The carriage continued without rest until the next morning. They didn’t even stop to camp despite traveling through the night.

A little after breakfast time, Edith’s carriage also passed through the gates of the imperial palace.

‘There’s no crowd welcoming us.’

The area in front of the gates was as quiet as if cold water had washed over it. Only a few people had come out to greet them.

“You’ve come, Ludwig. Well done!”

A man with the same red eyes as Ludwig smiled, showing his teeth. It was Crown Prince Joachim, not the Emperor, who greeted Ludwig warmly.

Joachim welcomed the prince with a smile he couldn’t even hide.

“You’re smiling while His Majesty has collapsed.”

Ludwig did not smile back. Just by the way they looked at each other, it was clear they had an awkward relationship that made it hard to believe they were born of the same bloodline.

“I see you heard the news on your way. It’s a terrible thing that His Majesty had an accident. But for now, I’m acting as regent, you see. His Majesty would want me to welcome you on his behalf.”

Joachim spoke coldly, tightening his lips. In an instant, a chilly frost filled the space between the two brothers.

“The suspect has already been arrested and is under investigation. It’s a case with clear motives, so it will be resolved quickly. Don’t worry about it and just rest for now.”

“What did you say?”

Ludwig’s eyebrows twitched fiercely.

“His Majesty recently took in a mistress. He quite liked her, but it seems the mistress found a lover. While thinking of running away with that lover, she somehow ended up poisoning His Majesty. Fortunately, His Majesty has only lost consciousness and his life is not in danger yet. So for the time being, I, the Crown Prince, will act as regent on behalf of His Majesty. Anyway, we’ve secured testimony and have sufficient evidence. I’ve already resolved the case, so don’t worry too much. Since His Majesty has collapsed, we can’t hold a grand welcoming party, but Ludwig, I’ll host a banquet to commend your achievements.”

The Crown Prince acted as if he was showing generosity by hosting a banquet even in a crisis situation.

“His Majesty was poisoned by his mistress?”

“It’s hard to believe, but what can you expect from lowborns? Anyway, I understand your concern for His Majesty.”

The Crown Prince patted Prince Ludwig’s shoulder. But Ludwig’s face only hardened more fiercely.

“If you want, you can check the testimonies of the judge, knights, and witnesses who participated in the interrogation. They will confirm that what I said is the clear truth.”

After saying this, Joachim detached himself from Ludwig. The Crown Prince looked around at the soldiers who had returned with the prince and smiled a friendly smile.

“You have all worked hard. As regent, I deeply appreciate the efforts of all of you. Today, since His Majesty is ill, we cannot hold a lively feast, but I will host a banquet, so eat plenty and recover from your journey.”

The Crown Prince began to commend the knights one by one as if he had already become Emperor.

Edith quietly hid among the knights and watched from a distance.

**

“D*mn it!”

Ludwig paced back and forth in front of the bed after returning to the prince’s palace, with an anxious expression.

“Your Highness.”

A subordinate who had received Ludwig’s errand the previous night quietly entered. Noticing Edith sitting on the sofa, the subordinate hesitated to speak and looked at her.

“You stay right there, Edith.”

When Edith started to rise from her seat, noticing the atmosphere, Ludwig instructed her to remain in place.

Edith bowed her head and quietly kept her position.

“Speak. It doesn’t matter.”

“The evidence is solid. The poisoned wine glass has been found, and the man said to be the mistress’s lover has also been captured.”

“I’m sure it is. D*mn that Sachsen!”

Ludwig frowned as he ran his thick hand through his hair.

“There would be no trace of Duke Sachsen’s involvement anywhere, right? Still, just in case, search thoroughly. If evidence of Duke Sachsen’s involvement emerges, we might find evidence that he conspired with Joachim to assassinate the Emperor.”

The Emperor hadn’t died from the poison but had lost consciousness. If the Emperor died like this, Ludwig would be in a position to permanently lose the throne to Joachim.

Even if he tried to rebel, Duke Sachsen’s private army outnumbered Ludwig’s.

Originally, the Sachsen family had been a king, a great lord who was incorporated into the Rom Empire, so they occupied one-third of the entire imperial territory, and their private army still existed.

Without the Emperor’s help, Ludwig could not oppose Duke Sachsen.

“Understood.”

The subordinate bowed and went outside. Edith maintained her silence.

“If you consider yourself my subordinate, Duke Sachsen might try to eliminate you, so just continue pretending to be my mistress, Edith. I’ll give you the room next door, so stay there and wait until I give you instructions. Understand?”

After the subordinate left, Ludwig gathered his thoughts and ordered Edith.

“I understand.”

Edith quietly nodded to Ludwig’s instructions.

**

“I’m sorry. Because of me, you can’t attend the banquet.”

Edith carefully spoke to Moritz, who was guarding her. The banquet had started, but Sir Moritz couldn’t go to the banquet hall because he was escorting Edith.

After the prince assigned Siren the task of protecting the assassins, he sent him far away. Since then, Moritz had taken charge of Edith’s escort.

“Not at all. It’s a knight’s natural duty to protect a lady. Besides, the Crown Prince is dominating the atmosphere in the banquet hall, so it would have been like sitting on pins and needles even if I were there. I’m also the type who can’t eat well in uncomfortable atmospheres, so please don’t worry. I actually prefer spending time with my wife than attending such banquets.”

Moritz was a knight over thirty. He had a beloved wife and children.

He planned to spend the night with his wife after completing his mission of escorting Edith until the end of the banquet. His wife had already come to the imperial palace with their child to meet him.

Moritz occasionally boasted about his wife and child when he had time.

“You’ve built a very beautiful family. Someone like me, a mistress, couldn’t even dream of it.”

“You flatter me. Doesn’t His Highness greatly favor you?”

Edith smiled but couldn’t answer. She brought up a different topic.

“Um… since His Highness the Crown Prince is acting as regent, what will happen from now on?”

Edith couldn’t ask Ludwig anything as he seemed to be in a bad mood. She carefully questioned Moritz, who treated her comfortably.

“Well. I suppose His Highness the Crown Prince will bestow an appropriate title on the prince on behalf of His Majesty. Although the imperial army has fought many conquest wars, this is the first proper victory. Given the significance of the achievement, I think the Crown Prince will bestow at least a duke title and territory. That’s what the other knights are saying too.”

‘Duke title.’

While they were deep in conversation about the rewards, the door to the prince’s bedroom where Edith was waiting slid open.

“Your Highness?!”

They both looked at Ludwig simultaneously. Ludwig’s expression was sour, as if he had swallowed bitter water.

‘The banquet ended earlier than Moritz said.’

Ludwig had appeared much earlier than expected. It seemed the banquet had truly ended quickly after just the meal because of the Emperor’s illness.

“Good work, Moritz. You may go spend time with your wife now.”

The prince who entered the room dismissed Moritz. Upon hearing the prince’s words, Moritz bowed deeply and quietly withdrew.

Edith watched the prince with worried eyes from the side.

“He’s giving me the title of marquis and allowing me to govern one territory from the newly conquered lands. He plans to drive me out of the Empire, as expected.”

Once Moritz had left, the prince began to reveal his thoughts to Edith.

“Does that mean you must depart for that place immediately?”

Edith carefully observed his mood before continuing.

“No, though I’m receiving the territory as a reward, it only means ownership is transferred to me, not that I have an obligation to govern it directly. I’ll need to manage it, but I don’t have to go there myself. I can just send an administrator. As long as taxes are properly paid, that’s all that matters.”

“Marquis.”

Not even a duke title, but a marquis. Edith unconsciously rolled the word “marquis” around in her mouth.

“With things as they are now, there’s no use in starting a trial.”

The prince spoke calmly.

“If the handling of this matter is so clean that it leaves no trace, it must be Duke Sachsen’s doing. If so, the Crown Prince won’t live long either. The fool was delighted without knowing what lies ahead. The duke will try to put his precious grandson Leonard on the throne.”

**

Lady Köhler was sitting in the garden today as well, quietly having tea with Henrietta and discussing society gossip.

Suddenly, a maid rushed urgently into the garden.

“What’s the matter?”

“Lady Köhler, something terrible has happened! The Duke has fallen from his horse!”

“What did you say?”

Lady Köhler dropped the teacup she was holding. Crash. The teacup that fell to the floor split in half.

“I don’t know the details myself. The servants who followed are bringing the Duke now.”

The maid couldn’t continue speaking, fidgeting anxiously.

“The physician, call the physician. Quickly!”

After summoning the physician, the duchess rose and went to her husband. Naturally, Henrietta who had been having tea with her followed.

Duke Köhler, lying on the bed, was covered in blood on his head, seemingly from a head injury.

“Mother, what happened?”

Neil entered the room and approached the duchess with a shocked expression, having apparently heard the servants’ report.

“Well. He did have a glass of wine in the afternoon. It seems he fell while riding. What are we going to do, Neil?”

Lady Köhler’s eyes welled up with tears. Neil silently watched his mother, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t worry, he’ll recover quickly.”

Neil carefully comforted his mother.

Lady Köhler sobbed with her face buried in her son’s sturdy shoulder as he consoled her.