The Marquis of Ariel also agreed with Alex that Sophia should go to the capital. More than anything, she had been feeling down for too long. It was different from before, when she used to recover quickly no matter what happened.

The Marquis of Ariel spoke to Sophia, who was hesitating.

“Go to the capital. There’s still the matter of Oberon, isn’t there? If you suddenly relax after being so busy, you’ll feel drained and depressed. Go to the capital, meet Helen, and buy some books you like. Take some time to refresh yourself. You deserve it.”

Sophia looked at the Marquis of Ariel and Alex. Their concern for her was evident.

‘Maybe I’ve been overthinking this for too long. Enough. I should go to the capital and see to it that Oberon’s matter is properly settled!’

“I’ll go. Ariel will be fine without me, and I want to take care of Oberon’s affairs. I can’t just rely on Sir Gareth.”

As she prepared to travel to the capital with Mrs. Finega, Sophia resolved to make concrete plans.

‘If I can take care of Oberon’s issue, Ariel will be fine… I used to constantly worry about saving and gathering funds because there was never enough. But I don’t have to do that anymore. So what should I do now? There must be better business opportunities in the capital than the ones I’ve been considering in Ariel. There will be things to do. Good.’

***

Sir Gareth was finally spending some quiet time at his estate in the capital. He wanted to meet his friends, but knowing the war was not yet over, he considered this just a brief respite before the next battle.

Parma was not at the estate, which disappointed him.

‘I wanted to see Parma’s reaction to my beard.’

Duke Gareth sat across from his son for a meal—something they had not done in a long time. Watching his son constantly stroke his beard, the duke grew irritated and said,

“Shave that damn beard already. It looks like you grew it just to make it seem like you endured great hardships.”

Sir Gareth chuckled at his father’s sharp observation.

“It’s not for show. I really did go through hardships. Have you ever camped out in the mountains, Father? Or survived on nothing but dried meat for a week?”

Duke Gareth sighed in exasperation.

“Do you truly want to be at the vanguard?”

“Yes. This may be the last chance to face the famous Marquis Enceladus. Whether the plan succeeds or fails, he won’t take to the battlefield again after this. This will be my final opportunity.”

Duke Gareth had long admired the Marquis Enceladus. If not now, he would never have the chance to cross swords with him. As his father’s enthusiasm grew, Sir Gareth said,

“Father, stay in the capital. Don’t get greedy. Even riding a horse is difficult for you now. I can tell from your growing waistline that you’ve spent too much time in carriages. Your thighs are getting soft—riding a horse would hurt, wouldn’t it?”

Though angered by his son’s teasing, Duke Gareth held back and said,

“Unforeseen circumstances could arise. War is always like that. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned.”

“Yes, just look at Saturn. They spent nearly seven or eight years preparing, yet they couldn’t even cross the Titania Mountains.”

“That was truly unexpected.”

“The Marquis of Ariel isn’t someone to be underestimated either. He’s maximizing his limited resources, and most of it is going into managing his territory. Ariel’s fortress walls and watchtowers are stronger and better than the interior. They don’t even keep ceremonial horses—only draft horses and carriage horses. Their cavalry doesn’t seem to be a priority either; it’s just maintained for the knights.”

“Ariel’s enemies are outside their land. Their battlefield isn’t Uranus. Ariel has always been known for that philosophy. And this time, they proved it. I’m curious about the Marquis of Ariel myself. I only caught a brief glimpse of him when we were younger. He was briefly famous for marrying a beautiful wife.”

Sir Gareth glanced around the dining room, where only the two of them sat.

“How is Parma doing? I have a letter from Lady Ariel for her. Should I send it to the estate?”

“She’ll be coming to the capital soon. She has become much more involved in estate affairs than before. Maybe she’s trying to fill a void in her heart.”

“She told me she found managing Oberon’s matters and spending time in Ariel more enjoyable than attending parties. We never really understood Parma. We just assumed she’d love the social scene because she was beautiful, but maybe that was the problem. Perhaps estate work suits her better than idle socializing. What good would a gossip-filled social circle do for her?”

“Then when is she supposed to get married?”

“You or I can find suitable candidates and let Parma decide, just like with Prince Robert. If she doesn’t like one, we move on to the next. Let her choose who she wants.”

“Have I ever not let her?”

Sir Gareth knew his father had always indulged Parma and him.

‘Except for when I was in the academy… But in the end, he was right about that too.’

Feeling mischievous, Sir Gareth stroked his beard again, making his father frown.

“You’re ruining my appetite.”

Seeing his father’s empty plate, Sir Gareth stroked his beard once more and grinned.

“Oh dear… Losing your appetite is a serious issue.”

***

Saturn was also busy preparing for Uranus’s attack. Though Sir Enceladus had eliminated Methone, he did not believe that all of Methone’s policies and plans had been wrong.

Before departing for Saturn’s capital, Methone’s seal was used to send Gallo, who had worked in Oberon, to Uranus.

Like Sir Dione, Sir Enceladus found it bitter that Uranus was now turning Saturn’s plan against it. Though circumstances forced their cooperation, he still hoped Uranus would fall into chaos.

“If Uranus focuses all its attention on us, it will be burdensome. We need to give them internal matters to deal with so they will settle things with us on reasonable terms.”

Sir Dione spoke cautiously.

“Won’t Uranus question this later?”

Sir Enceladus replied, “We’ll just say Methone was behind it. I was tied up in Titania and knew nothing about it. If we insist, there’s nothing Uranus can do about it.”

When Gallo received the order to head to Uranus’s capital, the first person who came to mind was Philip Wiscombe. To Gallo, the failure in Oberon was entirely Philip Wiscombe’s fault.

“If Philip Wiscombe hadn’t recklessly wielded his sword, I wouldn’t have been caught off guard. He’ll soon pay the price for killing Baron Oberon’s deputy.”

The emperor, following Prince Robert’s stance, did not want Saturn’s espionage issues to become an excuse for the traditionalist faction to attack the administrative offices and staff. Thus, spies were being arrested as discreetly as possible.

There was another reason. If Saturn’s spies disappeared quietly, the traitors wouldn’t know whether they had been captured or had simply returned to Saturn, leaving them in confusion.

As soon as Gallo arrived in the capital, he confirmed that all of his contacts had vanished. Though he had anticipated this, seeing it firsthand left him even more disappointed.

“I don’t have much time.”

****

The war with Saturn significantly impacted high society. Like the imperial family, the more renowned noble families led quiet lives.

Naturally, the smaller houses followed suit, reducing or simplifying their gatherings and parties. Although word spread that Sir Gareth had arrived in the capital, he remained unseen. Parma had stayed in the territory as well.

In effect, high society was on hiatus. The Wiscombe family was no exception. Philip was still suffering from the aftermath of the Oberon incident—not because he was tormented by the act of killing but because he kept blaming himself for not handling things properly.

“I couldn’t even catch the bastard who set me up…”

The duchess was beginning to worry.

“Is Prince Robert really going to become the crown prince?”

Public opinion only fueled her concerns. Prince Robert, who was actively fighting against Saturn, had garnered widespread favor.

As his reputation grew, many noble families began eyeing positions by his side.

Meanwhile, Isabelle, who had been involved in a scandalous romance with Prince Frederick, was subtly ridiculed.

With Prince Frederick losing relevance, their once sensational affair had become a burden for both Wiscombe and Isabelle.

Despite all the effort put into breaking off Prince Frederick’s engagement with Lady Gareth, the failure to arrange an official betrothal now made Wiscombe appear as if they were ready to abandon the devalued prince.

The Duchess of Wiscombe clenched her teeth.

“If we win this war, Prince Robert will be hailed as a hero… The dream Cressida once had is now coming true through him. What a cruel joke.”

Prince Frederick had no achievements to his name and nothing impressive to boast about. Even though he was now diligently studying, public opinion of him had worsened.

The Cressidas, too, seemed overwhelmed with their own affairs.

“They are busy raising an army, using Netunia’s internal conflicts as an excuse. There are even rumors that the emperor and empress had a terrible argument because of it.”

The Cressidas, Prince Frederick, and even the Wiscombes—those who once stood strong—were now losing momentum.

Growing anxious, the Duchess subtly tested Isabelle.

“Has Prince Frederick finally met your expectations? I hear he’s much more diligent now. He attends his office daily, engages in discussions with nobles, and is committed to learning.”

Noticing her mother’s scrutiny, Isabelle immediately understood her intent.

“That’s funny, Mother. When you told me to seduce Prince Frederick, you didn’t think much of him. Now that you’re trying to distance me from him, you suddenly see his merits?”

The Duchess spoke carefully.

“At least we haven’t made the engagement official yet. The Cressidas will likely remain entangled in Saturn’s affairs.”

“Have they found solid proof that Cressidas colluded with Saturn?”

“Not yet, but rumors say the emperor and empress’s argument was over Cressida’s betrayal. The Countess of Cressida, who used to visit the empress’s palace late at night, has been barred from entering. When the empress protested, the response was that security measures had been tightened due to the war. On top of that, the emperor reportedly shouted at the empress, saying Cressida should act more discreetly.”

Isabelle smirked.

“The fact that such stories are leaking beyond the palace is suspicious in itself.”

The Duchess agreed, but given the circumstances, many nobles were keeping a close watch on the imperial court.

“They’re all assessing the situation. Even those who previously supported Cressida and the empress are now subtly leaking information to gauge public sentiment.”

Isabelle spoke coldly.

“Isn’t it possible the emperor is deliberately spreading these rumors?”

“That could be. But if that’s the case, it only means his resentment toward Cressida is that strong—which is even worse. He won’t show the empress any leniency.”

“The emperor and empress were never on good terms, though. Could it have been because of Prince Robert?”

The Duchess scoffed.

“No. The empress and the emperor were never on good terms. Why do you think the empress always sided with Prince Frederick? Because she couldn’t trust the emperor. Bringing Prince Robert into the palace only widened the rift between them, but they weren’t close even before that. That’s why someone like Prince Robert’s birth mother was able to appear in the first place.”

In the end, it was only because of the Cressida family that she became empress. Isabelle couldn’t understand why the Cressida family had been chosen in the first place. She looked at the duchess and asked,

“They call the Cressida family ‘provincial upstarts’ because they only recently established themselves in the capital, right?”

“Exactly. The Cressida family was personally chosen by the late empress dowager. She wanted to avoid placing a family that was too powerful by the emperor’s side. That’s why she picked Cressida—a house with solid finances and decent political acumen but weak foundations in the capital. Once they produced an empress, the Cressidas became desperate to have a prince. And all they had to do was make that prince the emperor….”

The duchess longed to mock the empress, who had tormented her for so long. However, with Cressida and the empress facing misfortune, Wiscombe was also in crisis.

“Damn Countess Cressida. If only she had known when to stop. Foolish woman.”