“You…!”

What am I even seeing? The Crown Prince couldn’t find the words to continue, stumbling over his thoughts. He couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed.

The Prince had deliberately timed his arrival at the ducal residence to coincide with the end of the investiture ceremony. He didn’t want to appear as though he was bowing to the Grand Duke, and he also wanted to catch a glimpse of Lila Knox before anyone could interfere.

‘Those opportunistic bats…’

Entering the hall quietly, the Crown Prince cursed under his breath as he noticed the unexpectedly large attendance. He loathed the nobles weighing their allegiance between the Emperor and the Grand Duke.

With a drink handed to him by Woden, the Prince scanned the room. It didn’t take long to spot the subject of all the rumors. The girl with neatly tied black hair was chatting with someone as she walked toward the stairs.

I need to see her face.

Growing impatient, the Crown Prince ignored the nobles greeting him and headed toward the stairs. Just as Lila Knox stepped onto the staircase and turned her head slightly, her face came into view. The moment he saw her, the Prince dropped the glass he had been holding.

“…Woden.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Am I seeing this correctly?”

The Crown Prince couldn’t believe his eyes. Neither could Woden. Black hair and golden eyes—Lila Knox’s appearance was different from the Raven as reported by their informant. However, aside from the eye color, anyone would mistake her for the Raven.

“Who does she look like to you?”

Woden couldn’t answer immediately. He rarely lost his composure, but now, he was shaken. Lila Knox showed no reaction despite seeing the Crown Prince and himself. Woden couldn’t determine whether this was the Raven’s act or if she truly was someone else.

“I’ll have to take a closer look,” he muttered in a low voice, withholding judgment. Secretly, he hoped Lila Knox was indeed the Raven. The Crown Prince, however, did not. For him, it would be a hundred times better for Lila Knox to be an unidentified warrior from the East than the raven herself.

“Damn it.”

Unable to contain his irritation, the Crown Prince swore under his breath. He agreed it would be better to confirm her face up close, as Woden suggested.

Whether or not they acted on this, Lila showed no response. Gazing at the two with a calm expression, she soon turned away without hesitation.

“Wait…!”

“Your Highness!”

As the flustered Crown Prince called out to Lila, Grand Duke Eustace stepped in to block him.

“If you’re here, why not announce yourself? Why sneak in like a stray cat?”

“…Grand Duke.”

“With no word for so long, I assumed you wouldn’t come.”

The Crown Prince clenched his teeth as he glared at the nuisance in front of him. He wanted to demand that the Grand Duke step aside immediately but restrained himself. Instead, he suppressed his frustration and forced a smile.

“I was delayed by some matters.”

“There was no need to trouble yourself.”

“It’s a task directly ordered by His Majesty, so I must attend. I’m already late; I thought I’d quietly deliver my gift and leave.”

Despite speaking to the Grand Duke, the Crown Prince’s eyes kept darting behind him. Lila was already halfway up the stairs, and his anxiety grew.

“Would you mind stepping aside for a moment?”

When the Crown Prince tried to pass, the Grand Duke feigned ignorance and blocked his way once more.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

“Hmm? Whatever do you mean?”

The Grand Duke tilted his head with a look of innocence, and the Crown Prince felt his anger boil over.

“I asked you to step aside, didn’t I?”

“Oh, did you? My apologies.”

“Are you mocking me?!”

The Crown Prince was about to yell when he felt a hand gripping his arm. It was Woden, who shook his head slightly at him.

“Ahem.”

The Crown Prince cleared his throat as he finally noticed the many eyes and ears around him. He had almost made a grave mistake. Seeing Lila Knox’s face had shocked him so much that he’d forgotten his surroundings. He quickly adjusted his approach.

“Bring the gift.”

At his command, a palace mage disguised as an attendant brought forward a box adorned with the imperial crest. The Crown Prince smiled gently at the Grand Duke, intending to use this as an excuse to call for Lila.

“This is a gift from the Sun of the Empire to Baroness Lila Knox. It’s precious, so I’d like to hand it to her personally.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. Please entrust it to me.”

The Grand Duke’s cheerful smile contrasted sharply with his firm refusal.

“What?”

The unexpected denial left the Crown Prince blinking in disbelief.

“As her patron, I’ll accept the imperial gift on Baroness Knox’s behalf.”

“How dare you! This is a gift from His Majesty himself—”

“How is it disrespectful for me, as Baroness Knox’s guardian, to accept it in her stead while she rests?”

“Ha!”

The Crown Prince let out a dry laugh, incredulous. The Grand Duke was blatantly disregarding him.

“Does the Grand Duke not know proper etiquette?!”

“If anyone is failing in etiquette, it would seem to be Your Highness,” the Grand Duke replied, his smile fading into a cold expression. His frosty gaze caused the Crown Prince to involuntarily falter. The air around them seemed to grow colder.

“Above me, the Grand Duke of the Esteban Empire, there is only His Majesty the Emperor. Your Highness holds no authority to order me around.”

“What did you just say?”

“Is my statement incorrect?”

Grand Duke Eustace smiled coldly. His words weren’t incorrect. In the Esteban Empire, the rank of Grand Duke was one that even the Emperor couldn’t treat lightly. As the Crown Prince, he was required to show respect to the Grand Duke regardless of his own status.

However, for the Grand Duke to openly declare that the Crown Prince was not his superior was a dangerous remark, even for someone like Eustace. He had publicly disregarded the Crown Prince in front of a large audience.

“You dare… to treat me like this…!”

The Crown Prince trembled with outrage, his voice faltering. His fury burned so hot it clouded his mind, while the nobles who observed the standoff held their breath.

“Your Highness, please calm yourself.”

Finally, Chancellor Nike intervened. He couldn’t understand why the Crown Prince was so insistent on seeing Lila Knox.

“It’s not uncommon for a liege’s vassal to receive gifts on their behalf. In fact, it’s a way to show gratitude and propriety toward the Imperial Family.”

Chancellor Nike’s tone was soothing. Not knowing the full context, he perceived the Crown Prince’s actions as unreasonable.

“Allowing the Grand Duke to accept the imperial gift on Baroness Knox’s behalf upholds the dignity of the Imperial Family,” he added.

The Crown Prince pursed his lips, his frustration evident. He couldn’t explain the situation to the Chancellor, leaving him inwardly fuming.

“Grand Duke, that will suffice for now.”

Once the Crown Prince had quieted, Chancellor Nike turned to address Eustace. The nobles watched nervously, sensing the tension. It was well-known that relations between the Imperial Family and the Grand Duke were strained, but this public confrontation was unprecedented.

“Your Highness,”

The Grand Duke finally spoke, his voice bright with a smile as radiant as a blooming flower.

“I deeply regret to inform you that today is a celebratory day for the Eustace family. Causing a disturbance here is most inappropriate.”

“…I apologize for raising my voice. However, I have something I must confirm….”

The Crown Prince forced himself to remain composed, conscious of the many eyes fixed on him. Like the Chancellor had said, he couldn’t afford to cause more trouble here.

“Whatever it is, as the host of this banquet, I am obligated to ensure all guests’ enjoyment until the end. If it is a personal matter, I suggest you visit at a quieter time.”

The Grand Duke’s tone was resolute. The nobles, who had expected him to relent, were shocked when he instead effectively dismissed the Crown Prince. Humiliated before so many people, the Crown Prince’s face turned red with anger.

“How dare you…!”

“Your Highness.”

Woden stepped in, restraining the Crown Prince, who seemed ready to charge at the Grand Duke.

“Now is not the time. Let us withdraw for today.”

“Withdraw?!”

“There are too many onlookers,” Woden whispered softly, ensuring only the Crown Prince could hear. He had a suspicion about why the Grand Duke had hosted such an extravagant ceremony. In terms of strategy, the Grand Duke had employed a battle of attrition.

“We have already lost here.”

Even a minor verbal dispute between the Crown Prince and the Grand Duke would become a significant issue. Today’s events would be the talk of the town for weeks. Whether the Crown Prince escalated the matter or not, the Grand Duke would still gain the upper hand.

“Scandal spreads faster than wildfire. If rumors circulate, His Majesty will be furious.”

At Woden’s warning, the Crown Prince clenched his fists. His greatest fear was the Emperor’s disappointment and anger. He took a deep breath to regain control of his emotions.

“We shall take our leave for today.”

“A wise decision,” the Grand Duke said with a radiant smile.

Suppressing his seething rage, the Crown Prince turned to leave. His clenched jaw produced a faint grinding sound as the whispers of the nobles behind him fueled his frustration.

“I will not forget this humiliation,” he muttered through gritted teeth as he walked away. His mouth tasted bitter as resentment churned within him. It was the first time in his life he had been subjected to such disgrace.