“Kaiel, when did you leave yesterday?”

When Delia suddenly asked during breakfast, Kaiel’s pupils contracted slightly.

“I didn’t even know you left because I was asleep.”

Only after she said this did Kaiel pick up his spoon again.

Watching Kaiel empty his plate, Delia suddenly seemed to remember something and smiled warmly.

“You know what, Her Highness the Imperial Princess sent a gift to Lady Rant in my name.”

Kaiel silently raised his head. Delia continued speaking.

“How can she be so caring and sensible? It would have been better if you had taken after Her Highness the Imperial Princess even a little, Kaiel.”

At those words, Kaiel furrowed his brow as if thinking about something.

Seeing this, Delia let out a chuckle.

“I’m joking. I already like you just as you are.”

After this, Delia became quiet as she concentrated on eating her meal. After a while, Kaiel spoke first.

“There was someone behind Mother’s lapocia poisoning.”

Delia put down her spoon and raised her head. After swallowing the soup in her mouth, she put aside the light atmosphere and responded seriously.

“……No way. I really didn’t expect that.”

Of course, her response was completely false. How could she, as the author, not know who poisoned Kaiel’s mother with lapocia?

However, even though she knew who the culprit was, she couldn’t tell him.

“It seems your absence from the auxiliary palace these past few days wasn’t just because of trade issues.”

After scraping the soup clean, Delia swallowed her last spoonful and continued.

“Have you…… found out who it is?”

Kaiel kept his gaze fixed downward at the center of the table.

“Haven’t found them yet.”

His response carried quite a sharp killing intent. She asked,

“What will you do when you find them?”

From the moment Kaiel realizes the culprit’s identity, the story would spiral uncontrollably. When he turns against the imperial palace, everyone dies — the Emperor, Empress, Ashlene, Niol, all of them.

“Will you kill them?”

At this pointed question, Kaiel’s gaze, which had been fixed on the center of the table, shot toward her.

Even under his gaze, Delia laughed it off as if it were nothing.

“No way, you wouldn’t do that. Kaiel you’re…… well, Kaiel you’re……”

About to say he wasn’t that kind of person, Delia closed her mouth as she recalled his behavior until now.

Since fourteen, he had been on battlefields, became a commander at nineteen, cut off someone’s wrist at the tavern when they first met, and separately hunted down and killed the assassin who shot an arrow at her cheek.

Thinking about it now, she realized how extraordinary the man looking at her was.

If he was like this before turning dark, imagining what would happen after he learned about the culprit was terrifying.

Having nothing particular to say, Delia fumbled with her words.

“You’re Kaiel after all.”

As she kept scraping at her empty plate, she asked a nearby servant for a new plate. Shortly after, the servant placed a plate of warm soup in front of her.

After scooping up a spoonful, Delia hesitated before speaking.

“So…… I’m saying I trust you, Kaiel. Just as you trust me.”

Though she had just said whatever came to mind, a deep emotion briefly flickered across Kaiel’s expression before disappearing.

“I’ll leave first.”

After looking at her for a few more seconds, he stood up from his seat. Delia said while blowing on her hot soup to cool it.

“I’m still eating.”

That’s when it happened.

“Your Highness……! So suddenly……!”

There was suddenly a commotion at the dining room entrance, and the door burst open.

“Good morning, everyone.”

It was Niol.

“Your Highness! Barging in like this……”

Dr. Lambert, who had hurriedly followed, looked back and forth between Delia, Kaiel, and Niol before holding his forehead.

The probability of anything good happening when these two met was extremely low. Delia also put down the spoon she was about to bring to her mouth and stood up.

“Good morning, Crown Prince. What……”

“What brings you here.”

Before Delia could finish asking, Kaiel cut in with a cold tone.

At his question, Dr. Lambert’s expression changed as if he wanted to run away right then.

“Well…… that is……”

As Dr. Lambert trailed off, Niol gave a slight smile toward Delia and said.

“I have something to discuss with Miss Averbit.”

Kaiel’s expression immediately turned cold.

“What discussion?”

“It’s a secret, Lord Tranade.”

Kaiel glared at Niol, then changed his target and asked Dr. Lambert instead.

“What discussion.”

Dr. Lambert was caught in the middle, unable to move either way and breaking into a cold sweat. Perhaps because he was responsible for this situation, he couldn’t even excuse himself first.

“I said it’s a secret.”

When Niol interrupted again to block the question, the veins on Kaiel’s fists bulged.

Finally, Delia spoke up.

“What do you want to discuss?”

Niol answered immediately without a hint of hesitation.

“I’d like to offer Miss Averbit the position of imperial palace physician. Dr. Lambert has been full of praise.”

At his words, Kaiel’s fierce gaze flew to Lambert. Lambert avoided his eyes while stepping backward. Delia suddenly felt very sorry for him.

A court physician having to read the room between the Grand Duke and Crown Prince — what a difficult social life he had. However, she soon realized she was in the same position and sighed.

‘I have to please one side and kill the other later. My situation is even more serious!’

When Delia sighed, Niol smiled lightly and said.

“You don’t need to feel too pressured. Whatever my intentions, I will follow your decision, Miss Averbit.”

Before Delia could respond, Niol added.

“However, if you refuse, I might feel a bit hurt. How can a Crown Prince who can’t win over even one talented person win the hearts of his people? Besides, I quite like you, Miss Averbit.”

Delia momentarily hesitated at his words that flowed like running water.

Niol saying he liked her was likely just flattery. He was probably testing Kaiel’s reaction.

However, saying he would feel hurt was, in a way, probably sincere. If she rejected his offer and followed Kaiel instead, Niol certainly wouldn’t be pleased.

In the original work, Niol didn’t want to lose anything to Kaiel. A mere researcher refusing the Crown Prince’s offer to follow his half-brother?

How could that not upset Niol!

Delia nervously glanced at Niol. Despite saying there was no need to feel pressured, he had added so many pressuring words, yet he just looked at Delia with a charming smile.

Following his smile with one of her own, Delia worried internally.

The main reason for her concern was, first and foremost, that upsetting the protagonist might cause the system to reduce the plausibility score. The system only moved for the protagonist’s happiness, after all.

Additionally, as the author who had given Niol a bad ending in the original work, she felt guilty and couldn’t easily reject him.

But readily accepting Niol’s words felt like betraying Kaiel, which made her even more reluctant.

Of course, Kaiel wasn’t the type to feel disappointment or hurt even if she betrayed him.

In the original work, he didn’t even show his face when sending his closest subordinate, Aide Matisse, for long-term treatment.

There was a similar story when he first received his Grand Duke title and headed to Tranade.

Among his subordinates who followed him from Sheriton to Tranade, some who couldn’t adapt to the cold, harsh environment had run away.

Among them were those whose lives Kaiel had saved on the battlefield, yet he didn’t care at all despite the potential for feeling betrayed.

That was the kind of character Kaiel was.

Delia glanced up at Kaiel.

He hadn’t said anything for a while. However, his gaze had remained fixed on Delia, so their eyes met as soon as she looked up.

Except for being slightly creased, presumably from his displeasure at meeting Niol, his eyes held no particular expression.

After contemplating, Delia opened her mouth.

“Um…… I haven’t finished eating yet.”

Dr. Lambert looked at her as if she were his savior. With her response, they could at least avoid this suffocating situation for now.

At her words, Niol laughed heartily and cheerfully led her back to sit at the table.

“Come to think of it, I interrupted your meal. Let’s postpone the answer. Oh my, has the soup gotten cold?”

Before Delia could say it was fine, Niol lightly raised his hand to order new soup. Even that brief action was full of grace.

Facing her third soup placed before her, Delia resolutely picked up her spoon. It was her third bowl of the same soup.

After taking a spoonful into her mouth, Delia put down her spoon after just a few bites.

“……Your Highness.”

“Hahaha, alright, alright. I’ll stop watching. Take your time eating, Miss Averbit.”

Only after Niol withdrew with a laugh did Delia pick up her spoon again. Niol went to the back and started exchanging a few more words with Dr. Lambert. Relieved, Delia began to enjoy the soup’s taste again.

However, she had to put down her spoon again after just a few spoonfuls.

“Grand Duke?”

It was because Kaiel had returned to sit at the table. He sat silently and began staring at her.

As if he was going to watch her eat, the smooth soup was starting to feel heavy in her stomach.

“Kaiel……!”

“Eat.”

How could she eat with him staring so intently!

“How can I eat when you’re staring at me like that……!”

Delia blurted out exactly what she was thinking and made an aggrieved expression.

Having breakfast was particularly difficult today. Delia stirred her soup with her spoon while muttering.

“They say even …… aren’t bothered while eating. I’m worse than a dog……”

“……”

Delia, who had been lamenting without realizing it, suddenly startled and looked up.

“You didn’t hear that, right?”

“No.”

Fortunately, no one heard because it was too quiet.