“It’s been raining a lot these days.”

At Amelia’s remark, Dana laughed and replied,

“Don’t worry, My Lady. It’s rained so much already that it probably won’t rain today.”

The two were exchanging small talk about the weather inside the carriage.

It wasn’t because they lacked topics to discuss due to their somewhat distant relationship. Dana respected Amelia like an older sister while also maintaining a proper degree of distance. Thanks to this, Amelia felt quite at ease with Dana, and before they knew it, the two had grown rather close.

Amelia was on her way with Dana to visit the Calstad Barony, where Dana lived.

A few days earlier, Dana had been excitedly planning for a boating trip in midsummer when she suddenly asked if every household in Brienne, being close to the sea, owned at least one boat. When Amelia nodded, confirming it was true, Dana laughed for a long time, clutching her stomach as though it was the most amusing thing. Then she explained that, similarly, in Olstein, even the poorest families owned at least one horse.

Amelia found this fascinating, and Dana, noticing her interest, suggested, “You didn’t know that? Why don’t we take this chance to do some horseback riding at my family’s place?” That promise had now come to fruition.

“Henrik bought a big estate with a large riding ground because of his training,” Dana casually mentioned.

The scenery of the Calstad estate was just as Dana had described. The typical three-story gray-and-white wooden house of Olstein wasn’t particularly large, but the stables and fenced riding ground at the back stretched out as vast as a castle’s lake.

“My Lady, pick the horse you like best, and I’ll give it to you as a gift.”

“What?”

Amelia froze mid-step on her way to the stables, surprised. Dana, delighted by her reaction, burst into laughter.

“I haven’t yet repaid you for helping me with my debutante. My brother has already approved it.”

“I don’t think what I did warrants a gift as grand as a horse.”

“My Lady, as I said, horses are incredibly common in Olstein. You don’t need to feel burdened.”

“But—”

The two stood in an awkward standoff, going back and forth. Dana was adamant about giving her a horse, while Amelia insisted she couldn’t accept, especially since she couldn’t bring the horse into the palace. Eventually, Dana resorted to a cheeky tactic.

“…Am I someone who can’t even give you a gift like this?”

Her slightly teary plea appealed to Amelia’s emotions, and Amelia finally relented. However, they compromised: the horse Amelia chose would remain at the Calstad estate, where it would be cared for. She could borrow it whenever she wanted to ride.

Although Dana initially insisted on building a stable next to the Crown Princess’s residence, she begrudgingly gave in when the butler persuaded her that the Calstad Barony’s stable masters were the best in the capital for horse care.

***

After the butler, who had arrived at the stables to serve as a mediator, settled the situation, Amelia followed his recommendation and chose a calm, light-brown raunsy horse. The two-year-old horse, with its smaller build compared to the royal cavalry horses, suited Amelia’s petite frame perfectly.

Dana, on the other hand, chose a larger spotted horse. True to her reputation as Henrik’s sister, she nimbly mounted her horse. The butler and servants repeatedly checked the reins and stirrups of both horses and even removed their hats to see them off, despite their short journey. It seemed Dana was particularly beloved by the household.

“Thank you for accepting the horse, My Lady.”

As they rode leisurely together, Dana spoke up.

“I’ve often wondered what I could do for you since I’m neither as wealthy nor as skilled in anything worth teaching.”

“Dana, were you worrying about such things?”

Amelia asked with a concerned expression. Could their relationship have been a burden to her?

“Hmm… It’s not that. I also had some ulterior motives.”

“Oh my, what could they be?”

“Hehe.”

At Amelia’s playful response, Dana laughed in a childlike, endearing manner.

“…My Lady, one day, you’ll have to return to Brienne.”

Brienne. These days, Amelia’s name and that of Brienne often came up together when she least expected it.

“If you take the horse with you, it might help bring back memories of your time here.”

Dana’s voice was as clear and innocent as dewdrops on grass after rain.

“And it would make visits to this estate much more convenient. Horses have a strong homing instinct, so they’re excellent at finding their way.”

“…I see.”

Amelia’s subdued reaction seemed to unsettle Dana, who looked anxious.

“Surely, My Lady, you wouldn’t stop seeing me if you go back to Brienne, would you?”

Her worried expression was so guilelessly pure that Amelia couldn’t help but laugh.

“Of course not.”

Amelia thought she could remain good friends with Dana, but she wasn’t sure she could attach the label of “happy memories” to everything that happened in Olstein.

Like how shadows deepen when light grows brighter, moments like today only made Amelia more keenly aware of her precarious situation.

“If you do go back one day, you must visit us, My Lady. Brienne is an imperial province, so you can always come and go.”

Amelia nodded, responding with a soft “Yes,” to Dana’s cheerful words. Dana’s pure goodwill, at least, would remain a cherished memory.

***

“Brienne committed embezzlement?”

The emperor narrowed his brows as he listened to Josef’s report, outwardly adopting a serious demeanor, but inwardly clicking his tongue in annoyance.

‘He’s already caught on…’

The person who bypassed Josef and directly brought Brienne’s budget request to the emperor was Chancellor Konrad. It had been a maneuver aimed at disrupting Josef’s plans to take control of the navy.

Who would have thought that the small duchy would resort to manipulating the figures?

‘I should never have trusted Chancellor Konrad’s words.’

Though the emperor had agreed to the plan at the time, he often shirked his responsibilities as a ruler and was quick to shift blame onto others—just as he was now.

Josef, who had requested an audience that morning, interrupting the emperor’s late sleep, somehow deduced the exact numbers from the budget Brienne submitted. With no hesitation, he elaborated on how much it actually cost to build the ships and how much Leonid had likely embezzled.

The emperor, momentarily captivated by Josef’s eloquence—who seemed to know even more than he himself had gleaned from the report—completely overlooked the fact that Josef presented no material evidence beyond the claim that he’d heard it from “an informant.”

Deliberately pulling a dissatisfied expression, the emperor spoke.

“What have you been doing all this time?”

“……”

“I entrusted you with several territories to assess your leadership potential, and yet you’ve allowed such problems to arise. Isn’t it pathetic?”

“I apologize, Your Majesty.”

Josef replied calmly, “If I had been shown the budget earlier, I could have—”

“What difference would that have made?”

The emperor cut him off curtly.

“My point is that you should have prevented this from happening in the first place. By the time the budget reached us, the Duke of Brienne had already decided to embezzle, hadn’t he?”

“…You are absolutely correct.”

Josef smiled faintly.

“So, what do you plan to do about it?”

“No other suspicious activities have been discovered.”

From the emperor’s perspective, it was fortunate that Brienne had caused trouble with money rather than rebellion. If the imperial family declared war, the nobles would undoubtedly grumble about having their knights expelled from their lands again.

“Shouldn’t you be focusing on internal affairs right now?”

Josef outlined his plan.

Brienne’s attempted embezzlement stemmed from their assumption that the empire lacked knowledge about ships. Punishment could be administered in various ways—by demanding they build more ships or by requiring them to surrender trade tariffs. Brienne, having already surrendered to the empire due to its lack of confidence in its cavalry, wouldn’t dare resist recklessly.

“……”

The emperor remained silent, lost in thought. Josef’s solution was logical and seemed like a reasonable approach. For an empire that had conquered the continent, addressing the petty financial schemes of a duchy with magnanimity was a perfectly sensible resolution.

And yet, it was oddly uncharacteristic of Josef.

‘The princess of Brienne is here as a hostage, isn’t she?’

…Amelia Przhemysl. That name briefly crossed the emperor’s mind. He glanced at Josef, who sat quietly opposite him.

Though Josef always presented himself as dignified, his eyes often betrayed a lingering cruelty. In that moment, the emperor understood.

Why Josef’s proposal deviated from his usual demeanor. Why his seemingly lenient punishment felt almost clumsy.

And the realization filled the emperor with such delight that he nearly burst into laughter.

‘Foolish boy. Look at your own eyes! Those eyes that once mocked me. Always. You despised me, treating me like a madman obsessed with a woman. Go to the water’s edge and see your own face. The crazed eyes you see there are none other than mine from the past—and yours now.’

However, the emperor did not voice his epiphany.

“…Very well, do as you see fit.”

He merely endorsed his son’s ignorance. The crown prince’s folly, a reflection of the Olstein royal family’s signature gaze, was an error the emperor anticipated would someday lead to his son’s ruin. This was the perfect opportunity.

“The handling of Brienne is entirely in your hands.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Josef bowed his head. He did not see the emperor’s derisive smile, for his deep-set eyes were already captivated by something else.

And a few days later, Josef made his way to the port—to board a ship bound for the Kingdom of Kut.