People who heard of Prince Frederick’s broken engagement were less surprised by the breakup itself than by how quietly it concluded. More were astonished that Parma did not cause a scene or stir up any trouble.

Parma simply sent a brief message to Duke Gareth, acknowledging the news upon receiving it at his estate.

Naturally, it was the Empress and Count Cressida who were most troubled by the prince’s broken engagement. Count Cressida went to see Duke Gareth, who spoke coldly.

“I only did as Prince Frederick requested. Even if you discuss it with me, there’s nothing I can do.”

Lady Cressida tried to persuade Duke Gareth along with Count Cressida, but he remained firm. The Duke sneered as he spoke to the two of them.

“Perhaps you managed to keep Prince Frederick under control until now, but things will be different from here on out. It seems he has only just begun to rebel, and at such an important time, no less. I’m afraid I won’t be able to see you out; please understand.”

With that, Duke Gareth exited first, leaving the guests alone in the drawing room. Count Cressida, seething with anger, shouted in a trembling voice,

“Bring Frederick here at once!”

Lady Cressida quickly ran out of Gareth’s estate, and soon after, the Count also left, fuming.

“Frederick, that little… After pampering him like this, he ruins everything? This…!”

* * *

A few days later, Prince Robert, who had come down from the capital, visited Ariel’s territory.

The people of Ariel welcomed him warmly, more so than ever before. Many attributed the recent prosperity in Ariel to Prince Robert, and besides, there were many who had read *The Thorn of the White Rose*, thanks to Jack’s efforts.

In Ariel’s estate, even those who hadn’t read *The Thorn of the White Rose* were familiar with its content.

Everyone viewed the fictional Prince Robert and the real Prince Robert standing before them as one and the same. Of course, aside from John and Jack, only the Baron of Ariel and his family knew the author was Sophia.

Moreover, Ariel’s residents believed that Sophia had feelings for Prince Robert.

Jack and Helen were the ones who strongly suggested and convinced the Ariel family of this. Helen had even told Ellie about the rumors that had spread in the capital involving Prince Robert and Sophia.

Although Sophia claimed she’d only involved Prince Robert to improve his public image, Helen and Ellie were convinced there was more to it.

The romantic and considerate portrayal of Prince Robert in *The Thorn of the White Rose* seemed to them to be something only possible if the author had deep affection for him.

When Alex heard this from Ellie, he was astonished and told Baron Ariel.

“Sophia is in love with Prince Robert. That’s why she started writing the novel. She couldn’t bear to watch him being scorned in other stories.”

The Baron’s expression darkened. He still hadn’t forgotten how Prince Robert had abandoned Sophia at the debutante ball.

But his misunderstanding soon turned to sympathy. Given that the novel’s ending matched Prince Robert with another woman, it seemed clear that Sophia was well aware she could never be with him.

And yet, she had written the novel for his sake.

Everyone came to understand Sophia’s pain, though none mentioned it to her directly. Helen, who had persuaded everyone of Sophia’s feelings, returned to the capital to prepare for a trip.

After all this, Prince Robert arrived in Ariel. Everyone secretly hoped he would seek out Lady Sophia first.

Even the Baron of Ariel, despite his reservations, couldn’t hide his satisfaction when Prince Robert mentioned Sophia’s name.

Clearing his throat, the Baron said, “She’s probably in the garden.”

Alex stepped forward to personally guide Prince Robert there.

John, seeing the Baron allowing Prince Robert to meet with Sophia despite his objections, remarked,

“You don’t seem to dislike Prince Robert as much as you say, my lord.”

“It’s not for Prince Robert’s sake. It’s for Sophia’s. Is Ariel truly destined to be tied to Uranos? Just because everyone is embracing free love doesn’t mean the royal family will too. Especially not with Prince Robert—he’ll need an incredibly powerful family behind him. So… no, I don’t need to worry about that. If only it weren’t for that damned Wiscombe! Without them, Sophia wouldn’t have had to go through this.”

Though Ariel had a salt mine, at that time, it was more a source of trouble than a solution. John, looking sympathetic, replied,

“I understand. It’s just a simple visit. Lady Sophia will be pleased to see him after so long.”

“Yes, that should be enough.”

However, after Prince Robert left, Sophia sought out the Baron of Ariel to say something that made him regret his decision for the rest of his life.

* * *

The weather was bright, and the people she met had a relaxed demeanor. Their financial well-being seemed to have brought them a sense of peace. Sophia, too, felt the same.

She had received the advance payment for her novel, along with additional royalties based on its sales. Her fears for the future had mostly disappeared. Now, she tended the plants in her greenhouse with ease, working without excessive expectations or calculations.

Today, Sophia was once again sitting in the garden under the clear sky, spending her time reading a book. She was keeping up with news from the capital through Helen’s letters and magazines. Although the information came a bit late, it was enough to give her a general sense of what was happening.

“News from the capital usually just concerns the princes, so there’s nothing Ariel urgently needs to know.”

As she leisurely turned the pages, Sophia thought of the events in the capital as though they were fascinating gossip.

Since Prince Frederick’s broken engagement, there had been no news of an engagement between him and Isabelle. Sophia had expected Prince Frederick to announce a new engagement immediately after the breakup, but her guess had been wrong.

It made her more curious since the Gareth ducal family had remained silent about the breakup. With Lady Parma’s personality, Sophia had expected her to have a confrontation with Frederick or engage in a heated argument, yet no rumors of such things had spread.

Since her knowledge of Prince Frederick and Lady Parma was based on gossip and hearsay, Sophia’s expectations about them were often off the mark.

Sophia wondered if the rumors about Lady Parma were exaggerated, like those about Prince Robert. Perhaps her bold actions had simply been misrepresented.

‘Even though I know better than anyone that not all rumors and reports are true, I still end up believing them. Is it because it doesn’t directly involve me?’

Regardless, since Lady Parma had quietly withdrawn, there were no obstacles between Prince Frederick and Isabelle. Yet there had been no reports of them spending time together or of Prince Frederick visiting her.

Given the public’s watchful eyes, it might be that everything was happening under the surface, and Sophia in Ariel was in no position to know. In fact, even if she were in the capital, she wouldn’t necessarily know.

Sophia thought that for her next novel, it might be better to write a completely fictional story instead of one based on real people. She wanted to write without any political intentions or ulterior motives.

It was just a plan for now; she hadn’t even started yet. With the newfound leisure, it was hard to push herself as she had before.

The only concern she had was the salt mine.

‘Becoming a Marquis at the frontier would at least ensure freedom from interference from the Empire and other territories. At the very least.’

Securing a Marquis title required time, troops, and money. Although the Finega family had offered to invest in the mine’s development, it was too early for that. The first priority was to build the strength needed to fend off any interference.

Currently, Baron Ariel and John were pushing forward, increasing the border guard from 200 to 300 men. Training included the guards from Umbriel, so there were now 400 soldiers within Ariel.

But it was still far too few. Furthermore, a basic structure and command system needed to be established before the apprentices could become official knights, and work on this was underway.

Gunther, even after Helen had gone up to the capital, was spending a lot of time at school. He was thoroughly enjoying the process of teaching the children.

Nevertheless, he made sure to regularly visit the office, review the budget documents, and write reports to be sent to the capital. He also inspected the new training grounds and stables.

Sophia could see why Gunther was someone the Emperor trusted.

‘Diligent and grounded. Is it because he’s an elite? Or because he’s someone the Emperor personally selected?’

Gunther might have been suspicious of the fact that most of Ariel’s investments were being directed at increasing the forces. He had once questioned Sophia’s dedication to the temple, wondering if there was a hidden motive behind it.

‘A capable person indeed. Ariel is fortunate.’

After hearing stories from Baron Ariel and Administrator John about the troubles caused by other auditors, Sophia was grateful that Auditor Gunther, while observant, did not interfere and seemed focused on reporting accurately.

Meanwhile, Sophia had heard that Prince Robert was planning to visit Ariel, but she didn’t pay it much attention, as she felt it was unrelated to her.

She assumed that since Umbriel and Ariel were cooperating in military administration, Prince Robert was likely visiting Umbriel and then stopping by Ariel.

One thought did occur to her, though.

‘Is it really okay for Prince Robert to be away from the capital right now?’

Regardless of whether Prince Frederick got engaged to Isabelle or not, the Gareth family was bound to be displeased, which could be an opportunity for Prince Robert.

‘Is he missing a golden opportunity by shuttling between Umbriel and Ariel?’

There would be no benefit to Ariel if Prince Frederick ascended the throne. Especially if he married Isabelle Wiscombe.

‘I hope Prince Robert can secure the support of the Gareth family.’

As she thought this, Prince Robert entered the garden with Alex, and Sophia looked at them in surprise. She greeted Prince Robert and asked,

“Isn’t everything hectic in the capital these days?”

Prince Robert replied, “Meeting people takes up most of the time in the capital, so it’s manageable. Besides, it’s my vacation period, so I don’t absolutely need to be there.”

Alex excused himself, saying he had work, and left. It was clear he was intentionally giving them space.

Recently, Sophia had noticed her household members acting a bit strangely. However, whenever she asked, no one would give her a straight answer.

Once Alex was gone, Prince Robert took a seat and asked, “Did you hear that Prince Frederick broke off his engagement?”

“Yes, I heard. Did he get engaged again already?”

“No, not yet. The tug-of-war between the Wiscombe family and the Empress continues.”

“Really? I’d imagine the Empress would feel quite uneasy with how quickly the engagement ended, so I’m surprised she’s holding out.”

“She has to. From what I understand, Duke Gareth granted the breakup without argument after something Prince Frederick said. He told everyone to go ask Prince Frederick for details. Even if the Empress questions him, Frederick refuses to answer. Since Frederick isn’t listening to her, the Empress is hesitant to give Wiscombe a definitive response, fearing she may lose her influence over Frederick entirely.”

“Did Prince Frederick really say to Duke Gareth’s face that he like Lady Isabelle?”

“Something along those lines.”

“How do you know about their conversation?”

“Duke Gareth told me himself.”

“Oh! So Duke Gareth chose you over Prince Frederick? Congratulations.”

Despite her words, Prince Robert’s expression remained dark. He absently stabbed his cake with a fork and said, “That choice comes with its own set of problems. In fact, I came today to propose something.”

“It might be another profitable opportunity.”

Sophia’s eyes sparkled with interest.