Isabelle shook her head as she observed Philip’s overflowing energy. She sighed, almost as if lamenting.

“I wish Sophia and the Empress would fight. But Sophia wouldn’t dare… because of Mother…”

As Philip glared at her, Isabelle quickly changed the subject.

“Prince Frederick shows no intention of taking action. He doesn’t seem interested in escaping the Emperor’s tutelage either. Maybe we should just let it be known that all these scandalous articles are Robert’s doing.”

At the mention of Frederick, Philip sneered.

“Frederick, who seemed so thoughtless, turns out to be stubborn. The best-case scenario for us would be if Cressida’s involvement in eliminating Robert and Sophia led the Emperor to dismiss her. Wouldn’t that be perfect?”

“It would certainly be convenient if things played out that way.”

Philip rose to his feet.

“I’ll tell Father that I claimed it was all Robert’s doing. You should ask Grandmother for help with Mother’s affairs.”

Once Philip left, Isabelle sat at her desk and penned a brief note.

‘I’m upset because of my brother’s scandal. What should I do? This happened because of resentment toward me. It’s all my fault. It feels like Prince Robert orchestrated all of this.’

After reviewing the note, Isabelle rolled it up. The message would pass through a few trusted hands before reaching Frederick by the end of the day.

***

When Frederick read Isabelle’s note, he slammed his desk with all his might. The prince had also seen the article about Philip’s affair. It was clear to him that Robert was behind it.

However, what frustrated him more was Isabelle’s guilt over the article. Frederick paced his room before storming out.

The Empress was pleased to see her son visiting her after so long, even if she was certain it was because of the scandal involving the Wiscombe.

Frederick sat across from her and said, “It’s obvious Robert leaked the story about Philip, isn’t it? That petty fool. To think he’d stoop so low over being rejected by a woman.”

The Empress poured tea and placed the cup in front of Frederick, who ignored it.

“Are you just going to sit back, Mother? Will you stand by again and watch Wiscombe suffer like this?”

Sipping her tea elegantly, the Empress replied, “What do you expect me to do? Kill Robert? Or perhaps announce your engagement to Isabelle today?”

“I’m not a fool, Mother. I’m not here to beg like a child for something you can’t do. I’m confined, so I can’t do anything myself, can I?”

“Then why don’t you leave confinement? The Count and I have both told you repeatedly. Did His Majesty threaten you into staying there?”

Frederick hesitated and couldn’t answer. Staring at his tea, he stood abruptly.

“Coming here was a mistake.”

The Empress slammed her teacup onto the table as Frederick left almost as quickly as he had arrived.

“Foolish boy,” she muttered. “Blinded by a woman, he can’t even recognize his allies.”

Frederick had no intention of ending his confinement. Although he had made a promise to the Emperor, his hesitation stemmed mostly from his own lack of confidence.

‘I’m not ready yet. I don’t even know what to do. If I step forward now, I’ll just end up following my uncle’s and grandfather’s orders again. I need more time.’

Despite his frustration, Frederick was determined not to return to his old ways.

His uncle, somehow aware of Frederick’s activities, had taken away the maid Frederick had secretly recruited. Neither his grandfather nor uncle had said a word about it, which frightened Frederick even more.

It felt as though their silence said, “No matter what you do, nothing will change.”

Only now could Frederick assess his situation with clarity. There was almost nothing he could accomplish on his own.

Until now, he had lived comfortably within the fences built by others, indulging in their care. It was only after meeting Isabelle that he realized how much he had been tamed by others’ hands.

Thinking about Robert already acting as a lord in his newly granted territory, Frederick wondered if he could escape to a similar estate if the Emperor granted him one.

‘Even if I had an estate, could I escape Cressida’s surveillance?’

Frederick returned to his palace with slow, powerless steps. He knew all too well that none of his thoughts were likely to materialize.

***

Hearing that Frederick had quietly returned to his palace, the Empress felt a wave of relief. She had feared that he might confront Robert in a physical altercation.

Though reassured by Frederick’s slight improvement, she was also uneasy. She realized that Frederick might never listen to her again.

Even if his feelings for Isabelle faded, Frederick would not revert to his former self.

The Empress decided there was only one solution: to secure Isabelle Wiscombe for herself.

With a tired expression, she commanded, “Summon Countess Cressida.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Once again, an imperial messenger hurried off to the Countess Cressida’s residence.

***

Sophia stared in dismay at the newspapers and magazines Helen brought in, carrying them in an armful. After piling them heavily on the table, Helen spoke.

“I think I’ve gathered everything I could find. It seems Prince Robert’s popularity has risen recently—he’s featured in quite a few publications. Although, considering the current situation, I wouldn’t call it a wholly positive thing.”

Sophia scanned the large headlines, her eyes catching on the words: “Ambition. Greed. And Intrigue.”

“I thought of reviewing the articles before heading to the palace, but there’s far too much. Exposés about the Duke’s son and the Prince being published all at once—it’s clearly a calculated move.”

Helen flipped through a magazine and said, “Most people don’t seem to care about the intention behind it—they’re too busy pointing fingers at Prince Robert’s dark motives. One article speculates he did it out of lingering feelings for Isabelle. They’re still equating Prince Robert with the character in The Language of White Roses. The image that improved with your novel and engagement is back to square one—or worse.”

“It’s not the Wiscombe,” Sophia murmured. “It must be Prince Frederick’s camp, right?”

“Will you ask the Emperor to intervene?”

Sophia doubted the Emperor would get involved, though there were questions she wanted to ask him. In her view, it was more likely that the elders or traditionalists would rise up. Scandals involving the personal lives of a duke’s son and a prince would undoubtedly unsettle the elders, who would seize the opportunity to criticize the burgeoning bourgeoisie. They would argue that empowering the bourgeoisie led to this mess.

Even if they knew the articles were engineered, they would still use this incident to oppose the Emperor’s support for the bourgeoisie and undermine his authority.

‘If it’s from Prince Frederick’s side, is the Empress behind it? Did Cressida plan this—targeting Robert, thwarting the Wiscombe, and giving the traditionalists grounds to pressure the Emperor? If so, it’s impressive.’

Sophia couldn’t help but admire the political prowess of the capital’s elite. Skimming the articles, she noted that most shared a similar tone:

“Prince Robert exposed Philip Wiscombe’s scandal to weaken Prince Frederick’s support base.”

“Prince Robert is being painted as a villain, while Philip Wiscombe is being portrayed as a martyr. Ridiculous. Wiscombe, a martyr? They’re deliberately staying silent, probably thinking it’s best to first weaken Prince Robert’s momentum.”

Sophia sighed. “Both the Wiscombe and Cressida are playing dirty by manipulating the media. The way they sway public opinion is disgraceful.”

Helen nodded in agreement. “A friend of mine said there’s been a noticeable increase in people pressuring media outlets to run certain stories. People are catching on to how things work and want to use it for themselves.”

Sophia agreed. After all, even she had employed similar tactics. She had tried to sway public opinion with her novel and improve her and Prince Robert’s image through carefully curated events.

“Bad deeds never stop at one. They keep rippling outward.”

***

The Emperor summoned Sophia to the orchid conservatory. After she greeted him and sat down, he began, “I hear you’ve developed a keen interest in orchids lately.”

Sophia smiled awkwardly. “I saw some vibrant orchids somewhere and wondered if they could be acquired. I thought I might try growing them myself.”

“And did you find an answer?”

“I thought they were imported from Netunia, but it turns out they’re not. Orchids with abundant blooms and vivid colors are grown in Saturn’s conservatory and only a small amount is brought into the Empire.”

“So you asked someone to investigate Oberon?”

Sophia’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the Emperor.

“Don’t be startled. I was simply curious why you suddenly took an interest in Oberon’s port.”

“According to Zion, Saturn’s conservatory-produced orchids are highly sought after domestically and rarely cross the border. The few that do come to Uranos are likely purchased by individuals as gifts directly from Saturn. It led me to suspect a connection to Oberon.”

The Emperor gave her an expectant look, signaling her to continue. Sophia swallowed her hesitation.

She hadn’t planned on sharing her suspicions with the Emperor so soon, especially since she had some doubts about the haste with which she’d acted. But she knew she couldn’t hide the truth. Returning to Ariel after her engagement was dissolved, the best she could gain was the Emperor’s trust.

Sophia explained, “I recently saw exotic orchids at the Wiscombe estate. They were striking in color and size, clearly expensive. When I asked the conservatory staff, they were unfamiliar with such orchids. They mentioned they could only be from Saturn’s conservatory, known for its most beautiful and costly flowers.”

“So, you suspected Oberon?”

“If they came from Saturn, Oberon’s port would be the only entry point. And for such pricey plants to end up in the capital, the most likely sender would be Oberon’s lord. Even if the Wiscombe ordered them, they’d have to go through him for personal transactions.”

Sophia swallowed nervously before continuing, encouraged by the Emperor’s attentive demeanor.

“I then wondered: what connection might there be between Oberon and the Wiscombe? And why would neither Prince Robert nor I know of such ties? That secrecy made me suspicious, so I sent someone to monitor Oberon’s port activities, looking into ships from Saturn and Oberon’s lord. In hindsight, it may have been rash.”

“Are you planning to stop?”

“I’ll stop once I confirm my suspicions are unfounded.”

The Emperor gave a slight smile and smoothly shifted to another topic. Sophia let out a quiet sigh of relief.

In a leisurely tone, the Emperor asked,

“How is Mr. Finega? It seems he’s been avoiding my invitations. I’ve received several letters from him, all full of elaborate excuses. I’m concerned he might be feeling too burdened.”

“Mr. Finega is worried about the potential impact on his business,” Sophia replied. “While he’s mentally prepared for some scrutiny because of my engagement, he feels that dining with Your Majesty might cross a line. Even if he has no intentions, it could appear otherwise to others.”

“A cautious man,” the Emperor noted. “He has a more farsighted perspective than many nobles I know. That’s why I wanted to meet him.”

The Emperor looked at Sophia, and she met his gaze. With a gentle expression, he remarked,

“I thought you might have a request for me. Surely there’s something on your mind.”

“I have no requests, Your Majesty,” Sophia responded. “But I do have questions to ask.”