The news of Countess Cressida’s illness had also reached Wiscombe. Upon returning from her meeting with Prince Frederick, Isabelle informed the Duke and Duchess of Wiscombe.

“The imperial physician is personally treating the Countess. They say she has stabilized now.”

The Duchess of Wiscombe scoffed and turned to the Duke.

“Countess Cressida must have been desperate. To go as far as pretending to be ill—since she has already used this trick once, it won’t work a second time.”

Isabelle added, “For now, it’s working quite well. Prince Frederick even mentioned that he might visit his maternal family again.”

The Duke of Wiscombe replied, “My mother wanted to pay a visit, but Cressida’s side refused.”

“My mother-in-law?”

Seeing the Duchess’s puzzled expression, Isabelle explained, “When I told Grandmother that Prince Frederick seemed more shaken than expected, she said she wanted to see Countess Cressida.”

The Duchess of Wiscombe wanted to say something about Isabelle consulting her grandmother instead of her, but she held back.

‘Does Isabelle still not trust me?’

Hiding her true feelings, the Duchess spoke gently.

“How about you, Prince Frederick, and your grandmother visit the Cressida household together? Surely, they won’t refuse if their own grandson is there. And that way, Prince Frederick won’t grow suspicious.”

Isabelle smiled slyly. “I’ll bring it up with Grandmother and Frederick.”

The Duke also approved of the plan. If the former Duchess of Wiscombe confronted Countess Cressida in front of Prince Frederick, she might expose the deception.

‘Or, after meeting my mother, her condition might actually worsen.’

If Countess Cressida were to disappear, it would be a blessing for Wiscombe. Though none of them spoke their thoughts aloud, all three shared the same idea. The Duchess of Wiscombe smiled.

‘Without the Countess, the Empress is just a mere child.’

***

The next day, Isabelle brought up the visit with Prince Frederick, and he readily agreed.

Sir Federico also voiced his approval. “Since Lady Wiscombe was raised by her grandmother, she must be a wise woman. She used to dominate the social scene, after all.”

Prince Frederick was already favorably inclined toward the former Duchess of Wiscombe when they met. She greeted him warmly.

“It is an honor to meet Your Highness, Prince Frederick. With Countess Cressida’s illness, both the Empress and Your Highness must be deeply worried, yet you have still extended your kindness to this old woman. I am grateful.”

“Please don’t say such things. The Countess must be feeling restless after being confined at home for so long. If you come along, she’ll have someone to converse with, and that will surely brighten her spirits. Physician Piccolo says she’s already out of bed.”

Exchanging a glance with Isabelle, the former Duchess of Wiscombe nodded.

“That is truly fortunate.”

Isabelle thought to herself.

‘Things will not go according to the Countess’s plan. Prince Frederick must not be held back by Cressida.’

***

The carriage carrying the three of them stopped at the gates of the Cressida estate. Even before Prince Frederick’s carriage appeared, Lord Cressida was already waiting at the entrance.

He had planned to fully secure Prince Frederick’s wavering heart today. However, his smile faltered when he saw Isabelle Wiscombe and the former Duchess of Wiscombe stepping down after the prince.

Today was supposed to be the moment when he completely won over the shaken prince. But instead, his carefully laid plans had been disrupted. On the other hand, the former Duchess of Wiscombe beamed radiantly.

“I heard Countess Cressida’s condition has greatly improved. I am grateful for the opportunity to visit her, even if only by accompanying Prince Frederick.”

Though Lord Cressida led the three of them inside, he could not shake off his unease. It was obvious they had followed the prince here on purpose. Soon after, he seated them in the drawing room before excusing himself under the pretense of bringing the Countess.

Isabelle spoke up. “This is my first time visiting the Cressida estate. Your Highness must have been here often?”

Prince Frederick met Isabelle’s gaze with a warm smile.

“Of course. The Count and Lord Cressida often invited me over to play. It was far more liberating than the palace. I could finally run through the hallways without my nanny trailing behind me. In the palace, I was never allowed to do that—there were more than ten people constantly telling me not to run.”

The former Duchess of Wiscombe said kindly, “They must have invited you often because they knew how stifling palace life could be. They wanted to let you enjoy playing like an ordinary child while you were here.”

Prince Frederick smiled, but inwardly, he thought—that was precisely the problem.

‘An ordinary child…’

The former Duchess of Wiscombe could tell from Prince Frederick’s stiff smile that he was beginning to doubt Cressida’s intentions.

Prince Frederick spoke to Isabelle.

“I heard that you were educated by the former Duchess when you were young…”

It was the former duchess who answered.

“Because of Isabelle’s shy nature, I took her in and educated her to raise her stronger. The Duchess of Wiscombe adored Isabelle too much. After all, daughters are often raised with indulgence, aren’t they?”

The former duchess continued, subtly fueling Prince Frederick’s suspicions.

“Isabelle was so beautiful even as a child that the Duke and Duchess adored her. But I did not spoil her. Though I could not change her shy nature, she has grown into a young lady who handles her responsibilities well.”

At the mention of indulgence, Prince Frederick immediately thought of the Empress.

‘That’s right. Cressida raised both me and my mother to be overly coddled. They never trained us properly for our roles. They only wanted to keep us as children in their arms.’

The former Duchess of Wiscombe smiled subtly as she observed Prince Frederick’s expression.

Countess Cressida refused to let go of her children even after they became adults. That made them easy to control, but it also became a problem when they had to lead their households.

Especially when they realized—too late—that they were far less capable than their rivals. Prince Frederick was no exception.

Of course, she could not say this outright. Instead, the former duchess thought to herself as she watched Frederick,

‘At least he’s smart enough to understand even when I speak in roundabout terms.’

***

Outside the drawing room, Countess Cressida felt as if she might burst with frustration as she listened to the three of them conversing so amiably.

She had stayed up all night without taking her sleeping medication just to ensure that she could win over Prince Frederick today.

With dark circles under her eyes, the Countess glared at the door, listening to their conversation.

Swallowing her anger, she muttered under her breath,

“Even in old age, she dares to interfere with my affairs. Truly a wretched woman!”

With weakened steps, Countess Cressida entered the drawing room.

As she walked in with her pale face, the former Duchess of Wiscombe greeted her with a bright smile.

Prince Frederick also greeted her with a radiant smile, as if completely unaware of the struggle she had endured the previous night.

“You look much better than before. As expected, Piccolo is remarkable. I must thank His Majesty for this.”

Countess Cressida put on a touched expression and said,

“I am grateful, Your Highness. To think that you went so far as to ask the Emperor for my sake, an old woman like me.”

“It was only natural. You are my grandmother, after all. And of course, I had to do it for my mother’s sake as well. The Count will surely be pleased to hear this news.”

Countess Cressida, her face resolute, replied,

“He is a man with many responsibilities. How could I bother him with such trivial matters? I should help him focus on his duties instead.”

The former Duchess of Wiscombe interjected,

“The Count of Cressida must also be curious about the situation in the capital. With Prince Frederick visiting Cressida Manor like this… I hear the army is about to advance on Saturn soon. The Count should be aware of the overall situation so that he does not have to worry about what’s happening behind him when facing Netunia.”

Lord Cressida and the Countess exchanged startled glances before turning to the former Duchess.

The former Duchess of Wiscombe then looked directly at Countess Cressida and spoke.

“When gathering an army, it is always best to be cautious. People are quick to misunderstand, and it is easy to fall into traps. Just look at my grandson—he was nearly made a sacrificial pawn by the Saturn delegation when he visited Oberon for leisure. He had to go through so much trouble just to avoid those who approached him with ulterior motives.”

The former duchess smiled as she continued,

“Things may improve once the war with Saturn ends. Lord Cressida, you should take this to heart. One can never be too careful. Families of great renown like ours must always remain vigilant, don’t you agree?”

Prince Frederick noticed the stiff expressions on both Countess Cressida’s and Lord Cressida’s faces.

The former Duchess of Wiscombe was issuing a warning. She was making it clear that Cressida could no longer escape suspicion.

As he observed their hardened expressions, Prince Frederick thought to himself,

‘If Isabelle and the former Duchess hadn’t come with me today, what on earth would they have tried to tell me?’

Despite his growing suspicions, Prince Frederick smiled brightly and said,

“Countess Cressida, you must take care of your health. The Count’s work will only go well if you are in good health.”

Isabelle Wiscombe chimed in,

“That’s right. If the Empress has no one to rely on… what would happen then?”

At the young Isabelle Wiscombe’s provocation, Lord Cressida instinctively stepped forward, but the Countess leaned against him as if for support, stopping him in his tracks.

That small gesture alone made Lord Cressida retreat obediently.

Countess Cressida then said,

“I have frequently checked in on my daughter, for it pains me to think of her enduring loneliness and isolation as Empress. Even after all these years, even after she has had children of her own, my concern for her remains unchanged. I understand well that I must stay healthy in order to protect them.”

As she finished speaking, Countess Cressida suddenly swayed.

Lord Cressida quickly caught her and turned to the three guests, saying,

“My mother—no, the Countess—is still too weak to receive visitors. I must ask for your understanding.”

With that, he escorted Countess Cressida back to her chambers.

Seeing this, the three visitors also rose from their seats.

***

As she watched Prince Frederick’s carriage depart, Countess Cressida muttered,

“She even made her granddaughter just like her.”

Lord Cressida replied,

“Wiscombe keeps meddling, even delaying the engagement with Frederick… We can’t just leave them alone.”

“Do not act recklessly. Now is the time to be cautious.”

But deep inside, Countess Cressida thought differently.

‘We don’t have the luxury to keep anyone in check. We’ve already wasted too much time.’

***

Inside the carriage returning to Wiscombe Manor, the former Duchess remarked,

“She exhausted herself just to create this opportunity, only to let it slip away. This time, she might truly collapse.”

Isabelle frowned.

“How can Countess Cressida be like that? How could she think of using Prince Frederick as a shield instead of supporting him?”

The former duchess replied,

“Because Cressida is what matters most to them. They speak of grandchildren and family, but in the end, they only care about Cressida’s name.”

She then turned to Isabelle, thinking to herself,

‘It will be the same even if you marry Prince Frederick. You are not of Uranus—you are a Wiscombe.’