Prince Robert took a walk around Umbriel’s castle and its surrounding town. Mav’s face had been gloomy ever since they arrived in Umbriel.

The situation was worse than the reports had indicated. Mav couldn’t help but respect Vian’s decision to stay behind in the capital.

“That’s why he’s the chief secretary.”

Most of the people who hurriedly avoided the group as they toured the area were poorly clothed. Prince Robert shook his head. Though it was late spring, no one should have been dressed in rags like that. The roads and houses within the castle walls were mostly in disrepair. The only decent buildings in Umbriel belonged to the former officials or were their business ventures.

Even though all the clerks who had bribed Investigator Posher’s subordinates had been dragged to the capital under imperial orders for questioning, the situation in Umbriel hadn’t changed much.

It seemed like it would take a long time to clear out those who had leeched off the land and its people in place of a proper lord. As he surveyed the territory, Prince Robert thought to himself,

‘With the central government doing nothing and the investigator never even setting foot in Umbriel… it’s a good thing I chose to come here. Otherwise, this could’ve gotten even worse.’

Even though Prince Robert had arrived in Umbriel, it wouldn’t mean the problems would be solved instantly. While no one would dare challenge a prince outright, many would still seek to protect their own interests by any means, likely scheming behind the scenes.

If the Cressida family’s instigations were added to the mix, there would be no end to the various incidents, big and small, within the Umbriel territory. Moreover, many of the industries the inspector mentioned as promising were mostly businesses that imported cheap goods and sold them to the locals at a high markup.

The profits were all derived from exploiting the locals, so it couldn’t really be called an industry.

“Parasites.”

Ariel, the neighboring territory, was barely holding on, and Umbriel was only managing because Ariel hadn’t blocked the influx of Umbriel’s residents.

After assessing the situation in Umbriel, Prince Robert decided to visit Ariel as soon as possible. Upon reviewing the territory, he realized how much Umbriel had relied on Ariel.

Prince Robert was looking forward to meeting Baron Ariel and his family. However, Mav shook his head in doubt.

“Considering the situation with Lady Ariel, things won’t go smoothly…”

***

From Prince Robert’s perspective, Ariel left a good first impression. Although Ariel wasn’t particularly developed, with only a few shops in town, the streets were clean, and there weren’t many areas where the walls or roads needed repairs.

The homes of the locals were small but well-kept. The expressions on the people’s faces were much more cheerful compared to those in Umbriel. The residents of Ariel maintained their distance from Prince Robert’s procession but didn’t appear overly anxious.

“They’re not showing any signs of fear.”

In a territory where he had once accompanied an inspector, people would quickly flee at the sight of anyone who seemed noble. It had been proof of the rampant tyranny of the aristocrats.

The expressions and behavior of the locals in Umbriel were no different when they saw Prince Robert. He realized there was much work to be done in his new domain and that Baron Ariel’s assistance would be crucial.

When they arrived at Ariel Castle, Baron Ariel and his son, Alex Ariel, came out to greet Prince Robert. Despite his tall and broad frame, Baron Ariel had a gentle demeanor.

Prince Robert also faintly recognized the face of someone he knew in the baron’s features.

‘The young man beside him must be Alex Ariel, the handsome one who was famous at the academy.’

As Robert looked at Alex, another familiar face came to mind. Alex, more than Sophia, resembled Isabelle. Even if they weren’t close, blood was blood.

There was no sign of Sophia. Since this was an official matter, there was no need for her to come out and greet him. Still, Prince Robert found himself feeling somewhat disappointed.

After exchanging polite greetings with Baron Ariel and Alex, Robert entered the castle. As soon as they were seated in the baron’s office, Prince Robert got straight to the point.

“If you wish, you can return the part of the Titania Mountains that was passed to Ariel. Umbriel will take it back.”

Baron Ariel asked gently, “If we wish, you say?”

“Yes. Normally, having more land would be a cause for celebration, but I understand that here it’s more of a burden. Although the land hasn’t been properly managed, if you want to return it to Umbriel, you may do so. If you’d prefer to keep it, I will also respect that.”

“Prince Robert, I don’t think this is the time to discuss such matters. The defense facilities and the training of soldiers are the main issues. Or rather, the problem is whether there are soldiers at all. Even if Ariel returned the land, without proper forces to defend it, we’d face the same security gap as before. That’s why we accepted the burden of the land, even at great strain, to prevent such a situation.”

Prince Robert nodded. “So you’re saying I should make preparations before making any proposals or asking for cooperation. Understood. I’ll proceed accordingly. I look forward to your advice.”

The baron nodded in agreement. As Robert looked curiously around the office, which had several desks, he asked, “Is Lady Ariel doing well?”

At the mention of Sophia, the baron’s previously warm expression immediately hardened. Mav could feel the tension in the room rise suddenly.

“The knights are just outside the door…”

Neither Baron Ariel, Alex, nor John had any intention of answering Robert’s question. They simply stared at him, openly scrutinizing his motives.

It was a blatant search for his true intentions. Prince Robert gave an awkward smile and explained, “I brought many books with me on my journey here from the capital, but now that I’ve seen the state of the territory, I doubt I’ll have any time to read. Since it would be a waste to let them sit unused, I was wondering if I could lend them to Lady Sophia Ariel. Could you pass on the message to her?”

Alex cleared his throat before replying, “My sister is doing well. Thank you for your kind offer, Prince Robert. I’ll be sure to relay your words to her.”

After that, an uncomfortable silence filled the room once again. Prince Robert could sense that none of the people present had any affection for him, likely due to the events at the debutante ball.

‘Well, it’s good to know for certain that Sophia Ariel was a victim of Wiscombe, but with this atmosphere…’

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories