Rihast’s lips soon curved in satisfaction. Editon finally realized he would live and hesitantly stood up.

Rihast, wearing quite a pleased expression regardless of whether Editon stood or not, rang the bell on the side table. The servants waiting outside the room came back in and began changing his clothes.

“For now, I shouldn’t be seen getting close to the princess. Not only would it attract more unnecessary rumors, but it could also go against the Duke’s wishes.”

“Of course. But since you can’t completely remove your hands from dealing with Reibritton, you should speak with the princess through Duke Ivanstein.”

“I should get more intimate with my hunting dog. Prepare gifts that Duke Ivanstein would like.”

“Yes.”

Editon bowed his head and quickly left Rihast’s bedroom. His face was completely hardened as he walked briskly, almost running through the corridor. It was because Duke Genoa Ivanstein’s intentions, which he couldn’t bring himself to tell Rihast, weighed too heavily on his mind.

‘This is what Genoa Ivanstein was aiming for.’

With just one scandal, Duke Ivanstein made it impossible for the First Prince to handle the Reibritton Kingdom independently, forcing everything to go through Ivanstein.

The Second Prince Rudrich, who was hostile to the Ivanstein ducal family and difficult to get cooperation from, would be kept in check by the First Prince’s side, allowing Duke Ivanstein to simply sit back and slowly devour Reibritton as he pleased.

‘F*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck……’

Editon continuously muttered curses under his breath at the creeping, unsettling certainty. Then he roughly rubbed his goosebump-covered forearm.

* * *

Rudrich’s wine had maintained the same level since he first received it, never emptying. Though he occasionally pretended to take sips by bringing the glass to his lips, the wine’s characteristic sweet yet bitter taste never passed between them.

Usually, at such a relaxed party atmosphere, he would have mingled with his followers without keeping his guard up, but today he wasn’t in the mood.

‘Even with the imperial throne vacant, is it thanks to these people that the emptiness goes unnoticed?’

Sitting in the highest seat at the party, he watched the couples dancing round and round with an undisguised bored expression. Seeing their faces, which had been deathly pale throughout the memorial service, now blooming brightly with smiles, filled him with deep skepticism.

Of course, he had expected that no nobles would harbor good feelings toward an emperor with poor conduct. However, he hadn’t thought they would so blatantly show their two faces in such an insulting way to the imperial family.

The stark contrast between mourning and celebration was clearly divided by just one day.

“Bennett.”

At Rudrich’s call, his ever-faithful subordinate Bennett responded in a calm voice.

“Yes, my lord.”

“Should I be happy that the empire can be this peaceful even with the imperial throne vacant?”

“Are you not?”

“Shamefully so.”

Rudrich answered in a bitterly cracking voice, then looked around the party hall once more. Among the nobles chattering and dancing joyfully, not a single person showed any concern on their face.

The empire’s army was still advancing toward Reibritton at the southern border, and no one knew the current location of the enemy nation’s leader, the King of Reibritton.

The empire’s war wasn’t over yet. Currently, the empire didn’t even have a clearly determined successor to the throne. Yet no one seemed worried about that either.

“It must be due to my lack of ability.”

“Why would you say such things? It only needs time, but the fact that you will lead this empire remains unchanged, my lord.”

“With my brother being so anxious, I wonder if that position will naturally come to me.”

Bennett’s face filled with concern at Rudrich’s skeptical voice.

In any other empire, they would have already held the coronation ceremony for the new emperor and would be spending time laying the foundation for the empire’s future changes.

Why couldn’t anyone notice how bizarrely the current situation was unfolding? As Bennett tried to suppress his frustratingly boiling feelings, his lord’s lukewarm gaze painfully pierced his eyes.

“They’re only interested in which one of us, my brother or me, will feed them what they want.”

Having painfully realized there was truly no one who cared for the empire, Rudrich had been struggling lately with deep skepticism.

“Perhaps they don’t even need the imperial family’s role anymore.”

“My lord!”

Bennett rebuked him with a pale face. However, he couldn’t think of any words to deny that fact. Noticing this, Rudrich smiled faintly and spoke as if consoling Bennett.

“I thought it was because the late emperor failed to lead them properly. But I too am just drinking wine here, unable to lead them.”

Clink—Rudrich clinked his glass against Bennett’s. At that clear sound, the nobles who had been chattering and drinking among themselves raised their glasses with bright faces and shouted.

“To the glory of the Raon Empire—!”

“To the glory of His Highness Rudrich—!”

The clear sound of clinking glasses mixed with singing voices, creating a strange harmony as it spread. Rudrich smiled and raised his glass to them. Then he spoke in a voice only Bennett could hear.

“See? This is all their glory amounts to.”

“……”

Bennett could only watch his lord tilt his glass without saying anything. The only words his trembling lips could offer were mere cheap consolation.

“Things will be different when you ascend to the throne, my lord.”

“When?”

“Well……”

“When that man allows it?”

At Rudrich’s words, Bennett sharply raised his head to look toward the entrance of the party hall.

“Duke Genoa Ivanstein of the Ivanstein ducal family and Lady Amelia Reibritton of the Reibritton Kingdom have arrived!”

The imperial attendant announced their names with eyes shining with glory. The noisy party hall fell silent in an instant. In the middle of that solemn atmosphere, a brilliant silver radiance gently enveloped the entire party hall, flaunting its presence.

“Genoa Ivanstein and that rumored princess.”

Rudrich now sat comfortably to appreciate the two people. Because no one in this party would be looking at him anymore.

“Isn’t it strange, Bennett? The atmosphere between those two.”

Bennett answered without taking his eyes off Duke Ivanstein and the princess.

“……What do you mean?”

At Rudrich’s words, Bennett observed the two more carefully. Duke Ivanstein affectionately guided the princess, and she accepted his escort, seemingly familiar with it.

As a captured prisoner from a defeated kingdom, she walked into the center of the empire with her shoulders straight and chin held high, like someone coming to claim their rightful due.

“They make quite the matching pair.”

Wearing a silver dress that could be called the symbol of the Ivanstein ducal family, the princess’s appearance matched the duke so perfectly that she could be called a duchess without any sense of incongruity.

The princess’s steps were as light as a child first stepping on snow, and her hand lifting her dress hem was as graceful as a harpist caressing their instrument. In her eyes, which occasionally met Duke Ivanstein’s before softly smiling and looking forward again, not a single trace of fear could be found.

“What royal would smile like that at the man who destroyed their kingdom?”

“What wouldn’t one do to survive? It must be a choice to plan for the future.”

“How does she plan to survive?”

Rudrich clicked his tongue as he watched the princess’s bright face.

What did the princess expect from an enemy nation that brought her here? Rudrich felt sorry for the princess’s naive choice. Did she not yet understand that if she wielded power without knowing what was in her grasp, she would end up being used?

“And my brother?”

“As always, he’ll be late.”

“Since he likes being the center of attention.”

Rudrich stood up as the couple approached him. Though they were unwanted guests, he had a duty to welcome and generously embrace them on behalf of the empire’s vacant leadership. Even though they were in a position to have a blade at that slender neck.

“Princess Amelia Reibritton of Reibritton greets the Imperial Prince of Raon.”

“Welcome to the empire, Princess. I hope you have a peaceful time during your stay.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness.”

While the Second Prince of the aggressor nation, Raon Empire, and the princess of the victim nation, Reibritton, exchanged greetings, Duke Ivanstein, who had been the empire’s blade, watched the two with a generous smile as if he were a mediator.

The duke spoke in a voice filled with emotion, as if the current situation was truly a joyous occasion.

“Would Your Highness Rudrich honor the Reibritton princess with her first dance?”

“Are you speaking to me, Duke?”

“Yes. I’m sure the princess won’t refuse Your Highness’s extended hand.”

“……”

Rudrich’s lips moved slightly, but he ultimately chose to keep them shut under the princess’s steady gaze.