Once seated, Rafez spoke again as though nothing had happened.

“How much is the payment to be issued to the merchant guild this time?”

“Have you received the documents? The list of weapons ordered by the imperial family this time is rather…”

“Is the meeting proceeding well?”

Just as they were about to begin with the important agenda, the Emperor appeared with a benevolent smile.

At once, everyone rose and greeted him.

“Your Majesty.”

“Grand Duke, now that you are sitting here, it finally feels like a proper meeting.”

The Emperor smiled as though pleased, then turned back toward the nobles and opened his mouth.

“Ha ha, did you all hear? Why the Grand Duke happened to take sick leave all this time?”

At those words, everyone’s ears perked up as they waited for the Emperor to continue.

After all, why Rafez had been absent and how exactly he had been ill had been a secret no one knew.

But Rafez, who knew what words would come next, could only feel flustered.

“Well, apparently, it happened while he was nursing the ailing Grand Duchess.”

“Pardon?”

“What does that…”

“Surely not.”

Everyone was surprised, but they seemed half-doubtful and unwilling to believe it.

“Yes, I could not believe it at first either. But the Grand Duchess herself came to me and told me so. Is that not right, Grand Duke?”

The Emperor asked as he wrapped an arm around Rafez’s shoulders, but Rafez gave no answer. At his reaction, neither confirming nor denying it, everyone finally seemed to realize that the Emperor’s words were true.

After all, if it were not true, there was no way Rafez would remain silent.

“…Please stop speaking of private matters, Your Majesty.”

“Very well. It seems the Grand Duke is embarrassed. But do you know this? I am the one looking forward to the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess’s heir more than anyone. Though I doubt I am the only one here who feels that way…”

“Ha ha, you are absolutely right, Your Majesty.”

“Exactly, Count. I told you I was not the only one.”

At the Emperor’s words, several nobles, including Count Florant, laughed and chimed in.

An heir?

Was that not going far too far?

But soon, Rafez remembered that he himself had once brought up the subject of an heir to Lacy, and he was left speechless.

“And forgive me, but I must speak of one more private matter. I cannot quite judge whether this is private or official, you see. A very personal letter came for me.”

Gloff handed the letter to Rafez and stepped back.

Only then did Rafez come to his senses and quickly scan the letter with his eyes.

“This is…”

Everyone looked curious, but Rafez silently passed the letter to someone else.

It was a letter stamped with the seal of the Kingdom of Benerle.

“What do you think? Should this be considered private, or official?”

After reading the letter, everyone was left speechless.

It was true that relations with the kingdom were poor.

That was why war had broken out, after all.

And of course, Gloff had certainly been at fault in that as well. This side had been the first to provoke a kingdom that had been staying still.

But this letter contained far too much vulgar language.

No matter how poor their relations were, no matter that they were enemy nations, how could a letter sent from a king to an emperor be like this?

Could this even be called a letter?

Rafez was the first to break the silence.

“His Majesty’s private affairs are, in turn, the empire’s public affairs.”

“Is that so? Do you all think the same as the Grand Duke?”

The other nobles began nodding one by one as well.

The atmosphere was heavy.

Each of them had different reasons and thoughts, but the one thought they all shared was the same.

War might break out again.

“Ha. It seems those bastards still haven’t come to their senses even after losing Benerlov. All the better. I had no intention of ending the war like this either. Just as my father did, I shall make the entire kingdom my land as well. I will make sure they follow in Petin’s footsteps.”

Gloff’s eyes flashed.

* * *

“You worked hard, Your Highness.”

After the long meeting ended, Count Bererian came up beside Rafez as he quickly made his way out.

“You as well, Count.”

“What have I done?”

The count watched Rafez’s expression carefully, but Rafez did not care who was beside him.

All he could think of was the Emperor’s flashing silver eyes.

He would start another war and bring down the Kingdom of Benerle?

When all he had done in the war until now was start it?

How ridiculous.

He had wanted to become emperor, and so he had. Yet in the end, to prove that he was emperor, he was trying to follow the previous emperor’s path somehow and start another war.

When he had neither the strength to fight in a war, nor the strategy, nor anything else.

“Your Highness.”

At the voice from behind him, Rafez turned around.

“Is your health better now?”

It was Duke Schkotz.

He was smiling, but there was always something uncomfortable about that smile. A faint roughness to it, like grains of sand.

“…As you can see.”

“That is a relief. To tell the truth, I was worried you might be seriously unwell.”

“By the way, why is Duke Lennon nowhere to be seen today?”

The loyal retainers who always remained close to the Emperor and assisted him were Duke Lennon and Duke Schkotz.

The reason the current imperial family was able to hold itself together despite war and financial hardship was likely because those two ducal houses supported it so firmly.

“Well, I wonder. He had been attending every meeting until the last one.”

Duke Schkotz pretended not to know, but there was no way he truly did not.

Hereis did not want to face Rafez, so unless a seat where they might meet was important, he avoided it.

Even I know that.

“But why were you in such a hurry to leave as soon as the meeting ended, Your Highness? You could have had a cup of tea with us.”

“I have somewhere to go. I have business at the count’s estate.”

At Rafez’s words, Count Bererian, who was standing beside him, seemed even more surprised.

“Ah, is that so?”

But Rafez had not said it casually.

He knew the count would follow him, and he intended to go to the count’s estate with him.

Louis must have told the count that he would bring Mary in as Rafez’s mistress, and the count must have agreed.

So if Rafez wanted to resolve this matter, he would eventually have to speak with the count.

And he had also told Mary that he would visit the count’s estate.

“Then, I will take my leave.”

Rafez turned around again and began striding away.

The count quickly greeted the duke, then followed after Rafez.

In that manner, they boarded the carriage and headed for the count’s estate.

“Count, there is something I want to ask you.”

Inside the quiet carriage, Count Bererian had been waiting for Rafez to speak first.

“Please ask, Your Highness.”

“Was it my father who first said he would take Mary in as my mistress?”

In truth, the count had expected this subject to come up to some extent.

“…That is correct.”

“Then that means you agreed to it as well.”

Dan carefully nodded.

But Rafez could not understand that part.

Sending his own daughter as a mistress—especially the young lady of a count’s family.

“Why did you do that?”

“If you are asking why I agreed to her being taken in as a mistress, it was because the former Grand Duke promised he would make Mary the Grand Duchess.”

“My father did?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At the count’s answer, a hollow laugh escaped Rafez.

How on earth had his father promised to make Mary the Grand Duchess?

“Ha… Did you think that was possible?”

“If Mary were to bear the Grand Ducal House’s heir, it would not be impossible. No, I was certain it was possible. Anyone would see it that way.”

“An heir?”

An heir.

Truly, everyone seemed so interested in that word.

Earlier, Gloff had brought it up, and now even the count was doing the same.

“You were certain Mary would bear the Grand Ducal House’s heir?”

“In any case, Mary cannot go to anyone other than Your Highness. Even if, by some chance, she fails to bear an heir, as long as she is beside Your Highness, no matter what position it may be, that child will remain with you.”

“Count.”

Rafez was bewildered.

The way he spoke made it sound as though Mary had been born to become the Grand Duchess.

They had been together since childhood until now, but Rafez had never thought of her as a life companion or anything of the sort.

“Just as our House Bererian has always remained beside the Grand Ducal House.”

His firm golden gaze was filled with conviction.