First, I placed paper and pen on the desk. Then I wrote down the information I could remember. 

 “The King of Narankas doesn’t even know what ability Isabelle has. What the king wants is a connection to the Empire. What Father wants must be Narankas’s sailing ships.” 

 Although located inland, the capital Belodna was also adjacent to the sea. About wanting sailing ships…… 

 We don’t particularly need to go out to sea, so why does Father need sailing ships? 

 The Beast Prison located inside Belodna has become unstable. 

 They must have realized that the prison can’t perfectly contain the beasts after Zeno’s escape. He wouldn’t have liked that. Maybe they’re trying to move it somewhere else instead of keeping the prison inland. 

 ‘What if the safest place to contain beasts is in the middle of the sea?’ 

 I pulled up the corners of my mouth into a grin. 

 Now I’m at a crossroads. 

 Should I go find Father, or wait for Father to come find me? 

 ‘Hmm, I suppose the one who’s more anxious will move first.’ 

 Originally I was planning to go straight to Lendsa Castle, but I changed my mind. 

 The one who’s in a hurry must be Father, not me. Of course, I’m worried about Cedric, but he should be fine since he’s with Zeno. 

 Even though they bicker, they seemed to get along well. 

 ❖ ❖ ❖ 

 “Um…… Your Highness. Is it really alright to just stay like this?” 

 I blinked while savoring the tea’s aroma. 

 “It’s fine. Butler, do you think His Highness is a weak person?” 

 “That’s not it, but……” 

 “Are the knights searching for His Highness?” 

 “Yes, of course. Especially Sir Kaven, who’s been digging through the piling snow with a shovel every day.” 

 I recalled those red eyes filled with madness. 

 Since finding out about Cedric’s disappearance, Kaven had been reducing his sleep and going out of the Grand Duke’s residence with a shovel every day. 

 Fortunately, the animals in the garden were safe. Thanks to the magic stones, they were fine despite the heavy snow, making it perfect for avoiding the snow. 

 “But it’s gotten easier with my friends helping, right?” 

 “Yes, that’s true, but…… if the Imperial Palace sees that sight, Your Highness will be in trouble.” 

 “That’s true. It’s fine. My friends will let us know about that too.” 

 The reason I could be this relaxed was also because of my friends. 

 Rabbits dug burrows and kept watch from far away to see if Father was coming, while birds always perched on tree branches watching for imperial carriages. 

 “The snow will stop in a week.” 

 “……A week, you say?” 

 I nodded lightly. Such great power had a limit of one week, so it would subside soon even if it didn’t want to stop. 

 Father would come before then. 

 “He’s later than I expected. Perhaps he’s considering other options.” 

 Then I guess I’ll have to prod a little. 

 “Rien, could you prepare paper and pen for me to write a letter?” 

 “I really don’t understand what Your Highness is thinking.” 

 Vahalla sighed while looking at the endlessly falling snow. 

 “Butler, don’t worry. I’m the master of the mansion while His Highness is away. Nothing will change.” 

 I started writing the letter on the paper Rien brought. 

 ‘What should I write.’ 

 I need to think of something that would pique Father’s curiosity. What if I say I know about sailing ship technology? 

 It was a somewhat risky method, but I had no choice since he hadn’t moved even after waiting two days. 

 Father. Isabelle won’t stop. What would you do if I knew how to stop her? 

 Hmm, is this enough? 

 I tapped the paper with my pen before folding the letter and putting it in an envelope. After stamping it with the Grand Duke’s seal, I was about to hand it to Rien when I walked toward the window. 

 Whoosh. 

 A sparrow flew in at my call and shook off the snow. 

 “Deliver this to the Imperial Palace quickly.” 

 “Tweet tweet.” (My wings are too short to fly to Belodna.) 

 At the sparrow’s words, I clapped my hands with an ‘ah’ expression. 

 “Tweet tweet!” (I’ll call my friend.) 

 The sparrow flew into the sky and disappeared, then soon returned with a noticeably larger bird. 

 “……Your friend is a hawk?” 

 While feeling relieved it hadn’t been eaten, I smiled awkwardly at seeing the hawk and sparrow who seemed to get along well. 

 “Screech!” (There’s plenty of food so no reason to eat this tiny one.) 

 “I-I see.” 

 “Screech!” (Just following the no-hunting order.) 

 I looked back and forth between the hawk and sparrow whose bodies differed by at least twenty times. 

 “……Your Highness, I truly feel like everything happening these days is like a dream.” 

 I shrugged at the butler’s words. After giving the letter to the hawk’s leg, I sent it flying out the window. 

 “Um, am I perhaps lacking too much in leading the Grand Duke’s residence?” 

 The butler shook his head vigorously and said. 

 “Your Highness has been doing surprisingly well. You immediately took care of the village against the snow, and thanks to quickly distributing magic stones, the territory’s people are staying warm.” 

 “That’s good. The Emperor will move soon, so we should prepare too.” 

 “By prepare, you mean……” 

 “I need large paper to draw blueprints, parchment would be good.” 

 I said while spreading both arms. This much should be enough to draw sailing ship blueprints. 

 “The North’s technology is more advanced than Belodna’s, right?” 

 “……Why do you ask that?” 

 “Because I need it for something. I’m curious what would happen if we make what the Emperor wants first.” 

 “What are you planning to make?” 

 I drew a ship on the paper while grinning. 

 “A sailing ship.” 

 “……Sailing ships are difficult to make in the North since they’re not used.” 

 “But there are many skilled craftsmen, right?” 

 With them, it wouldn’t be difficult to make what I want. 

 The butler tilted his head and looked at the ship I drew. His expression showed he couldn’t grasp what I was planning to do. 

 “Father tried to form an alliance with Narankas because he needs sailing ship technology. If I know that technology, then Isabelle wouldn’t need to be bound by marriage, right?” 

 “Ah……!” 

 Vahalla’s face brightened. Seeming to catch my intention, he rolled up his sleeves while nodding. 

 “You mean if the marriage with the king falls through, Her Highness will also stop.” 

 “That’s right!” 

 “I’ll secretly recruit craftsmen right away.” 

 “Please do.” 

 The butler bowed and quickly left. Now all that remained was Father’s reaction. 

 ❖ ❖ ❖ 

 The Emperor narrowed his brows while looking at the blizzard raging outside the window. 

 Your Majesty spoke of a deadline, but the princess has no answer. 

Considering you made the first proposal, this is becoming troublesome. If you wanted Narankas’s sailing ships, shouldn’t you pay the appropriate price?

 I’m surprised it’s different from what you said about the princess gladly accepting the marriage. It seems I have something to hear from Your Majesty, what do you think? 

 That powerless old man. If it weren’t for the sailing ships, he wouldn’t have even offered Isabelle. 

 Of course, he planned to just take the sailing ships and get Isabelle back. Unless he was crazy, he wouldn’t let Isabelle become the king’s second wife when she had an ability. 

 “Your Majesty, the knights have returned.” 

 At Advisor Bellado’s words, the Emperor crumpled the letter and threw it on the floor. 

 “Bellado, send a message to Narankas. Say it’s taking time to prepare the gift for proper packaging.” 

 “……Understood.” 

 The gift the Emperor spoke of referred to Princess Isabelle. The advisor remained silent at the sight of the Emperor treating his own child like an object. 

 The knights who went to find Isabelle had returned. However, Isabelle who should have come with them was nowhere to be seen. 

 “You still haven’t found Isabelle?” 

 “We moved the beasts, but the blizzard was too severe to search.” 

 The Emperor’s golden eyes slowly scanned the knights. 

 ‘It’s not a lie.’ 

 With eyes that see through everything, lies are immediately discovered. 

 However, there existed someone whose inner thoughts he couldn’t read. 

‘Clare, that b*tch, after all.’

 He thought she might be hiding something since he couldn’t read her mind, but forget manifesting an ability, she wasn’t even helpful. 

 If Isabelle had married the Grand Duke from the start, he could have held his leash and controlled him. 

 The Emperor slowly stroked his chin while looking at the knights. 

 ‘What should I do.’ 

 Messages kept coming from the Narankas Kingdom. The king was already persistent enough, but things had gotten too complicated. 

 If it weren’t for the sailing ships, he wouldn’t have formed an alliance with Narankas. 

 Finding the escaped beast should have been the priority, but thanks to Isabelle’s interference, nothing was progressing. 

 The Emperor’s patience had reached its limit. 

 “……So you returned to the castle without even finding her.” 

 “We-we’re sorry.” 

 The knights immediately bowed their heads. 

 “Just how is this household being run.” 

 He shouldn’t have brought a concubine’s child into the palace after all. He brought her thinking she might develop an ability, but this disaster happened. 

 The Emperor stood from his seat and stood in front of the kneeling knight. After patting his shoulder a couple times, he whispered. 

 “Find them within a week. Both the beast and Isabelle.”