Mel clasped her hands together, feeling her heart race for no reason. It felt like a ticklish heat starting from her heart was rising to her face. If her face turned red here, she didn’t know what kind of misunderstanding Genoa might have. Mel tried her best to manage her expression and diverted her attention elsewhere.

“Is the bedroom usually this simple?”

“Hm? Ah, yes, it tends to be.”

Genoa’s bedroom was quite simple considering it’s the bedroom of the Duke of Ivanstein. It wasn’t particularly spacious either. There was only a bed, a desk, and a chair. There were no decorative items adorning the room, nor any paintings that are always present in noble bedrooms.

Noticing Mel looking around the room curiously, Genoa added an explanation.

“After removing everything that bothered me, only the necessary things remained.”

Genoa pulled the chair from in front of the desk and placed it next to the bed. This was Mel’s seat. Mel sat in the chair as he led.

“Actually, I was planning to remove this bed soon too.”

With that, Genoa lay down on the bed. The bed was clean without even a slight wrinkle, as if it were brand new. No matter how well one manages a bed, it’s bound to show some signs of use since people use it after all.

But Genoa’s bed showed no signs of use, as if a new product had just been brought in yesterday. Even Genoa seemed awkward about lying down on the bed.

“Then where do you usually sleep?”

“The chair? Sometimes I lay down on the sofa.”

“……Huh.”

At that answer, Mel slightly furrowed her brow. If even lying down on the bed felt awkward, how long had he not been sleeping properly?

Genoa, pulling up the blanket and lying down, slightly raised one corner of his mouth and said,

“Now, put me to sleep.”

Mel swallowed a laugh at Genoa acting as if he had left his luggage and replied.

“It’s not like I’m using magic, how can I put someone to sleep instantly?”

“Then will you sing me a song?”

It seemed he was determined to tease her. Mel replied bluntly.

“……You can’t sleep, can you?”

“That’s why I need the Princess, don’t I?”

Mel bit her lip and clenched her fist. Genoa slightly raised his upper body and propped his head with his arm as he spoke.

“Tell me an interesting story. For example……”

His voice subtly lowered.

“Like what happened with the head maid today.”

“……!”

Mel was so surprised that she unknowingly held her breath. After blinking her eyes a couple of times, Mel exhaled the breath she had been holding and asked.

“You knew?”

“To be precise, I saw it.”

“You saw it?”

Genoa calmly nodded. Naturally, Mel’s mind couldn’t help but become complicated. She couldn’t even understand what intention he had in bringing this up first like this.

Mel swallowed and said.

“Since when?”

“When should I say to make the Princess more anxious?”

Genoa seemed to enjoy seeing Mel getting anxious. She knew well that he had enjoyed playing with people since he was young. But why had he grown up exactly the same without any change! Mel inwardly swallowed her disappointment.

“I only did so because Your Grace told me to act more like a princess.”

Genoa nodded at Mel’s words.

“That’s what I hoped for.”

“Were you testing me?”

“A little?”

“I was going to act according to the Duke’s wishes anyway. Was there really a need for this?”

“I have many dogs that follow my words well.”

Genoa’s eyes lowered. His expression, devoid of laughter, was quite different from moments ago when he was joking.

“What I need is not a dog, but a princess. A princess who still believes Reibritton is intact.”

He didn’t need a princess who was intimidated after being abandoned by her father and brother. No matter how noble a princess is, when abandoned by her blood relatives and her country shaken, she would eventually crumble. Her attitude becomes timid and her weaknesses are easily exposed. The nobles of the Raon Empire would not show interest in such a princess.

“……”

Mel silently bit her lip as she looked at Genoa. She knew better than anyone that he needed her as the princess. But in any case, she was a fake. She felt like she had received confirmation that she herself was of no use to Genoa.

“Since I’ve agreed to guarantee the princess’s status, from now on you’ll be treated as an honored guest in this mansion. The head maid should have come to her senses by now, so use her effectively.”

“Wasn’t it enough for me to act as the princess only in social circles?”

“Even for Ivanstein, there are dozens of people coming and going here every day. You should know well how troublesome it is to block all the words that leak out, right?”

Genoa tended to let information leak freely from his mansion, except for important matters. It was better for manipulating public opinion in social circles without putting in too much effort.

Ivanstein was a family that received everyone’s attention. Even without deliberately spreading information in social circles, it was at a level where workers would gather and spread it on their own.

“When word starts to spread that the princess is highly valued in Ivanstein, they will become suspicious.”

Genoa spoke in a low voice while quietly looking at Mel.

“The princess has something special. The Duke of Ivanstein is wagging his tail like a dog after catching that scent.”

Genoa’s voice, comparing himself to a dog, was utterly delightful. It also felt like he was excited, like a child anticipating a sweet dessert.

“Ah, so that’s the prey that the Emperor’s hunting dog will bring to its master. Then……”

The purple glow resembling cold frost hid under slowly closing eyelids.

“Will the one who gets the princess become the master of the hunting dog?”

Mel’s body shuddered slightly.

Genoa’s words meant he would use her as a chess piece to do Ivanstein’s bidding, with the imperial succession struggle in mind. Mel realized she had gotten involved in something more dangerous than she had thought.

Mel tightly grasped the hem of her dress to hide her trembling fingertips.

“In social circles, they will greedily look at the princess’s every gesture and word with reddened eyes.”

“……”

“No lady in the empire will receive more attention than Your Highness.”

Genoa spoke like a devout and dedicated knight anticipating her coming glory. It seemed as if he expected praise for creating a perfect stage just for her.

“Are you pleased?”

She wanted to answer, ‘How could I be?’ But Mel chose to keep her mouth shut. Because Genoa was cruelly smiling with eyes that seemed to know everything, even without her saying it out loud.

As if all of this was merely a plaything.

“Right after His Majesty’s funeral, Your Highness will begin your social activities.”

“So soon?”

The Emperor’s funeral was imminent. She couldn’t attend the funeral because she was a princess of an enemy country.

After the memorial service, there will be a series of parties celebrating the Emperor’s achievements and blessing the future of the Raon Empire. The most important stages where Mel had to be active were these parties held at this time. Because it’s where the fierce public opinion battle of the princes will take place before the coronation.

“I’ve allocated funds for maintaining Your Highness’s dignity. It should be more than enough compared to when you were in the Kingdom of Reibritton, so don’t worry and use it.”

“……Thank you.”

Mel tried hard to act nonchalant. But she couldn’t help her body stiffening from tension. Knowing all this, Genoa pretended not to notice and continued speaking.

“I’m very much looking forward to it. To see if Your Highness can maintain your reputation even in the empire.”

It meant to figure it out and act well on her own. After all, there were rumors that no one could match her beauty in Reibritton. She would probably have to accomplish even more than that in social circles. Her head was already starting to ache.

‘The biggest problem is finding a seamstress… Will an imperial seamstress extend their hand to me?’

Mel fidgeted with her fingers and pondered for a long time. Since there were no noble ladies in Ivanstein she could ask for help, she had to handle everything with her own wit. The one fortunate thing was that she had developed an eye for these things while being by Amelia’s side.

“If you could introduce me to a dressmaker that you use……”

When Mel raised her head after finding a suitable compromise,

“He’s asleep.”

Genoa was sleeping, breathing evenly. Mel stared blankly at that sight for a long time. She really was someone who could act as Genoa’s sleeping pill. And its effectiveness was certain.