“Ah, it seems like something that would make me angry if I heard it. Go ahead and tell me.”

“No, that’s not it…”

Kaiden, caught off guard by the subtle jab, stumbled slightly in his step.

Ellen naturally avoided his foot.

They continued dancing as if nothing had happened.

Kaiden, with a slightly flushed face, spoke.

“It might exceed the 50% we discussed earlier.”

“Exceed… How much do you need?”

“It came up to 70%, but I’m thinking of reducing it as much as possible.”

He cautiously observed Ellen’s face, but it was hard to read her expression.

He unconsciously swallowed dryly.

‘As expected, saying it’s over budget…’

He resisted the urge to tighten his grip.

He had been too focused on getting the proposal accepted to confront it properly.

Since it was a result of his own mistake, he had no choice but to bow his head even more.

“I will do my best to help you as much as I can. Although I’m currently the one receiving help… Even so, I don’t want to personally select which areas are okay to flood and which are not just because of a budget shortfall. So.”

He chose to resolve the situation, even if it meant being humble.

“If support is difficult, a loan would be fine. Even if it takes several years, I will repay it with my share of money from the imperial family.”

‘How much will she give? 100 million gold? No, honestly, even 50 million gold would…’

Even 50 million gold would be worth serving her as a superior.

While he was thinking that…

“It’s about the people, and if we miss the timing, it will cost much more to recover. I understand.”

Ellen said with a gentle smile.

“Would 500 million gold be enough, then?”

“Uh, that… 500 million?”

When Kaiden asked in a daze, Ellen smiled brightly.

“Yes. 500 million.”

The piece they were dancing to ended.

Ellen released the hand she was holding with Kaiden and left a graceful bow.

Kaiden stood there blankly, just watching the scene.

He forgot to respond to her bow and stood there for a few more seconds before finally coming to his senses and uttering a word.

“Lady, come this way.”

He took her hand and quickly left the central floor of the hall.

Terriard, who had been leaning against the wall waiting for the piece to end, approached them.

“Ah, Ellen—”

But Kaiden passed him by without stopping, still holding Ellen’s hand.

Oh. Ellen let out a small exclamation.

However, Kaiden didn’t hear that either as he opened the terrace door and went out.

Thud.

He closed the door, took a deep breath, and asked,

“Lady. So, the 500 million gold… how much of it is support?”

Kaiden was utterly overwhelmed by his heart pounding wildly.

Surely she wouldn’t say it’s all a loan. But even so, getting the money is something.

He was torn internally.

No, it’s right not to borrow money you can’t repay.

If the entire 500 million gold was a loan, he had no means to repay it.

Maybe, if by some miracle he lived to a hundred, he might be able to gather all the maintenance fees and palace budget from the imperial family.

Of course, as far as he knew, no one had lived to a hundred.

“Hmm, it’s ambiguous.”

“What is…?”

The pounding in his ears was loud.

“I am indeed giving you this money, but since I intend to ask for something in return, should I consider this a debt?”

“What do you mean by ‘in return’?”

“You just need to fulfill one of my requests later. Of course, I’ll only ask for something that Your Highness deems possible.”

“And that possible thing, surely you’re not asking for my life or something?”

“Of course not. That would be troublesome for me too.”

Ellen burst into laughter, saying she’d heard it all now.

The strange thing was, Kaiden felt a twinge in his heart at her laughter.

Was it because he was freed from extreme tension?

The loud thumping in his ears seemed to have subsided.

Her laughter sounded genuinely refreshing.

Her face, looking slightly embarrassed as she exhaled deeply while laughing, the lips that exhaled fully in front of him for the first time, the eyes forming a round arc…

Everything was vividly etched in his mind.

He thought,

She’s truly an unpredictable woman.

500 million gold… to surprise someone in such a way.

‘No, this is possible because it’s her.’

That’s probably why that scene stood out so clearly in his senses.

Thinking that made it seem so.

Ellen wiped away the tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes.

The tingle that had pierced his chest had somehow reached his palm.

Feeling itchy, Kaiden clenched his fist tightly until the heat filled his palm.

* * *

As they exited the terrace, Terriard, who was waiting in front of the door they entered, called out to her with a bright face.

“Ellen!”

Ellen turned to look beside the door at the voice calling her.

“Oh, Ted. I’m sorry. I saw you following in the hall earlier, but the situation…”

“It’s okay. It seemed like His Highness had something to say.”

He said that and looked at Kaiden, who was now staggering out the door.

But the man who usually ran around everywhere, even when begged not to, seemed to have no strength in his legs now.

“Your Highness?”

Why are you like this?

Terriard asked with his expression.

“…Ah, Sir Cheshire.”

“Your Highness. Are you unwell? Should we take you to the palace?”

“No, no. I’m fine.”

Kaiden waved his hand dismissively.

Terriard frowned, as if he found it unconvincing.

“Anyway, Ellen. Are you okay? Earlier…”

“I’m fine. Before he could do anything, His Highness barged in.”

Actually, His Highness came quickly because of you, right?

Ellen said with a smile, and Terriard averted his gaze slightly, muttering sheepishly.

“That’s all I could do… I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t something you could control, Ted.”

“Still.”

Terriard glanced at Kaiden and said,

“Your Highness, I’m sorry for not following orders.”

“It’s fine. It’s not like I don’t know the situation. It’s not something you need to apologize for.”

Now that he seemed to have regained his composure, Kaiden glanced at a corner of the party hall.

Following his actions, the other two also looked in the direction he was staring.

They saw Gillian exchanging greetings with Princess Eclipse.

It seemed he went to greet her as she came out of the central floor without dancing.

Tsk.

Kaiden clicked his tongue and said,

“Let’s go.”

Kaiden, who had been striding out, suddenly stopped in the corridor and clapped his palm with his fist, saying,

“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Crescent today.”

At his words, Terriard glanced back at the party hall.

“It seems they’re planning to settle the princess’s marriage first.”

“Hmph, with me keeping a close watch, it won’t be easy unless they’re quite bold.”

Kaiden said in an unusually sarcastic voice.

Ellen, finding it unfamiliar, looked up at his face as he walked ahead of her.

Though she could only see his chin and mouth, she could tell his facial muscles were tense.

‘Well, that’s understandable…’

Ellen recalled the facts about his relationship with his siblings.

In the Istazio imperial family, there was only one princess.

That was Eclipse Istazio, the younger sister of the second prince, Crescent Istazio, and the daughter of the concubine Bellates Istazio.

The relationship between the concubine Bellates and Crown Prince Kaiden Istazio was not good, to put it mildly.

Everyone had suspicions about the sudden death of the Empress, who had been in good health.

Kaiden, who was going through puberty at the time, felt it most intensely.

He believed it was a death shrouded in mystery. If so, who was behind it?

No one asked, and everyone knew.

Kaiden, crying out that the beast in human skin had killed his mother, lunged at Bellates.

His patience, still going through adolescence, was not great, and seeing her calmly expressing condolences at court drove him over the edge, resulting in him being dragged out by the guards.

When Kaiden mentioned people watching him, he was referring to all these factors.

And it was something that was later, much later, revealed to be true.

Evidence that Gillian somehow found.

It would have been nice to snatch it, but Ellen only knew that such evidence existed and not where it had come from.

Unlike gambling dens and arms smuggling, where physical evidence was often left and she could see the flow of money leaving her, it appeared suddenly as if out of thin air.

As they walked, they soon found themselves outside the palace.

Ellen spoke to Terriard, who was looking for the carriage that would be waiting to take her back.

“Ted.”

“Hmm?”

“I know it’s a bit of an imposition, but… would it be okay if I stayed at Cheshire Manor for a while? It’s been too long since I greeted the Countess.”

At her words, Terriard smiled brightly and said.

“Of course. I’m sure Mother would be delighted if you came. You’d like the room next to Spaniel’s as before, right?”

“I’ll use whatever room you prepare. More importantly, though I’m going alone today, His Highness will probably visit soon to pay his respects.”

“Ah… His Highness?”

Terriard looked at Kaiden, asking if it was true.

Then Kaiden asked with a puzzled look.

“…Since when did I have such an appointment?”

“Maybe, just now?”

Ellen said with a laugh, and Kaiden frowned.

He couldn’t shake the feeling of being manipulated.

“Lady. I’m sorry, but I’m not very free to move outside the palace right now.”

“Oh, you speak as if you were free before.”

“That’s not it, but… No, who caused this house arrest situation in the first place!”

Kaiden exclaimed in disbelief.

“It doesn’t seem to be my fault.”

“Your Highness, who lost all trust by escaping as easily as eating?”

“Sir!”

When Terriard teased, Kaiden glared at him.

As Terriard sheepishly averted his gaze from his piercing look, Kaiden turned his eyes to Ellen.

He saw her eyes filled with laughter.

The violet hidden between the crescent moons was quite lovely.

‘Hold on.’

It’s 500 million gold.

Ten times 50 million gold.

He should serve her ten times more than he initially resolved.

“…Let’s hear when and why I’m being invited.”

“When the results of the dock investigation are out, we’ll have a meeting to share the results and discuss future plans. So, if need be, please come even if you have to be carried like luggage.”

Her refreshing words left him with no room for rebuttal.

In the end, Kaiden sighed.