Parma returned to her mansion and asked the maid who was attending her, “What’s the most popular novel right now?”

The maid, looking flustered, replied, “I’m not interested in novels, so it’s hard for me to say, My Lady.”

“Really? Then go ask one of the other maids.”

The maid left after answering, but Parma sensed something odd about her unusual nervousness.

‘What are they hiding from me?’ Parma thought. If there was something being kept from her, she wouldn’t let those who blinded her to it get away with it.

The maid’s hands trembled. Parma had noticed something was up, and it was only a matter of time before she found out. The maid immediately reported to the butler, who then informed the Duke. Duke Gareth realized he had to intervene personally.

Duke Gareth headed to Parma’s room, holding a book that was a compilation of serialized novels. Shortly after, sounds of screaming and things breaking came from Parma’s room, then silence.

After Parma had calmed down from her outburst, Duke Gareth spoke calmly.

“It’s the work of Wiscombe, no doubt. They’ll deny it, of course.”

“Who else could it be?”

“There’s no one else.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“If we take direct action, everyone will believe we’re trying to suppress this novel.”

Duke Gareth tossed the book onto the floor with disgust. On the cover, the title ‘Language of White Rose’ was written in gold leaf—a title as tacky as could be.

“Are you still willing?” he asked.

Although angry, Parma understood what the Duke meant. She knew her reputation well enough.

—

Young lords and ladies, newly armed with ideals inspired by social reform, continued to appear in society. Parma thought this had little to do with her and paid it no mind.

The problem arose when these newcomers began criticizing young lords and ladies of noble birth yet lacking ability, right in front of Parma.

Anyone would find such remarks unpleasant when said to their face. However, these critics believed that as a Duke’s daughter, Parma would keep her composure for appearances’ sake, as other noble ladies would.

But Parma wasn’t like the other young noblewomen. Nor was Gareth the type to let anyone look down on him. Parma was the same.

Whenever young ladies made careless remarks in her presence, Parma would always repay them doubly. That day, a young lady subtly mocked her while criticizing the idle noblewomen.

Parma scoffed, “And what makes you better than me? You probably spent hours doing your makeup, fixing your hair, and dressing up to come here. You attend these parties repeatedly, trying to network and secure a marriage match, yet you sneer at me as if you’re different, as if you’re superior.”

The young lady who had mocked Parma scoffed back, attempting a rebuttal. But Parma smirked and said, “Are you just thick-skinned, or do you not understand my point? If you truly believe ability is what matters, shouldn’t you skip these gatherings and go show your worth? What’s the use of standing here pretending to be different from me?”

Parma held out her empty glass and continued, “Why not start by clearing this glass? Then at least you wouldn’t be idle.”

Outraged, the young lady shouted, “Doing work doesn’t mean waiting on you!”

“I wonder if you remember how many people waited on you just to get here. Who helped you into the carriage, who assisted you out, who opened doors for you? If you truly want to transcend social rank, start by expressing gratitude to those who shadow you and work for you, not by challenging me here.”

Parma looked at the young lady’s flushed face and shook her head, “What good does it do for your cause to make a few rude remarks just to irritate me? With reasoning this shallow, you flaunt yourself as capable and accomplished?”

The indignant young lady’s friends protested, “Isn’t your reaction excessive for just a few words, Lady Gareth? Where is your dignity as a Duke’s daughter?”

Parma replied curtly, “I decide what’s excessive. If you challenge me, be prepared. You all must think little of House Gareth to lecture me about dignity.”

Parma retaliated even more forcefully each time someone picked a fight with her. Consequently, more and more young noblemen and noblewomen found themselves effectively exiled from society.

Naturally, people gradually stopped making unpleasant remarks around Parma. House Gareth had that kind of power.

However, she couldn’t escape her infamous reputation. Many described her as ruthless and brutal. Rumors abounded about the vanished young lords and ladies, but Parma didn’t care about her notoriety.

However, Parma was now the fiancée of Prince Frederick and soon to be Empress. Avoiding infamy, even if she couldn’t build a positive reputation, was wiser.

Duke Gareth wanted to protect Parma’s honor for her life in the royal court, so handling this worthless novel required caution. He soothed Parma, who was glaring at the book on the floor with fury, and spoke gently.

—

“Parma, they have only one reason for these dirty schemes: they’re trying to take Frederick from the Gareths. So, what should we do?”

“We mustn’t let them succeed. But that alone isn’t enough.”

“I know. It’s not enough. I’ll repay Wiscombe for this. We have several magazines in our hands; we can publish a novel too, with any content you desire.”

“Who would read something like that? They already have a popular novel. It wouldn’t do any good.”

“Then what do you suggest? Speak your mind.”

“For now, let’s stay silent. We’re not the only ones affected, right? How is the royal family responding? Let’s take this opportunity to see what Prince Frederick and the Empress are capable of.”

Duke Gareth smiled, “Yes, it’s far better for the royal family and the prince to step in than for us to intervene.”

After comforting Parma, Duke Gareth returned to his study, relieved that things had settled for the moment. In a more relaxed tone, he asked, “What’s the Cressida saying?”

His secretary replied, “They only said not to worry, that it’s nothing serious.”

“Damn Cressida. They’re pushing Wiscombe onto us to handle. But the royal family should be stepping in, just as Parma said. Are we certain that the House of Cressida isn’t behind the novel? Can’t trust a single one of them.”

The secretary cautiously suggested, “How about enlisting Prince Robert’s cooperation? As the primary victim of the novel, he’s unlikely to stay silent.”

“Prince Robert was cautious even when scandalous articles about him circulated; he didn’t pressure the press then, and he probably won’t now.”

“Still, it might be a good opportunity to strengthen ties with Prince Robert. As you said, the Cressida isn’t trustworthy. Even if we’re related, Cressida would rather use us than support us. Building alliances with those who can counterbalance the House of Cressida won’t be a loss.”

Duke Gareth, still frowning, replied, “You’re right. Arrange a meeting. It wouldn’t hurt to talk. Let the Cressida know about it, subtly.”

“There’s no need for that; Count Cressida is already monitoring Prince Robert.”

“Hah! Cressida’s poking a hornet’s nest with that meddling.”

The secretary nodded in agreement, “I think so too. The more Count Cressida tries to control Prince Robert, the more the Emperor will want to protect him. Count Cressida’s actions won’t sit well with the Emperor.”

“Indeed. Their family rose to prominence so quickly that everything they do is careless and crude. Just because they’re pushing Wiscombe on us doesn’t mean we have to handle it. Find another way to settle this issue.”

“I’ll think of something.”

Duke Gareth paused in thought. His son was currently in their territory, undergoing training as the heir. The Duke considered calling him to the capital but decided against it. Building experience came first, and dealing with the capital’s petty schemes was his task to manage.

Duke Gareth’s power wasn’t based on political intrigue or schemes, but from his command of the military, where the leader’s competence was paramount. His son needed time and experience to develop that competence.

With a troubled look, Duke Gareth said, “We shouldn’t associate with these schemers like Wiscombe in the capital.”

The secretary cautiously asked, “Should we monitor Prince Frederick?”

“Why stoop to Cressida’s level?”

“What if Wiscombe approaches him, or if Prince Frederick secretly meets with Isabelle Wiscombe? If Lady Parma finds out…”

“If Prince Frederick is caught meeting Isabelle, the engagement would be over.”

“Pardon?”

“If he goes down that path, there’d be no other choice. He’d be mistaken to think he could have both Isabelle Wiscombe and House Gareth.”

“Wouldn’t that be playing into Wiscombe’s hands?”

“Do you think Wiscombe could easily secure an engagement with Prince Frederick?”

The secretary, looking puzzled, said, “Isn’t that the purpose of all this? To break the engagement so that Wiscombe can secure him in our place?”

“That’s not how I see it. If the engagement truly broke off, the Empress would have to tread carefully around us for a time. And Wiscombe wouldn’t just sit back; they’d demand compensation from the Empress. Would the Empress or Cressida be prepared for that?”

“So, then?”

“This will show whether Prince Frederick is a suitable husband for Parma, and perhaps even a capable future Emperor.”

“But Prince Frederick is young; he could make mistakes…”

Duke Gareth shot him a sharp look, and the secretary trailed off, bowing his head. Duke Gareth finished his thought.

“Young mistakes… Do you know why Prince Robert is in the royal family? That, too, was a youthful error of a former Emperor. Do you understand my point?”

“Yes, I spoke out of turn.”

“Let’s go ahead and meet with Prince Robert. I’m curious to see what kind of person he is. He’s been hiding in the background all this time, but I wonder why he’s suddenly becoming more active.”

Duke Gareth was indeed curious about Prince Robert, though he also wanted to unsettle Prince Frederick and the Empress. While Robert was known to be free from ambition, his recent actions seemed uncharacteristic.

‘Is there some hidden reason why Cressida keeps bothering Prince Robert?’

***

Lately, Prince Robert had been dealing with constant headaches. His days were filled with managing his estates and attending various gatherings, leaving him no time to catch his breath. And now, yet another issue has arisen.

Robert tossed aside a book titled *The Language of White Rose* and said to Vian, “How many copies of this have been sold already?”

“Combining newspapers and books, it seems to have sold over a million copies. As you can see, it’s marked as ‘Part 1,’ so there’s a sequel coming soon. Its pre-orders alone have already exceeded ten thousand copies.”

“I bet I’m supposed to be this ‘Lord R,’ aren’t I?”

Vian nodded, and Robert gave a dry laugh. He disliked both ignoring such cheap novels and responding to them.

“Why is it that, when given freedom, more people exploit it for harm rather than use it for good?”

“It’s because tools placed in untrained hands will lead to misuse. Those who understand it better can easily sway those who don’t.”

“Exactly. I can’t ignore it, but addressing it would be just as problematic. What should I do?”

Seeing Robert’s frustration, Vian said, “If you’re thinking of leaving it alone, then don’t let it trouble you. Otherwise, it’ll just exhaust you. Better to take a break, don’t you think?”

“That’s the problem—I can’t just push it from my mind. Fine, let’s focus on these pending reports instead.”

Robert soon cast aside the novel issue and buried himself in his work.

Several weeks passed, and the time for the second part of the book’s release arrived. Just then, Duke Gareth expressed his desire to meet with Prince Robert, and Robert immediately accepted the invitation.