Vivianne could no longer hold back her tears.

The Emperor had been cold.

And the expressions of the Imperial Physicians were grim.

“Hic… Hic…”

The physicians wiped away the blood and applied various medicines, but the pain refused to fade.

“The All-Healing Ointment…”

“That ointment is reserved for the knights fighting on the battlefield. We cannot provide it without His Majesty’s permission.”

“I’ll go and ask His Majesty.”

Vivianne had heard of the All-Healing Ointment before.

This miraculous medicine stopped bleeding immediately upon application, eased pain, and greatly accelerated wound healing.

However, it was rarely made available to the public and was so expensive that it was almost exclusively reserved for knights who fought monsters.

Nevertheless, Vivianne clung to hope.

She had been injured by one of the Emperor’s own knights.

As the future empress, surely she would receive the treatment she deserved?

But when the Imperial Physician returned from speaking with the Emperor, his expression shattered her hope.

There was nothing reassuring in his eyes.

“His Majesty has ordered that the All-Healing Ointment not be used. He said it must be reserved for the knights who fight for the Empire.”

In response to the Emperor’s heartless decision, Vivianne’s sobs grew louder.

She could not believe it.

‘Even if he doesn’t love me… I’m still the future empress.”

The Emperor had seen the blood streaming from her wound with his own eyes.

Yet he had not appeared once while she was being treated.

Not once.

Vivianne wept from a mixture of pain and humiliation as the Marquis and Marchioness Montero rushed to her side.

Having been awoken in the middle of the night and informed of the calamity that had befallen their daughter, they had arrived in such haste that neither of them had had time to compose themselves.

They both looked utterly distraught and disheveled.

“Vivi! W-What happened to you?”

“Vivi, how did this happen…?”

The moment she was enveloped in her parents’ warm embrace, Vivianne broke down completely.

She cried for a long time before she was finally able to speak.

“Please get me the All-Healing Ointment. Without it, I’ll be left with a terrible scar for the rest of my life. Please, Father… Please bring me the All-Healing Ointment.”

***

Obtaining the All-Healing Ointment was no easy task.

Rowan travelled from region to region, selling it directly to local lords. Meanwhile, the Emperor claimed every supply that reached the capital.

This meant that anyone seeking the ointment had to negotiate with a provincial lord who had it in their possession.

Fortunately, many nobles had come to the capital for the Harvest Festival.

Swallowing his pride, Marquis Montero visited lord after lord in search of the medicine.

At last, one of them agreed to sell him a jar of the ointment.

The price was five hundred gold coins.

Under normal circumstances, the ointment would have sold for around eighty gold coins.

This shameless profiteering made his blood boil.

But there was no alternative.

For his daughter’s sake, he had no choice but to accept it.

Even after agreeing to pay such an outrageous sum, however, he could not obtain the ointment immediately.

No noble would have brought something so valuable to the Harvest Festival.

Someone would have to be sent to collect it from the lord’s territory, and that would take time.

Since monsters could appear on the roads, mercenaries would also need to be hired as escorts.

Assuming everything went to plan, the ointment would reach the Marquis in about ten days.

Having secured a source for the ointment, Marquis Montero tried to arrange a meeting with the Emperor to protest about what had happened.

The Emperor refused to see him.

So he sought out Ophelia instead.

To his surprise, she merely frowned and scolded him.

“I told her to conduct herself properly and wait patiently. How could your daughter behave so recklessly?”

“But, my lady, my daughter was only taking a walk.”

“That’s exactly the problem. Why was she taking a walk in the Cold Palace of all places? Was she trying to uncover some secret from the past?”

Ophelia had been imprisoned within the Cold Palace for many years.

“Surely not. My daughter is an innocent child with no interest in such things. She was probably just curious about the place.”

“In any case, this has nothing to do with me. Your daughter acted foolishly, and His Majesty is extremely angry. I’m not even sure whether I can calm him down.”

“My lady, you cannot abandon my daughter like this.”

“And what difference would it make if I didn’t? His Majesty is furious. Why don’t you acquire some Celea and try to soothe his temper instead? His Majesty is quite fond of Celea.”

***

A major incident had occurred within the Imperial Palace. However, as the Emperor had ordered those involved to remain silent, news of the incident did not spread openly.

Nevertheless, it was impossible to silence all the servants who had witnessed the aftermath.

Before long, whispers began to circulate through the palace halls.

The daughter of Marquis Montero had been sneaking around in the middle of the night, spying on something she shouldn’t have seen, and had paid a terrible price at the hands of one of the Emperor’s knights.

The rumors spread quietly from person to person, growing with each retelling.

Now, with only two days to go until the Imperial Harvest Festival Party, almost every well-connected noble was aware of the story.

Rosetta listened to Henser’s report while examining the dress she would wear the following day.

“Marquis Montero has already sent people to obtain the All-Healing Ointment. Most likely, Vivianne won’t be able to use it until after the party is over.”

“Mm.”

“And His Majesty is said to be furious about the incident. Marquis Montero is currently trying to obtain Celea in hopes of calming the Emperor’s anger.”

“Celea…”

Celea was an exceptionally rare gemstone.

Whenever one appeared on the market, it sold for an enormous price almost immediately.

“The noble ladies won’t be willing to part with the Celea they possess.”

“No, they won’t.”

“How much is currently available in the capital?”

“There’s exactly one piece at the largest jewelry shop. It’s no bigger than a grain of sand, but the price is so outrageous that no one has bought it yet.”

“Hmm.”

Rosetta had brought a box containing several pieces of Celea jewelry.

Among them was a piece so valuable that it could rival the cost of a whole noble estate.

Unsurprisingly, Rosetta had no intention of handing over any genuine Celean jewellery to help Marquis Montero win back the Emperor’s favor.

“Does the Silver Lion Merchant Company have anyone skilled at disguising their identity?”

“A few people, yes.”

“I want to sell several pieces of Celea to Marquis Montero. But their identities must be concealed perfectly. Even if he tries to track them down later, he shouldn’t be able to find them.”

“Understood. What price should we ask?”

“Twice the market rate. He’s desperate, so he’ll still buy them at double the price. If we go any higher, he’ll hesitate. Sell them for twice their value.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Rosetta told Henser to wait, then stepped into the dressing room.

Opening her jewelry box, she selected several large garnets and pieces of lapis lazuli.

They weren’t particularly valuable.

Rowan had bought them individually during his travels.

Rosetta cast a transformation spell over them.

The gemstones’ structures twisted and shifted.

Their original colors gradually faded.

Moments later, they had taken on the appearance of Celea, radiating the distinctive iridescent brilliance characteristic of these gemstones.

Had Rosetta continued to pour mana into them, they would have become flawless Celea and would never have reverted to their original forms.

However, the instant the transformation was complete, Rosetta withdrew her mana.

The magic she had infused into the stones preserved the illusion for quite some time.

Eventually, however, that power would fade.

When it did, the gemstones would slowly return to what they had once been.

Rosetta gathered the five stones, which now looked indistinguishable from genuine Celea, and placed them in Henser’s hands.

His eyes widened in shock.

“Wow. These are enormous. And the craftsmanship is excellent.”

“They are, aren’t they? Make sure we get a good price for them. And, as always, don’t forget to take your commission.”

Rosetta never hesitated to reward Hensar for his efforts.

Because of that, Henser was extremely fond of her.

Only after he departed with a broad grin on his face did Rosetta allow herself a faint smile as well.

‘Well done, Vivianne.’

Because of the variable named Vivianne, the reason Marquis Montero had been desperately clinging to would finally begin to crack.

‘Thanks to you, Marquis Montero will step beautifully into my trap.’

***

The day before the Imperial Party.

Under normal circumstances, the Montero estate would have been abuzz with excitement as the final preparations for the grand event were completed.

Instead, however, a heavy gloom hung over the entire household.

Immediately after the incident, Vivianne was sent back to the estate as if she had been exiled.

Confined to her room, she groaned in pain, snapped at the servants over trivial matters, and broke down in tears without warning.

Her emotions swung wildly between anger, frustration, and despair.

Naturally, the servants could not help but remain on edge around her.

“Don’t cry, Vivi. Your father has obtained the All-Healing Ointment, so your wound will heal cleanly soon.”

“His Majesty is very angry, isn’t he?”

“I’m sure your father will resolve that as well. So don’t cry, all right?”

The Marchioness could barely bring herself to look at the large bandage covering her daughter’s face.

After finally getting her back, she had cherished Vivianne as if she were of immeasurable value, afraid that she might fly away if touched too lightly or break if held too tightly.

And now, a terrible wound had been carved into her beloved daughter’s face.

She hated Akalt Blanchea.

She hated him for leaving such a cruel scar on her.

But as the Marchioness, there was nothing she could do against a swordsman who also served as one of the Emperor’s knights.

Marquis Montero found himself in an equally difficult situation.

Although he had managed to secure the All-Healing Ointment, finding a suitable Celea proved far more challenging than expected.

The Emperor was truly responsible for all of this.

No —

The Emperor’s knight.

That man failed to recognize Vivianne and hurt her.

Rather than holding Akalt accountable, however, the Emperor protected him and directed his anger elsewhere, leaving the Marquis feeling both furious and bewildered.

No matter how unjust it felt, though, he could not afford to oppose the Emperor.

If he lost the Emperor’s favor and Vivianne was cast aside, he would lose everything.

The Emperor was expected to honor the promises he had made.

But expectations were one thing and reality was another.

After all, he would not suffer any real consequences for breaking his word.

Even worse, the Imperial Palace had already started spreading rumors that Vivianne had ‘wandered where she pleased and entered a place she should never have gone.

If that narrative took hold, Vivianne would take all the blame.

In that case, becoming Empress would be the least of her concerns.

She could be expelled from the capital entirely.

No matter how much resentment burned inside him, the Marquis knew he had only one choice.

He had to find a way to appease the Emperor.

‘Should I ask the Grand Duke?’

Celea originated in the Grand Duchy, a land inhabited by monsters.

In fact, the Grand Duke gave Rosetta a large Celea wedding ring.

If Marquis Montero were to ask, he might be able to obtain a few pieces.

However, the thought of bowing to the Grand Duke left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He was also wary of drawing the Emperor’s attention.

If the Emperor found out that he had sought help from the Grand Duke, it would raise unwanted suspicions.

In the current situation, there was nothing to be gained from doing anything that might attract the Emperor’s attention.

So, despite his desperation, Marquis Montero hesitated.

At that moment, the butler announced the arrival of an unexpected visitor.