At that moment, Lord Oberon and Baron Oberon’s deputy were sitting across from each other. The deputy spoke.

“Father insists he won’t abandon the plan.”

Lord Oberon stood abruptly.

“Insane! Is he trying to get us all killed? The old fool! He doesn’t even realize he’s being manipulated by a young woman. Did you know? That woman from Saturn sent her son back to Saturn. Meanwhile, his family is still in the Empire. Even if we fail, she and her child will survive. But what about us?”

The deputy replied weakly.

“Do you think you can break Father’s stubbornness?”

“So we’re just going to push ahead with a plan doomed to fail? I’d rather seduce Sophia Ariel myself. From what I saw today, she seemed shaken by the news that Lady Gareth was arriving. It’s all a sham anyway. If I play my cards right, she might fall for it.”

“I never imagined things would get so tangled. I’ll try persuading Father again. We need to buy time. It’s Prince Robert and the House of Gareth we’re up against. No matter how much Wiscombe and Cressida support us, they won’t sacrifice themselves for us.”

“Of course not. Philip Wiscombe should be arriving soon!”

“What?”

Lord Oberon’s eyes narrowed.

“To interfere with Prince Robert and Lady Gareth’s engagement. At least Philip Wiscombe might help us buy some time.”

The deputy spoke with resignation.

“I don’t even know anymore. It feels like everyone already knows about our plan. Almost as if someone deliberately tipped them off that we’re working with Saturn.”

Lord Oberon’s eyes widened slightly, his voice trembling.

“Who could have betrayed us? Saturn? Cressida?”

The deputy responded grimly.

“If everyone already knows, we’ll have no choice but to force our way through, just as Father insists.”

***

Gunther knocked cautiously before entering the room. Sophia stood by the window, gazing out at the sea despite the cold weather. The room was chilly, as if the window had been open for some time.

Sophia spoke.

“You can see the sea from any window in Oberon Castle. The wind blowing in from the sea is so different from the mountain breezes.”

“It’s just as cold, though. I’ll have the fireplace lit.”

Sophia said nothing, continuing to stare outside. Gunther called for someone to light the fire, then closed the window and guided Sophia toward the fireplace. As the warmth filled the room, he handed her a teacup.

Sophia accepted it and asked,

“What’s the current situation in Oberon? Are Saturn’s spies everywhere?”

“Despite it being winter, I haven’t seen such a lively port in a long time. There aren’t many ships arriving, but the taverns are packed. I wasn’t lonely either—plenty of people were following me around.”

“You heard from Helen, didn’t you? About assigning someone to tail me. Can’t we use that to escalate things?”

“That would be difficult. It’s something I encounter during every field investigation.”

“Do all imperial auditors work under constant surveillance?”

“Being an auditor often makes me feel like a spy myself, even though I’m just following the Emperor’s orders.”

“Hmm.”

“That reaction is typical. Why else would people call imperial auditors the Emperor’s informants?”

“There are too many rumors. They say that no territory remains the same after an auditor visits.”

Gunther sighed.

“That’s why everyone watches auditors with suspicion and assigns people to follow them. It’s not always because they’re guilty, though many of them are. We can’t confront Oberon simply because someone’s tailing me.”

Sophia pondered this before asking,

“Why do you think Prince Robert is coming to Oberon?”

“Because he’s worried about you being here, Lady Sophia.”

“And that’s why he’s coming with Lady Parma Gareth? Out of worry?”

“The Gareth family is known for its military might. Oberon wouldn’t dare act rashly with them present. If they misstep, Gareth won’t let it slide.”

“Oh, right.”

Sophia finally felt like she understood. The value of Parma Gareth. The Gareth family’s strength! She sighed, realizing that her fleeting jealousy had blinded her from properly assessing the situation.

“Prince Robert is shrewder than I thought.”

Seeing Sophia seem relieved, Gunther chose not to probe further about Prince Robert. Instead, he remarked,

“With Prince Robert, Lady Gareth, and me—the Emperor’s auditor—all in Oberon, whatever Oberon’s plan is, they’ll have to revise it.”

“True. Still, I’m curious about what their original plan was.”

“If Oberon suggests an engagement to buy time to adjust their plan, would you consider it?”

“Earlier, I wouldn’t have, but now that you mention it, I’m tempted. An engagement to Lord Oberon.”

“Uh…”

“Shall we head out? Helen must be worried sick. She sent you entirely to me. If Lady Gareth’s visit means a quick broken engagement, I’d prefer it if Lord Oberon tried to seduce me.”

“Ahaha!”

Gunther laughed awkwardly. Sophia thought to herself that if Lord Oberon’s demeanor changed, it would mean the plan had shifted.

***

Helen and Sol, worried about Sophia, were pacing the corridor in front of her room. The moment they saw Sophia, they rushed to her side, bombarding her with questions about whether she was all right.

Gunther sighed and thought to himself,

‘Don’t get involved. Don’t get involved. The broken engagement isn’t my business. Damn it! Why is Prince Robert even coming here? He should just stay in the capital.’

Gunther glanced down the empty corridor, where no one else was passing by.

‘Suspicious people always give off a suspicious air.’

Noticing Gunther’s serious expression, Helen approached him and gave him a light jab in the side.

“Gunther, you need to take Sophia’s side. Even if Parma Gareth appears, promise you’ll still be on Sophia’s side.”

Sweat began to bead on Gunther’s forehead. Meanwhile, Sophia and Sol observed the interaction and exchanged whispers.

“Are we sure Helen actually likes Gunther?” Sophia asked.

“Even if you pity him, just pretend you don’t notice. Helen needs to realize she’s acting strange—either to scare him off or make up her mind,” Sol replied.

“Hmm. Maybe I should?”

“By the way, do we really need to stay in Oberon? Something does seem off.”

“What seems off?”

“Have you noticed that more people are arriving than leaving? At this time of year? In Oberon, of all places?”

Sophia felt a sense of pride at Sol’s perceptiveness, recognizing the same suspicion that had crossed her own mind. She commented,

“You complain about people treating you like a child, but you seem to use it to your advantage.”

“I know I look even more like a kid when I throw a tantrum about it. But it makes sneaking around easier. I’ll even beg to ride a ship tomorrow and take a look around the harbor.”

“Sol, let me remind you again—”

“I know, I know. I’ll be careful and stick close to Gunther whenever possible.”

Sophia looked at the three people who had followed her. Each of them was doing their best in their own way to assess Oberon’s situation.

‘I’d like to have Oberon for myself, but… I wonder if I’m lacking the strength to pull it off.’

Regardless of whether the Oberon family revised their plans or pressed forward, the most critical task was minimizing harm to Ariel. No matter how tempting Oberon was, sacrificing Ariel’s wellbeing to gain it wasn’t an option.

It seemed better to let Oberon make a move when Prince Robert and Lady Gareth arrived. For now, the question of who would control Oberon had to be postponed.

The ideal outcome is to eliminate Oberon without harming Ariel, gain recognition for my efforts, and secure some benefits.

That was the conclusion Sophia had reached after an afternoon of deliberation. The fact that Prince Robert was bringing Lady Gareth along suggested that Oberon posed no small threat. Acting out of greed could ruin everything.

‘Protecting Ariel comes first. Profit comes after.’

***

Even while riding in the carriage toward Oberon, Prince Robert was reviewing documents. Parma stared intently at him until Robert noticed her gaze and looked up.

“Do you have something to say?” he asked.

Parma responded,

“We’ve been together for over a week now, and you’ve never once felt attracted to me, have you? Not even a little nervous?”

Robert raised an eyebrow. Parma gestured at the pile of documents surrounding him.

“Are you planning to merge Oberon with Umbriel?”

“I haven’t considered that yet. For now, I’m just investigating Oberon’s financial resources and estimating how many troops they could rally if they were to mobilize.”

“I see. Given that Lady Ariel went all the way to Oberon, she must be quite invested. If Ariel proposes a unification with Oberon, would you permit it?”

“I haven’t decided yet. The Marquis of Ariel is a trustworthy man. Despite Oberon’s oppression, he’s managed to protect Ariel. It doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

Parma smiled, but Robert frowned at her expression, finding her reactions difficult to understand. He found himself longing for the clarity of Sophia Ariel’s straightforward words and conversations.

Parma thought to herself,

‘He doesn’t really like Sophia Ariel. He just wants to recruit her as an Empress, valuing the Marquis of Ariel’s capabilities and her talents. It’s like she passed an evaluation.’

At the same time, Parma felt even more curious about Sophia Ariel.

‘I don’t like men like Frederick, who are intoxicated by their own emotions. But a man like Robert, who rationalizes every action from start to finish, isn’t much better. How are these brothers so opposite?’

Robert interrupted her thoughts.

“What are you thinking?”

“You and Prince Frederick are nothing alike.”

With that, Parma fell silent again. Robert shook his head and returned his focus to the documents.

After a while, Parma, feeling stifled, opened the carriage window. The cold wind rushed in, and she saw a rider galloping ahead despite the weather.

The rider, still inexperienced, seemed to struggle with posture and rhythm, traits Parma noticed as someone accustomed to riding. Still, the sight of the rider’s coat billowing in the wind made her envious.

“Riding by the sea seems like it would be enjoyable,” Parma commented.

Robert, tidying the papers scattered by the wind, replied dryly.

“The wind is blowing. The window…”

Before Robert could finish his sentence, Parma not only ignored his suggestion to close the window but went ahead and opened the one on his side as well.

A rider ahead, noticing several impressive horses and carriages following behind, dismounted to clear the road. The coachman offered a polite thank-you, and the dismounted rider responded with a courteous nod.

Parma leaned out of the carriage window, her eyes fixed on the person who had dismounted. The young rider’s face, flushed red from the cold wind, looked youthful and cheerful. Despite the harsh weather, an unmistakable joy radiated from their expression, infectious enough to lift the spirits of anyone watching.

With a smile, Parma continued to observe the rider.

The rider, Sol, looked up and met Parma’s gaze as she peered out of the carriage window. Seeing Parma’s radiant smile, Sol felt an overwhelming rush of warmth, as though all the blood in his body had surged to his face. He blurted out involuntarily,

“An angel…!”

Robert quickly rose and shut the window with a loud thud.

Parma, having heard Sol’s innocent exclamation, laughed warmly. The pure, unfiltered admiration of the boy softened Parma’s heart, leaving her in high spirits.