“Does the head maid serve a different master?”

“That’s correct.”

“……!”

As expected! Mel quietly clenched her fist.

The head maid was too careless to be a loyal servant of Genoa. Since someone like that wouldn’t be kept by Genoa’s side, it wasn’t difficult to deduce that the head maid belonged to someone else.

Before asking her second question, Mel examined Genoa’s expression. The interest gently spread across his face hadn’t yet disappeared. This meant that simply discovering the head maid wasn’t Genoa’s person wasn’t enough. The head maid had something more special about her.

‘What exactly is the head maid plotting in the Ivanstein mansion? Doesn’t she value her life?’

Mel trembled without realizing it. What kind of place was this, and what kind of man was he?

Whatever the head maid was plotting, she was already in Duke Ivanstein’s grasp. She probably wouldn’t be able to save her life. Though the head maid had been quite annoying, Mel decided to pity her from now on.

The head maid had thoroughly lost her fear. No, this was courage born from ignorance. Though Mel didn’t yet know who the head maid’s master was, if she were in the head maid’s position, she would have fled without looking back.

Because nothing in this world was more precious than one’s life.

“Are you controlling the internal information that the head maid is leaking outside the Ivanstein mansion, Duke?”

“That’s also correct.”

As expected. Mel unconsciously almost raised her hand to cover her mouth but restrained herself by applying pressure to the hands resting on her knees. With this one question, she received confirmation about the head maid’s role and why Duke Ivanstein kept her around.

On the day she first visited the duke’s bedroom as his sleeping aid, he had told her:

“Even for Ivanstein, dozens of people come and go here every day. You must know how troublesome it is to block all the words that leak out?”

This meant that the duke was deliberately exposing only what he wanted the head maid to see that might leak outside. The head maid would manage the leaking information to increase its value, and Duke Ivanstein could easily identify who the head maid’s master was by observing who acted on the information he deliberately exposed.

“You’re a terrifying person, Duke.”

“Is that something to say to someone who’s sad about being betrayed by his servant?”

“Huh.”

Mel momentarily lost her words at Genoa’s shameless retort.

Seeing Mel’s lips press into a tight line and quiver as she prepared her last question, Genoa smiled and gestured with his chin for her to continue. His interesting attitude was so arrogant that Mel finally regained her senses.

Determined to wipe that upturned corner of his mouth away, Mel posed her final question with utterly useless defiance.

“Are Marchioness Mervissen, Viscountess Roland, and Baroness Cezarn the mistresses of the First Prince or the Second Prince?”

“……”

At her confident question, Mel finally saw what she had been eager to see—Genoa’s mouth settling into a cool line.

“Probably the First Prince’s mistresses? Even if the Second Prince had mistresses, he wouldn’t want to see me separately.”

If the head maid had a different master, and the duke controlled internal information to the extent that he monitored what was being carried outside, the most plausible hypothesis among the many options Mel could consider was this.

The expensive information sold by the head maid would have made society place the name Amelia Reibritton alongside the First Prince’s.

“This isn’t a question but rather something I’m saying with a bit of certainty, Duke.”

“Go ahead.”

“It seems the head maid is the First Prince’s person.”

At Mel’s words, Genoa’s eyes blinked slowly. His long eyelashes trembled slightly, and then he folded the corners of his eyes and smiled ecstatically.

She was correct.

“Ha.”

A short laugh escaped between his lips. And it grew into a laugh big enough to make his shoulders shake.

“Hahaha!”

Seeing Genoa laugh out loud in front of her for the first time, Mel’s rounded eyes shook in confusion. Unable to stop laughing while looking at those eyes, Genoa lowered his head and caught his breath.

When he calmed down a bit and wiped the moistened corners of his eyes with his index finger, Genoa could meet the princess’s eyes, who was pouting her lips. Seeing the sharpness in Mel’s eyes as he raised his hand again to cover his mouth, he lowered his half-raised hand.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect you’d think this far, princess.”

Genoa greatly praised her wisdom. Although Mel didn’t withdraw her fierce gaze through narrowed eyes, seemingly suspicious of Genoa’s intentions, he was sincere.

“By the way, the head maid truly was a frightening person. How should I face her from now on? Whenever I see her face, I’ll only think about how she’ll die by the duke’s hand……”

The princess’s voice conveyed genuine concern as she spoke. Despite likely having accumulated many feelings toward the head maid, how did this innocent-looking princess, who seemed genuinely worried about her, make the connection between the head maid and the First Prince?

The thing that most intrigued Genoa lately was the princess’s small head. While her thoughts seemed transparent, it was impossible to know exactly what she was thinking.

He now understood why the benefit of a royal marriage between the Second Prince and the princess of Reibritton had scratched at his insides so much.

“I’ve had a good idea, princess.”

“……Judging by your expression right now, it doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

“Just listen first.”

Even the princess’s suspicious expression with narrowed eyes was delightful. Genoa continued speaking, thinking that perhaps his own thoughts might make him appear insane to the princess.

“You said you didn’t want the position of empress of the empire. That you didn’t want to be paired with the Second Prince.”

“Of course! Why are you bringing that up again? Has there been some communication from His Highness the Second Prince?”

The princess’s face instantly turned pale blue. Her obvious horror and disgust were quite pleasing to him.

“I just thought that there might be a good way to peacefully end the war between Reibritton and the Raon Empire other than a royal marriage between you and the Second Prince.”

“While we’re discussing the head maid?”

“Yes.”

The princess looked completely bewildered about why Genoa’s train of thought had gone in that direction. She briefly furrowed her brow, seemingly trying to gauge his intentions but soon opened her mouth with a sigh.

“Fine. Then let’s talk about the royal marriage between His Highness the Second Prince and me. Though I am the princess of Reibritton, I’ve already fallen in status to marry His Highness the Second Prince who will become the emperor of the Raon Empire, and I don’t have the value to become an empress.”

“Why do you think so?”

“I’ve already made a deal with the duke. I agreed to give the Reibritton Kingdom as payment. It’s the right choice for a wise ruler to pursue other benefits that the option of a royal marriage brings, rather than the already promised Reibritton.”

Genoa’s face softened considerably at the princess’s answer. The satisfaction he felt at her readily providing the answers he desired was probably because she was walking into his next proposal on her own.

“That’s right. The empress will become a sword that His Highness the Second Prince, who is about to ascend to the throne, can wield. There’s no need to hand over Reibritton, which is already as good as in hand.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Duke. So do you understand how precious the time we’re spending on this conversation is?”

“Of course. That’s why I’m saying this, princess.”

“Yes.”

“How about becoming the mistress of the Ivanstein ducal family?”

“……What does that mean?”

“Ah, I intend to give you the option to refuse. Making it impossible for the princess to reject this proposal is my responsibility.”

The princess’s lips parted at Genoa’s words, which flowed as naturally as water. Genoa curled the corners of his mouth and smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the princess’s face, who was staring at him blankly without being able to give any answer.

“You will probably soon realize that the position of mistress of the Ivanstein ducal family will be the best choice you can make.”

Could there be a proposal where the opinion of the person concerned matters so little? However, there could also be no proposal more fitting for Genoa.

The princess, who had been opening and closing her mouth, finally gathered her wits and asked.

“Do you like me?”

“Could that be the reason for you to accept my proposal, princess?”

Genoa possessed the skill to gently deflect a negative answer. So, it meant no. Naturally, the princess’s pupils shook miserably, and her body even staggered as her mind became inevitably complicated.

Genoa held the princess’s shoulders when she acted as if she might fall backward from her chair and said in a kind tone.

“If such girlishness still remains in the princess’s heart, I could try with quite a cheerful attitude.”

The princess stared blankly at Genoa’s face with unfocused eyes as he added, “This is quite enjoyable.”

Today, the princess would become Genoa’s excellent sleeping aid, but in return, it was clear she would take away his insomnia.

* * *