Rosette glared at Liebe with eyes full of wariness.

‘Is she openly advertising that she’s the Empress’s person?’

Rosette gritted her teeth.

It seemed she would need to call the palace guard dog. Such spies of the Empress should have been driven out long ago.

“Well. Though Princess Marian called for me, I thought proper procedures would be needed, so I nudged my father a bit. Fortunately, the Lucerta merchant guild had connections to Her Majesty the Empress.”

Liebe explained gently.

“So I came here with a plausible excuse. Where is Her Highness?”

“She is currently out.”

“Then I’ll have to wait. Where is the reception……”

“I cannot let someone of unclear identity inside. So you’ll have to wait here. That palace is dangerous, you see.”

Rosette glanced behind her. Understanding the signal, Abel emerged while melting into the darkness. Seeing only scarlet eyes glinting in the black shadows, Liebe let out a small scream.

“Wh-what is that! It seems there’s a ghost in the palace! Oh my, to think Her Highness has been staying in such a place!”

Liebe made a fuss while pulling on Rosette.

“It’s dangerous!”

An eerie wind wrapped around Marian’s palace.

“I’m fine. Anyway, my lady, it would be better for you to wait outside since it’s dangerous. Or you can leave.”

When Abel snapped his fingers, black smoke flowed out of the palace.

“Kyaaah!”

Rosette smiled confidently as she watched Liebe run away. Abel, who had taken on the role of ghost, smiled with an incredulous face.

Just then, Marian returned.

Marian opened her eyes wide.

Why did she seem to have so many surprises lately? Abel pretending to be a ghost or spreading black smoke, Rosette standing like a guard in front of him, and finally Liebe glaring at the palace from a distance.

“What is everyone doing?”

Marian asked wearily.

Seeing Marian, Liebe cried out with a tearful expression.

“Your Highness!”

Rosette raised her eyebrows as she watched Liebe run toward Marian. It took some time for all situations to be sorted out.

**

In Marian’s reception room.

The four people sat together amicably. Liebe glared at Abel with a face full of wariness. He was a man who exuded a dangerous atmosphere. His outward appearance rating was very, very low.

Abel stared at Liebe with a relaxed smile.

‘Another fly has joined.’

Marian trusted people too easily. Who knows how someone might betray her, yet she lets people in so freely. Whether woman or man, it would be better to have as few people as possible around Marian.

Abel’s eyes flashed fiercely.

In this strange standoff, Marian opened her mouth.

“The Empress sent Liebe to me? Did the Master of Lucerta really agree to that?”

“Yes. Fortunately, Father values my abilities rather than me.”

Liebe shrugged her shoulders.

“To be precise, he wasn’t happy about me going to Princess Marian, but when I said I would give up the Lucerta name, he agreed.”

In any case, Liebe had come to Marian’s side in her own way, just as she had boasted. With that alone, Liebe proved she had her own power.

“Rosette, Abel. I couldn’t tell you beforehand. I couldn’t speak carelessly since I didn’t know when Liebe would come. You must have been surprised.”

“It’s fine, Your Highness.”

Rosette shook her head. But Abel was different.

“I was very surprised. Don’t forget that I’m still recovering, Marian. And contacting outsiders like this isn’t very good.”

Abel naturally wrapped Marian’s hair around his finger.

He wore a subtle and gentle smile.

“Of course, it’s your palace so you can do as you please, but you’re the one who asked me to come.”

Marian nodded with a serious face. Abel was right. Abel’s body was still full of serious wounds. Due to his internal injuries as well, he needed proper rest. In such a situation, the Empress’s maids had rushed in this morning, and now Liebe had come, so he probably hadn’t been able to rest properly.

Laughter filled Abel’s red eyes as he watched Marian lost in thought.

Liebe immediately grasped what kind of person he was.

Marian was straight and righteous. She was someone who found it easier to tell the truth than lies. No matter what Marian wanted or tried to do, a person’s essence doesn’t change.

But Abel…

He was someone who would use any means necessary to get what he wanted. Someone who naturally suppressed and seized things with power.

Abel Drake.

The black hair and red eyes revealed the man’s identity. Liebe looked back and forth between Marian and Abel. It was a combination of the greatest mage and the worst mage. A villain and a hero were in the same place.

‘Is this right?’

She keeps the most dangerous one by her side without knowing the danger.

“Don’t worry too much, Marian. If you want, I’ll try to get along.”

Abel glanced at Liebe. Liebe flinched and turned her head away.

Abel let out a low laugh.

“Thank you, Abel.”

Marian said with a voice mixed with a sigh. She was a bit tired. Marian turned her head to look at Liebe. Anyway, the people gathered here were the ones Marian needed to trust, rely on, and protect from now on.

Among them, Abel was the most important and difficult key.

She needed to keep in mind that Abel could betray Marian at any time. Abel had too much to lose.

The cheerful and pretty Liebe, and the cat-like Rosette full of wariness.

First, to feed these people, she needed to fill the emptying flour sacks. She couldn’t depend on Abel forever.

“Liebe.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Thank you for coming like this.”

“It’s nothing.”

Marian smiled softly. The smile that wouldn’t come out in front of Cesare came out well now. The fatigue from seeing something disgusting seemed to be easing bit by bit.

“I think I need money for whatever I do, Liebe. So I thought about ways to make money.”

More precisely, she had seen it. Thanks to either divine providence or a curse, Marian had seen numerous paths. There, Marian found a way to make money.

“I want to sell medicine, Liebe. Not just any medicine, but medicine that makes skin look younger and removes wrinkles.”

Liebe opened her eyes wide. If they could make it, it would surely sell like hot cakes.

“Is that possible?”

It was impossible with current medical technology. But Marian and Abel were people who couldn’t be explained by any science. They had transcended human limitations and were living lives no one could imagine.

It might be possible for Marian.

Marian wrote down the herbs she needed.

“Let’s start with the cheaper ones first, Liebe. Can you get these? If I have the herbs, I can make the medicine within three days.”

“Then that’s my domain, Your Highness. Since this is actually a luxury item, we’ll need a special sales strategy rather than a general one.”

Liebe grinned.

“Since we’ve made connections with Her Majesty the Empress, we might as well use that.”

Marian nodded calmly. Separate from hating them, she agreed with using them. Rather, if Marian could gain benefits by using them, it would be welcome.

“And look into the situation in the south.”

“When you say the south, that’s a broad area. Could I know the reason?”

“……There are quite a few who have starved due to excessive taxation for years. Investigate around the Bochetti viscounty in the south. There must be groups plotting rebellion.”

Liebe drew in her breath. Rosette also covered her mouth with a surprised face.

Only Marian and Abel remained calm. Abel stared at Marian with strange eyes. She must have been just locked up unable to do anything, so how did she know such things? Marian had specifically pointed out the Bochetti viscounty.

The Bochetti viscounty was one of the houses Abel was working on.

The goal was to help the Bochetti viscounty start a rebellion and cause chaos in Federico. Even though Abel no longer moved for Federico’s destruction, he had no intention of stopping the Bochetti viscounty’s rebellion.

Their rebellion would weaken the imperial family’s power, so it would rather benefit Marian.

Abel asked in a gloomy voice.

“Are you planning to stop the rebellion?”

However, Marian said something different from Abel’s guess.

“No. The rebellion needs to happen, Abel. On the largest scale possible.”

Abel narrowed his eyes. He was trying to guess Marian’s true intentions. Her transparent blue eyes were still moist but kept everything hidden inside.

Marian’s hidden secrets were becoming more and more interesting. Abel stared intently at her white face.

“And Madrian will be the main force behind that rebellion. Abel, you’ll earn merit by suppressing Madrian and Bochetti’s rebellion.”

This was Marian’s plan.

He could regain the ducal title by winning the fighting tournament. But what about after that? The Emperor could attack Drake again whenever he changed his mind.

Before that happens, strike Madrian. So that Drake would remain the Emperor’s only option.

‘The fall of Madrian could happen faster than expected this way too.’