“No. Word must have already spread that the Madam has entered the Imperial Capital, so I think it’s better to prepare various things in advance. Isn’t it a special privilege to serve Madam the Oathkeeper?”

Saena could only sigh, not knowing what kind of privilege it was that just gave her a headache.

Thinking about what they had to go through as soon as they passed through the warp gate, reality always exceeded expectations, even though they had made worst-case assumptions about the capital’s situation.

‘I should visit Delvon first.’

She thought it would be better to share the situation before the certification ceremony and imperial banquet. Saena wrote a letter saying she would visit Delvon soon.

She also wrote and sent letters to her friends in advance so they wouldn’t feel hurt if they heard about her arrival through other channels.

* * *

How many months had it been?

The road to Delvon was approaching early summer.

Looking at the fresh green scenery, she could really feel how much warmer the weather was compared to Kramer territory.

“Saya.”

Saena, who had been absorbed in the scenery outside the carriage window, came to her senses at Constantine’s voice.

“Yes?”

“Do you plan to reveal to your family that you’re the Oathkeeper?”

“Yes. They’ll find out anyway. And even if not, I have no intention of hiding it.”

Wondering why he asked such a thing, she looked at him as he continued.

“Then it might be good to ask the Count. Since the Debov family has also had connections with Arles-Promesa for quite a long time, there’s a high probability they have related historical materials passed down only to the head of the family.”

“Oh, really?”

“Though there’s no guarantee that the Guardian Spirit the Debov family once had would be the same attribute as Yolly, but just in case.”

“Yes. I understand.”

She naturally thought it would be nice if there was any helpful information.

Soon after, the carriage arrived at Delvon’s central territory.

“Saya!”

Before she could even get out of the carriage after arriving at the main residence, she saw Sage running toward her.

“Daughter!”

Her father was with him too.

“Dad, Brother.”

Count Debov embraced his daughter with an emotional face, having not seen her for the longest period in her life.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes, and how have you been alone in a foreign land? Were there any uncomfortable things?”

“No. I just lived well.”

Though quite a lot had happened over the past few months, there was no need to tell everything and cause worry.

But there were things that had to be said.

As soon as they sat in the reception room, Saena had everyone else leave and immediately summoned Yolly.

“…Why has this beast grown so big? What on earth did it eat?”

Seeing Yolly’s form that Saena had called forth, Sage’s jaw dropped.

“…That’s not the issue… Sage, these patterns and wings… isn’t that…?”

“…A, a Guardian Spirit?!”

The Count and Sage wore expressions as if something unbelievable had appeared before their eyes. Their expressions were beyond surprise, closer to shock.

This was their first family encounter after Yuri had fully awakened.

Saena carefully observed her dad and brother’s faces to see if any emotions other than surprise were mixed in. However, neither her father nor her brother showed any signs of recognizing Yuri.

She wondered if this fact might make him feel sad.

This time, she carefully examined Yolly’s face.

But it was hard to tell. Perhaps because he was in beast form, it wasn’t easy to fully read his expression.

— Don’t worry about me.

Noticing her attitude, Yolly spoke to Saena as he walked over with a lounging gait.

— Though seeing Brother’s face does irritate me a bit.

He stared at Sage for a while before flicking his tail up and hitting him. Though he said not to worry, it seemed he wasn’t completely unbothered.

Seeing Sage flinch after being hit by the tail while knowing nothing, it was somehow funny.

Unlike before, Yolly had grown enormously in size and had an appearance and atmosphere that was clearly extraordinary. Sage could only alternate looking between him and Saena without saying anything.

“No… Could it be that the new Oathkeeper everyone’s talking about is…”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s me.”

“Whoa…!”

“Impossible!”

As Count Debov nearly fell backward in shock, Saena caught him and said.

“Dad. But it’s true.”

“But child, right now how many greedy people…”

The Count started to say something but closed his mouth and let out a heavy sigh.

While other families might have celebrated such good news, seeing them react this way made Saena freshly realize her family’s love.

“I’m the Duchess of Kramer now. You don’t need to worry.”

Saena spoke while maintaining the most stable expression possible so they would feel assured.

“Constantine protects me well, and of course Yolly will protect me too.”

As if confirming her words, Yolly nodded while briefly increasing his size.

“Gasp!”

Though he quickly shrank again after Count Debov unintentionally took it as a threat.

Anyway, the family slowly nodded while looking at Saena with expressions that seemed to newly understand what it meant to become an Oathkeeper who could handle a Guardian Spirit’s power.

Afterward, they shared and discussed various stories about past circumstances and the current situation.

They had to cancel dining in the banquet hall and bring simple foods to the reception room repeatedly, as they talked for such a long time.

* * *

Crash—!

The room was a mess. It was so thoroughly destroyed that it would be harder to find anything intact.

“Aaaargh– D*mn it!”

The prince’s noble pride had been thoroughly ground into the floor along with his body.

“Not the crown prince? Not the crown prince?! Ha!”

The more he dwelled on it, the more his anger rose.

“How dare! How dare!”

He was this country’s ‘only’ prince. There wasn’t even a need to distinguish him from the crown prince. Of course, the crown prince’s rights were his rights.

‘What does that bastard trust in to always be so arrogant?!’

Bang—!

Having nothing left to destroy in the room, the prince violently opened the door as if to break it too. Then he walked down the corridor, breathing heavily.

Gillian was literally one step away from going mad because of the proof of succession that had shown no progress for years.

That d*mn proof of succession. He couldn’t understand why he had to be held back by such a thing when his very birth proved he was of imperial blood.

‘Why can’t they get pregnant! Why?!’

Taking seeds given to an existing womb and just letting them sprout—how could they fail at such a simple task and make him suffer like this?

Recalling the faces of women who had passed through his life, Gillian spat out curses.

Had he asked for something big? The imperial family gave them private funds, fed them, housed them, did everything for them. What was so hard about just spreading their legs, receiving seeds, and getting pregnant!

“Useless wenches!”

“So-sorry!”

A suddenly panicked voice stopped him.

Turning his head, he saw a woman at the end of the corridor hurriedly bowing and lowering her head. It seemed she thought the words were directed at her and was continuously apologizing.

“…What? Are you a maid?”

“Ye-yes! Your, Your Highness…”

Usually when the prince was angry to his limits like this, the lower servants of the prince’s palace would all wisely stay far away. They knew they would be severely punished if they caught his eye.

This maid, having been assigned to the prince’s palace only days ago, didn’t know this atmosphere well. Thus, she encountered the worst moment of misfortune in her life.

“Hmm. Good timing.”

“…Yes?”

“I have something to do, so follow me.”

The maid felt something ominous but with no one around to help her and unable to dare defy the prince’s command, she followed.

“Your, Your Highness?! Why are you…”

But when he led her to an empty room and guided her to the bed, the maid became frantically anxious.

“Stay still! What would the likes of you know of my anguish?”

“Bu-but…”

“What is your name?”

“From Viscount Loper’s…”

He only heard the family name and ignored the rest.

Even while forcibly laying down the maid, Gillian checked which family she was from. Though this itself proved the act was improper, he was consumed by rationalization and thought:

The destiny of being born a prince was too heavy.

Even in such difficult times, shouldn’t he still strive for succession?

The crying woman’s voice was already of no concern to him.

He thought it made no sense that she would cry rather than smile when he, a prince, was embracing her. Therefore, he treated the maid’s crying as just bait to demand something later.

“Don’t pretend to cry and consider this an honor! Women, really.”

The prince fully vented his frustrations on the woman who had fallen into his hands when he was in a thoroughly bad mood. After working up a sweat once, he seemed to feel somewhat calmer.

‘If that maid bears the proof of succession, I would make her my crown princess right away…’

He thought of the maid from just now, whose appearance and figure weren’t bad. But he already knew the probability was almost zero.

‘I need a woman with better spirit power.’

To resolve the indignation he had unfairly endured all this time, becoming emperor quickly was the only way.

‘Once I become emperor…’

He would not let those who insulted him get away with it.

His reign would truly be a new era where imperial authority would come alive and the imperial family’s dignity would be properly established.

‘The new Oathkeeper… was a woman.’

The person Sir Wesley, commander of the Kramer Knights, was protecting.

Though he couldn’t see her face because of the hood, just from her clothes and silhouette he could tell she was female.

Moreover, when he heard the scream of surprise she let out, she was clearly a ‘young’ woman.

‘A woman from some northern countryside… she must be naive.’

Despite her power, she would surely be easy to handle.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt it would be a waste to let her go.

‘Besides, if an Oathkeeper bears my heir…’

Who knows? A child with incredible abilities might be born. Then he would go down in history as a great emperor of later generations.

Greed filled his eyes.

‘Let’s persuade Mother.’

Though it seemed Duke Kramer had used some wicked method to keep the Oathkeeper by his side, he wouldn’t be able to stay with her through the upcoming certification ceremony and banquet.

If the Empress personally requested her to stay in the palace after the banquet, even an Oathkeeper would hardly be able to refuse.

‘If I can just make her stay in the palace first, everything else will go smoothly.’

Isn’t it quite a good scheme?

A satisfied smile slightly touched his lips.

The prince’s shadow stretched long and then disappeared as he turned toward the Empress’s palace.