Sophia, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere, said:
“When it comes to the princes’ qualities, Mav knows far better than I do. So, I should be more cautious. They might even choose to eliminate Prince Robert. Standing out too much would be bad, but having no power at all would also be a problem. It must be difficult for those who serve him in such a complex situation.”
“That’s true. Count Cressida is always moving in secret,” Mav said, unintentionally becoming a fervent supporter of Prince Robert as he shared his thoughts on the Empress with Sophia.
In reality, Mav was merely an employee. He was working for Prince Robert because of a fortune teller’s prophecy, and he stayed in Umbriel because Robert, his superior, had told him to remain there.
Mav ended up in his position by chance. But when he saw Sophia’s gaze on him, he felt a twinge of guilt, as though he had lied.
Mav laughed awkwardly and said, “I’ve probably just said too much. I’m merely a subordinate of Prince Robert. My role is just to follow orders. We have no way to handle the issue with Count Cressida ourselves.”
“Whatever happens, I hope there’s no major setback for Prince Robert.”
Mav agreed. Whether or not Robert became emperor, he hoped to keep his position and work by his side for as long as possible.
To Sophia, Mav seemed like a typical bureaucrat—or at least, that’s how Mav appeared to view himself. He reminded Sophia of the kind of people in the administration building, like Administrator John and Alex, who would follow orders from above but showed little loyalty.
Though Mav hinted at dissatisfaction with Robert and another unknown superior, he still appeared loyal to Robert to the end.
Sophia smiled to herself.
‘Even someone as loyal as Mav has become a strong supporter of Prince Robert. He complains, but he must think Robert won’t hold it against him. It seems Robert is generous with his people. Strengthening the alliance between Ariel and Umbriel would be wise.’
After finishing his conversation with Sophia, Mav returned to Umbriel but first signed a simple emergency contact agreement with Baron Ariel, ensuring regular administrative exchanges between the two territories and allowing the use of military emergency lines for urgent matters.
After sending Mav off, Baron Ariel asked John, “Did he talk with Sophia for long?”
“I heard it was regarding a novel’s publication. She asked Prince Robert to arrange its release, and he visited Ariel today to deliver an advance payment to Lady Sophia.”
“Did you read it?”
“No. She refused when I asked. She only said it was a romance novel and not to worry about it.”
“So she turned you down too. It seems that aside from Ellie and Helen, no one else has read it. Even Alex was refused.”
“With her using a pen name, it seems unlikely to find it in stores. It’s a shame.”
“So are you just going to give up?”
“Well… it’s only a romance novel, so I wouldn’t go as far as to…”
Seeing Baron Ariel’s gaze, John quickly changed his tune.
“If we press Jack, we might be able to find out.”
Only then did Baron Ariel nod with satisfaction. John understood the baron’s strong desire to read Sophia’s work, perhaps even to keep a copy for himself.
He was already cherishing his copy of *The Legends of Titania*, worn from overuse, now only admiring it with his eyes to avoid further damage.
A parent ought to know when their child accomplishes something, after all. As a father himself, John resolved to get the novel for the baron.
***
One month later, another person found themselves busy because of Sophia’s novel. Philip, holding a book in one hand, sighed as he looked at the silver-embossed title ‘Thorns of the White Rose’.
“We’ve been attacked in the same way. Anyone familiar with ‘The Language of White Rose’ would know this was our work. The Gareth duchy, since their engagement with Prince Frederick, has become uncharacteristically cautious, so they may resort to unprecedented methods.”
Looking at the title of ‘Thorns of the White Rose’, Philip smirked bitterly. It was clearly a deliberate play on ‘The Language of White Rose’.
“I know Prince Robert well enough to say that he would never resort to press censorship. He resents the emperor’s insistence on freedom of the press but abides by it nonetheless. Count Cressida certainly wouldn’t spread rumors linking Robert to the Gareth family. It must be Gareth.”
The Duchess of Wiscombe, with a cool expression, said, “I agree, it sounds like Gareth. This novel came out shortly after that vulgar article was published. In that article, they painted Isabelle and me as unmatched temptresses, and it’s no coincidence that this novel aligns with that portrayal. The timing is too convenient for them to have written the novel after the article—it must have been coordinated. The Duchy of Gareth has been far too quiet.”
“Mother, you had already anticipated the backlash when you tried to stir up the tabloids with serial romance novels. Why are you so upset?”
The Duchess sighed and spoke.
“It’s because of your grandmother. Since my reputation has affected Isabelle, she won’t even speak to me. And I have no face to meet her. Isabelle and Frederick still seem immature. Things aren’t going as planned, and it’s frustratingly slow.”
“It seems to me that Frederick is indeed infatuated with Isabelle. He’s just waiting for the right moment. The delay might be due to Parma Gareth not acting as expected. If Duke Gareth had scolded or pressured Prince Frederick to resolve this, he would have already run to Isabelle.”
The Duchess of Wiscombe snorted.
“Duke Gareth probably doesn’t want to lose Prince Frederick. But he can’t hold on forever. You know how much Parma has flaunted Prince Frederick. Naturally, he must be furious with the current situation. But he hasn’t even come out in public. Is there a problem with Parma’s health? Have you discovered anything? Could Duke Gareth have confined Parma?”
Philip thought for a moment and spoke slowly.
“All I’ve found out is that Prince Robert and Duke Gareth met—before any of this happened. If these articles and novels are a collaboration between Duke Gareth and Prince Robert, things won’t be easy. Gareth could switch to supporting Robert if he loses Frederick, but we aren’t certain we can secure Frederick, and as for Robert, well…”
“That’s enough. Once Isabelle has Frederick firmly in her grasp, everything will be solved. Even if the worst happens and there’s no marriage with the prince, the House of Wiscombe will stand strong.”
While the gap with the House of Gareth would widen, there would be no disappearance of Wiscombe as threatened to Isabelle.
The Duchess of Wiscombe suppressed her anger to avoid acting rashly. Her past reappearing was solely an internal matter for her.
‘It’s nothing serious. Mother never acknowledged me to begin with, so it’s no surprise.’
Philip spoke gently to the Duchess.
“Having criticized others, we must accept counterattacks. What’s important is what comes next. You are a Duchess, no matter what anyone says. Don’t let this shake you. This isn’t the first time you’ve faced criticism, is it? You’ve endured until now, and you’ll be fine going forward as well.”
The Duchess smiled at Philip’s reassurance and pondered how best to respond to the situation.
‘Perhaps not responding at all would be best?’
***
Prince Frederick was at his wit’s end lately. He had also read the novel ‘The Language of White Roses’. It felt like someone who knew him well had written it, as though they understood his feelings better than he did himself.
His engagement with Parma was a choice for his future and for the empire. But his true love was Isabelle. He became certain of it the day he looked into Isabelle’s tearful eyes once again.
‘Isabelle and I have both been silently suffering from heartache, denying our true love.’
Frederick didn’t express these thoughts out loud. His uncle or mother would just say that Isabelle had crafted a scheme to seduce him.
But Frederick knew the true schemer. It was his mother. After he became engaged to Parma, she had him leave the capital.
If he ran into Isabelle by chance in the capital, he’d inevitably realize what he had been avoiding: that Isabelle was his true love.
Frederick couldn’t understand it. Both Gareth and Wiscombe were powerful ducal houses in the empire. He didn’t care which one. So why was it forbidden for him to be with the Isabelle he desired?
Frederick concluded that it was all part of his mother’s scheme. She didn’t want him devoted to Isabelle, didn’t want him living a life of servitude to her. So, she concocted this plan.
‘Mother separated me from Isabelle because she feared I might stop obeying her and Count Cressida.’
Only then did Frederick realize he had lived his whole life in his mother’s and Count Cressida’s hands.
These realizations came from the novel. Reading about Lord F’s situation in the story was when Frederick’s own enlightenment began.
‘This is my story.’
In front of his mother, Frederick lied, claiming he found the novel too beneath him to finish. But in secret, he read it every night, page by page.
Frederick saw himself as identical to the protagonist, similarly trapped in a web of power, merely a puppet for others.
Every night, he compared the situations of ‘The Language of White Roses’ with his own childhood experiences. He now understood things he hadn’t before.
He realized that most of his mother’s words were crafted to instill guilt, making him easier to control. This wasn’t in the book; Frederick realized it on his own.
Frederick believed that Parma was aware of his feelings.
‘Maybe Parma’s withdrawal is her way of acknowledging that Isabelle is my true love.’
Still, Frederick didn’t recklessly approach Isabelle. He watched her from a distance, checking if she felt the same as he did.
Isabelle smiled as she talked with others, but Frederick sensed fleeting moments of sorrow in her gaze.
Whenever he saw it, he wanted to rush to her but held back. He had to be careful. Approaching Isabelle too soon could ruin everything.
‘To be with Isabelle like the protagonist of the novel, I must first overcome the many obstacles surrounding me.’
While Frederick savored his role as a tragic hero, Philip observed him. And others were watching, too, noticing Frederick’s longing glances at Isabelle.
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Frederic is a true MI. Personally, I don’t think most Male leads we read about are capable of being good managers. They’re only that way because the author wants to portray them as wealthy and “dominant.” Of course, this also has to do with the capitalist and patriarchal mindset of Koreans. They’re not the only ones who think this way, but I say so because the authors of these kinds of novels are generally Korean.