“I should have given this to you earlier, but things were a bit hectic before.”

“What is this?”

Selaia asked curiously as she accepted the paper Laska handed her. It looked hastily folded without even an envelope, the surface filled edge to edge with writing.

“To explain—are you aware that Tropez has planted spies in Teian?”

“What?”

Selaia’s eyes widened in shock. Laska quickly waved a hand.

“It’s a common practice, so there’s no need to be alarmed. I only bring it up because we, in turn, placed spies in Tropez as well.”

He continued with a faintly abashed tone.

“And I sent one of those spies to Blainfield.”

“Ah…”

Blainfield—the domain of Marquis Vessel, where most of the people of Cheringen now resided.

‘It can’t be.’

Selaia’s pulse quickened.

“And then that spy delivered this letter to me.”

“…!”

Upon hearing his words, Selaia unfolded the paper with trembling hands. Her eyes wavered the moment she recognized Vera’s handwriting.

The letter contained news of Vera herself, as well as updates on the Cheringens. Except for a few who had left for regions where they had acquaintances, everyone had settled well in Blainfield and was living in relative peace. Vera also naturally expressed her concerns about Selaia and Rote’s well-being.

“To hear they’re safe… it’s such a relief, truly…”

Selaia whispered, her eyes reddening, her face breaking into one of relief. When she had left the Empire, what she had feared most was their safety.

Watching her, Laska carefully spoke again.

“Unfortunately, there was no news of Miss Elaine. I checked, but she never returned to her family estate in the capital.”

At those words, Selaia folded the letter carefully, sinking into brief thought.

“Perhaps… she may have gone to Lord Devonshire.”

“Lord Devonshire?”

Laska asked, sounding faintly surprised.

“Laska. Have you ever heard of the Beggar Lord and Sapere Aude?”

“I’ve seen it mentioned in the papers. A group, along with Lord Dieff, condemning the Emperor’s tyranny…”

Answering her question, he suddenly broke off.

“Wait—was Lord Devonshire the one who organized Sapere Aude?”

“Most likely.”

Selaia nodded.

“Do you remember, when Lord Brett left Cheringen, that Rote gave him a letter?”

“Yes, I remember. It was meant for Lord Devonshire.”

Laska inclined his head.

‘Dieff is diligent and sincere—no matter what, he would have delivered that letter to Maximilian.’

Selaia was certain.

“In truth, after Lord Devonshire left Cheringen, not only Rote but also Elaine remained in steady contact with him. The two of them shared the same convictions long ago.”

“…Now it begins to make sense. Why Lord Dieff suddenly joined a revolutionary group, why a movement that seemed to spring from the ground could form public opinion so systematically.”

With a dry laugh, Laska turned his gaze back to her.

“You told me this on purpose, didn’t you—so that I wouldn’t endanger them? Since their activities pose no harm to Teian.”

“On the contrary, they’ll be of help to Teian.”

Selaia’s reply was as good as an affirmation.

‘How clever you are.’

The thought pleased Laska.

Sapere Aude, which was shaking Tropez from within, was in no way harmful from Teian’s standpoint. But looked at another way, it was perfectly suited to be used by Teian in destabilizing Tropez.

“After everything you’ve told me, how could I possibly wish you harm? You have my word—set your heart at ease.”

“…Thank you.”

Selaia’s voice was barely above a whisper. As the rain eased off outside, the sound of night crickets could be heard chirping.

“It’s I who should be thanking you, Selaia.”

Laska whispered softly. Although he had been given permission to use her name when he left the capital, he found that he didn’t have many opportunities to do so.

“Thank you for looking after Kyle. He seems much more settled.”

It was the plain truth. Although he played the role of a daring troublemaker, the boy had lost his mother at an early age, and with a father confined to bed for a long time, he was sensitive and unstable.

Never before had Kyle looked so at ease.

“He is a good, mature child. Thanks to His Highness and Eugene, Rote and I, too, have been able to spend happier days here in the palace.”

Selaia’s answer carried the same sincerity. Laska frowned faintly as though troubled, yet smiled all the while.

“Life doesn’t go as one plans. I wanted to be by your side as well.”

“That…”

Flustered by words that sounded almost petulant, Selaia blinked in surprise.

Lowering his head slightly, Laska looked up at her with blue eyes full of plaintive appeal. His full, enticing lower lip seemed to pout ever so slightly.

“Won’t you comfort me too?”

“…What?”

“You were so kind in comforting Kyle.”

Only then did Selaia realize why he was acting so childishly, and her face turned uncertain.

“But His Highness is still a child, and you…”

“Perhaps my heart has yet to grow up either.”

Laska tilted his head to the side. The open neckline of his shirt revealed the smooth, gleaming muscles connecting his neck to his shoulders, which contradicted his excuse of immaturity and made him appear all the more endearing.

“Then how would you like me to comfort you?”

Unthinking, Selaia asked the question.

Both she and the man who heard it stared at one another in surprise. But his uncertainty lasted only a moment.

“I missed you.”

Laska’s reply was honest, unhesitating.

“If you told me you longed for me, that you wanted me by your side… I think I would be happy.”

Seeing the look in his eyes—of a man determined not to let the moment slip—Selaia’s lips parted soundlessly.

He waited, patient and unyielding, until at last he heard the answer he desired.

“It would have been… nice if you had been by my side.”

Selaia confessed in a small voice.

Life in the palace was not easy. Although Kyle and Eugene were endearing, and the maid who served her and Rote was kind, she always felt a quiet unrest in her heart.

‘Especially that tea party…’

The memory pressed heavily on her.

It would have been discourteous to decline without reason, so she had attended each gathering. Yet even she could not easily endure the feeling of being treated as if she were invisible.

“Of course I know you had important matters, and naturally they had to come first. But… if I were to forget all that and think only of myself—”

She lifted her gaze to meet his. The mixture of joy and disbelief in his green eyes shook her heart.

‘I would have wished for you to be there, Laska.’

How could she not love a man whose eyes brimmed with such overwhelming emotion at just one word?

Selaia clasped her trembling fingertips together carefully.

⭕ ⭕ ⭕

In recognition of the Prince’s defence of the border, King Cleos granted him the title of Duke.

This was technically a restoration of a title that the prince had previously held and relinquished to the crown when he left the palace.

“Your authority now bolsters that of the royal house as well, so we are holding this investiture, modest though it is. Wipe that look of discontent from your face.”

King Cleos murmured to his younger brother, Laska, whose expression remained cool and unreadable.

For the first time in some while, he was strong enough to leave his bed and stand firmly on his own feet.

“I know. It’s for the sake of the crown.”

Just rather tiresome, that’s all.

Loosening the choke of his cravat, Laska replied.

They stood outside the hall where the investiture was about to begin. Before them were the gates that led to the inner palace — doors that only the royal family and authorized individuals could pass through.

“You’ll have to get used to it. The crown is nothing but trouble.”

With a touch of humoor, King Cleos patted his brother on the shoulder twice, then gestured to Keron, the chamberlain.

At the king’s command, Keron began preparing for the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Kyle approached him.

“Uncle.”

The boy’s voice was quiet, and his expression unusually stern.

“Uncle, when you were in Cheringen, was it to find out about the Emperor from Lady Tran and Rote?”

“…….”

Laska said nothing.

‘He must have heard it from Count Regan.’

There were few who knew the full details of his mission. Only that Laska had gone to Cheringen because he was injured while guarding the count—so naturally, he had given Regan an explanation.

“How could you…”

Taking his silence as an admission, the boy’s face twisted with disbelief.