The king told the people to spread rumors that they would attack Sheriton’s capital in the near future, and as the rumors began to become more concrete, Sheriton’s military gathered at the capital and borders.

That way, Floren just needed to kidnap Ashlene when the palace’s defenses were weakened.

But again, Kaiel Ceder. He was the problem.

He noticed Floren’s intentions one step ahead. He took Ashlene to Tranade to protect her and hid her from Floren.

When the King of Floren learned of this, he quickly changed his plans.

“Eliminate all messengers heading from Tranade to the Sheriton Empire.”

By the king’s order, the news that Kaiel was protecting Ashlene couldn’t reach Niol, and when his sister disappeared, Niol began to lose his composure.

And that moment was an opportunity for the King of Floren.

The King of Floren changed his story to tell Niol that Kaiel had kidnapped Ashlene, and used this as a pretext to persuade him to conquer Tranade and establish his position.

From Niol’s perspective, he couldn’t ignore this proposal.

After all, rumors were rampant in the Empire that the Grand Duke had gone mad and not only killed Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, but also damaged the trade route and was now trying to kill Her Highness the Princess.

‘After that, Ashlene ends up dying during the war between Sheriton and Tranade.’

Getting goosebumps for a moment, Delia shook her head while rubbing her arms where the chills had risen.

Fortunately, Kaiel did not destroy the trade route, and both the Empress and the Emperor were alive and well.

‘There’s a high probability that things will go differently from the original.’

Since entering the novel, she had changed a lot of things, so it wouldn’t be desirable to blindly believe only in the original story.

She had been worried that Kaiel might have killed the Empress as in the original, but it was a needless worry.

However, she couldn’t completely ignore the original, so she had to keep both possibilities in mind.

Delia’s eyes sparkled as she brushed past her aide and went straight to Niol.

She had to find out where Kaiel was and what he was doing, and find out the truth behind the rumors. And for that, she definitely needed Niol’s help.

“Your Highness, Your Highness……!”

Delia flung open the office door and went straight to Niol. As soon as he saw Delia, his face brightened.

“You’re here?”

“Have you heard the rumors? Floren is……”

“Come here.”

Unlike her who was in a hurry, Niol was wearing a leisurely smile as if he was enjoying a peaceful morning. When Delia approached him and put the documents on the desk, Niol pulled up a side chair and Delia naturally sat down.

Niol pulled the chair closer again and asked.

“Did you have a good breakfast?”

The affectionate morning greeting was also familiar. Delia, wanting to get to the point quickly, nodded her head roughly.

“Yes. But now there are rumors going around that Floren is going to attack the capital……”

It was then that a familiar voice suddenly intervened.

“Get away.”

She thought she was alone with Niol.

“Kaiel!”

He was sitting on the opposite sofa, watching them, as if he had been there all along. When Niol’s arm rested on the chair Delia was sitting on, Kaiel jumped to his feet and strode over.

But he stopped a few steps away from her, as if keeping his distance. He even took a step back, putting even more distance between them.

Delia initially thought that if Kaiel came back, she would run to him, grab his hand, and pour out everything she wanted to say, such as why he was so late, that she missed him, and that she was sorry for misunderstanding him.

But when she actually saw his face, she felt awkward for some reason and couldn’t speak.

“Th……. Uh……”

She felt that before Kaiel spoke first, rashly apologizing and bringing up the past would be counterproductive.

“It’s been a while, Grand Duke.”

In the end, Delia closed her mouth and turned her head first. She thought it would be better to talk about the main topic first.

“Have you both heard the rumors?”

“Yes, I have.”

“There are two possibilities. Either the rumors are true, or someone is intentionally spreading them.”

“Go on.”

Niol was looking at Delia with an interested look, answering her steadily. On the other hand, Kaiel said nothing, just stared at her, and said again.

“Get away.”

“……Grand Duke, are you listening?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

As he said, Delia pulled her chair back and continued.

“If the rumors are true, even if Floren attacks, Sheriton has the military advantage, so it won’t be a problem. We just need to be prepared. But if the rumors are false…… it will be much more difficult.”

She wanted to say that if the rumors were false, Ashlene would be kidnapped. Wouldn’t it be more certain to say it directly rather than beating around the bush?

But not only could she not do that, but this world did not flow exactly as she knew it.

Well, it was much better that it didn’t.

At that moment, Niol nodded with a satisfied look and pulled Delia’s chair closer again.

“You’re right. What do you think, Delia? Real? Fake?”

This was a question that Delia herself had been unable to answer. After much thought, Delia shook her head.

“I hope it’s real. If it’s fake……”

“If it’s fake? What do you think will happen? If someone is intentionally spreading it, what do you think their reason is?”

Delia opened her mouth with a slightly troubled face at Niol’s persistent questioning.

“Whatever it is, we can’t let things go their way.”

Delia was so focused on the situation that she didn’t notice how close Niol was as he fiddled with her hair.

“If they hear the rumors and send out troops to quell the people’s anxiety, the palace forces will be reduced by that much……. Something might happen……? Like, for example……”

“Hostage situation.”

Kaiel, who had been sitting at a distance, suddenly cut her off.

“Yes?”

“The rumors are fake and the hostage is Ashlene. So back off a little, Niol.”

His words were so concise and to the point that Delia became even more confused.

‘How do you know that, Kaiel? Niol, why are you so unconcerned?’

If he had heard such an absurd story, he should have been shocked. Niol just seemed annoyed that Kaiel had interrupted him.

“Oh, don’t be a spoilsport. I was curious to see how far ahead Miss Delia was looking. Right, Delia?”

Niol’s eyes, which had been sharply narrowed as he looked at Kaiel, turned soft as they turned to Delia.

“Huh?”

His flirtatious voice was no different from a dog wagging its tail openly.

Kaiel, who had been watching them with a frown, clenched his fists. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he continued in a low voice.

“Come with me.”

As he walked towards the door, Delia wondered if those words were directed at her or at Niol. Seeing Niol, who had no intention of moving, she thought he was probably calling for her.

“I’ll come with you!”

Kaiel, whom she had been waiting for, had returned, and she had a lot to say to him. On top of that, for some reason, he seemed to be aware of the truth behind the rumors and Floren’s plan to kidnap Ashlene.

How could she not follow him?

As Delia rose from her seat, Niol’s gaze followed her.

“Delia.”

“I’ll be going now.”

For a split second, Niol seemed to be contemplating whether to stop her or not, but that was all. He simply decided to smile beautifully and sat back down.

“Alright. Thank you for your time.”

He must have known instinctively. Now that Kaiel Ceder was back, Delia wouldn’t be showing up at his office every day.

On clear days, she appeared, her red hair fluttering in the wind, and on cloudy days, she gazed at him with her green eyes that seemed even deeper in color. When it rained, she tied her usually voluminous hair up high, revealing her neckline, and whether it was hot or cold, she swayed him with her captivating appearance.

It had only been half a month.

Niol crossed his arms and slowly leaned back in his chair.

***

It was no easy task to keep up with Kaiel’s brisk pace.

Kaiel had been walking straight ahead since leaving the imperial office. As if Delia, who was following behind, was not even in his mind.

Delia, who had closed the distance with her quick steps, also stopped approaching him and quietly followed, keeping a certain distance.

‘Should I talk to him? Should I not? What if he gets offended by what happened last time? I haven’t even apologized for misunderstanding him yet.’

After much deliberation, Delia called out to him cautiously.

“Kaiel.”

“…….”

“Kaiel!”

“…….”

When he didn’t look back after two calls, Delia ran with all her might and grabbed Kaiel’s sleeve.