Upon standing, she realized she was n*ked and timidly tried to cover herself while shrinking back.

By this point, the other women were also groggily waking up. They too noticed the situation and came out of the bed to pay their respects. All of them with messy hair and n*ked bodies covered in unsightly marks, making their greetings more offensive than respectful.

“Everyone leave.”

At the Princess’s ice-cold words, the women hesitantly picked up their clothes from last night that had fallen to the floor, barely covering their fronts as they left the room.

The Princess even sent out the maid, concerned about potential backlash.

“Brother.”

Then the Princess quietly called out to the Prince.

“Brother, please wake up.”

As much as he was her brother, the Princess didn’t want to touch him and ended up banging on the bedside table.

Only then did the Prince groggily open his eyes and furrowed his brow.

“Uh, water…”

The Princess found a water pitcher on a side table and poured it into a glass. The table was littered with what appeared to be last night’s wine bottles, snacks, and medicine bottles she didn’t want to know.

The Princess inwardly sighed as she handed the Prince the glass of water. After gulping down the glass, the Prince seemed to finally come to his senses and asked the Princess.

“What brings you here?”

“Do you know what rumors are circulating outside?”

Nothing irritated him these days quite like the word ‘rumors.’

“They’re saying the Prince has established a harem, ignoring the founding Emperor’s will.”

The founding Emperor who established Macfeyden had strictly specified monogamy. Unlike other countries, this empire had no system of concubines at all.

The Prince became angry instead.

“As a member of the imperial family, you’re going around picking up such lowly rumors!”

“It’s a problem precisely because it doesn’t seem to be just a rumor.”

The Princess had already visited the Hebeta Palace before coming to the Prince’s Palace. The three women she saw in the Prince’s bedroom were almost laughable considering how many women he had brought in.

She felt enough pity even for Hebeta Elizabeth, whom she hadn’t particularly liked.

“Father’s health isn’t good–”

“That’s exactly why I’m doing this now, trying to secure succession as quickly as possible!”

“Ha, is this really the right way?”

The Princess hadn’t received education about succession since she wasn’t the Prince. But she couldn’t imagine the Emperor teaching this method, so she asked.

“What do you know to interfere! Born as a woman and living comfortably, what would you know about the agony of succession?!”

The Prince carelessly threw the glass he was holding at the Princess. Her complexion changed instantly as it would have hit her face if she hadn’t reflexively dodged.

“Brother!”

“Shut up and get out! Just because you’re handling some work in my place, do you think you’re something?!”

“……”

“As a princess, just stay quiet and get married! Instead of picking up useless rumors, think about which country you should marry into to benefit the empire!”

Which country, she thought.

“…What? Are you telling me to marry a foreigner?”

She felt too dumbfounded to even be angry.

“What’s wrong with that? Isn’t it natural if sending you away could resolve border disputes? Being born a princess, such duties are only natural!”

“Macfeyden is an empire! Since when did our empire become so weak that we need marriage alliances with other countries! Besides, the borders are protected by the four dukes–”

“That’s exactly the problem!”

The Prince shouted in rage.

“How long must the imperial family defer to mere dukes! The structure of this country is fundamentally wrong!”

Then was it right to defer to foreign countries and send away the Princess?

Moreover, the imperial family wasn’t deferring to the four Dukes. They were people suffering under excessive duties for the empire. Such rights were only natural.

With how much blood the ducal houses shed each year, who would fulfill their duties to the empire if they weren’t given even that much respect?

The Princess looked at the Prince with disbelief.

“I’ll handle your marriage, so just quietly take your bride lessons. Don’t dare think about interfering in your brother’s affairs.”

“……”

The Princess felt depressed. It’s as if she’s talking to a wall.

Though he was her brother, she couldn’t understand how such perceptions had taken root in his mind.

The Princess fell into serious contemplation.

The foundations of the empire were shaking.

* * *

The Princess left.

Elizabeth only moved after watching the Princess leave the Prince’s Palace with a cold expression.

‘Now’s the time.’

The Prince suffered from an inferiority complex toward the majority, making him more resistant the more someone spoke truth to him.

The Princess must have said enough right things to anger the Prince, making this the perfect timing for Elizabeth.

She slightly raised the corners of her mouth while rechecking what to say.

“Your Highness.”

Elizabeth carefully entered the Prince’s bedroom.

“What?”

The Prince was sitting at the table pouring alcohol when he saw Elizabeth enter and raised his eyes. Traces of displeasure remained thick on his face, likely from his conversation with the Princess.

“Oh my, Your Highness. You must be tired from exerting yourself, yet you’re drinking on an empty stomach. What are you all doing! Bring some food that’s easy on the stomach right away!”

Elizabeth called out like she’s scolding the servants outside.

“Sigh, I don’t understand why the Prince’s Palace servants can’t read Your Highness’s mood. How nice it would be if they could just sense Your Highness’s feelings and act accordingly.”

Though she knew perfectly well they were all busy being cautious because he frequently took out his anger on his subordinates, Elizabeth spoke that way.

“Hmph. What can you expect from stupid ones. It’s fortunate enough if they do what they’re told.”

As Elizabeth acted like a soft-spoken tongue in his mouth, the Prince’s expression relaxed, seemingly satisfied.

The Prince thought he should show some affection to his Hebeta for once and pulled her waist close.

“Oh my, Your Highness.”

“Come here. Though I’m busy, I have time to show you affection.”

“Yes. Thank you. But please listen to what I have to say first.”

As the Prince started breathing heavily upon holding her soft body, Elizabeth gently pushed him away while coaxing him.

“I’ve been thinking hard about a solution for Your Highness. Yes?”

“Solution? What do you mean?”

“Your Highness needs a woman with high spirit power, right?”

“That’s right.”

“I believed I could meet Your Highness’s expectations since my spirit power levels were quite high, but sadly…”

Elizabeth drooped her eyebrows with a truly sad and regretful expression.

“Right. I had high hopes for you. Tsk.”

Seeing the contempt in the Prince’s eyes again for looking at something incompetent, Elizabeth felt slightly irritated inside but calmed herself and continued speaking.

“…So I thought about it. Who in this country might be a woman with high spirit power.”

The Prince stared at her with a blank expression as if telling her to continue.

“Wouldn’t an Oathkeeper’s direct family member naturally have very high spirit power?”

The Prince’s expression twisted further.

This was something the Prince had already considered. Wasn’t that why he had watched the new Oathkeeper so closely? He had planned to bring either the Oathkeeper herself if female, or their direct family member if male, to his side.

If only it weren’t for that damned Duke Kramer getting in the way.

“Who doesn’t know that–”

“Lady Aberdeen!”

Elizabeth urgently called out, cutting off the Prince who was about to get angry at who wouldn’t know such an obvious thing.

“…What?”

“I mean Lady Floria Aberdeen, Your Highness. She’s unmarried, beautiful, and has an excellent figure. Since her brother is an Oathkeeper, her spirit power must be guaranteed.”

“But she’s a ducal daughter!”

The four ducal houses were off-limits even to the Prince.

Naturally, he had never even considered a Duke’s daughter.

“Are you worried about how Duke Aberdeen might react?”

The Prince started to look exasperated, questioning if she called this a plan.

It was already giving him such a headache dealing with just Duke Kramer, let alone if two of them were to oppose him at once.

The Prince felt frustration rising just imagining such a situation.

“So……”

But Elizabeth smiled with a strange expression.

“What if we create a situation where the Duke can’t protest?”

“…What? What do you mean?”

“If the Duke ends up in the same situation, how could he protest to Your Highness?”

“……”

The Prince blanked out for a moment at these unexpected words.

“Just as the Duke has a sister.”

Though Elizabeth glanced carefully at his reaction, she didn’t stop speaking.

“Your Highness also has a sister.”

Her voice that leaked out in a whisper was clear as a silver bell, but like a snake’s whisper.

“Ha–”

The Prince let out what sounded like an exclamation.

“Ha, ha.”

And that exclamation soon turned into hearty laughter.

“Hahahahaha!”

The Prince hugged his Hebeta’s shoulders while giggling, very pleased with her innocent-looking smile.

“I love it, absolutely love it!”

The Prince’s delighted laughter echoed through the Prince’s Palace for quite some time.