PHAINON about how the Duke’s been taking good care of you, ANAXAGORAS can’t help the smirk that creeps on his face, especially seeing the glare that MYDEIMOS shoots him and the way PHAINON’s smile drops.
But what can they do? In The Grove, Duke ANAXAGORAS is more respected than the Prince, nevermind the Knights. As long as you’re still on his turf, MYDEIMOS and PHAINON can do nothing but await your return. And Duke ANAXAGORAS will make sure to take great care of you, for as long as you’re around.
check out my other royalty au works on my masterlist!
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