Sophia looked at Parma, who spoke in a voice tinged with lament.

“Lady Ariel probably knows. You must have heard that I have an older brother. How embarrassing it is to have a brother who’s so desperate for attention from others like that.”

Sophia held back her laughter and glanced at Sir Gareth. He was beaming brightly as he looked around at everyone. When his gaze landed on Parma, he winked.

Parma waved dismissively, clearly signaling her discomfort with Sir Gareth’s attention. However, Sir Gareth was undeterred, smiling as he nodded at her.

Sir Gareth began by greeting Prince Robert. Meanwhile, Philip Wiscombe stepped aside, watching Sir Gareth with a twisted smile.

Sophia had expected Sir Gareth to resemble the personality and appearance of Duke Gareth. Parma, too, had heard that she took after the Duke, so she figured Sir Gareth, as his son, would resemble him even more.

But Sir Gareth was surpassing all of Sophia’s expectations. His dark hair and eyes mirrored those of Lady Gareth.

Though his large build was reminiscent of the Duke, he was younger, more energetic, and even more imposing. Draped in a black coat and mounted on a black horse, he presented an unquestionably commanding figure.

He seemed like someone who wielded his appearance as a powerful weapon.

‘Is he similar to Prince Frederick, in how he uses his looks and exaggerated actions to draw attention?’

Parma’s reluctance to speak about Sir Gareth appeared to stem from her embarrassment. While Sir Gareth was captivating those who had come to greet him, his entourage, still reeling from earlier surprises, busied themselves around the carriage in the background.

It seemed Sir Gareth knew exactly what his group was doing—or was perhaps deliberately drawing attention to make their work easier.

‘He might be craftier than he looks.’

Some were thoroughly impressed by Sir Gareth’s grand performance. Sol Finega, in particular, watched him with reverence, including his horse.

The horse was entirely black, its shiny black mane making it a striking sight. Approaching the horse, Sol remarked,

“Is this the famous black warhorse of Gareth?”

Hearing the question, Sir Gareth interrupted his conversation with Baron Oberon’s deputy and approached Sol. The deputy, unable to stop him, could only stare in stunned silence.

Sir Gareth spoke proudly.

“That’s right, this is the black warhorse. Ordinary horses can’t handle my size and still maintain speed. I’ve trained this horse myself since it was a foal. Its name is Shadow.”

“Wow! All the other horses are black too!”

“Yes, but only a few are worthy of being called warhorses. You can’t buy a warhorse, no matter how much money you have. That doesn’t mean the other horses are inferior, though.”

Unable to hold back, Lady Gareth interjected.

“Enough of this. Are you going to keep greeting people all day, or are you coming inside?”

Sir Gareth returned to the deputy.

“My apologies for the interruption. When someone compliments my horse, I can’t help but respond. Let’s go inside. Everyone, please come in; it’s cold. Make sure my friends are taken directly to their rooms, and give the horses a good rubdown and something to eat.”

Instead of following the people, Sol followed the horses. Before doing so, Sol stole a glance at Parma, which Helen noticed, shaking her head at the sight.

Sophia found it fascinating how Sir Gareth acted as though he owned the place, leading the entire group inside while completely disregarding Philip Wiscombe. In contrast, Parma appeared displeased with everything Sir Gareth did.

Helen leaned in and whispered to Sophia.

“When Lady Gareth asked about Sir Gareth, she barely said anything. I thought it was because the family atmosphere was strict, but it seems she just really dislikes her brother’s personality. She’s been scowling the whole time and finally snapped at him.”

Sophia nodded in agreement.

“The Gareth family members are all so unique. They’re different from the rumors.”

“Exactly. Isn’t Sir Gareth impressive? I thought he’d be cold and arrogant since he’s known for his strength, but he’s so captivating with people. He’s incredible.”

While everyone was abuzz with excitement over Sir Gareth’s arrival, Prince Robert missed yet another chance to speak with Sophia.

To make matters worse, Sophia Ariel didn’t even glance in Prince Robert’s direction. Instead, she kept smiling at Sir Gareth, seemingly more than she had since Prince Robert had known her.

Prince Robert also found Sir Gareth’s commanding presence surprising, but not as much as Sophia Ariel did.

‘Does she like men like that?’

For the first time, Prince Robert wondered if Sophia’s tastes might be completely different from him. And Sir Gareth, who was nothing like what he had expected, only complicated matters further.

Prince Robert realized he would have to rethink how to approach Sir Gareth. It was shaping up to be a long night full of thoughts for him.

***

Oberon Castle was bustling with distinguished guests. The few servants at Oberon scurried around the castle to accommodate them.

In Parma’s reception room, Sir Gareth sat, looking visibly fatigued.

Parma asked,

“Any new information?”

“About Oberon? None. But I did hear some rumors about you and Prince Robert. Apparently, the engagement is already settled? But Father keeps saying something else, like if anything happens, I’m only to protect you. He said to leave Prince Robert to fend for himself because surviving on his own would prove his worth.”

Parma laughed as she replied.

“Prince Robert once told me that he didn’t need to marry for survival and only wanted support based on his abilities. At first, that seemed fine, but now that the engagement rumors have blown up, it seems he’s changed his mind again.”

“What. I heard about that too—you wanted to check on Prince Robert? Then do it. The rumors will fade soon enough. So, how is Prince Robert?”

“He’s capable, but his personality is dry. No particular charm, always busy.”

“You mean he’s not appealing as a man. Still, he seems fit to become emperor. Not that it would be hard to outdo Prince Frederick.”

“Prince Frederick?”

“Hmph! I’ve been looking into the southern region’s disputes. If the north becomes noisy, the south might rise up to match the commotion, don’t you think? But they’ve labeled it a ‘dispute,’ even though it doesn’t even qualify as a village brawl. While at the Cressida estate, Frederick spent all his time hunting, and the hunting grounds were nearly a day and a half’s travel away from the so-called dispute zone.”

Gareth’s derisive snort echoed through the spacious drawing room as he spoke.

“And yet, Cressida exaggerated the story, pretending it was a significant conflict. Using something like that to pad his resume is foolish. If he intentionally started the conflict for fame, that’s even more pathetic.”

Parma chuckled lightly and remarked, “You should’ve looked into it earlier and stopped me.”

“I figured you wanted to become an empress. If you were an empress, even with a dim-witted emperor, the country wouldn’t fall apart.”

“So, the south isn’t an issue… Is that why you were late?”

“No. I was analyzing the movements of Cressida, Wiscombe, and a few other noble families in the capital. If something happens in Oberon, there might be forces trying to cover it up. That’s why I looked into it before heading to Oberon—and spread rumors about my visit there.”

“Oh…!”

Parma disliked her brother’s enjoyment of attention, but she respected his thorough analysis and careful planning.

Just then, news arrived that Prince Robert had come to see Parma and Gareth. Parma commented, “He seems to have timed it to catch us together. He’s sharper than I expected.”

Gareth replied, “Really? This gives me a chance to assess Prince Robert myself.”

Prince Robert entered the drawing room, masking his fatigue with a smile. After exchanging brief greetings, he turned to Gareth.

“The movements of Saturn remain unchanged. They say Sir Enceladus of Titan Knight is using training as an excuse to head toward the Titania Mountains.”

“Titan?”

A glimmer of excitement flashed in Gareth’s eyes. Parma asked, “Why are you so pleased? If Titan gets involved, won’t things get worse for Ariel? Something about disputes and fame—weren’t you just talking about that?”

“This is different. Think about Titan’s reputation. Even the people of Uranos know the Titan Knight. And imagine defeating Titan by the Gareth. The spoils would be considerable.”

“Huh?”

“Lions defeating the Titan Knight—it has a nice ring to it.”

Looking at Prince Robert, Parma remarked, “Coming here with news about the Titan Knight right after meeting Gareth—are you trying to use him?”

Prince Robert responded, “I’ll admit I wanted to catch Sir Gareth’s attention. However, we didn’t expect Saturn to mobilize the Titan Knight. Ariel is also preparing its own knights, but we’re so unprepared that it’s almost like we have none at all.”

Robert didn’t hide his intentions. “The commander of Titan’s knights may end up leading the front lines against Uranos. Given the situation, Sir Gareth’s support would reassure both Ariel and Umbriel. Even just the knowledge that Sir Gareth is holding Ariel could deter Saturn’s attacks.”

Excited, Gareth jumped to his feet, speaking loudly to no one in particular. “Good, good. If they try to cross the Titania Mountains, only a few can make it. Horses won’t make it either. This is promising. We can achieve great results with minimal forces.”

Parma glanced at Prince Robert’s face. He seemed unfazed, treating the situation lightly as he moved to the main point.

“The key is when Oberon will act.”

Deep in thought, Gareth muttered, “Oberon must have realized by now that their plan failed. In that case…”

Parma added, “Sophia says those who were supposed to arrive have already come. Families have evacuated, and the ports are crowded. She believes they’ll act soon. Roads are also being monitored to prevent Oberon from moving people first.”

Gareth shouted, “Exactly! You must protect your own home first. Ariel! I’m starting to feel inclined to help.”

Observing Prince Robert carefully, Parma noted that he didn’t seem bothered by Gareth’s impudence. She thought to herself, “That’s a relief.”

Considering Gareth’s personality, Parma believed Prince Robert was far safer than Prince Frederick.

‘No one likes a subordinate who draws more attention than themselves and occasionally forgets decorum,’ she thought. It was also the reason the Duke of Gareth kept Sir Gareth confined to the estate rather than the capital.

***

At that moment, Baron Oberon stood behind a curtain, looking down at the courtyard. The area was in disarray, filled with carriages and luggage.

With trembling hands, he nervously released the curtain he had been clutching.

“Damn fools! All gathering here to try and stop us? They must think we’ll cower and do nothing under their watchful eyes.”

The deputy Baron of Oberon replied,

“Of course we need to be cautious. We must proceed carefully; if we make a mistake…”

Baron Oberon sneered.

“Look at them swarming around! Do you really think this is all because of that girl, Ariel? They know the truth. They’re just pretending otherwise because they lack evidence. Do you think they’ll spare us if we sit idly by?”

“The plan to save Ariel, who is under attack by Saturn, and take over Ariel’s domain after its lord and family perish in the process—it’s impossible with Prince Robert and Gareth here. Taking Lady Ariel hostage is out of the question now. Father, we still have time.”

“No. I do not have time.”

“Father, if you want to die, do it alone. Are you planning to drag the whole family down with you?”

“You’re telling me you lack the resolve for something of this magnitude?”

The deputy Baron of Oberon, now agitated, retorted,

“Ha! Didn’t you send that woman from Saturn back with her child? Meanwhile, your family is still here in Uranus. If this fails, what will happen to us? Even if we don’t meet your standards, how could you throw us into a death trap like this?”

Baron Oberon, attempting to calm his eldest son, reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, but the son recoiled and said,

“You never should have accepted that woman from Saturn in the first place. She’s the one who has been egging you on. It’s all over now. From here on, I’ll handle things my way.”

As the deputy baron moved to leave, a subordinate blocked the door.

“Sent to carry out Father’s errands, and now you dare stand in my way?”

The subordinate, bowing his head but firm, responded, “If we do nothing, none of us will survive either way.”