That afternoon.

Marian greeted Cesare, who had come to see her with a stiff face. Having appeared without notice, he boldly occupied the reception room and acted as if he were the owner.

Thanks to him, Abel and Better had to hide in a hurry.

Instead of pointing out his rudeness, Marian gave him the reception room. She knew it would just be pointless bickering anyway. Since he had come like this, it meant the Emperor had forgiven him, so she had no right to drive him away.

Cesare spoke nonchalantly.

“The palace seems to have improved, Marian.”

She was thrown back into cold reality.

‘My life couldn’t possibly be a bed of roses.’

Marian laughed wryly. Cesare stared at her, who kept her mouth firmly shut without giving any answer.

“You seem to have had something good happen.”

Since Abel’s arrival, the palace had certainly flourished. Was it noticeable to that extent? Marian replied coldly.

“Did you come here without notice just to look around my palace? After parting like that?”

Fortunately, she had justification to treat Cesare poorly. He had appeared with the pregnant Vanessa and disappeared with her. But Cesare, apparently knowing no shame, just smiled and brazenly said.

“I have respectfully apologized to His Majesty the Emperor about that matter, Marian. His Majesty has graciously forgiven me.”

That makes sense. With the marriage arrangement with Jains in such a state, he must have calculated that he should at least gain Madrian. His dark intentions were completely transparent.

“Of course you will forgive me too, won’t you?”

His eyes said, what else could you do? Marian sighed while turning her head away. Though she said nothing, Cesare recognized it as a kind of permission and smirked.

“Rosette. Bring some tea.”

“……Yes, Your Highness.”

Cesare glanced at Rosette. The only maid working in this palace. Shorter than Marian, and with more flesh on her bones than though she had eaten all her mistress’s food. Of course, that didn’t mean she was fat.

“I’d like to look around the palace after such a long time.”

“It’s an insignificant palace. As you well know. Are you trying to embarrass me?”

Cesare sighed dramatically.

“How could that be? I’m merely curious about where my fiancée is living. And with your birthday approaching, I wanted to see if there’s anything to gift you.”

He couldn’t have visited with such innocent intentions.

“There’s hardly anything here.”

“……Then may I ask a question?”

“By all means.”

In truth, he didn’t expect anything to be hidden in Marian’s palace. From the beginning, she wasn’t someone with enough courage for that, and she had nothing anyway.

On his way here, he had asked the chamberlain and was told that Marian was still living with just Rosette. Ah, he seemed to recall hearing that a maid had been added recently.

But there had been no change. She was still living without leaving her palace, they said.

‘Tsk. Was it just my delusion after all?’

Cesare moved his lips. Still, having come this far, he needed to do something to make the land he had handed over to the Emperor worth it.

“I once asked about a maid named Ellie. Do you happen to know anything about that maid?”

“I don’t understand why you’re asking me about that maid. I don’t know. Maid girls are all the same, but the only one I know is Rosette.”

Marian answered calmly.

Cesare’s snake-like eyes were watching her.

‘Could it be that he’s noticed something?’

That shouldn’t be possible. Lately, she hadn’t been meeting Cesare while pretending to be Ellie.

“I see, that’s how it is.”

“Why are you asking me about that maid? I’m curious why you’re looking for Ellie.”

Marian asked sharply.

“Is that maid also carrying your child?”

Cesare burst into hearty laughter. It was unlike the gentle and quiet Marian he had known. He stared at her with cold eyes.

Cesare’s smile disappeared.

“Your reaction is unfamiliar. Is this to hide something about Ellie?”

Marian clenched her hands with tension. Though she wasn’t showing it, her heart had been pounding since Cesare mentioned Ellie.

Cesare was unnecessarily perceptive.

“Why do you think that? I’m still overwhelmed just by the fact that Vanessa is pregnant. Are you insulting me?”

Marian barely managed to spit out the words. Cesare stared at her with narrowed eyes.

“I wonder what that maid did to make me face such suspicion. You’ll need to properly explain this rudeness you’ve committed against me.”

Marian pushed her magic into Cesare.

She couldn’t dig into his mind, but she could cast a spell. To make Cesare speak his true thoughts. After confirming that his pupils were becoming unfocused, she exhaled in relief.

This spell’s duration is very short.

“Why are you asking me about Ellie?”

“Is a beggar princess talking about manners?”

Marian’s face froze pale. Cesare probably wasn’t even aware of what he was saying right now. But that was his true heart. Even though she knew it, receiving such sharp criticism after so long made her feel…

‘It’s not something to be hurt by, Marian. He’s not worth it.’

She composed herself and said.

“Tell me about Ellie.”

“That wench and you keep overlapping. Though the only similarity is that pale skin. Ah, do the necklaces overlap too?”

Cesare narrowed his eyes.

“Besides, no one has seen that woman coming and going. She’s not a ghost. Just once I appeared in public with that woman. We went to a slave fighting arena… Not long after we returned, a fire broke out there. Right, yes. That too!”

Cesare giggled.

Marian’s face grew increasingly pale.

‘I said not to let him notice!’

Was it too dangerous? No, the enchantment magic was an important spell that clouded Cesare’s reason.

“I don’t know such a story. It’s also unpleasant that you’ve overlapped that maid with me. Is that why you came to me looking for that maid? Thinking I might be hiding her?”

“No.”

Cesare approached Marian with gleaming eyes. She backed away from him as he thrust his face close to hers. Magic gathered in her hands. She was prepared to attack him if necessary.

“I thought you might be that wench. What can’t be done with magic! But there’s something that doesn’t fit. You’re too small-minded for that. Besides, you hardly ever leave the palace.”

Marian bit her lip firmly. She thought she should send Ellie away. Fake her death. As she was making up her mind, Cesare sighed.

“Is that all you wanted? Please step back.”

Marian pushed Cesare away slightly. He moved back obediently and answered.

“That’s all. Do you remember the head butler? The one who worked at Madrian.”

Marian’s nails dug into her palm.

Cesare really had unnecessarily good intuition.

“He disappeared the day you came.”

“I was with you that day, Cesare.”

“Right, that’s true. Vanessa said so too. That Her Highness the Princess was with us. But your magic keeps bothering me. What can’t a monster do?”

The ring had already been handed over to Abel.

“……The head butler still hasn’t returned?”

“He came back dead. In a miserable state, mauled by beasts, they say. But no one saw him. Does that make sense?”

Marian bit her lip slightly. There must be a way to resolve this without arousing suspicion. If a witness appeared now, it might actually raise suspicion.

‘Maybe it’s better to do nothing.’

She snapped her fingers. Magic pushed out from Cesare. She had released the spell before it wore off. Marian asked.

“You must be worried.”

Cesare spoke nonchalantly.

“I’m fine. As for the head butler issue… the police will take care of it. Huu, coincidentally, the day you came and the day the head butler disappeared overlapped, so I thought to ask just in case. So you haven’t seen him either, you say.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Cesare smiled sweetly.

“Thank you for your answer, Marian. From now on, I won’t do anything to upset you. Thank you for meeting me today.”

Cesare spoke as if being gentlemanly. Marian showed a faint smile. He kissed the back of her hand. He seemed to believe that things between them were now fine again.

But inside, he was suspicious of Marian’s magic.

“Then I’ll look forward to seeing you next time, Marian.”

“Yes, Cesare.”

**

As soon as Cesare left the princess’s palace, he returned directly to his mansion. His aide was waiting for him, standing by.

“I have something to report, Your Grace.”

“Speak.”

“About the men we assigned to the one-hit knight.”

Cesare turned his head to look at the aide.

“They say he entered the mansion where the Jains delegation was staying at that time. And he didn’t come out after that. Then imperial knights rushed in, so he must have been hiding.”

“……To the delegation’s lodging?”

What is this about now?

Cesare rubbed his face. So does that mean the man is connected to the delegation? Or could it be that man who is supposedly the lover of the Jains princess…?

‘No, no. How could he have escaped and participated in the fighting tournament? For all three days.’

The inference that the so-called one-hit knight had helped him escape seemed more credible. Cesare gulped down water.

The problem was that he had hit another wall. Let’s say the man helped the princess escape.

He couldn’t know who the man was or where he came from to have done such a thing.