“Today we’ll stay at Viscount Arthur’s house. Since he was formerly aligned with the Crown Prince’s faction, there might be assassination attempts. Stay vigilant of your surroundings.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Edith, sitting across from the prince in the carriage, nodded indifferently. The carriage had already crossed the threshold of the Arthur residence.

“Your Highness, what a magnificent achievement you’ve made! I hear the knights of Sper wet themselves and flee at the mere mention of your name. Truly remarkable.”

Viscount Arthur, apparently having decided to change allegiance, immediately began flattering the prince.

“It’s nothing special. From the beginning, Sper’s army was just large in numbers but infantry-based, no match for the imperial army with cavalry as its vanguard. The victory in war is essentially due to His Majesty the Emperor’s grace in properly training the cavalry.”

The prince attributed all credit to the Emperor. Edith silently cut steak beside the prince.

“I hear your son is quite an excellent knight too. Quite skilled with the lance, they say.”

“But he’s no match for Your Highness’s swordsmanship.”

Ludwig turned his gaze to the viscount’s eldest son sitting beside him.

“I’d like to spar with your son this evening. Would that be acceptable?”

‘He finds the son easier to deal with than the viscount who just spouts flattery. Right now.’

Edith thought while glancing sideways at the prince. The prince never made wasted trips. The perceptive man could easily gauge what kind of person someone was just by looking them over.

What did the prince want from the viscount’s residence? Given that he was taking his time by stopping here, there must be something he wanted.

Lost in thought, Edith quietly sipped her wine.

**

“Let’s just have a light match to see if we’re compatible.”

The prince addressed Esteban, Viscount Arthur’s only son, as he entered the training ground. Esteban took up his sword and assumed a stance to begin a light sparring match with the prince.

Clang- Clang- Clang.

It started as light sparring. Just a few simple exchanges and it would be over. But after just a few moves, Esteban’s sword flew far away.

As Esteban stared blankly at his sword that had flown off, surprised at how easily he had lost, the prince suddenly pointed his sword at Esteban’s neck.

“Kneel.”

“What?”

But survival instinct was faster than the mind. Esteban quickly knelt down where he had been standing.

Shocked by the prince’s sudden change in attitude, Viscount Arthur rushed into the training ground shouting.

“Y-Your Highness. Is there something displeasing you? Why this sudden jest…”

“Do you think I’m playing games with the viscount family’s heir apparent? Do you consider the extinction of your family line a mere jest, Viscount?”

It was chilling. The man’s tone was cruelly cold, and the air around him instantly froze.

And suddenly, the prince’s subordinates who had been hiding near the training ground appeared and surrounded the viscount’s group.

“Y-Your Highness! What is this! I truly cannot understand what the problem is.”

“You cannot understand. Is that true, Viscount? Or is it that you cannot speak rather than cannot understand?”

Ludwig raised one corner of his mouth.

“There are assassins stationed in this house, aren’t there? Several in the vicinity too. Correct?”

“A-Assassins… That’s not…”

Swish.

The prince pushed the blade that had been pointing at the kneeling Esteban’s neck inward. The sharply honed blade drew a red line on the man’s neck.

“I can show mercy to traitors if circumstances warrant it, but I cannot be kind to liars. If you tell even one more lie, the direct line of the Arthur family will end. I’ll give you a chance, so answer me. Aren’t there assassins sent by the Crown Prince here, Viscount Arthur?”

At the prince’s words, the viscount could only blink his eyes with his mouth open. As the viscount stood frozen, unable to act, Esteban, with warm blood slowly seeping from his neck, shouted.

“Father, please!”

Esteban shouted loudly, but the viscount still couldn’t say anything. He seemed to be calculating what flimsy excuse to offer.

After staring at his father, Esteban finally began to confess himself.

“Your Highness is correct. Assassins are on standby. But they were never meant to harm Your Highness. I heard they were only meant to eliminate the prisoners Your Highness has. We merely provided the location at the Crown Prince’s command. I apologize to Your Highness, but we have long been the Crown Prince’s subordinates and couldn’t dare harbor different thoughts. Please forgive us just this once.”

“No, Esteban!”

Viscount Arthur quickly shouted to try to silence his son, but Esteban didn’t stop. Esteban wasn’t someone with enough spirit to cover his fear of death with loyalty.

“Well done, Esteban.”

The prince praised him with a slight smile.

“Thanks to your honest account, the Arthur family will avoid complete annihilation. Of course, if you don’t testify in court about hearing the Crown Prince’s message, I will charge you with attempting to assassinate a member of the imperial family.”

At the prince’s words, the father and son turned deathly pale.

‘Testify what in court? Make statements against the Crown Prince? Would Duke Sachsen allow that?’

“Even if you had successfully eliminated me here, you wouldn’t have survived anyway. Joachim was planning to dispose of me and then annihilate the viscount family by framing you as the culprits.”

“What?”

“In matters involving the imperial family, foolishness is also a crime. If you draw your sword against a prince’s entourage and claim you had no intention to harm the prince, who would believe that?”

“Edith.”

The prince suddenly gestured to Edith.

‘Me? In this atmosphere? Why suddenly?’

Though puzzled, Edith quietly walked to the prince’s side. She stood next to him, level with the prince.

“Edith Köhler. You clearly heard from Duke Köhler, didn’t you? That after the deed was done at Viscount Arthur’s residence, the ducal family would send private soldiers to surround the viscount’s house. Isn’t that right?”

‘Ah. So this is how he plans to use me…’

Edith bit her lip until it bled. There was absolutely no way out of this difficult situation. If she didn’t side with the prince right now, he might send her back to Neil.

“W-Well…”

“Blood is flowing from the young viscount’s neck right now. Compassionate Edith, time is short, so answer with a simple yes or no.”

She had to lie. It was an act that would turn the entire Köhler ducal family against her. Plus, it would make an enemy of the Crown Prince too. But cornered, Edith finally gave the answer the prince wanted.

“Y-Yes, that’s correct.”

After answering, Edith sighed as if the world might collapse at any moment.

“So come with me and testify. I will ensure your safety.”

Having heard Edith’s answer, the prince persuaded the viscount father and son with a satisfied smile.

The persuasion continued for several more hours.

**

“Now my life is completely in Your Highness’s hands. I hope you’ll keep your promise not to abandon a loyal subject.”

Edith spoke to the prince with a dejected face. The prince stared at her and replied casually.

“If I’m eliminated, you’ll die too. We’re already in the same boat.”

The prince’s words were true. This was already the second time assassins had lined up waiting for them.

Edith had heard enough from the defected assassins about how assassins operate to predict the next attacks.

The prince figured that since he was going to capture assassins anyway, it would be better to also capture the viscount who was loyal to the Crown Prince. A nobleman’s testimony would be somewhat more credible than that of commoner assassins.

“But the viscount’s claim that these assassins weren’t targeting me is true.”

All evening, the prince had tortured the captured assassins.

Watching the prince eat dinner with a refreshed face after finishing the t*rture, Edith was appalled. And now the prince was voluntarily sharing what he had learned during the t*rture in front of Edith.

“So they sent assassins to kill the defected assassins to prevent them from testifying?”

Edith asked in surprise. She hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to sit idly by, but…

“Yes. That’s why the viscount judged there would be less risk. Since I wouldn’t be killed. And,”

‘And?’

Edith looked up at the prince. This man didn’t add unnecessary words. What did he want to say?

“You were also included in the assassination targets, along with the defected assassins. Edith.”

“Me?”

“They probably decided to kill you for your role in getting the assassins to defect. The Crown Prince enjoys k*lling people. Especially women.”

“Does that mean there’s a spy in our troops?”

“Hahaha.”

The prince, who had been staring intently at the woman, laughed loudly. Edith opened her eyes wide as she watched the prince laugh at her. What was so funny?

“Aren’t you even afraid after hearing assassins were sent to kill you? You have quite the nerve for a woman.”

“Anyway…”

Edith trailed off. The prince moved his head closer to the woman.

“Tell me, Edith.”

“I didn’t think the journey back to the imperial palace would be easy. I already considered my life half-forfeit.”

Surprisingly, there was moisture in the prince’s eyes as he looked at Edith. She had thought him a harsh man, but now he was looking down at her with kind eyes, as if watching a puppy he had raised.

Such a gaze was like the one Lady Köhler used to direct at Henrietta.

“You were just locked in a room, weren’t you?”

The prince asked, lifting the woman’s chin with his hand as if discovering a curious object.

“But I read many books.”

“Even if you read books, you wouldn’t have had time to grasp the essence of human relationships.”

“Many people at the ducal residence showed me their true nature without hiding it.”

Edith spoke candidly.

“You’re quite an interesting woman.”

“Thank you.”

Edith answered with an awkward smile.

“So, do you still want to run away with a knight, my mistress?”

“Even if I ran away with a knight after Your Highness’s death, I would become a fugitive. I think it’s better to stay by Your Highness’s side and hope for your victory.”

“It seems I’ve gained a reliable ally. Haha!”

The prince laughed until the end. The cold man from their first meeting was nowhere to be seen.

**

[If I become duke in the future, I swear the Köhler ducal family will side with Your Highness. So,]

[Well. I suspect I’ll either become emperor or be killed before you become duke. Your father is just over forty, and the Köhler family is known for longevity.]

“D*mn it!”

Neil gritted his teeth as he returned home. Edith, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, was breathtakingly beautiful. Being by the prince’s side had filled her with vitality, making her almost dazzling.

‘This is all Father’s fault.’

From the beginning, Neil had opposed his father’s decision to sell Edith to the marquis. But his father had ignored his wishes, saying no one would pay as high a price as the marquis.

And then he had handed Edith over to the prince too easily. How painful.

No matter how he thought about it, there was no way to retrieve Edith unless the prince willingly gave her up. Duke Köhler, who had offered Edith himself, wouldn’t step forward to reclaim her. So then…

‘If I became duke…’

All this misfortune was his father’s fault.

From bringing that girl Edith home in the first place, making him so confused.

It wouldn’t be against human ethics for the person who committed the sin to take responsibility.

A new plan to retrieve Edith began to form in Neil’s mind.