Leaving Dahlia behind, Etia resumed walking and headed straight to his office. The knights standing before it blocked her way, but Etia didn’t hold back.

“Your Highness. This is Etia Sylvester. I have something to say, so please allow me to see you for a moment.”

This was the first time in her life she’d raised her voice this loudly. Moreover, Etia didn’t care who in the corridor might see her. Right now, she saw nothing else. 

She couldn’t understand at all how someone could corner and slander another person like this. 

At the very least, if he was the Crown Prince—if he was to become the future Emperor—he should have been wiser than this.

“Come in.”

The office door that seemed like it would remain firmly shut opened smoothly with just those words. Inside, Alburn Idha, the owner of the voice, stood before his desk holding papers, and seeing him made Etia even angrier.

“It’s been a while, Your Highness.”

“What do you have to say? Seeing you seek me out so undignifiedly, it must be a serious matter. I’ve already told your sister about breaking off the engagement. If that’s what this is about, I don’t want to hear any more.”

Though Etia had tried to maintain as much courtesy as possible, the Crown Prince seemed to have no such intention. 

Without inviting her to sit, Alburn left her standing and spoke perfunctorily while reading the documents he held. His attitude suggested she should say what she had to say and leave quickly.

The Crown Prince’s mention of Dahlia made Etia even more incredulous. Could the Crown Prince of the Empire really be this unreasonable? Etia couldn’t believe it.

“Yes. I heard. The announcement will probably come out in two days. What on earth will the reason be? Personality differences? Dahlia’s lack of qualifications? Or will you say she’s no longer needed since you can’t bring Derek Sylvester into politics anymore?”

“Which do you think would be better? I was just going to say my feelings cooled. Even if I take the blame, I thought it would cause less harm to the young lady. But hearing what you say, the last reason sounds good too. Shall I go with that?”

“Your Highness!”

“I clearly said I wouldn’t listen if this was about the broken engagement. I allowed this meeting for a different reason, so if that’s all you have to say, leave now. I’m tired.”

However, the Crown Prince was even more unreasonable than Etia had expected. Was the Crown Prince she’d known all this time really this kind of person? 

He spoke coldly with a face she’d never seen before. Etia found it increasingly difficult to maintain her composure.

“Where did you send the knights?”

“What knights are you suddenly talking about?”

“The Royal Guard knights. I heard Your Highness selected new skilled individuals. But most people don’t even know they were selected. They’re not even at the Imperial Palace. Isn’t that right?”

“You must have planted a spy on me. How disappointing. To think you’d stoop to finding weaknesses.”

“Your Highness is trying to kill knights loyal to this country.”

“…”

“If I’m wrong, refute me. Am I really mistaken?”

However, the more she spoke, the more wretched Etia felt. The things that had only been suspicions were gradually becoming certainties because of the Crown Prince’s expression.

“Even if that absurd claim were true, what can you do about it? Will you go outside and shout like you did earlier? That the Empire’s Crown Prince is trying to kill Derek Sylvester, the nation’s hero? Who would even believe that? Or will you charge into the Land of Fire yourself and rescue him? What exactly can you do?”

“There’s nothing I can’t do.”

“What?”

“In a situation where Your Highness has essentially confessed to trying to kill him, what can’t I do? My dignity as a noble? I don’t need such things. If I can expose your shamelessness by screaming at the top of my lungs, I can do it dozens, hundreds of times.”

“Haha, amusing. Is that so? Then only your dignity will be ruined while the Duke meets a cold death. They left quite some time ago, after all.”

With Mieva’s story and her own speculations all becoming reality, Etia found it difficult to maintain her composure. Heat boiled inside her to the point where she wanted to slap him, but she could only clench her fists and gasp for breath.

The Crown Prince’s words weren’t wrong. If he really had sent assassins and Derek was in danger, she needed to send someone as quickly as possible—there was no time to waste on this war of words.

Of course, Derek was strong enough that there were few on the continent who could match him, but humans inevitably had moments of carelessness, and even Derek couldn’t predict everything.

Etia felt desperate. She wanted to collapse at how powerless she was, unable to do anything. 

But knowing that collapsing wouldn’t change anything, Etia forced strength into her legs and tried to straighten her back. She absolutely didn’t want to show this inadequate Crown Prince her emotions.

“So if you’d divorced sooner, I wouldn’t have had to kill him. It’s all your fault, so don’t resent me too much.”

However, the Crown Prince before her was more than fine—he now turned the arrow of blame toward Etia. My fault? Etia was astounded that he could say such a thing.

“Why did you send the knights?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you truly wanted to assassinate him, it would have been better to find someone else who works in the shadows. If it’s revealed that none other than Your Highness’s Royal Guard killed him, wouldn’t all circumstances naturally point to Your Highness? Moreover, do you think they could accept an order to kill Derek, the nation’s hero, even if it’s Your Highness’s command? Yet why did you take such a risk?”

“How can I trust such people? You were born a noble, so you don’t know the dirty and dark affairs of the streets, but I’ve seen and grown up with much. They always move based on profit and loss, and if they judge there’s no benefit for them, they’re the type to betray without mercy. Would they act differently just because I’m the Crown Prince? Rather, they’d obviously calculate and judge whether there’s more to extract. I don’t need to associate with such people. I’d rather take the risk with those loyal to me. They’ve already said they’d carry out my orders without a shred of doubt. Since it’s the Empire’s Crown Prince’s order, they think there must be a reason. It makes no sense to send just anyone when I have such people. Besides, sending knights would break down the Duke’s suspicions, wouldn’t it? That was my best option.”

Apparently convinced he had the upper hand, the Crown Prince answered Etia’s question without hesitation. Though they were in the Crown Prince’s office with no one else around, his behavior wasn’t particularly wise.

That’s why Etia felt the Crown Prince wasn’t showing off his perfect plan to her, but rather displaying resignation and bitterness. Perhaps there was even a bit of regret mixed in. 

She could feel clearly that the fact he was trying to kill Derek with his own hands—Derek whom he’d wanted so much—wasn’t a happy matter for him either.

Around that point, Etia felt all the strength drain from her body. Where exactly had the first button been fastened wrong? 

Perhaps the two of them should never have met in the first place. Such thoughts occurred to her.

“You’re truly a pitiful person.”

“Are you changing tactics to try persuasion now?”

“No. That’s not it. I’m speaking from my heart. Your Highness is truly a pitiful person.”

“…”

“Why didn’t you give that trust to Derek?”

“…”

“You trust the loyalty of knights you merely sent to assassinate someone, yet why didn’t you trust Derek’s loyalty? If Your Highness had trusted Derek even a little, we wouldn’t have had to come this far.”

“…”

“I told you before, didn’t I? Whether you wanted to create a lord-vassal relationship where you gained none of his trust. If Your Highness had trusted him, he would have been loyal to Your Highness from his position, even if his body was far away. Whenever Your Highness faced difficulties and hardships and wanted to rely on him, he would have done his utmost as a subject and as a knight.”

“…”

“Your Highness ruined all those relationships. Not me, not Derek.”

Etia, who had been consumed by anger for a while, spoke to him almost pleadingly with a voice that had lowered considerably. 

Perhaps because Etia’s sincerity showed in Alburn’s eyes too, even he, who had been constantly sneering, just listened silently without rebuttal. 

However, from the middle onward, he couldn’t meet Etia’s eyes at all and just turned his head away.

Leaving the silent Crown Prince behind, Etia turned her back. She had nothing more to discuss with that person. The relationship between the two was essentially over. So there was nothing for her to intervene in.

“There must have been another way. Your Highness missed it.”

Until the very end, Alburn remained silent. Since Etia hadn’t wanted to hear his answer anyway, she simply bowed and left the office. 

The corridor, empty except for the knight guarding the door, was vacant and gave off only a desolate atmosphere. Even for the Crown Prince’s personal office, it was excessively barren.

However, Etia didn’t want to care. He had isolated himself. Afraid of the nobles’ eyes, oppressed by the Emperor’s expectations.

There must have been people he could have asked for help. The Crown Prince himself was the one who hadn’t noticed.

Etia didn’t want to become someone like him. 

She too had resentment and disappointment toward her family, but if she just held onto those emotions, she felt she’d become exactly like the Crown Prince. Seeing Dahlia still waiting for her outside the Crown Prince’s palace and crying made her feel this even more.

Though Etia was exhausted from comforting Dahlia, who still couldn’t let go of her attachment to the marriage proposal with the Crown Prince, she didn’t give up. 

After returning to the Count’s manor together and staying with her until she was okay, Etia didn’t return to the ducal manor even though it was already late.

“Take me to the western tower.”

Under the moonlight falling through the darkened night, Etia’s heart sank even heavier.

* * *

Even though night had fallen and the moon had risen, the western tower still shone with bright lights, befitting its reputation as the mages’ tower.

Now accustomed to the door that still opened and closed on its own, Etia strode inside without hesitation. And the one who greeted her was Jaida, whom she was meeting after a long time.

“Duchess. What brings you here at such a late hour?”

“Jaida. It’s been a while. Is Malon inside?”

“Yes. Of course. Let’s go up together.”

However, without time to catch up with her after their long separation, Etia immediately sought out Malon. 

Seeing Etia, who always maintained composure and dignity, acting so anxiously, even Jaida couldn’t bring herself to ask what was wrong. Thinking she could hear the story once they met Malon, Jaida quickly headed to his room, matching Etia’s pace.

Arriving at Malon’s room even faster than Jaida, Etia knocked on the door without hesitation. 

She’d long since discarded the noble dignity she always upheld. Rather, the only one who couldn’t hide her shock was Jaida.

“Duchess! At this hour, what…”

“I’ll go.”

“Pardon?”

“The Dragon’s Lair. I’ll go with you.”

Malon was equally surprised by Etia’s sudden visit. However, before he could ask what was wrong, Etia suddenly said she’d go with him to the Dragon’s Lair. Only then understanding a bit why she’d suddenly come at this hour, Malon invited her and Jaida inside.