The duke knew too well that he, the Second Prince, wanted to end this war. So he must be creating this situation where the empire extends a gesture of reconciliation first to appease him.

“Since it’s Duke Ivanstein’s consideration, I’ll accept with gratitude.”

Rudrich sighed and extended his hand to the princess. A chill ran through him—Duke Ivanstein seemed to understand his inner thoughts all too well. Who would have guessed that he felt manipulated precisely because the duke’s unwavering loyalty to the imperial family seemed almost too perfect?

“It’s an honor, Your Highness Rudrich.”

Rudrich gently held the princess’s delicate hand as she placed it in his, leading her to the center of the party hall. He could feel Duke Ivanstein’s gaze following the princess who came along obediently.

“Let’s have a waltz.”

Behind them, Duke Ivanstein’s voice was heard instructing the court musicians. At that, the nobles formed pairs with excited faces and followed behind Rudrich and the princess.

“……”

Hearing the first note of the lively music beginning, Rudrich let out a heavy sigh. Thus, Rudrich and the princess began to dance in silence.

The princess’s movements followed his lead as fluidly as flowing water. Unlike ladies who sought to stand out with bold, eye-catching dance lines, hers did the opposite. Her movements focused on responsiveness, as if aiming to minimize her own presence and let her partner shine.

“I know this situation must be uncomfortable for you.”

“……!”

Rudrich, who had been focusing more on the princess’s movements for a moment, snapped back to attention at her voice that was almost like a whisper. Rudrich’s eyes met the princess’s clear eyes. His startled face was clearly reflected in the center of the princess’s verdant green eyes.

He cleared his throat briefly before answering.

“Could my discomfort compare to the pain the princess must have endured?”

“Pain? When I should rightfully have been executed, I’m receiving such undeserved consideration from the empire. I simply wanted to express my gratitude.”

Rudrich struggled with whether he should offer words of excuse or comfort to the princess. As an imperial prince of the empire that invaded her country, what words should he say to a princess who came as a prisoner?

Rudrich couldn’t grasp where to begin correcting her words. Since even the smallest difference in word choice could spark diplomatic tensions, Rudrich had no choice but to exercise extreme caution.

“Princess, I believe we must return to the people of Reibritton the daily life they should have enjoyed. You are not someone who should be executed in this empire, and what you should receive is not the empire’s consideration but our apology.”

“Oh my.”

At Rudrich’s words, the princess’s fine eyelashes trembled slightly before her eyes curved gently into a smile.

“You seem to have different intentions from the late emperor.”

“Of course. While there are those in the empire who share the late emperor’s views, there are also those who don’t, so princess, please……”

Please forgive the Raon Empire.

Rudrich swallowed the rest of his words. Either way, he needed to negotiate properly with the princess now. Though he wasn’t sure if she would follow his intentions well.

“How is your stay at the Ivanstein mansion?”

“I am staying there quite comfortably without any inconvenience.”

“……Aren’t you afraid of him?”

At Rudrich’s question, the princess simply smiled silently, made a gentle turn, and leaned against him. As Rudrich wrapped his arm around the princess’s slender waist, he waited for her answer. But the response that flowed from the princess’s lips was completely different from what he had expected.

“Reibritton is a country known for its beautiful vast fields. Have you ever visited?”

“Shamefully, I haven’t had the experience.”

“When harvest season comes, Reibritton becomes a country of gold. When you see the golden fields stretching wider than the sky, it makes a corner of your heart tingle.”

Beyond the princess’s eyes, which seemed to be reminiscing about something nostalgic, the fields dyed in mesmerizing gold appeared to be reflected. Rudrich barely managed to answer, feeling as if a heavy stone had settled in his chest.

“It must indeed be an impressive sight.”

“They say the people of a country with vast granaries are relaxed and generous in nature. I suppose that’s because their hearts are full of abundance?”

Rudrich stared intently at the princess who suddenly started talking about something completely different. What intention did she have in saying such things? Her voice was too clear and pure to be criticizing the Raon Empire that had attacked her beautiful country. Strangely enough, not even a single trace of resentment toward the Raon Empire, and by extension toward Rudrich, could be felt from her.

“I suppose so.”

Rudrich calmly agreed with her words for now. The princess gratefully winked and continued speaking.

“When I learned this fact during my education, I asked my father to change my teacher.”

“……Why did you do that?”

“Because that person was either a liar who spoke falsehoods, or an incompetent one who failed to grasp the proper facts.”

Rudrich blinked his eyes for a moment. It was because the princess’s eyes, which had been shining clearly until just now, momentarily clouded over as a very faint hostility briefly flickered through them. Despite Rudrich’s shock leaving him unable to make any response, the princess threw another question at him.

“Have you ever met the people of Reibritton?”

“Princess.”

Rudrich called out to her with a slight frown. The princess’s way of speaking, which seemed to be testing his reactions while completely hiding her intentions, was not his preferred style of conversation. But whether she didn’t notice or simply didn’t care, the princess continued speaking.

“The kingdom’s people always harbor anger, both big and small. They easily become angry at small things and easily become helpless at big things.”

“If you’re criticizing the Raon Empire, I will humbly accept it. So princess……”

“Why did the kingdom’s people become so narrow-minded and shriveled inside while living among such beautiful golden granaries?”

The princess posed her third question to Rudrich. By now, Rudrich could tell that she wasn’t asking these questions expecting his answers.

“What do you think is the reason, princess?”

Having given up on getting a direct answer from her, when Rudrich asked this, the princess finally smiled brightly as if this was the response she had wanted.

“Because they’ve never had it even though it’s right in front of their eyes.”

“……”

“The gold was not permitted to them.”

There were quite a few ways to drive people mad. Among them, the simplest yet most painful was being unable to touch what you want even when it’s right in front of you.

The kingdom’s people were the ones who cultivated the golden granaries spread before their eyes. They sowed the seeds themselves, watered them, protected them from the wind, and raised them while anxiously watching over them when storms hit. But those who touched them without permission had their hands cut off, and those who stole a few roots to feed their families when hungry saw their families punished.

All the luscious gold belonged to the king. What was permitted to the kingdom’s people was only porridge made from wild grass growing carelessly along the roads or in the mountains.

“The kingdom’s people can’t even experience Reibritton’s specialty crops. Because though they’ve seen them with their eyes, they’ve never felt them.”

“Are you saying the king monopolized it all? Even the portion that should have gone to the kingdom’s people?”

“If my father had heard this, he would have been angry. He would say what right do the kingdom’s people have to anything grown on royal land.”

“……”

Rudrich’s face twisted horribly.

Even his late emperor, who was the most incompetent in imperial history and known for his misconduct, didn’t covet every single crop cultivated by the imperial people. While this might have been because the empire had many other resources, it was more because he knew touching matters directly related to people’s sustenance could lose him public support.

Did Reibritton’s king not know what even the late emperor knew? Or did he knowingly turn a blind eye for his own greed?

“Your Highness Rudrich said you wanted to return to the kingdom’s people the daily life they should have had.”

“I did.”

“I do not wish for that.”

Their waltz was gradually coming to an end. The music had passed its climax and was entering its final phase. The distance between the two was also slowly widening. Nevertheless, Rudrich kept a tight grip on the hand holding the princess.

“I hope the everyday life, with nothing left to return to, vanishes along with the fallen royal castle.”

“……”

“I plan to give the kingdom’s people a daily life they’ve never had before.”

At the princess’s words, Rudrich froze in place as if struck by lightning. Just then, the court musicians’ performance stopped. The princess easily freed her hand that had been firmly held by Rudrich, stood before him, and made an elegant farewell bow by bending one knee.