Amelia woke up feeling thirsty.

As she sat up and blinked her stinging eyes several times, she finally came to her senses upon seeing the completely unfamiliar room around her.

‘What is this…?’

Her mind was still foggy, and she couldn’t quite grasp the situation. As she reached around, her fingers touched the sofa’s armrest and soft leather. Across from her was a chair and a side table with a crystal glass resting on top.

The moment she saw the water in the glass, Amelia instinctively reached out for it. She thought it was a bit bold of her, but her thirst left her no choice. The water was cold, as if it had just been placed there.

“Haa…”

After quenching her parched throat, she felt much more refreshed. She remembered drinking strong liquor on an empty stomach, getting drunk quickly, and trying to find Philip to let him know she would leave early. Then she encountered Josef. Slowly, her memory started to clear.

However, she had no recollection of how she ended up in what seemed to be this reception room, or what she did afterward. Amelia looked at the long black jacket that had slipped over her knees with an uneasy expression. No matter how many times she looked at it, it was undoubtedly Josef’s.

But no matter how much she glanced around the room, Josef was nowhere to be seen. There was no sign of anyone outside the door either.

Watching the nearly burnt-out firewood in the fireplace, Amelia stood up, resigned.

“…”

She hesitated over what to do with Josef’s jacket but eventually picked it up and opened the door.

“Are you awake?”

She hadn’t heard any footsteps approaching, but standing right in front of the door was Josef’s captain of the guard, Henrik. It was as if making his presence unnoticed was a skill of his. Amelia flinched in surprise, and Henrik quickly apologized.

“Did I startle you? My apologies.”

“…I thought no one was here.”

“His Highness left a little while ago.”

His words naturally led Amelia out of the room.

“Was His Highness here?”

Henrik nodded, saying that a carriage had been called, and began to assist Amelia as they walked. She was somewhat curious as to when and why Josef had left, but she remained silent and moved her feet.

‘It must be the middle of the night…’

Everything was quiet, as if everyone in the mansion was asleep. The hallway was dim, lit only by the flickering lights on the walls, and the windows were covered with wooden shutters.

“This way is faster, my lady.”

Opening the back door, Henrik spoke as if offering an explanation.

He seemed to think it was impolite not to escort a lady through the front entrance. For Amelia, it was actually a relief. She didn’t have the nerve to boldly walk out of the main doors after having fallen asleep in someone else’s reception room.

Inside the carriage, the crutch Amelia had forgotten about was already placed.

“Let’s go.”

Henrik, seated opposite her, poked his head out the window and gave the order, and the carriage began to move.

“I’m sorry… for causing you trouble.”

Amelia murmured awkwardly, feeling guilty for making the captain of the crown prince’s guard wait so late into the night.

The bright moonlight illuminated the interior of the carriage, casting a clear, transparent glow that felt almost like it was scolding Amelia for her faux pas at the party.

“It’s nothing.”

Henrik calmly explained that he was merely following Josef’s orders, accepting Josef’s jacket from Amelia with a nod and saying nothing more.

‘What really happened…?’

Though it had only been a few hours, the memories felt distant, like a fading dream. Of all the questions swirling in her mind, Josef was at the center of them.

If it weren’t for Josef, she could’ve easily been the subject of major gossip. It had been the perfect time to exploit her vulnerability, yet he left without saying a word. Despite having waited all that time…

“Amelia.”

She vaguely remembered hearing his voice in her sleep. Or perhaps not… It had been too soft to be Josef’s usual tone.

With many unanswered questions lingering in her mind, the carriage continued to roll on.

* * *

A mail carriage arrived at Castle Brienne, and Leonid received the letter he had been waiting for.

[Duke Leonid, I am delighted and surprised by your congratulations. It seems that Lady Amelia Przhemysl is doing well. With Brienne now an imperial governorate, our exchange continues as…]

Leonid folded the letter from Duke Mieschko of Olstein without reading further. The unnecessary pleasantries were folded neatly with the paper and slipped back into the envelope.

Amelia was doing well.

That single statement was all Leonid had been curious about. The rest was of no interest to him. The fact that Duke Mieschko had mentioned Amelia in the letter meant that, in some capacity, there had been interaction. Given that their daughters were of similar age, perhaps they had been invited to a party.

Still, he couldn’t fully trust the words ‘doing well.’ With a sigh, Leonid gazed out of the small window at the castle’s garden.

By now, he had grown accustomed to the sight of Olstein knights roaming the castle grounds. They found the winterless, green landscape of Brienne fascinating. Their previously rough demeanor had softened somewhat, but their dark armor still felt unwelcome.

How was Amelia doing? There, she wouldn’t have a garden full of daffodils beneath stone walls or an unfrozen, ever-moving sea.

“Amelia…”

My only daughter. Claire and my daughter.

“My love, the eyes of Brienne…”

Without Amelia, it seemed even the sea was losing its light.

Since Amelia left for the empire, not a single letter had arrived. Leonid had expected as much. Either the letters were intercepted, or Amelia was too busy to write.

That’s why, on the day she left Brienne, Leonid had asked Amelia to deliver a letter to Duke Mieschko. That way, Mieschko would know about Amelia’s presence there in some manner.

Now, it was time to take the next step.

Leonid, stroking his beard a few times and gazing into the distance, made up his mind and ordered the servant to summon Knight Commander Marco. As always, Marco appeared before Leonid with swift movements that belied his age.

“You called for me, Your Grace.”

“Marco, what about Levant?”

“He’ll be arriving at the port tomorrow.”

“Good.”

Leonid pulled out an envelope sealed with wax from his chest pocket. It was an official letter meant for the Crown Prince, asking permission to send a maid from Brienne to help Amelia settle well in Olstein.

“Tell Helen to prepare to go to Olstein.”

“Understood.”

“Levant as well.”

At Leonid’s words, Marco flinched.

“Levant too?”

“Yes. Send Admiral Licht with him.”

Leonid nodded calmly. A shadow of resolve crossed the weathered face of the knight commander, hardened by the sea winds.

“…Understood. I will deliver the message.”

Leonid thought of the empire’s Crown Prince, who was arrogant like a lion and cold as a blade.

The Crown Prince didn’t trust him. Therefore, it was still dangerous to act directly. He would need more time before he could make his move. Leonid’s strategy was to strike at the place the Crown Prince wouldn’t see coming.

“Tell Helen to take good care of Amelia.”

The commander nodded with a sorrowful expression.

* * *

Josef moved his pen as he always did. The coarse sound of the pen scratching against the paper briefly echoed through the office.

Since the empire’s occupation, the lands he had to manage had multiplied. While major decisions fell to the Emperor, tedious chores sometimes ended up in the Crown Prince’s quarters, thanks to Chancellor Konrad, who held a grudge against Josef.

“This is a request to approve funding for next week’s play.”

Josef quickly scanned the time and location, skipping over the summary of the play’s script and the theater company’s history, to check the budget. For a single performance, it was rather large, but it was less extravagant than the cost of the dress Marika had requested for their engagement.

Josef was willing to spend more. If he provided some entertainment during the long, dull winters of Olstein, it would silence the nobles who constantly complained about wasted tax money, which had been spent on the war.

“What about the pardons?”

“The Chief Justice is preparing the list.”

The release of criminals to commemorate the engagement was also due soon. Most of them were minor offenders, and while the final approval was the Emperor’s, it was presented as if the Crown Prince, who had made the greatest contribution to the war, was the one actually granting the pardons.

Among the papers was a letter Josef hadn’t seen before.

“It’s from Duke Leonid of Brienne.”

The steward spoke as Josef unfolded the paper.

[To His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Josef Restec of Olstein, from Leonid of the Brienne Duchy.]

Leonid was asking if he could send a maid from Brienne to help his daughter, Amelia, settle in Olstein. The maid in question was the head maid of Brienne Castle, named Helen. The letter contained an excessively detailed description of her age, appearance, family background, and even the names of her immediate relatives, as if to ward off any suspicions that she might be a spy sent under the guise of a maid.

Josef sneered. Leonid was trying too hard not to raise suspicion. Such a snake of a man. Josef disliked him even more.

“…”

What to do?

His long fingers tapped the desk slowly and rhythmically. The only reason Leonid’s letter hadn’t been thrown into the fireplace was because Josef was thinking of Amelia, who had injured her foot.

[So that Amelia may stay well and for a long time in Olstein…]

For a long time. Well.

Those were the only words in Leonid’s letter that Josef liked.

The morning sun was bright. At this moment, Amelia would be spending a quiet day at the Crown Princess’s residence. Since hurting her foot, she had spent most of her time sitting by the bedroom window, either knitting lace or reading books on imperial etiquette.

Josef had made sure she could live comfortably, like a pawn added to a chessboard. He allowed her a fairly relaxed life.

Though she might sometimes miss Brienne while looking out the window, she knew better than to mention it in front of him. Amelia must understand that she, as a hostage from the duchy, couldn’t overstep her boundaries.

Amelia, who took occasional walks, watched the castle festivals, and fell asleep in the quiet of her bedroom. Her face as she drifted into sleep would look the same as it did back then.

The image in Josef’s mind was as natural as it was appropriate, like a swan quietly floating on a lake.

“Permit it.”

Josef flicked Leonid’s letter with his fingers, as if swatting away an annoying fly. The steward nodded and withdrew.

“Henrik.”

Henrik, who had been standing by the door, walked across the room and approached the desk.

“Keep a close watch on Amelia from now on.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

‘So that I can immediately notice if Brienne tries to pull any tricks.’

Josef decided not to forget Leonid’s promise of “a long time and well.”

‘Dear Duke Leonid. If you’re thinking of playing any clever tricks, stop. Consider what kind of harm that might bring to your daughter…’

Josef mentally composed a letter that began this way, then crumpled it up and discarded it.

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