“Lapocia smuggled in among trade goods between the Kingdom of Floren and the Sheriton Empire is being circulated. As the trade route passes through Tranade, I ask that the Empire pay closer attention and further strengthen trade regulations with Floren.”

It was a perfectly reasonable proposal, nothing out of the ordinary. Most of the council members nodded in agreement. Only the Minister of Internal Affairs seemed somewhat displeased, but it was of no consequence.

Only Delia waited anxiously for Niol’s response.

Because in the original story, this utterly ordinary proposal had been the spark that ignited the feud between Niol and Kaiel.

If things were to follow the original storyline, Niol’s next line would be a blunt “I refuse. Why should I?”, delivered with a heavy dose of sarcasm. To display such an attitude in a setting where high-ranking ministers were gathered was tantamount to disregarding and belittling the Grand Duke. It was an open display of hostility.

Delia had gone through all that trouble to prevent this very situation.

While she couldn’t stop Niol from refusing, she was prepared to provide a clear and logical explanation if he asked for a reason.

She would tell him that if he didn’t listen to Kaiel, the trade route would soon become a path to the underworld. Just like how she had done with the Empress.

It was fortunate that most people held a mixture of fear and awe towards the unknown future. Even a small prophecy could wield considerable power.

‘Come on, Niol. Say the line!’

Delia was ready.

“Very well. I’ll do that.”

Niol gave a completely unexpected response.

Delia’s head whipped around to stare at him.

‘Huh?’

Niol was genuinely accepting the proposal with a ‘smile’. Not the ‘sneer’ from the original story.

Her surprise at the unexpected turn of events was short-lived.

As Niol continued speaking, Delia finally understood why she had been placed next to the Crown Prince.

“In return, I have a proposal of my own. I’d like to appoint Miss Averbit as the Imperial Physician. What are your thoughts, Lord Tranade?”

It seemed that the hidden agenda of this meeting was, after all, herself.

Delia inwardly groaned.

‘So when he said ‘you’ll need my permission’, he meant asking me like this? Is this even asking for permission……!’

Since it was a proposal Kaiel couldn’t refuse for the sake of the negotiation, it was closer to an announcement.

As expected, Kaiel’s expression hardened instantly.

His voice, devoid of any warmth, uttered a single word.

“What?”

It was the cold tone he usually hid behind a veneer of courtesy.

The faces of the ministers observing the exchange turned pale.

‘This is bad, this is bad!’

For the ministers who had spent their entire lives sitting on chairs and poring over documents, the immense pressure emanating from him was an entirely new and terrifying experience.

Dr. Lambert, who had initially been pleased with Niol’s proposal, quickly shut his mouth and shrank back in his seat after witnessing Kaiel’s reaction.

Ashlene, caught between a rock and a hard place, spoke up in a firm, dignified tone befitting an Imperial Princess.

“Calm yourself, Lord Tranade. It’s just a proposal.”

However, the situation didn’t improve.

Kaiel continued to radiate a menacing aura, while Niol, seemingly oblivious, looked at Delia with a leisurely expression. The ministers and the rest of the attendees whispered amongst themselves, gradually inching their chairs backwards.

“Miss Averbit’s opinion is the most important. What do you think, Miss Averbit?”

Ashlene called her name, her eyes filled with concern. Once again, all eyes were on her.

Delia met their gazes head-on and carefully opened her mouth to speak.

“Well, I……”

Just then, a chilling voice cut her off.

“Forget my proposal.”

“I refuse. Why should I?”

Delia’s words were swept away by the two voices that rang out in succession.

Oh my head!

She hadn’t expected Niol’s “I refuse” line to pop up here of all places!

‘And Kaiel, withdrawing your proposal?!’

At this rate, Kaiel would destroy the trade route through other means, just like in the original story. He would kill those involved and leave the trade route in ruins.

‘Why, why! Why does it feel like it’s all my fault?!’

Pushing down her feelings of despair, Delia hurriedly spoke up.

“I……”

“To begin with, she’s mine.”

“That’s why I’m saying I want to bring her with me.”

“Both of you…… please maintain your composure. Duke Tranade, Your Highness. This is an official meeting.”

It was utter chaos.

This was the first time something like this had happened since the Crown Prince had taken over the important duties of the Imperial Palace in place of the ailing Emperor.

As the commotion in the conference room began to die down, the voice of an elderly supervisor from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who had been chatting with someone in the corner, rang out clearly through the hushed atmosphere.

“So, in the end, it’s all because of that young lady. Young people are full of passion. I’d bet on His Grace the Grand Duke. The atmosphere between those two is quite……”

The Internal Affairs supervisor swallowed his words. He had realized that the atmosphere in the conference room was a bigger problem than the atmosphere between the Grand Duke and the apple of his eye.

He had made a slip of the tongue in front of the fearsome Grand Duke and the Crown Prince, the sun of the Empire.

While the supervisor gulped nervously, the many gazes that had been directed at him now shifted to Kaiel and Delia.

How could they not be curious about the unusual atmosphere between the two! Moreover, the Grand Duke was a man who had never been involved in even the smallest scandal with any woman until this age!

Even Niol couldn’t help but glance back and forth between the two. It didn’t take long for him to notice the red mark on Delia’s neck.

Delia’s hair was naturally reddish, and the mark wasn’t easily visible unless her neck was exposed. But Niol had a keen eye.

As his eyes narrowed slightly, Delia struggled to maintain her composure as her face flushed crimson.

Being linked to Kaiel in front of so many people wasn’t the problem. The problem was, the moment they were mentioned together, the memories of the previous night came flooding back, making her head spin.

Whenever she opened her eyes, she had caught glimpses of Kaiel’s blue-gray eyes shimmering like waves between his lowered lashes. His perfectly straight nose and his usual stoic expression. And his earlobes, burning red in contrast to his composed demeanor.

Delia felt a sudden rush of heat to her face. It was too late to try and control her blush now. She must look like a beetroot.

“……”

“……”

“……”

Even Ashlene, who had been trying to salvage the situation, fell silent after seeing Delia’s flushed face.

Only Kaiel, for some reason, was staring at Delia with a calm expression. The Internal Affairs supervisor broke the long silence.

“I apologize…… My loose tongue has caused a disturbance.”

The supervisor couldn’t even bring himself to look at the Grand Duke. After all, it seemed that the Crown Prince was more offended by his remark than the Grand Duke himself.

Niol carefully and discreetly brushed Delia’s hair over her neck, concealing the mark, as he spoke.

“There’s been a bit of a commotion, so let’s wrap up the meeting after we settle the negotiation.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Just then, Kaiel responded in a firm tone.

“There’s nothing to settle. I’m withdrawing my proposal.”

Just as Niol was about to speak, Delia, who had been quiet until then, suddenly interjected.

“No.”

Her unexpected words shifted the atmosphere of the conference room once again.

Except for Kaiel, of course.

Delia let out a small sigh.

‘There’s no other way.’

Her actions weren’t motivated by a desire to avoid Kaiel or to side with Niol. Strictly speaking, it would be more beneficial for her to stick by Kaiel’s side.

However, she had to side with Niol at this moment for two reasons. First, for the sake of the trade route that would be ruthlessly destroyed by Kaiel. And second, because of the promise she had made to Niol.

Back when she had thrown the flowerpot at Kaiel, she asked Niol for a favor in the hallway.

She asked him to use his authority as Crown Prince to reinstate Aide Matisse back to Tranade’s castle.

And in exchange for this favor, Niol had asked her to stay in the Imperial Palace as the Imperial Physician.

Of course, Niol probably hadn’t expected her to agree to his request, but what was her state of mind back then!

She had been holding a flowerpot with the intent to kill Kaiel, envisioning a future without him.

If Kaiel were to disappear, she would return to reality anyway, so she had recklessly agreed to his request. At that time, she had been confident that she could get rid of Kaiel.

Moreover, she had her own ulterior motives.

If she couldn’t kill Kaiel right away, wouldn’t it be better to be far away from him, free from the influence of the system that kept pushing her to kill the villain? She could always raise her plausibility score with Niol.

However, that was just her mind talking. Her aching heart was a different story.

Delia spoke to Kaiel in a calm voice.

“I will stay here. As the Imperial Physician. So please proceed with the negotiations properly, Your Grace.”

“Delia……!”

Kaiel’s low growl echoed through the room. Even Niol seemed surprised by her assertiveness, his eyes widening in surprise.

As everyone held their breath and watched Delia, Kaiel abruptly stood up from his seat.

Screech. The sound of the chair scraping against the floor sounded almost angry. Kaiel strode towards Delia.

“Delia, get up.”