Rihast tried to take a deep breath as he watched the back of his hurriedly departing subordinate. Editon, his guard knight, approached him and said,

“Prince, we’ve received a message from the person we planted in the Ivanstein ducal family.”

“What?”

As Rihast showed interest, Editon briefly glanced at the knights and servants behind him. They retreated tactfully at Editon’s look.

“They say the Duke plans to stay by the sick princess’s side all night.”

“Stay by her side?”

“Yes.”

“……”

At Editon’s answer, Rihast stopped walking and fell into thought for a moment. Then, soon ending his deliberation, Rihast’s eyes lit up as he spoke.

“Call that guy back. Tell him to rewrite the letter to be sent to the Duke of Ivanstein.”

“Yes.”

“Write to ask if the invitation the Duke of Ivanstein mentioned could be moved up earlier. It must be before Rudrich.”

“Understood.”

Editon signaled to the knight behind him. Then the knights quickly moved forward to catch Rihast’s subordinate who had rushed out earlier. Watching their backs, Rihast asked Editon.

“Have you ever seen the Duke of Ivanstein show interest in a woman in your life?”

“No, I haven’t.”

Rihast moved his steps while letting out a nasty smile.

“What kind of woman is she?”

“Truthfully, not much is known besides the cliché rumors that she’s wise and benevolent.”

“……Are you saying I have to meet the princess without knowing anything about her?”

“Of course not. From what I hear at the Ivanstein mansion, the princess has a strong aversion to the King of Reibritton.”

“I guess the father-daughter relationship wasn’t good?”

Editon nodded at Rihast’s question.

“Generally, when a wise child meets an incompetent father, doesn’t it naturally turn out that way? Just like Your Highness.”

At Editon’s words, Rihast looked at him for a moment, then laughed loudly and put his hand on his shoulder, patting it.

“Haha! As expected, only you, Editon, understand my hardships.”

“Thank you.”

Editon also bowed his head, showing a faint smile.

He was a knight who knew how to act like the tongue in Rihast’s mouth. Although his swordsmanship wasn’t outstanding, he had solidified his position by assisting Rihast at his side and playing the role of an advisor.

“Since the princess has an aversion to the king, if we use this well, Your Highness could bring full authority over Reibritton without the help of the Duke of Ivanstein.”

“How?”

“As public opinion about the king isn’t good within the Kingdom of Reibritton, if the princess steps up, the people of the kingdom will move first. To a monarch, the people are……”

“They can become power.”

While listening to Editon’s words, Rihast thought of Duke Genoa Ivanstein. Didn’t they say the princess was afraid of the Duke?

“Perhaps that’s what the Duke of Ivanstein is aiming for. To the people of the kingdom, Ivanstein would look like a demon, so without the princess’s help, he couldn’t swallow Reibritton without resistance.”

“As expected, you’re wise!”

“Hehe……”

Rihast moved his steps, laughing pleasantly. Unlike earlier when he was walking the corridor as if about to jump, now his steps were imbued with composure. Just imagining intercepting what Genoa Ivanstein was aiming for sent a thrilling pleasure rising from his toes.

Rihast was well aware that he currently didn’t receive as much support from the nobles compared to his younger brother Rudrich. Nevertheless, the reason he hadn’t been pushed back in the competition for the throne so far was solely thanks to Genoa Ivanstein.

Because the Duke of Ivanstein hadn’t completely sided with the Second Prince Rudrich. Because there was a possibility that the Duke of Ivanstein’s heart might lean towards the First Prince.

In other words, it meant that Rihast’s position could become precarious or solidified with just one change of heart from Ivanstein. This left a huge scar on Rihast’s noble pride, who had lived as the eldest son of the imperial family all his life.

‘Once I take the imperial throne, the first thing I’ll do is gut you, Genoa Ivanstein.’

It was impossible for the beautiful imperial hound to choose its master on its own. The master should be the one who chooses, not the one chosen. To him, who would become the master of the empire, it was right for Ivanstein to wag his tail, show his belly, and give up everything he had. Rihast truly believed so.

“I should send a flower basket to the Princess of Reibritton. Write on the card that I sincerely comfort the princess caught up in her country’s situation, wishing for her quick recovery.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

While listening to Editon’s loyal response, Rihast recalled the portrait of the Princess of Reibritton. He remembered she was quite presentable.

“I wonder what expression the Duke of Ivanstein will make seeing the princess’s back.”

Before he knew it, Rihast had arrived at the hall where the memorial service was in full swing. The nobles were repeatedly bringing handkerchiefs to their dry eyes, periodically letting out soulless sobs.

Rudrich was going around, observing the slightly disorganized atmosphere after the Duke of Ivanstein had left the memorial service. Watching this, Rihast made a small gesture to Editon.

“Editon.”

“Yes.”

“Can you control the news about the princess going to Rudrich as much as possible?”

“I’ll do my best.”

This time, Editon moved directly without instructing someone else. Rihast watched the back of his reliable loyal subject moving away from his side, then turned his head towards the memorial service hall. With a face full of sorrowful grief, that is.

* * *

A small rumor spread in the social circles of the Raon Empire. It was that the Princess of Reibritton had collapsed and been ill all night. This wasn’t news known to the entire social circle, but it was something that could be known if one paid careful attention.

Just from such a small rumor spreading, the people of the Ivanstein mansion could newly realize the hot interest of the Raon Empire nobles in the Princess of Reibritton.

“This is from Baron Peil, this is from Baroness Verude. This one, Count Chyle personally chose it and asked to deliver that message? Lie, he must have ordered his subordinate……”

Lin was classifying the gifts that had started pouring in from the morning, opening them one by one. While things to organize kept piling up, a smile never left Lin’s lips. It was refreshing to think of how the corners of the head maid’s mouth had trembled when the nobles’ carriages carrying gifts for the princess entered the mansion.

The popularity and status of the person one serves can also become the power of a maid. Those working in the Ivanstein mansion had started to hover around the princess’s room at some point. Although the head maid was glaring fiercely, she couldn’t stop the movement of the group that had smelled something sweet.

“Hey Lin, should we help you? It looks like too much.”

“I don’t think so?”

Lin replied curtly to the other maids who were casually speaking to her. Flinching at Lin’s attitude, the other maids tried to curl up their trembling lips and spoke again in a friendly voice.

“It looks impossible to organize all this in one day, right? If you choose the appropriate ones, I’ll take them to the princess.”

“Since when did you care about our princess?”

“It’s just because the Duke told us to treat her as an honored guest. Why are you being so sharp?”

“Because I know what’s in your hearts.”

Lin put down the gift she was organizing with a thud and folded her arms. With her head tilted askew, she glared at each face of the maids who had spoken to her, then opened her mouth.

“Lucy, when I was first assigned to the princess, didn’t you ignore me when I asked you to bring some pajamas to the room?”

“……!”

“Marti, when I asked you to prepare even a simple meal for the princess, didn’t you say why am I pushing work onto others?”

“Lin, that’s……”

“Bella, you too! When I was going to Harttenberun, didn’t you say I shouldn’t come back from there?”

At Lin’s sharp words, the maids opened and closed their mouths, then eventually shut them tight. They had all knowingly or unknowingly distanced themselves from Lin, who was disliked by the head maid.

Not expecting that Lin would remember each and every one of these incidents, the maids exchanged troubled glances with each other.

“It seems you’re trying to get on our princess’s good side to gain something now, but it’s already too late!”

“Lin, you…… Now that I look at you, you’re acting like a Reibritton maid rather than an Ivanstein ducal family maid?”