To Baptiste, Amaryllis was willful, sensitive, impatient, and even obsessive. All these combined to create a person with endlessly lacking qualities.

Empress? Even the position of maîtresse-en-titre would have been too much. She wouldn’t have been able to control social circles from that position. She would have been swayed by other high nobles who ignored her, just as she was now being manipulated by Lumière.

Cassian calmly intoned.

“We all witnessed during Astaire’s time what happens when an unqualified person holds power.”

“Do you think Her Majesty will… commit similar acts to Astaire?”

Though Amaryllis seemed short-sighted and rash, she didn’t have Astaire’s level of extremism.

But Cassian saw Amaryllis differently.

“Considering what she did to Belle, that’s just the beginning.”

It seemed plausible. It was something no one had predicted, and because of it, Sehera had been turned upside down.

“That’s why my sister needs to maintain the balance.”

“If that’s what you want, giving the Blumir duchy to Princess Lumière seems like a good option.”

At Baptiste’s suggestion, Cassian merely curved his lips upward gently. He seemed to have some plan already drawn up.

* * *

At the beginning of spring, as the days gradually grew warmer, the imperial hunting tournament was held.

“Those two don’t even seem to talk to each other anymore, do they?”

People whispered as they watched the Empress and the Duke of Blumir.

“I heard from Marchioness Archambault that he hasn’t even had private audiences lately.”

Everyone knew how much the Empress cherished the Duke of Blumir. The Duke also followed the Empress well.

Whether in public or private settings, they were always close. Though they strongly denied being friends, some even suspected they might be lovers.

Yet now, the two kept their distance, avoiding even a glance at each other.

In fact, this was precisely the kind of public event where they should have been showcasing their closeness. Instead, the Duke of Blumir, a former knight, busied himself preparing for the hunt, while the Empress, the host of the event, limited herself to exchanging pleasantries with the nobles.

An obvious avoidance impossible to ignore. Tsk tsk, the noble ladies clicked their tongues softly.

“How did they become so cold toward each other?”

“Well… considering what the Duke of Blumir did last year, it’s understandable if Her Majesty’s feelings have cooled.”

Everyone speculated about why their relationship had become so delicate. One listener tilted their head.

“The Duke? What did he do?”

“Just think about the Glastia incident, isn’t that unsettling enough?”

“Though the Glastia family met with misfortune… was that related to Duke Blumir?”

“The joust was an accident.”

Someone quietly mentioned the joust. While accidents were frequent in such competitions, that conversely meant one could deliberately cause an incident and disguise it as an accident.

A chill ran down their spines unnecessarily.

“There was also that incident of harassing Her Highness’s lady-in-waiting.”

“Ah yes. I had completely forgotten about that.”

The noble lady’s eyes shifted slightly. That woman was seated in the place of honor. Closely beside the Emperor and Lumière.

Still, unwanted memories kept flashing through their minds.

“No matter how you look at it…”

Though the rest was swallowed with an “um,” everyone understood the words left unspoken. Another noble lady poked her waist.

“Right?”

“Could that be why he’s been alone all this time?”

“His own sister… it would be unsettling.”

If this had been before the Holy Father was exiled to Sehera, such suspicions alone would have led to burning at the stake. The only slightly mitigating factor was that they weren’t blood-related.

The noble lady let out a sympathetic sigh as she watched Duke Blumir skillfully stroking his horse’s mane.

“And I thought he was such a pure person.”

‘Foolish people.’

Amaryllis, who had listened to all this talk, clicked her tongue internally.

Why had she grown distant from Liam?

Sadly, unlike the noble ladies’ speculation, it wasn’t because of any accident Liam had caused.

* * *

On the evening of the day Amaryllis had asked Liam for Blumir, Liam visited the Empress’s palace quite late.

“Please don’t speak about anything related to Blumir from now on.”

Liam’s attitude was unusually stern. At times like this, Liam could be somewhat threatening.

If it had been due to his trained physique before, now it was because of his ominous gaze after losing so much weight. His sharpened jaw and keen eyes created an intimidating presence.

“What? Liam, what are you suddenly saying?”

Amaryllis unnecessarily clutched her chest. Thump, thump. Her heart beat coldly.

“What did His Majesty say?”

“He said he hasn’t discussed anything related to Blumir with Mademoiselle Sehera. So I won’t lose Blumir.”

Amaryllis let out a hollow laugh for a moment. Would Cassian straightforwardly admit what he had done?

Not just Cassian, but anyone in that situation would deny it. It wasn’t a good look to discuss a position that was already occupied.

Nevertheless, Amaryllis had asked Liam for Blumir. Not for herself, but for Bastian.

“Don’t you understand yet? Nothing is less trustworthy than His Majesty’s words.”

Liam stared intently at Amaryllis. His eyes were full of anger.

Who wouldn’t be angry about having their possessions taken away?

Yet that gaze seemed to reproach Amaryllis. It carved directly into her as a wound.

“Do you think… I lied to you?”

Yes, for reasons like this.

Of course, Amaryllis was a born liar. Though she spoke pressingly, Liam’s gaze remained fixed on her. A strange chill ran down her spine.

“Do you trust him more than me?”

Amaryllis asked, her tone almost pleading. Mentally, she understood—while they might doubt the truth of their friend Amaryllis’s words, they would readily nod in agreement if their lord, Cassian, claimed mullet had been caught in the river. After all, they were expected to trust the Emperor’s words over those of the Empress.

But it hurt that Liam, her closest friend, trusted someone else more.

“I’ve never lied. As the Princess said, Bastian became Count Saint-Germain. So shouldn’t we take seriously the Princess’s words that she will soon become Duchess Blumir?”

“Lily.”

Liam exhaled half a sigh. Did he trust Cassian more than Amaryllis?

No. Ridiculous as it may seem, Liam trusted Valentine. So much so that he regretted ever thinking Valentine was behind it.

But whether it was a lie or not, whether it was Valentine’s doing or not, that wasn’t what mattered now.

“It doesn’t matter whether His Majesty lied, or you lied, or Her Highness lied.”

“Then what?”

“Lily, you should never have asked me for Blumir.”

A moment of silence fell.

One might be angry when asked to give up what’s theirs. But does that make it something that should never be said?

“…Why?”

Amaryllis tilted her head as if she truly did not understand.

“It should have rightfully reverted to the imperial family, it was Madame Marguerite’s title. That’s why the Princess demanded it too. So wouldn’t it be better for my Bastian to have it rather than the Princess who has no connection…”

“As you said, Blumir belongs to Valentine!”

Liam suddenly shouted. Startled by the unexpected outburst, Amaryllis’s shoulders jumped. Her red eyes widened.

“Don’t you remember? What you did to Valentine?”

What she did—to her?

Pale memories came flooding back. Amaryllis bit her lip and glared at Liam.

“……”

“You said a child is a treasure that cannot be exchanged for anything. For Valentine, that was the child you killed.”

That sin that could never be undone.

His emotionless voice stabbed at Amaryllis. It hurt particularly deeply.

“Tina loved that dead child as much as you love His Highness. And now you covet Blumir too?”

“……”

“What more do you need to take from Tina before you’re satisfied?”

Her child, husband, life, and furthermore.

Things that Madame Marguerite would have naturally gained if Amaryllis hadn’t interfered.

“…Don’t be so hypocritical.”

Amaryllis hung her head low.

“You just don’t want to lose your title either, Liam.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

At his calm admission, her heart felt like it plummeted with a thud. To his question of why,

“Why do you think I would do that?”

“Because of Madame Marguerite!”

Amaryllis knew.

“Even you, Liam, cherish a title that’s in name only!”

Her clenched hands trembled.

“If that child had lived–!”

Her voice came out rough.

“My Bastian wouldn’t even have been acknowledged as His Majesty’s illegitimate child! You know that well too, Liam!”

The same feeble excuses she had repeated many times bloomed again. Her red eyes flickered.

“Even without that child! His Majesty only barely acknowledged him as his son long after ascending to the throne! I absolutely couldn’t just stand by and watch!”

“Given the circumstances of conception, it’s natural he wouldn’t want to acknowledge it.”

“Liam!”

Amaryllis truly screamed. Her eyes, raised to look at Liam, trembled endlessly.

He was the one who understood Amaryllis’s heart better than anyone. Because Liam, of all people, best understood what an unrequited love felt like, what pain this endless one-sided love brought.

That’s why no matter what Amaryllis did, Liam would say she was pitiful, pathetic, poor thing… He always offered such comfort. She always found solace and peace in it. He felt more like family than blood relatives.