It seemed he knew what he had just said.

He stammered with a face full of embarrassment and spouted nonsensical sophistry.

“So, Rose. What I mean is. Given the situation, I think it would be better to focus on His Highness’s work rather than romance…”

I crossed my arms and looked at Ruel, whose face had turned bright red.

“That’s… what I think, but why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m doing my job well, my lord?”

At my words, Ruel seemed to flinch, clearing his throat and avoiding my gaze.

“Don’t worry. I tend to clearly distinguish between public and private matters, my lord.”

“Rose, that’s not what I meant…”

It was then.

Suddenly, the office door burst open with a loud bang, and the magnificent Calix appeared.

“What on earth are you two chattering about out here without coming in?”

“Ah, Your Highness!”

I waved my hand at Calix in delight, but I had to lower it immediately.

That was because Ruel was glancing at Calix with an unusually tense face, unlike his usual self.

I stepped back slightly with an awkward smile.

‘Why is this guy in such a bad mood today of all days?’

I should refrain from being too bold today.

I slightly lowered my gaze. Calix spoke sharply in his characteristic irritable low tone.

“Why are you just standing there? Aren’t you coming in?”

I glanced at Ruel, and he sighed, gesturing for me to follow.

Thanks to that, as soon as we entered the office, I had no choice but to bow my head like a criminal and only watch Calix’s mood.

“How is the 2nd Prince doing?”

“He’s still quiet for now.”

“And the temple?”

“They currently suspect that the source of the amplified mana is from the imperial family.”

Calix glanced in my direction while listening to Ruel’s words.

Thinking he wanted me to say something too, I briefly raised my lowered head, but seeing Calix’s expression as I faced him directly, it didn’t seem to be the case.

He had a face like he was about to grab me whole and devour me.

Because of that, I felt as if the office was filled with a chill.

Even though it was still far from winter.

“Should we just stay put for now?”

“Yes. Even if it’s revealed that the 2nd Prince is behind this and the temple holds the imperial family responsible, I don’t think the responsibility will extend to Your Highness.”

There was one reason why the imperial family was dealing with this matter cautiously.

If the temple finds out that the mana is rampaging due to the 2nd Prince’s actions, the one who will suffer is the imperial family.

In other words, the current Emperor.

However, Calix didn’t seem to have any concern for his father.

“If by any chance that spark reaches Your Highness, I think we could bring up the elf story we saw in Desart.”

At Ruel’s words, I fell into thought for a moment.

I hadn’t touched the diary since that day.

If I open the diary again, will I faint again?

Or will that strange red writing appear again?

Calix twirled the pen in his hand and frowned as he glared at me.

“Why… are you looking at me like that, Your Highness?”

When I asked in bewilderment, he kept his mouth shut and continued to glare at me with burning eyes.

No, why are both of these people acting so strange today?

Birds of a feather flock together, indeed.

How can they both be so diversely weird to this extent?

I wish they would say something.

Calix kept glaring at me in silence, and I sent a pleading look to Ruel.

But all I got in return was his dismissal with a troubled expression.

“You seem quite… happy these days?”

I couldn’t control my expression at Calix’s words.

That’s what he says after glaring at me like he wants to kill me?

Unlike his intense gaze, his tone wasn’t sarcastic. Should I say it was a tone filled with fear and hesitation?

I frowned and asked Calix back.

“Pardon?”

I lightly touched my cheek.

There’s no way he’d say such things just because my complexion looks good.

“…It’s nothing, just report what you’ve done.”

Calix said, slumping in his chair as if he were carrying every burden in the world.

Of course, I had no choice but to watch Calix’s mood.

I came to brag about my achievements, but the atmosphere was a mess, so it was hard to open my mouth easily.

“First, I’m planning to gather all the servants of the Crown Prince’s palace soon and give a speech.”

“…A what?”

“I judged that since the system I introduced isn’t familiar to people, an opportunity to notify them is absolutely necessary. Moreover, I intend to solidify the servants’ loyalty to Your Highness through this opportunity.”

Calix stared at me with a dumbfounded face, his previous fierce demeanor gone.

Indeed, appropriate flattery is an essential area of social life!

I decided to try my best to chatter and opened my mouth.

“Your Highness is a once-in-a-lifetime ruler material. So, if we just instill a little morale, it’s only natural to be loyal to the perfect You, Your Highness,”

“That’s enough.”

“Pardon?”

This is bad. Did I cross the line? Calix’s mood turned icy again, and Ruel watched him with an expression that said he was going crazy.

“Ruel, go outside.”

What? Why is he sending him out?

Did I really do something wrong? Huh?

It was a sense of fear I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Ruel bit his lip as if hesitating, then fled the office as if he couldn’t care less.

‘Hey! Where are you going!’

Whether he knew or not how desperately I was trying to hold him back in my heart.

With a bang, the grand door of the Crown Prince’s office closed. In this awkward space, as always, only Calix and I… were left.

“Sit down.”

“Huh? Ah, yes! Your Highness. Ah, I’ll sit.”

I sat down according to Calix’s ambiguous words, unsure if it was an order or a suggestion.

Sweat was trickling down.

Calix was just staring at me, seemingly very displeased.

It was extremely burdensome.

Why doesn’t he just get angry or shout or do something instead of just sitting and glaring for 10 minutes?

I sat demurely with my fists on my knees, glancing around nervously like a student who hadn’t done their homework in front of a teacher.

“Don’t you… have anything to say to me?”

Something to say? I have a lot to say.

I had prepared a lot, but I couldn’t say a word because of your low-pressure mood.

“Ah, hahaha.”

I tried hard to avoid his gaze in every direction.

What does this person want from me?

And so suddenly.

No matter how much I thought about it, I hadn’t done anything wrong recently.

“Well, Your Highness? Hahaha, perhaps I did something wrong…”

Come on, say something, you jerk! Honestly, I wanted to grab the back of my neck and collapse, but I tried hard to find inner peace.

Forget reading the room, I need to do something about this damn atmosphere first.

“Oh, I do have one piece of news that Your Highness will be pleased to hear!”

I said with a forced smile on my crying face.

“I, I’ve suppressed those incredibly disrespectful rumors spreading around, Your Highness!”

However, contrary to my bold exclamation, Calix’s expression was even more rotten than before.

“The false rumor that I was Your Highness’s mistress…”

“So that’s why you chose that damn bastard?”

I gulped.

Now I knew for sure. Calix was angry.

But I didn’t know at which point he got angry.

“He’s a better guy than I thought, Your Highness. I honestly don’t know what part you’re concerned about, but still,”

“So. Are you saying you’re going to hold the ceremony right away?”

“Pardon?”

For a moment, I froze.

Is a dog barking in all directions somewhere? I thought I heard barking sounds like an auditory hallucination.

“Aaron is just a friend, Your Highness.”

“What?”

I quietly looked at Calix.

It was the first time. That he looked stupid.

I didn’t do anything, but Calix suddenly staggered greatly, dropping papers all over. I awkwardly picked up the fallen items and neatly placed them back on the desk.

“It seemed that disrespectful rumors kept circulating in the palace, so I asked him. To pretend to be my lover.”

“…You should have told me about such things right away!”

“The rumor spread in just a day. The servants must have been quite bored, Your Highness.”

Calix looked at me with an openly dumbfounded expression. I stared at him blankly, still unable to figure out why he was acting like this.

“So, the rumor that you’re that guy’s lover is all a lie?”

“That’s right, but…?”

“Ha! Haha!”

Calix started laughing like a madman.

A different kind of fear from before began to creep in.

‘Has he finally gone mad?’

I seriously wondered.

It was too early. He shouldn’t go crazy already.

‘Did he really lose his mind and his intelligence dropped too….’

I need to find the empire’s best pharmacist right away.

I should make him take some tonic.