“You don’t believe me. Yes, you might not believe it. You saw me with Her Highness the Princess like that… in that way. But Rihana, I swear to God that what I did with Her Highness the Princess was…”

“For me?”

“For you.”

Casian spoke firmly with a face that showed he was sincere.

Rihana swallowed dry saliva to suppress her rising anger and glared at Casian.

“Why is that because of me?”

But her mouth opened automatically despite her efforts to keep it shut, unable to contain her persistent anger.

“Why are you blaming someone else for you and Her Highness the Princess getting together? For me? If you’d really been thinking of me from the start, you shouldn’t have done such things with Her Highness the Princess.”

“Rihana.”

“Put your hand on your heart and think, Your Lordship Marquis Lewandes. Did you really get involved with Her Highness the Princess for my sake?”

“I understand you can’t accept it. But…”

“I’ve known since childhood that your lower half was unreliable. Even knowing that, I liked you, and though it wasn’t okay, I still liked you enough to push through with the engagement on my end.”

Without even knowing what trash you were. Rihana muttered while grinding her teeth like a growling animal.

“Watch your words.”

Casian spoke coldly, frowning like he couldn’t tolerate his fiancée calling him trash any longer.

“Are you going to feel so sorry for me later that you’re speaking so carelessly now?”

“Me feel sorry for you? Do you really think that’ll happen?”

“Rihana! …Hah. Calm down. Calm down and listen to me carefully. I really approached Her Highness the Princess because of you. To send you, the Emperor’s Sword, to the frontier, I absolutely needed Her Highness the Princess’s help. You know too that His Majesty the Emperor listens to whatever Her Highness the Princess says.”

“It’s not worth listening to anymore, so shut up.”

“Rihana!”

“What, are you angry because I’m speaking carelessly to you?”

“I told you not to do something you’ll regret.”

“Ha, me? Just for speaking a few careless words to you? You think I’d regret something that trivial? I’m confident I wouldn’t regret doing much worse than that. Why? Because I have nothing to lose with a cheating fiancé I’m about to break up with anyway.”

“Even if you’re excited, don’t just spit out whatever comes to mind, Rihana. I didn’t see you that way, but you’re quite emotional too. Before being your fiancé, I’m a Marquis of the Empire. You should show proper respect, Countess Ariella.”

When Casian spoke with a rigidly hardened face, Rihana’s expression also hardened stiffly. The b*stard in front of her definitely wasn’t human.

Rihana looked out the window and chewed the soft flesh inside her mouth, then soon opened her mouth toward Casian.

“I regret asking His Majesty for Your Lordship over and over again. I’m truly sorry to Your Lordship too.”

“Rihana!”

“But that doesn’t mean you should make someone this miserable, Your Lordship Marquis Lewandes.”

“…!”

“Did you think I’d be moved if you told me you gave your body to another woman for my sake?”

“…Rihana.”

“Did you think I’d be so overwhelmed that I’d crawl at your feet if you told me you got involved with Her Highness the Princess to save my life?”

“That’s not it!”

“I don’t want to hear any more about that matter. I’m not grateful to Your Lordship. I’m not stupid enough to be moved by hearing that my fiancé rolled around with another woman to save my life.”

“Rihana.”

“It would be best if Your Lordship and your troops returned now. I don’t want to receive any help from Your Lordship.”

“…What exactly are you so angry about? I forced myself to please Her Highness the Princess to save you…”

“Don’t say it was forced. Can that really be done just by force?”

“Hah… This, yes. It won’t be too late to discuss this after this matter is over.”

“Go back.”

“Rihana!”

“I don’t want to receive any help from you, so go back.”

Rihana’s eyes became as cold as when facing an enemy. There was no longer any affection or tenderness toward Casian left in her eyes.

* * *

Duchess Pellentes looked at Raiden with a surprised face at his words.

“What did you just say?”

“I said I must take Count Rihana Ariella of the Empire as my consort.”

Raiden spoke while looking at Bran rather than the Duchess.

It wasn’t just Duchess Pellentes and Bran who were surprised by his words. Aide Beriel, who was sitting at the desk beside the sofa documenting their conversation, showed the most surprised face.

Originally he’d planned to send Beriel out too, but he needed someone to record anyway, and since she was his closest aide, he thought it would be good for her to know in advance about bringing Rihana here. He’d also mistakenly thought that she, being his friend and good subordinate, could become a good friend and subordinate to Rihana, whom he’d chosen.

“Countess Ariella – isn’t she Marquis Lewandes’ fiancée?”

When Bran asked Duchess Pellentes, the Duchess nodded once and answered.

“That’s correct, my lord.”

“Even if the current Emperor is removed by rebellion, it’s an engagement commanded by the Empire’s Emperor. To take such a woman as the Tarecus prince’s consort – that’s impossible.”

“My lord is correct, Your Highness. In our Empire, an engagement directly commanded by His Majesty the Emperor…”

“Commanding a broken engagement could also be the Emperor’s role.”

Raiden interrupted the Duchess’s words. He glanced at Beriel, who had stopped documenting with a hardened face, then continued speaking.

“Of course, I’m not asking you to command a groundless broken engagement.”

“…”

“Marquis Casian is someone who hasn’t yet joined the rebellion. Right now he’s coming to the Tarecus Kingdom to capture me alive. Along with his fiancée.”

At Raiden’s words, the eyes of Bran, the Duchess, and Beriel widened to the point of popping out.

“I won’t let this matter pass lightly. As you know, I am the kingdom’s only prince.”

Duchess Pellentes swallowed.

Certainly this matter would be problematic even if they staged a rebellion to push out the current Emperor and Bran became Emperor. 

She didn’t know what that mad Emperor was thinking when he gave the order to kidnap the kingdom’s prince, but it would definitely create enmity with Tarecus, which they’d barely managed to establish friendly relations with. 

When the Empire was in turmoil from rebellion, bringing up this problem would undoubtedly give Bran and the rebel forces headaches.

Duchess Pellentes clenched her fists a few times in anxiety, then asked Raiden.

“This matter has absolutely nothing to do with our lord…”

“I know it doesn’t. The fact that someone sitting here beside me like this wouldn’t instigate such a thing is something even a passing child would know. Until coming to the west palace, didn’t you have such a close relationship with Tarecus that you played chess with His Majesty the King?”

“Ahem, ahem.”

Bran cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly. Raiden continued while looking at him.

“But I can’t just leave those who come targeting me alone.”

“…”

“You both know well the reason the kingdom is helping the Empire’s rebels in the first place.”

“Yes, we know. We know it well.”

Duchess Pellentes nodded while swallowing dry saliva.

If they made even a small mistake here, everything they’d worked toward might collapse all at once. Moreover, Raiden wanting Rihana might actually be quite good for Bran and themselves. 

A political marriage based on friendship would certainly help both countries greatly. It wasn’t for nothing that they proclaimed alliance. Especially now when the Kadelai Empire’s reputation wasn’t what it used to be.

“So wouldn’t it be right to handle such inconvenient incidents in advance?”

“Then the justification for the broken engagement…”

“That’s something you two will have to think through well yourselves.”

It was a firm tone saying he wouldn’t help that far.

Bran looked at Duchess Pellentes, and the Duchess slowly closed and opened her eyes before whispering quietly to Bran.

“I’ll discuss this matter separately with the allied forces, my lord.”

Bran nodded and looked at Raiden.

“Well, I think marrying Marquis Lewandes to the Princess might be the most appropriate response for the broken engagement.”

Raiden met Bran’s eyes and stretched his lips into a long smile. Bran and Duchess Pellentes’ eyes sparkled simultaneously.

That would be sufficient justification for a broken engagement. When Bran ascended to the Emperor’s throne, the positions of his nephews, the Crown Prince and Princess, would become precarious. 

To stabilize the Empire as quickly as possible without causing trouble with the groups following them, they’d decided to accept the Princess and Crown Prince as they were.

But whether they and their followers would look favorably upon the uncle who’d pushed out their father and taken his place was uncertain. 

So marrying the Princess to the Marquis, who had the second most power among the Empire’s nobles, would show how much Bran cared for his niece. The broken engagement between Rihana and Casian would be for that justification, making the broken engagement very legitimate.

Duchess Pellentes stared intently at Raiden, who had acted like he wouldn’t help at all by telling them to figure it out themselves, then readily presented this excellent alternative. He was cunning like a snake and flawlessly intelligent. 

He was someone who reigned supreme in every aspect like the king of beasts. If he’d been born in the Empire instead of the kingdom, he would certainly have become someone who commanded the world.

She was newly amazed that the kingdom’s prince, whom she’d thought was merely outstanding in appearance, was such a remarkable person without lacking in anything. If he’d been her lord, she might have served him with her life. Of course, she was dedicating everything except her life to her current lord too.

“Then I understand we’ll proceed that way.”

“But, Your Highness.”

Duchess Pellentes called to Raiden, who was about to end the conversation.

“Won’t there be strong opposition from the kingdom to taking an Empire Count as Your Highness’s consort?”

This was purely said out of concern for Rihana. She cherished Rihana like a daughter and knew well how much she liked Casian.

“That’s not something Empire people need to worry about. What you should worry about is finding a capable Ariella to take over the Count house’s headship in her place, or finding a way for her to continue inheriting the Empire position even after becoming my consort.”