Prince Robert was surrounded not by young ladies but by middle-aged nobles. It was a situation he had orchestrated, asking questions and listening to them as a newcomer with a recently inherited estate.

This was his way of avoiding awkward interactions with young ladies, and unexpectedly, he found himself enjoying many interesting stories. Regardless of the emperor’s expectations, Robert had no plans to look for a marriage partner, nor did he want to provoke the Wiscombe family.

For now, he preferred to observe the dynamics between Cressida, Wiscombe, and Gareth. It would be ideal if they ended up in a fruitless conflict.

“A battle where everyone loses without any victor is the best kind.”

Throughout the ball, both Prince Robert and Prince Frederick kept their distance from Isabelle.

People closely watched to see if Philip would approach Prince Robert or if Isabelle and Prince Frederick would lock eyes.

Everyone knew Wiscombe’s circumstances were poor, and many speculated that the family might attempt something at the ball, where both princes were present, to improve their standing. Few believed that Wiscombe would retreat without making a move.

Isabelle was well aware of the attention on her. But there was no need to rush.

‘This is only the first attempt to charm Frederick. One moment of contact will suffice.’

Frederick kept Isabelle in his line of sight, shielding himself with his friends. He noted each smile Isabelle shared with others and her gracious demeanor.

It wasn’t just Isabelle’s beauty that Frederick admired but also her gentle smile and soft voice. Everything about her was delicate and tender, a stark contrast to Parma’s confident stance and sharp gaze.

‘If only Wiscombe had a powerful military…’

Prince Frederick sighed. Today was not the day to make any mistakes. He was here to overshadow Robert’s presence, and he couldn’t allow his interest in Isabelle to jeopardize that.

Returning to Parma, Frederick created an affectionate atmosphere with her.

When Parma went to the powder room for a break, Frederick took the chance to slip outside to the garden for a moment of solitude, seeking a brief escape from the constant gaze of others.

Isabelle, trying to shake off a young gentleman who had persistently followed her, hurried outside with an uncomfortable expression.

As she rushed out, she inadvertently brushed against Prince Frederick, who was reentering the ballroom after some fresh air.

Startled, Isabelle spoke up, “I apologize. I didn’t see you clearly. Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Recognizing Prince Frederick, Isabelle quickly turned away in surprise. On impulse, Frederick reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder before he could stop himself.

Hearing her startled breath, Frederick quickly withdrew his hand and apologized.

“I’m sorry. You seemed startled, and I acted without thinking.”

“I’m all right. Excuse me, then.”

Isabelle gave him a slight nod and walked away. Frederick watched her retreating figure in a daze, hoping for a few more words, but Isabelle gave him no such chance.

Having seen Isabelle up close, Frederick felt his heart drawn to her even more, yet he knew he had to resist.

He went back outside, taking a moment in the fresh air to steady himself.

‘There are sacrifices one must make to become a strong emperor.’

When Isabelle returned to the ballroom, Philip took her by the arm, and they left. People began whispering when they saw the Wiscombe siblings depart before the ball reached its climax.

It appeared the Wiscombe siblings had left early, gaining nothing from the evening.

In contrast to the Gareth family, who had managed to secure Frederick, Wiscombe seemed to be sinking.

However, Robert saw things differently. Isabelle and Philip had achieved a small goal and had withdrawn deliberately.

Only after Isabelle left did Frederick return to the ballroom, a sign that Wiscombe was already making moves.

Robert smiled to himself.

‘If Isabelle succeeds in capturing Frederick’s attention…’

Robert hoped for Isabelle’s success, eager to watch the messy struggle among the three families.

For the first time, he thought he saw Isabelle’s true nature. Until now, he’d viewed her as merely a flower.

‘A flower? Far from it… Isabelle is the most formidable weapon of the Duke of Wiscombe.’

Robert’s thoughts drifted to Sophia.

“Sophia Ariel isn’t a flower either.”

But he quickly dismissed that thought, realizing he didn’t truly know much about Sophia Ariel.

Moreover, Ariel was not a family that would be of any help to him. Robert felt no need to rely on a family that would only lean on him in return.

Shaking his head, he thought, ‘What am I thinking? Ariel is no longer a concern.’

—

Sophia entered the underground cavern, holding a torch. She brought it close to the ground and then lifted it high to survey her surroundings.

She continued to walk slowly further in, repeating the same process.

A small stream flowed within the cavern, with a small pool near the wall. It seemed the water was draining out somewhere, as it hadn’t filled the entire floor.

Like the passageway she had taken to get here, there were no insects in this place either. Nor was there any moss or grass. It made sense, given the lack of sunlight… but still…

“Is this truly a place where nothing lives?”

Sophia quickly turned back, carrying her torch as she retraced her steps. As soon as she reached the entrance of the temple, she took a deep breath of fresh air.

After extinguishing the torch, she set it down by the entrance to use again later. As she stood, lost in thought with a blank expression, Jack came in, panting.

“Lady Sophia, what are you doing here so late? The baron is worried.”

“Jack, has anyone from the estate ever gone missing after climbing this mountain or fallen ill and died a few days later?”

Jack glanced around the interior of the temple and replied.

“Not that I know of, at least not this year. Why? Did you find a body?”

“No. There’s a passage inside the cave that goes down underground. I wondered if anyone might have taken shelter from the rain and gone too far in.”

Jack looked fearful.

“What’s in there?”

Sophia looked at her hands. There were no signs of any poisoning. She spoke in a weary voice.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not even gold or gems. Does the goddess Titania prefer Ariel to stay poor?”

Jack looked between the cave and Sophia’s face, saying,

“Could it be that Ariel has always been so poor that they had nothing to offer the goddess Titania? Just like now? If so, it all makes sense.”

Sophia gave a faint, tired laugh. Though nothing seemed to have possessed her, she felt as though she’d inhaled some unpleasant air. Jack said, with a serious expression,

“Just in case, maybe you shouldn’t come here in the summer. You might have inhaled some mold or something. Mold grows more in warm and damp conditions. We should investigate first, or wait until winter.”

Sophia nodded in agreement.

“Yes, I don’t think I’d be able to come back until summer is over.”

When Sophia returned to the mansion, Alex was there waiting for her with an irritated expression.

“Do you know how much time has passed? I waited so long, all sorts of things went through my mind.”

Sophia replied,

“I’m sorry. It was hard to tell how time passed in the cave.”

Alex shook his head and said,

“You’re forbidden from going to the temple for now. Understood?”

“Yes, understood.”

Sophia agreed so readily that Alex felt deflated. He had planned to sternly warn her and keep her at the mansion until the Finega family arrived, but Sophia accepted so easily.

Sophia had no intention of returning to the cave until the end of summer.

Looking at the map, it seemed that the cave was indeed the temple. However, the underground passage and chamber, where nothing lived, felt unsettling. Until she could be certain it was safe, she wouldn’t go back.

She needed time to recover her strength by resting at the greenhouse and the mansion for a while.

‘Is it truly a temple to the goddess Titania? I thought it would be, given the idea of offering thanks to the goddess… For now, I’ll avoid it. And I won’t show any disappointment to Father either.’

Gazing at the Titania Mountains, Sophia gave a wry smile.

“A gift from the goddess… I had so wanted to receive it.”

—

The Finega family finally arrived in Ariel for their vacation. Since summer had just begun, it was early for a summer holiday. But with Helen and Sol planning a trip in a month, they decided to spend time with Ellie in Ariel beforehand.

Sophia first heard about the now-famous novel from Helen. It seemed the characters’ names were only given as initials, likely to avoid catching the attention of certain individuals, but anyone could guess their identities from the descriptions and situations.

‘The Language of White Roses’

The story was about “Lady I” caught between love and conflict with two men. Due to the relentless obsession and scheming of “Lord R,” she kept her distance from “Lord F,” despite her love for him.

The novel, serialized in the leftover sections of a cheap weekly newspaper, mainly targeted commoners but had spread by word of mouth among young ladies like Helen.

Sophia gave a bitter laugh. She didn’t believe in true freedom. How much freedom could there be in a society layered with emperors and nobles? Surely, there were intentions and influences from certain figures in the publishing houses and newspapers.

This cheap weekly newspaper was undoubtedly a mere tool for someone. The intent was so blatant that it might arouse suspicion, but no one would dare confront the Wiscombe family about it. There would be no evidence, just enough to let them deny everything.

With a cynical smile, Sophia said,

“So Isabelle plays the tragic heroine, which makes the male lead most likely Prince Frederick.”

And the character threatening Isabelle would surely be Prince Robert. If another villain appeared, it would probably be Parma Gareth.

Helen, excited, said,

“They say that even with all the secrecy, the sales are astronomical. The price is low, too. There was a royal ball recently, and those three were all present.”

“Huh? Before the novel was serialized?”

“Yes. Everyone knew about it since it was a hot topic even before the ball. It was especially popular because it was held to find a match for Prince Robert. Many noble ladies and gentlemen attended this ball. There’s speculation that someone who saw the three of them at the ball went on to write the novel. While the Wiscombe family was suspected initially, the prevailing opinion now is that it was written anonymously by a noble as a joke that unexpectedly caught on.”

Sophia spoke up.

“Then could we also write a novel like that?”

“Pardon?”

Sophia continued playfully.

“I’ve read all the popular romance novels by now, so I know how the plots typically unfold. Great! Helen, help me with it. I think a story featuring three main characters could work well. Publishing it would bring in money, right?”

She was joking but then became serious.

‘If only it really could make money.’

Sophia was contemplating a new way to earn money. The temple had truly yielded nothing. She had written a book on mythology, but it wasn’t something that could bring in profit; it served a different purpose.

As Sophia pondered this, Helen wandered around her room, admiring things. Picking up a stone that Sophia had brought back from the temple as a memento, Helen commented,

“It’s a good thing you brought some rock salt before summer started. It’s still cool, so there aren’t many insects, but it’s wise to prepare in advance.”

Sophia looked at Helen and the stone.

“…That’s rock salt?”

Helen examined the rock more closely and said,

“Isn’t it? It looked just like the samples in the school lab, so I thought it was rock salt.”

She touched her tongue to the stone lightly.

“It’s salty. It’s definitely rock salt. Did you take this without knowing what it was? You didn’t just find it lying around, did you…?”

Sophia looked at the stone in astonishment, and Helen also looked at it again.

“If you just picked it up… Does that mean… there’s rock salt in Ariel… wow!”

Sophia clapped her hand over her mouth.

“Salt!”

‘So, what was glimmering in the underground cavern wasn’t just water droplets—it was salt?’

Sophia grabbed Helen’s hand and headed towards the baron’s office, but then, thinking of Gunther, she changed direction toward Ellie’s room.

‘We have to keep this hidden. This must not be revealed yet.’