her obedient servant. | remarried empress x f!reader

omgggg love chemistry finally developing between (y/n) and kaufmannn😱

"Duke, this is the twenty fifth pen you've snapped in half today." One of the aides you've hired tells you as you throw the said pen away in annoyance. 

Ever since yesterday, with the whole thing happening between you and Kaufman, you haven't been able to think straight. Your thoughts are a mess, and each time you try to concentrate, the image of the Grand Duke keeps appearing in your mind, and before you know it, you've either written his name, drawn his face, or snapped your pen in half.

"I apologize.." You sigh, running a hand through your hair in frustration. 

"Perhaps you should take a quick breather, your Grace." 

You nod, "You're right, I should clear my head."

You briefly excuse yourself, standing up from your chair and heading towards the balcony, where you had a clear view of the entirety of your Duchy. There are people beginning to settle in after your reputation positively rose amongst the high society, and the streets are slowly but surely beginning to bustle with life.

"I have a hundred and thirty five thousand acres of land to govern, I can't be here losing my mind." You mumble to yourself, the cold wind blowing through your hair.

You lean against the balustrade railings, head hanging low. You've neglected your Duchy because of being too preoccupied with Rashta, with Aster's letters, with the Eastern Empire in general. It was only a matter of time until your duties within the Western Empire caught up to bite you in the ass.

Then, from the corner of your eye, you spot something grey at the very edge of your garden, behind the tall grass wall. Whatever that grey thing was, it was hidden beneath layers and layers of vines and moss. Eaten by curiousity, you make your way to where that gray thing was supposed to be hidden behind.

You instruct the nearby gardeners to cut through the grass wall, their face showing reluctancy before following your orders obediently. 

As soon as the wall is cut down, you're greeted by the sight of a whole separate garden filled with statues of people that look like they've been frozen in time. You gape at the newly discovered space, and so do the servants present in the area. "Go tend to your duties first, I will..investigate the area to ensure there are no dangers." You instruct, not wanting to risk any rumor slipping into High Society in case there is something the servants see that may cause turmoil.

Cautiously stepping into the abandoned garden, you admire the overgrown plants, the pathway of flowers, the broken down arches, the pavilions scattered around. It was bizzare how you nor your maids had not discovered a place as big at this till now. Some of the statues seem to interact with the structures, some statues are in the pond, some resting underneath the shades as if to escape from the heat of the sun.