Gunther knew that Sophia didn’t behave like an ordinary girl, but even so, it was unlikely that the Emperor or Chamberlain Caliban had anticipated her delving so deeply into his work.

Relying on the certificate in his hand, Gunther made up his mind.

‘The document is my safest guide.’

Carefully placing the certificate on the table, Gunther straightened his posture and began to report with resolve.

“Yes, I can mobilize troops. I have intelligence units and reserve forces stationed in both Ariel and Umbriel under my command. Do you want to know the exact number of forces?”

“Enough to arrest conspirators and safely escort them to the capital—not just the minor players, but even the masterminds?”

Gunther nodded.

‘This young lady… she’d make an excellent inspector,’ he thought.

Sophia grinned slyly. “That means you’re not working alone. There must be personnel supporting you—likely a small, organized group. Send some of them to Oberon. And if you receive reports about Saturn’s activities, I want those reports shared with me as well.”

Gunther sighed. “This is adding a lot of work. I don’t mind taking orders from Lady Ariel, but this is quite the workload.”

“In exchange, I’ll make sure Helen doesn’t bother you this winter,” Sophia teased.

To her surprise, Gunther’s face turned bright red as he muttered, “That’s… not necessary…”

Sophia’s eyes widened. “You like Helen? Then why have you been avoiding her like the plague? Helen thought you despised her. You wouldn’t even look at her face toward the end!”

Gunther mumbled awkwardly, “It’s just… I was too embarrassed. I’m shyer than I look…”

His timid tone, so incongruent with his burly appearance, made Sophia shake her head. Whether Helen would be pleased or upset upon learning this was anyone’s guess.

“You may not know this,” Sophia began, “but during my engagement ball, Helen spent quite a bit of time with Oberon’s second son. Geographically, Oberon is close to Ariel, and since the Finega family is related to Ariel by marriage, it seemed like a good match.”

Gunther’s face darkened.

“But now that I think about it, something feels off. According to Helen, Lord Oberon approached her first. On the surface, there’s nothing suspicious about that. But Oberon… why would a family with one of the wealthiest estates in the Empire approach a bourgeois lady with only money to her name?”

Gunther’s sharp eyes flashed, but Sophia continued as if she hadn’t noticed.

“I’m not downplaying Helen’s charm, but that ball’s guest list was curated with specific interests in mind. Oberon was invited because of matters concerning Ariel and Umbriel. So why the interest in the Finega family?”

Gunther nodded, agreeing with Sophia’s doubts.

“Look into Oberon,” Sophia instructed. “Specifically, his trade dealings with Saturn and any activities he’s involved in there. I don’t have the means to investigate that myself.”

“Understood. But what if the Emperor learns of all this?”

“Of course. You may follow my orders, but you’re still the Emperor’s inspector. I’m not asking you to conceal information or turn a blind eye to Ariel’s affairs. Submit your reports as you always do.”

“Understood. As you’re aware, even this conversation will be summarized and reported to the Emperor.”

“Oh? Including the part about Helen?”

Gunther’s face reddened again. “Not necessarily…”

“Should I tell Helen that you avoided her because you were shy, not because you disliked her? Or will you tell her yourself?”

“Please, I’ll leave that to you,” Gunther replied in a voice barely above a whisper.

‘This should make it easier to gather information on Oberon and Saturn. I’ll deal with Helen later,’ Sophia thought.

***

The Imperial family’s overtures to the bourgeoisie had prompted a more active response from them, as they saw opportunities for profit in the Crown’s openness. They rallied around Prince Robert as their focal point.

In response, the nobles sought to strengthen their own ties with the Imperial family, frequently meeting with Prince Robert.

Today’s gathering was arranged for that purpose. To balance the nobles’ concerns about the Crown’s growing closeness with the bourgeoisie, the Emperor had invited senior members of the royal court and high-ranking nobles.

Naturally, Prince Robert was in attendance, along with a rare appearance by Prince Frederick.

Unlike before, more people approached Prince Robert than Prince Frederick. Although Prince Robert’s reputation had been tarnished by black propaganda, practical benefits often overshadowed public opinion.

Count Cressida watched the orthodox nobles greeting Prince Robert with unease.

‘When they were clamoring for Prince Frederick’s return, where were they now?’

Prince Frederick, too, carefully observed the nobles who were now cozying up to Prince Robert.

‘We’ll see about this later,’ he thought.

Prince Robert’s demeanor had changed markedly. He took the initiative to greet hesitant nobles and those reluctant to approach him, a stark contrast to his earlier, more reserved attitude.

Gone was the image of a prince who used to step back whenever Frederick was present. Frederick frowned deeply.

‘So, it was all a pretense. Acting like he had no interest in the throne…’

Count Cressida, meanwhile, was silently berating himself. He wondered if the attacks against Prince Robert had been too mild.

He had hoped that scorn and disdain would drive the nobles away from Robert and damage his relationships, but the outcome had been underwhelming.

Prince Robert, for his part, had chosen to ignore the slanderous articles. He treated even those who brought them up in conversation with politeness but simply avoided further interaction with them. No one dared to be openly rude to him after that, even if they gossiped about him behind his back.

This situation had driven Lady Isabelle Wiscombe to plead with Prince Frederick to come out of isolation, leading to his eventual return to public life.

***

Prince Frederick felt that he still had a long way to go. He wanted to show that he was different, especially to Duke Gareth.

Not because he wished to rekindle ties with Parma Gareth, but because he wanted to return the scornful gaze Gareth had once given him.

Frederick thought to himself that nothing about him had truly changed yet, and that frustrated him. But one of the tutors sent by the Emperor, Sir Federico, offered him some advice.

“You can never go into battle with everything perfectly prepared. Especially since Your Highness has started so late, you must move forward regardless. Meet people, listen to their stories. If you don’t understand, ask again. That’s how you grow.”

Despite his worn and shabby appearance, a testament to his many hardships, Sir Federico exuded a strength and confidence befitting someone who had endured much. With kind yet firm eyes, he continued,

“Interaction with others is essential for personal growth. Step out, Your Highness. If there’s anything you don’t understand or struggle with, come to me. I’ll do my best to assist you.”

Frederick acknowledged the wisdom in those words. He realized that merely hiding and then reemerging would create only the illusion of change, not real transformation.

When he consulted Isabelle, she, too, urged him to return to public life. Her heartfelt note read:

“More and more people are flocking to flatter and ingratiate themselves with Prince Robert. Meanwhile, it pains me that Philip is still refraining from social appearances. I beg you, Prince Frederick, please stop Prince Robert. Even just your presence and willingness to listen will earn you their respect.”

Thus, Frederick returned to the public stage.

However, those who were not fond of him viewed his reappearance with skepticism. To them, it seemed as though Frederick had stayed hidden while the orthodox nobles called for his return, only to emerge now that Prince Robert was under fire.

Frederick, too, was no longer above scrutiny. Like Robert, he had become a subject of evaluation.

Consciously, Frederick avoided the areas where Count Cressida and his son lingered. This was both a tactical move and a subtle gesture to Duke Gareth, as Frederick wanted to prove something to him.

Frederick spent his time with Duke Wiscombe, while Count Cressida made no effort to approach him either. Neither wanted to make their animosity obvious in the Emperor’s presence.

For Duke Gareth, this was his first time seeing Prince Frederick since the broken engagement. Watching Frederick converse with Duke Wiscombe, Gareth’s expression soured.

Approaching Prince Robert, Gareth spoke loudly enough to draw attention.

“Prince Robert, do you have any connection to the recent exposé involving a certain nobleman?”

Everyone turned to observe Gareth and Robert. Maintaining a calm demeanor, Robert replied,

“What would I gain from such a thing? Other than tarnishing both my honor and that of Philip Wiscombe, there’s nothing to be gained. Doesn’t that make it obvious who’s behind it?”

“I see,” Gareth said.

The onlookers naturally turned their gazes toward Count Cressida, who avoided their stares and pretended to focus on a conversation with his son.

Lowering his voice, Gareth leaned closer to Robert and asked,

“Is Prince Frederick truly changed, as the rumors suggest? Or is this just another of the Empress’s theatrics?”

“The Emperor personally appointed tutors to educate Frederick. It’s not an act. In fact, I hear the Empress has been complaining about not seeing much of Frederick lately,” Robert replied.

Gareth cast a curious glance at Frederick and then at Count Cressida.

“So, the Empress hardly sees Frederick anymore. That explains why Cressida targeted Wiscombe. Thanks for your honesty,” Gareth said, his tone laced with intrigue.

He turned his gaze toward Duke Wiscombe, frowning once more. While he didn’t regret losing Frederick, it still stung to see him taken by someone else.

Duke Wiscombe, for his part, scowled as he observed Gareth’s friendly behavior toward Robert.

Watching the two dukes glare at each other, the Emperor smiled in amusement.

There was one thing the Empress had done that the Emperor found pleasing: causing the two dukes to snarl at each other like never before. The Emperor summoned Duke Gareth closer and asked in a low voice,

“Is Lady Gareth still in the estate? Your son seems to have been away from the capital for far too long as well.”

“My boy is still far from being ready to return to the capital. He needs another ten years in the military before he’ll be of any use. As for Parma, she’ll be coming up soon. She deserves to meet a good match.”

The Emperor patted Duke Gareth’s hand and said,

“My unworthy son seems to have caused Parma much heartache. But now I’m making an effort to set him straight. When Parma arrives, let her know I’m here to help. Tell her to speak freely—whoever she desires, I’ll secure them for her.”

Duke Gareth expressed his gratitude, his eyes glinting with interest. While the Emperor had said “whoever,” both of them knew there was only one person they had in mind.

Duke Gareth glanced toward Prince Robert.

‘Not bad. Maybe even better than expected.’

Seeing Duke Gareth speak with the Emperor and then shift his gaze to Prince Robert, Count Cressida and Duke Wiscombe realized that their worst fears were coming true.

As soon as the gathering ended, Duke Gareth sent word for Parma to return. Upon receiving the message, Parma headed for the capital the very next day.