Gunther opened his book again and spoke indifferently.

“You could, of course.”

Sophia nodded and replied.

“I’m considering self-publishing. But if His Majesty is interested, there is the royal publishing house, isn’t there? The one that distributes textbooks to schools throughout the Empire. Just imagine, if the book were published there, students across the Empire would learn about the myth of Uranos.”

Seeing that Gunther looked like he understood, Sophia added.

“Of course, they’d learn about the goddess Titania and Ariel too. I’d rather people think of Ariel as the protector of Titania, with the Titania myth in the foreground, instead of calling Ariel a parasite of the Empire.”

Gunther was impressed by Sophia’s well-reasoned approach. There would be no need for him to make a decision; it was up to His Majesty.

“You want to establish Ariel’s standing as the guardian family of Titania.”

Sophia spoke carefully.

“That would be ambitious. But I hope they recognize that ‘Ariel is an ancient family that protects the Titania mountains, ranges, and the Empire.’ Baron Ariel is even prepared to relinquish his land if necessary, but I don’t want to give up on Ariel. I want to make sure no one removes us from Titania. Please convey this to His Majesty: the Ariel family has always been loyal, and we believe Ariel’s true enemies have always been outsiders.”

Gunther looked down at his book with a complicated expression. The book was decent, but would the Emperor permit it if he knew her motives? He would, if it meant keeping Ariel here.

No one would do better in Ariel than Baron Ariel himself.

“I will present Lady Ariel’s proposal to His Majesty.”

Gunther said with satisfaction.

“Now I understand why you’ve been so immersed in myths and temples. It was too intense to be a hobby, so I suspected there was another purpose. You wanted to raise awareness about Ariel.”

Gunther was relieved that his doubts had been resolved.

Although Sophia was smiling, she was taken aback. She hadn’t realized Gunther suspected anything. Helen’s visit had, in many ways, been a blessing for Ariel.

“Now, let’s start making some money. Who knew writing could suit me?”

***

Sophia began writing her novel ambitiously, but it wasn’t going well. She was just wasting paper.

John and Baron Ariel smiled as they watched Sophia working on her novel. Gunther sent Sophia’s book to the capital and read it to the children he taught.

When Gunther returned to the Baron’s office after finishing his school lessons, Sophia was busily working on a romance novel.

Gunther spoke to Sophia.

“The children are responding well. Learning about the myths while living in Titania and Ariel helps them focus better. Some even return with stories from their grandparents.”

Sophia signaled to Jack, who quietly left the office.

“I’ve decided to set aside time to read to the children in the afternoons; did you know?”

Sophia, noting Gunther’s surprised expression, continued.

“You’ve met Helen Finega, right? After visiting the school a few times, she wanted to help while she was here in Ariel. So I asked her to read to the children.”

Right on cue, Helen entered the office. Gunther looked briefly startled, glancing between Helen and Sophia, while Jack watched the scene unfold from outside the door.

Helen spoke to Gunther.

“Seeing you work so hard at the school, I couldn’t just sit back. I hope you’ll help me as well.”

Gunther stood up, and Helen followed him, saying,

“Please teach me from Sophia’s book first. I’d like to learn so I can teach the children too.”

Gunther glanced back at Sophia with a troubled expression, but she simply sat back down and looked at her blank paper. Nervously, he followed Helen’s lead, with her giving Sophia a reassuring nod as she exited.

Jack followed them, observing from behind.

Helen’s trips between the school and the office kept her occupied, while Gunther avoided coming to the office or the castle whenever possible, staying at the school as much as he could.

“I’m so grateful to have Helen here.”

Sophia was able to focus on her writing without worrying about Gunther. If the novel succeeded, it could even bring in money.

—

‘The Language of White Roses’

Helen lent Sophia a collection of all the serialized parts up to date. Though crudely printed, the collected issues of this cheap, widely sold serial novel were doing well.

After reading ‘The Language of White Roses’ once, Sophia looked back down at her blank page. She felt herself fading away.

While Sophia was absorbed in writing her novel, Ariel was bustling with activity. With a sufficient budget, work flowed smoothly, unlike before.

The Baron of Ariel was working tirelessly despite his previous declaration that he could give up Ariel at any time. John teased the Baron, saying,

“Baron, are you sure it’s wise to invest so heavily in a territory that might soon end up in someone else’s hands?”

The Baron smiled and replied, “That was only a last-resort statement. How long has it been since things proceeded so smoothly? We’ve accomplished tasks we couldn’t before in no time. Doesn’t it excite you?”

John smiled back and responded, “It does. It’s been a while since everyone felt this energetic. The atmosphere of the territory has improved too. Ariel will only keep getting better, Baron.”

“Yes, it will. Do you think Sophia’s new hobby will last long?”

“It seems her work isn’t going well. She moved to her room, saying the office isn’t conducive to concentration, so the office feels quite empty. Even Jack says he hasn’t seen much of her lately. Whatever she starts, she immerses herself in, so this time it’ll probably last over two months. I’m sure she’ll surprise everyone again.”

“Indeed. Sophia deserves to focus on something she loves. Or rather, I need to make sure she can.”

They only saw Sophia’s writing as a new hobby. After discovering a salt mine, they assumed Sophia was merely indulging in another pastime.

For Sophia, though, writing wasn’t just a pastime—it was a means to make money and a weapon. As she continued writing, she began to crave more. She wondered if she could use her novel for political purposes, just as ‘The Language of White Rose’ served a hidden agenda.

Sophia wished to target Wiscombe as openly as possible, though only if she could keep her authorship hidden. Since she wasn’t confident that her identity could remain concealed, she hesitated to take such a direct approach.

After days locked in her room, she decided to shift her focus. Instead of targeting Wiscombe openly, she chose to glorify Prince Robert, who, among the three protagonists, was at least somewhat favorable to Ariel. Ariel would need Umbriel’s support.

‘I’ve already flattered the Emperor; now it’s time to flatter Prince Robert.’

—

While Sophia was busy depicting Prince Robert in a favorable light, Robert was occupied meeting people in the capital. He actively participated in gatherings and parties, particularly to invite Frederick.

The Empress wasn’t one to ignore Prince Robert’s efforts to establish connections and expand his network with the nobility. She might not want Frederick around Isabelle at parties, but seeing Robert’s actions made it hard for her to intervene.

‘The Empress can’t stand seeing me step out and receive attention.’

Making connections was important, and having Frederick frequently meet Isabelle was essential. Still, he began every morning by managing affairs related to Umbriel.

Robert reviewed reports and letters from Mav, who craftily mixed complaints with regular reports, making it nearly impossible to grasp matters without his lamentations.

Robert sighed and remarked, “Mav certainly has a knack. I still can’t understand how such a person ended up with me.”

His chief secretary, Vian, also reading the report, smiled. “Does Mav trouble you?”

“Not at all. He complains endlessly, but he’s handling Umbriel’s affairs quite well. I just mean he’s too talented for me. He could have ended up in the administration wing or Prince Frederick’s office.”

“As I understand it, Mav volunteered.”

“Oh? He told me it was sheer bad luck.”

“Ah! He mentioned a fortune-teller’s advice, who said that to ward off misfortune, he should aim for the least desirable position to pass the exam.”

“Haha! I’d like to meet that fortune-teller. Seems they know their craft.”

“Indeed, the fortune-teller appears to have a keen eye. Mav must have felt desperate enough to take their advice.”

Robert suddenly fell silent, lost in thought. Vian took a step back, not interrupting his prince during these reflective moments.

After handling the affairs of Umbriel in the morning, Robert’s routine included meeting people from various fields. His aim was not to have them support him explicitly but rather to ensure they saw his real self, not merely the tabloid gossip.

—

Isabelle Wiscombe also made a deliberate effort to participate in social circles, despite her shyness.

While Parma remained oblivious, busy dragging Prince Frederick to various gatherings, he’d soon realize why Frederick had suddenly become so industrious, even if Frederick used Robert as his excuse.

Though the summer in the capital was hot, nobles postponed their vacations to attend any gatherings involving the two princes and the two daughters of dukes.

Count Cressida closely monitored which families and individuals Prince Robert was associating with. Despite his pressure, if Prince Robert had the Emperor’s support, he could potentially marry into a reputable family, and there were many who might align with him.

The novel *The Language of White Rose* was slowly spreading among the nobility. Although they dismissed it as a cheap novel, nobles read every word, eagerly tracking down each new installment despite criticizing its possible hidden intent.
Parma was the last among those involved to find out about the novel’s existence.

Those around Parma avoided discussing the popular novel in front of her. Everyone was careful to hold their tongues, fearing Parma’s anger if she learned about it.

It had been only a month since Isabelle predicted that Parma would come after her within two months.

***

Parma was in one of the happiest periods of her life, enjoying herself at various parties and gatherings with Prince Frederick.

Then, by chance, she overheard other young ladies talking in the powder room during a certain countess’s tea party.

“The part where Lady I finally confesses her feelings to Lord F is so heartfelt, isn’t it? Such a tragic romance. They both hid their feelings and pretended not to care, but eventually, those deeply buried emotions burst out.”

“Exactly. For a cheap novel, it expresses emotions quite well. Don’t you think Lord R would really act like that in real life when he threatens Isabelle?”

Their voices grew quieter, so Parma didn’t catch the rest of the conversation. But when she made her presence known, the young ladies talking lowered their heads like guilty children and quickly left the powder room.

At first, Parma had no particular thoughts about what she overheard. But suddenly, the way they rushed out to avoid her made her suspicious of their conversation.