Two days after reading the manuscript, Vian, with a bright face and the manuscript clutched to his chest, spoke up.

“It’s all good. The story is engaging, and the content is interesting. Most importantly, Prince Robert is portrayed quite favorably. Since it has a happy ending where Lady Parma Gareth and the prince seem to end up together, it will likely create even more buzz as it opposes the narrative of the other story.”

“Hm?”

“In this novel, Lady Isabelle Wiscombe and Prince Frederick’s tragic love is portrayed as a troublesome romance, causing inconvenience to those around them. In contrast, Prince Robert and Lady Parma Gareth are shown as victims of their shameless displays of affection. Isabelle Wiscombe appears as an ambitious woman, while Prince Frederick is depicted as a fool falling for an obvious trap set by a woman. It’s fitting with the article that’s about to be published.”

“Is that so?”

Prince Robert took the manuscript from Vian’s hands and flipped through a few pages. After a moment, he commented, “Parma and our country… The Cressida family will surely be furious. I quite like it.”

Vian nodded in agreement. They could use it politically. Prince Robert laughed aloud, something he hadn’t done in a while, feeling increasingly fond of Sophia.

“For the title, let’s go with something a little clichéd. ‘The Thorn of the Rose’. How about ‘The Thorn of the White Rose’?”

“It’s very clichéd, but I get exactly what you’re aiming for.”

The two exchanged a mischievous smile.

***

Sophia was in the greenhouse, replanting orchids that had sprouted new shoots into separate pots. If grown well, each pot could fetch at least five coins. Although a pot could sell for a silver coin after three years, that took too long.

“Would it be more profitable to sell them quickly, even if cheaply? Maybe I should sell half now and keep growing the rest?”

Sophia was engrossed in thoughts of earning money. Opening and developing the salt mine and overseeing its sales would take time. Since it might take longer than planned, she wanted to prepare accordingly.

The investment in the greenhouse was no small amount, so she was eager to earn back more than what she had put in. Just then, Jack opened the greenhouse door and called out.

“Someone’s here from Umbriel.”

“Really? But why are you so flustered?”

“Well, they’re here for you, Lady Sophia. Usually, they’d be looking for the baron or my father, but they came asking for you. Do you know what it’s about?”

“Yes, I think I do. Let me just wash my hands, and I’ll be right there.”

It was too soon for this to be a response to her novel. Unless it was a rejection, which might indeed come quickly. Sophia calmed herself as she washed her hands, careful to control her expression and hide any disappointment.

At the entrance, Sophia saw Mav waiting. Smiling brightly, Mav greeted her.

“Hello, Lady Ariel. I’m Mav Kloster, handling Umbriel’s affairs on behalf of Prince Robert. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Sophia wondered if Mav’s cheerful smile meant acceptance of her proposal or if it was merely to soften the blow of a rejection.

Sophia led Mav to the garden. The weather was exceptionally sunny, and the breeze felt refreshing after being in the greenhouse all day. In such good spirits, Sophia felt she could handle whatever answer Mav had.

Mav, seeing Sophia pour tea casually and enjoy the weather, felt delighted.

Mav also savored this rare moment of relaxation, sharing a discussion about missing the famous dessert shops in the capital as they enjoyed the tea and snacks.

With a sigh, Mav said, “I never imagined I’d end up in the North. Working in the prince’s office, I thought living in the capital was a given. More than anything, not being able to see those I miss… Letters alone just aren’t enough.”

Sophia agreed. “Exactly. It’s people we miss the most. Isn’t it vacation season? Why don’t you invite them to Umbriel? Summers come late and fall early in the North, so we actually get a lot of visitors for summer vacations.”

“I’d love to, but there’s a lack of amenities, and besides, I don’t have any free time. With the prince absent, there’s no way for me to slip away.”

“Ah, that’s true. People who excel in their work often find their workload only increases rather than decreases.”

“Yes, the more I try to do well, the more complicated things get. While I want to finish things quickly, I know there’s only more work waiting once I’m done.”

“I’ve heard Umbriel is developing and stabilizing by the day. I even heard that some who moved from Ariel to Umbriel are returning to their former homes. It’s all thanks to you, Mr. Kloster. You’ve restored a home for the people of Umbriel.”

Though Mav smiled widely at the compliment, he responded modestly.

“Please, just call me Mav. It’s not all my doing. I owe it to the emperor’s blessings and the prince’s support.”

“So humble, as befits the prince’s right hand.”

“Oh, not at all. I’m nowhere close. The real right hand is with the prince. I’m just here.”

“Still, you’re managing an entire territory. It’s not a responsibility given without trust. From what I’ve observed assisting my father, I know that managing a territory isn’t easy.”

“That much is true.”

Mav felt truly refreshed by the compliment. The gentle breeze, delicious tea, and tasty pastries only added to her pleasure. Looking around, Mav spoke.

“Prince Robert has gratefully accepted your proposal. He also mentioned that if you’d like to publish other novels, you only need to send the manuscripts here.”

Mav handed over an address.

“If you send it there, they’ll take care of delivering it to the publisher. That way, you can keep your name hidden.”

Mav then took out a small pouch from his pocket.

“This is an advance payment. If the book sells well, you’ll receive additional payments based on sales.”

The pouch held ten gold coins—an unusually large amount for a debut novelist’s contract.

Sophia was fingering the pouch thoughtfully as Mav, still gazing at the scenery, spoke.

“With ongoing plots in the capital against His Highness, it’s a relief to have someone like you. You can’t imagine how meticulous Cressida’s attacks are. His Highness has endured it since childhood, but there are still times it pains him. Until Prince Frederick marries, Prince Robert won’t be able to form any close relationships.”

Sophia commented with a gentle smile, “It’s surprising to see Mav so worried about Prince Robert. He must have endured this long thanks to those around him.”

Mav nodded instinctively but then waved his hands in denial.

“Oh no, no. It’s all thanks to Prince Robert’s own abilities. He just keeps people like me around to keep his talents under wraps.”

As Sophia continued to weigh the pouch’s heft in her hand, she thought to herself, ‘Prince Robert is certainly generous. Mav seems quite loyal to him too. He might be a better person than I thought.’

Sophia spoke with a slight smile.

“I haven’t thought of my next novel yet. I figure I should get a feel for the capital’s atmosphere before crafting a storyline. So, how are things in the capital? Is Prince Frederick still managing well? With the book’s craze, it seems he’d have a hard time pacifying Lady Gareth.”

Mav shared what he knew with Sophia.

“Well… from what I hear, Lady Gareth seems to be holding up better than expected. The real issue is Prince Frederick. The novel ‘The Language of White Roses’ is all the rage, so all eyes are on Prince Frederick and Isabelle Wiscombe. Rumors abound that Prince Frederick occasionally glances at her, almost as if he’s aware of her like in the story.”

“Do you think it’s true that Prince Frederick has feelings for Isabelle Wiscombe?”

“Yes, everyone seems to think so. Lady Gareth has stopped attending parties altogether, while Prince Frederick attends them eagerly, often keeping an eye on Isabelle Wiscombe—or so I’ve heard from a reliable source.”

“And Lady Gareth’s just taking it? She hasn’t gone straight to confront Wiscombe or Frederick? Rumor had it she wasn’t one to hold back.”

“Even Lady Gareth has to be cautious since her fiancé is a prince. If she causes a scene, the engagement could break off. I doubt the Gareth family wants to sever ties with the royal family. Besides, breaking off the engagement wouldn’t benefit anyone. I certainly wouldn’t end it if I were her.”

“So that’s why Prince Frederick can act so brazenly. It doesn’t matter if the engagement holds or not.”

“Really? I always thought he acted that way because it’s just his nature, not because of any particular intent.”

Sophia’s eyes sparkled as she said, “You really know the princes’ personalities well, as someone who worked in the palace. That’s perfect. I have so many questions.”

Sophia lowered her voice as she asked, “What I’m most curious about is the Emperor and Empress. Does the Empress ever talk to Prince Robert in private, or does she only show kindness in the Emperor’s presence?”

Mav, also glancing around, replied in a hushed voice, “Even though I work in the palace, I’m assigned to Prince Robert, so I don’t have free rein to wander around and investigate things. It’s a taboo for palace workers to interfere in family matters.”

Sophia felt a slight pang of disappointment at Mav’s words, but Mav continued resolutely.

“But I can tell you how the Empress behaves toward Prince Robert. She never looks at him. Even if they happen to be in the same place, she avoids eye contact. She doesn’t make a disgusted face, but she doesn’t even offer a fake smile. Most of the time, she completely ignores him.”

“I’ve heard that Count Cressida always has Prince Frederick at his side. Then who does Prince Robert spend his time with? I heard he traveled around several territories to gain experience.”

Mav spoke with a tone full of concern.

“He usually visits royal relatives carrying messages from the Emperor or accompanies officials managing administrative affairs. Most of his time, however, is spent reading. Although the royal family relations are complex, they’re not close. Without maternal relatives, Prince Robert is, in truth, quite lonely.”

Mav sighed again and added, “He needs to find a family through marriage that can protect him, but that’s not easy. It’s unfortunate. It would be nice if he could marry someone who would truly embrace him. But political power is the main priority.”

“Hmm… if that’s the environment he grew up in, Prince Robert turned out rather well. Perhaps Count Cressida relentlessly holds him in check because he doesn’t fully trust Prince Frederick’s capabilities.”

Mav suddenly sprang up and exclaimed, “Exactly! That’s exactly it!”

Sophia looked at her, a bit taken aback. Mav, now animated, continued.

“They cling to Prince Robert because they’re not confident in Frederick. They’ve watched him since he was young. If he were truly talented, they wouldn’t feel the need to keep such a close eye on Prince Robert. Deep down, they know Frederick lacks what it takes to be Emperor.”

After her outburst, Mav realized what he had just done and sat down with an embarrassed smile.

Sophia smiled to herself, thinking, ‘Mav isn’t an ordinary person either. Did Prince Robert intentionally keep his close?’

Mav awkwardly munched on his cookie, glancing at Sophia.

‘Is she looking at me like I’m crazy?’