***

Prince Sion’s debut ball, which gathered all the high nobles who rarely left their territories, was set to be a grand affair.

And that also meant the protagonist of the ball would have to endure quite a lot of trouble.

First, since the ball was scheduled to last three days, Prince Sion would need to have at least six outfits tailored.

At minimum, he needed different clothes for the daytime luncheon and the evening ball.

The Basilinte main castle had not held a ball since Astrid became the Grand Duchess.

Having grown up there, Leticia clicked her tongue at the Empire’s unnecessary extravagance.

Of course, it wasn’t that Astrid was frugal; she just spent money elsewhere.

She was a mage who could blow through enough money to host a lavish all-day ball on research expenses in just 10 minutes.

Astrid was already the Grand Duchess who had spent the most money in history.

To the point where Butler Hallik sometimes wished she would just buy jewels and dresses instead.

Of course, regardless of what Hallik thought, Ferik, blinded by love, had offered up the castle’s vault and storehouses.

Unaware of this fact, Leticia criticized the Empire’s extravagance and declared firmly,

“I’ll only have two outfits made.”

Aina, who was flipping through fabric samples with an exhausted face, asked, “Why?”

“I’m only attending the first day anyway. Why would I need six outfits when I won’t be here from the second day? It’s a waste of time and clothes.”

“That’s fine, but I’ll be here for as long as it takes to prepare six outfits…”

Aina’s determination to return to Luka’s document-filled house as late as possible was unwavering.

The dark circles under her eyes were prominent.

“You don’t have to help with the outfit fitting. Just go to the next room and get some sleep.”

“I’m fine.”

“No. I’m not fine watching you. Just go in and rest a bit.”

“But then I’ll see Lord Chamuka secretly dragging away the attendants who helped with the Prince’s clothes… and I’ll have to clean up after him again…”

Instead of saying ‘Chamuka isn’t that kind of person,’ Leticia said for Aina’s sake,

“I’ll talk to Chamuka about it. Tell him not to do that.”

“…You’ll get a definite answer, not just that ambiguous silence right before he causes trouble, right?”

“Of course. Trust me.”

Watching with eyes that showed a complete lack of trust, Aina finally stood up, staggering.

Leticia opened the door for the constantly yawning Aina and said.

“I’ll tell your brother to come pick you up in the evening.”

“No. I’ll go back on my own.”

“Why? Nathan said he’d come get you when work was done today, when he dropped you off earlier.”

He was a brother who had gone out of his way to bring Aina despite being just as tired himself.

It was strange how someone who looked like the head of an intelligence agency plotting some grand conspiracy was so devoted to his sister.

But unavoidable prejudice aside, he really did look like someone with many secrets.

Isn’t it counterproductive for a spy to look like that? Why does a spy actually look like a spy?

“I think it’ll be more convenient to go back on my own.”

Waving her hand, Aina suddenly sighed.

“I don’t know what he wants from me. The way he acts is… Is this normal for family?”

“Doesn’t he treat you well?”

“That’s exactly the problem. He treats me too well. Do grown siblings normally look after each other’s every move like this?”

“They could.”

Aina narrowed her eyes.

“Your Highness. You’re thinking about Lord Chamuka right now, aren’t you? You’re mentally packaging all of Chamuka’s past behaviors as deep brotherly affection, aren’t you?”

“….”

Silence served as an excellent answer.

Leticia avoided her eyes, and Aina openly clicked her tongue.

“Real siblings care for each other, but not to that extent. That’s why it’s strange! What siblings let you sleep in their arms just because you look tired? Especially when you’re all grown up, not children anymore!”

“…Nathan let you sleep in his arms?”

“….”

Again, silence served as another excellent answer.

Leticia added words as a small counterattack for her earlier silence.

“Even Chamuka didn’t go that far…”

“Let’s not distort the facts. Who was always beside you when you fell asleep late at night while researching, Your Highness?”

“That was just both of us falling asleep from exhaustion while researching together. At least I never slept in Chamuka’s arms.”

“Why would Lord Chamuka, who has no talent for it, do magical research with Your Highness? Was he interested in the research, or in Your Highness?”

“….”

“….”

Leticia was silent again, but this time Aina was too.

They just looked at each other’s faces and then avoided eye contact.

They quickly realized that the more they mentioned each other’s failed sibling relationships, the more depressed they both became.

Aina turned her head slowly and said.

“…I’ll go in and sleep now, Your Highness.”

“Wait, Aina.”

Leticia grabbed Aina as she was about to leave the room.

“Then what will you do? With your brother, when he’s like that…”

Will you accept it? Or will you reject it?

Leticia hesitated for a moment about what to add next, and Aina sighed and pushed Leticia’s arm away.

“I don’t know either, Your Highness. What’s right? And where is there a correct answer in human relationships anyway?”

“….”

“I’ll probably choose the option I’ll regret less. Because my happiness is what matters.”

Before leaving the room, Aina turned back and said.

“I wish Your Highness would do the same.”

***

“Prince Sion will die on the first night of the ball.”

The Second Prince, Rasiel, frowned at Nathan’s words.

“After gathering so many people so grandly?”

Rasiel knew that the “Prince Sion” currently in the imperial palace was not his real brother.

Anyone could see this person was different from the brother he had known for the past 18 years.

He was simply acquiescing to someone else pretending to be “Prince Sion” because of the Emperor’s orders.

“Is this His Majesty’s will? Is that why that child…”

He let his words trail off in case anyone was listening, but it wasn’t difficult to guess what he was trying to say.

Nathan shook his head.

“No. Prince Sion wanted it.”

“His own death?”

“More precisely, the results that will come from his death.”

As Rasiel gestured for him to continue, Nathan handed over a document.

It contained a portrait of Leticia as a child, with her personal information written below.

“The current Prince Sion was sent to Basilinte as a hostage disguised as a prince ten years ago. After losing her home, a theater troupe to a fire, she was sent to the Grand Duchy and recently escaped from there to return to the capital. Still with her golden eyes intact.”

“Still even now?”

“Yes. Unlike the imperial family, she didn’t lose her golden eyes. That’s why His Majesty persuaded her to secure the golden eyes, and she is now ‘Prince Sion.'”

“So that’s why they used the Prince’s debut ball as an excuse to summon the nobles? To boast that the golden eyes are still intact?”

“No. That was requested by ‘Prince Sion.’ So that many people would witness her death on the first day of the ball.”

“…Why?”

“Because Prince Sion resents His Majesty for sending her to that terrible place ten years ago. In other words, she wants revenge.”

“….”

“She intends to frame His Majesty for her m*rder. The setting is that the Emperor, who lost his legitimacy after losing his golden eyes, experimented on and killed a prince who still had them. Evidence is already being fabricated, and with Your Highness’s help, we could prove His Majesty’s guilt more definitively.”

Astonished by the audacious claim of framing the Emperor, Rasiel asked incredulously.

“Why should I do that?”

“If the current Emperor steps down, who will ascend to the imperial throne next?”

“….”

Rasiel closed his mouth.

Seeing this, Nathan quietly laughed to himself.

In matters of power, there was no such thing as parent and child. Of course, Nathan had no intention of letting the Second Prince ascend to the throne either.