“Don’t you know why the lady had to keep her mouth shut, Your Grace? And what Periwinkle believed in to swagger around like that.”

“……So?”

“Think about the lady’s future. If she can receive a title, that would be the best outcome. If the lady remains only as a person of the Sorbon family, Periwinkle will reach an appropriate agreement with Count Sorbon, who holds decision-making power, and then live happily ever after again.”

“……”

“And the lady who sets such a precedent will have to keep her mouth shut about blatant bullying in the future, and even live with the label of being abandoned by her family. Would you really be okay leaving the lady like that?”

This was a part that even the marquis couldn’t refute. He kept his mouth shut, unable to find anything to say.

“Attempted murder of a count’s daughter and attempted murder of a marquis family’s heir. In which case do you think Periwinkle’s crimes would become heavier?”

“……You speak correctly. I know that too. But is that even possible?”

“Of course. If Your Grace joins us, that’s already four votes.”

Ellen said confidently.

“What we need is a small adventure, not a great upheaval. No matter what conditions we attach or how many, we just need to open the first channel.”

“……In any case, you’re confident you can get May through. But it won’t be as easy as you say.”

“Of course not. But I don’t think we should tuck our tails between our legs saying it won’t work from the start. There’s plenty of chance for victory.”

Her grinning appearance was full of confidence, as if she had seen the future.

“I’ll move three votes from the emperor’s faction for you. His Highness the Crown Prince here will guarantee it.”

“……It’s as if you’ve bewitched them.”

The marquis said with a bewildered expression.

“I’m truly grateful for today’s matter. I won’t forget your kindness. But for this problem, I need some time.”

“Of course. Lady Sorbon will stay at our Crient residence for a while longer, so please visit anytime.”

“I should.”

The marquis who said this turned around and also offered words of gratitude to Kaiden, who sat in the place of honor.

“Your Highness. I will never forget how you helped today. Please tell me anything I can help you with.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

When Kaiden extended his hand to shake the marquis’s hand, the marquis grasped his hand firmly.

* * *

Buzz— Buzz—

Summer when the cicadas’ crying was noisy.

In the Tempt Canal, the rippling water reflected light and sparkled silver.

People were busily moving between the ships docked at the port.

A man examining the docked ship said.

“The water level is too low, isn’t it? I wonder if it’ll be okay when we go out.”

“So load appropriately. In times when everyone says it’s hard, it’s something that this much grain can go out.”

“That’s true. Oh, there’s Didi. Hey, Didi!”

The men were talking and waved to a young man passing nearby.

Dandelion, who heard that sound — that is, Morris and Terriard’s academy classmate and civil servant — frowned and said.

“Didi, really. I’d rather you call me by my name.”

“But you said you didn’t like that.”

“I hate that more.”

When Dandelion shot back, the men said they understood and laughed loudly, then approached him and said.

“By the way, I heard you bought a new house this time? A pretty decent house close to the square. Where did you invest to succeed?”

“Yeah. Pull us in too. We’ll give you one-tenth of the profits, okay?”

The men approached quite warmly with subtle voices.

“I’m too scared to handle other people’s money.”

“Geez. What a stingy friend.”

“Yes. I have to save stingily like this to succeed greatly.”

Dandelion cut them off sharply as if it was out of the question and pointed to the grain piled like mountains.

“If you give away recklessly like that, like His Highness the Crown Prince, you’ll be starving by tomorrow.”

“Ah, this kind of thing is definitely a first in my life.”

The men nodded while looking at the pile of grain the workers were carrying.

“Right. I can’t even imagine how much you’d have to have to willingly give out that much, a commoner like me.”

“No matter how much you have, people who don’t give don’t give.”

“That’s true too.”

Then a man who had been listening to their conversation said with an exclamation of admiration.

“Rich in money, deep in learning, high in virtue. Our empire is really good. There won’t be another person like His Highness.”

When he made a fuss, the man looking at his colleague chuckled and said.

“Right. I hope the future reign continues this way.”

“Did you hear? That Coleman from the department next door. He was so worried about his parents back home, but fortunately food aid went to Port Territory this time.”

“Port Territory is the first place ships entered, isn’t it? That’s fortunate.”

“Right. I don’t have much worry since all my family lives in the capital.”

“Me too. This place is difficult to settle in, but once you settle, it’s heaven. Especially in this generation.”

Dandelion, who had been listening to the conversation, said.

“Well, continue your conversation, I’m leaving.”

When he left with a wave goodbye, the men also shouted with simple greetings.

“Alright! See you next time!”

They talked about future peace and safety, and headed back to the ship loaded with grain.

“I hope it continues like this in the future……”

* * *

“It can’t continue flowing like this.”

Crescent irritably lit a cigarette.

“Hey, Claudius. Is it really true that all the grain going out of the port now is going out in my brother’s name?”

“Yes. That’s what they said.”

“That’s ridiculous. How is something like that possible?”

Crescent took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled with a sigh.

“It seems the Crient family donated more than expected.”

“Then we just need to bring Crient over! Didn’t the lady say anything else?”

“Yesterday she seemed distracted by her brother’s accident.”

“If she seemed distracted, you should have enlightened her!”

Crescent, who ended up hearing that there were no particular results, got irritated.

He took another deep drag of his cigarette and said.

“Whew. I deliberately made hunting appointments to show off in front of my brother, but it’s all going to waste like this.”

“I’m sorry.”

Claudius bowed his head.

“But in the long term, wouldn’t showing respect for her situation be helpful?”

“That would be true. Fine, let’s think positively.”

Crescent plopped down on the sofa.

“Since it’s come to this, it might be good to look a bit further ahead. If we get Crient, we’ll secure a reliable source of funding, so we’ll be able to gain much more time later than the time we’re wasting now.”

At his words that seemed to have calmed down somewhat, Claudius let out a sigh of relief.

But then something came to mind and he spoke up.

“Oh, but Gillian Krembell came to visit.”

“Visited who, you?”

“No. Lady Crient.”

Then, as if it was an interesting story, Crescent pulled his body forward from where he had been leaning back on the sofa.

“That’s quite intriguing. What did he go for?”

“I didn’t hear the purpose, but Lady Crient seemed like she didn’t want to deal with him anymore, and Duke Krembell seemed to be arguing with her about something.”

“Arguing about something?”

“Yes. I heard him shouting that he was still her ex-husband.”

Crescent burst into laughter at his words.

“Kek kek, if he’s an ex-husband, he’s just an ex-husband, but what does ‘still I’m the ex-husband’ mean?”

“I suspect he heard some insulting words.”

“Well, that would be it. I think that could be another opening to dig into. What do you think?”

“Yes. Crient is definitely hostile toward Krembell. But since they belong to the same emperor’s faction, it seems like a situation where they can’t do this or that.”

“If she comes under my shadow, she can treat someone like Krembell coldly as much as she wants.”

Crescent tapped cigarette ash into the ashtray.

“Good. If a few days of hunting is too much right now, try holding a small party where we just show our faces briefly. Isn’t there anyone suitable?”

“I’ll find someone and report back.”

“If there’s no one in particular, just hold a party to find your fiancée. Understand?”

“Your Highness. The lady won’t come to that.”

“Then you’ll have to create someone possible and bring her.”

At Crescent’s face giving orders nonchalantly, Claudius sighed and said.

“Yes, I understand.”

* * *

Morris, carrying thick file folders, opened the door to the crown prince’s office.

“Your Highness. This is a report from the security forces.”

“Give it here.”

Kaiden received one heavy report.

“It’s an inquiry report about the coachmen.”

“Yes. And an interim report on the Imperial Inspection Department’s gun incident investigation has also come up. Would you like to see them together?”

Morris asked, showing what he was carrying.

“I have to see them all anyway. Give them to me now.”

“Yes.”

He handed what he was carrying to Kaiden.

“They say they’ve secured testimony up to two days before the accident. Until then, there were no particular abnormal signs in the carriage, and it would be realistically difficult for the carriage to become like that in the two days they couldn’t confirm.”

“Those two days are the problem.”

Kaiden flipped the page.

“Yes. Regarding that, they’ve finished questioning some students, but since nothing significant has come up, they plan to expand the scope and investigate after completing the report.”

“I see……”

Kaiden, who confirmed Morris’s words were true while skimming the report, closed the book he was reading with a thud and said.

“Watch for a while, and if the security forces are completely lost and struggling, subtly release the story related to Periwinkle.”