Prince Robert, his face flushed, said,

“I… I am not like Sir Gareth or Lord Oberon. I am also someone who doesn’t openly talk about emotions. I haven’t had the luxury. But I… I want to be by your side, Sophia Ariel. I believe that becoming the crown prince is not only important for me but for you as well. And… I hope you desire more. If, one day, I offer you the opportunity to hold all of Uranus in your hands, I hope you’ll be ambitious enough to take it.”

Sophia shook her head.

“I’m not such a bold person. I’m cautious and petty, only gathering small benefits here and there. I’ve gained plenty already from my connection to you, Prince Robert. That’s enough for me.”

Standing abruptly, Robert declared,

“No, you will want more. I will create opportunities so appealing that you can’t help but desire them. Just wait and see.”

Without waiting for her response, Robert strode out of the greenhouse and headed toward the castle. Watching him leave, Sophia muttered to herself,

“Still, it’s somewhat comforting to know I’m not the only one struggling internally. But… I believe we are not meant to be.”

Humming a tune, she put her gloves back on and picked up the pruning shears.

Sophia felt this was enough for her. Robert’s sweet words were pleasant, but she did not trust them.

“Jealousy, though… how adorable,” she murmured.

That day, Sophia couldn’t help but smile, thinking of Robert’s concern about Sir Gareth.

***

The so-called Saturnian delegation consisted of just two individuals. Prince Robert frowned deeply as he observed them.

The first to step forward was a man with bright blond hair and pale green eyes, giving him the appearance of an elegant snake. He greeted Robert respectfully and introduced himself.

“I am Pianté Enceladus, here to deliver the will of the King of Saturn. Beside me is Dione, my deputy and fellow envoy.”

Looking at Dione, whose features also boasted bright blond hair and green eyes, Robert remarked,

“You two look quite alike.”

“Your observation is sharp,” Enceladus replied with a smirk. “He is my maternal cousin.”

Robert said curtly,

“We’ll leave for the capital today. With just two of you, traveling quickly shouldn’t be an issue.”

As Enceladus began to respond with a feigned smile, Robert cut him off.

“Is there anything else you need to do here in Ariel? I trust you’ve brought the king’s letter?”

With exaggerated confidence, Enceladus patted his side proudly.

“Of course! Right here!”

A scoffing sound echoed in the entryway—it was Sir Gareth. Nearby, Sophia and Helen, unable to suppress their laughter, burst out giggling.

When Sir Dione turned to protest, he noticed the young women and held his tongue. Ariel’s Marquis intervened diplomatically,

“Let us hasten your departure. The road to the capital is long.”

After brief farewells, the Saturnian envoys boarded the carriage, where Robert was already seated.

Enceladus, maintaining his polished demeanor, said,

“We are honored that Your Highness is personally escorting us to the capital.”

Robert replied coldly,

“You should be.”

The journey to the capital left Robert in a foul mood. He was leaving Sophia and Sir Gareth behind in Ariel while he had to endure the company of Saturn’s envoys.

Robert didn’t bother to hide his disdain for the envoys. No matter how they presented themselves, they were agents of Saturn, the same kingdom that had attempted to invade Uranus and, failing that, now sought to deceive it.

***

Throughout the journey to the capital, Robert maintained an icy demeanor. Even the Titan Knight’s leader, Enceladus, couldn’t escape the prince’s relentless frost.

It wasn’t exactly an attempt to pick a fight but rather a blatant display of their dislike through cold, piercing stares. Each time they spoke, Prince Robert’s gaze bore into their faces as if trying to drill through them, leaving Dione and Sir Enceladus increasingly at a loss for words.

As Dione stepped out of the carriage for a break, he spoke to Sir Enceladus.

“Wasn’t Prince Robert supposed to be calm and composed by nature? Why does he seem so terrifying?”

“Perhaps his mood soured after Saturn’s ambush?”

“Hmm.”

Parma observed the two knights pacing outside the carriage. Despite the break, Parma’s entire entourage remained tense, maintaining their guard around the carriage. Parma remarked,

“Because of those unnecessary burdens, my entourage can’t even relax.”

Helen and Sol also peeked out of the carriage, looking at Saturn’s delegation. Sol’s gaze lingered, torn between awkwardness and curiosity about the Saturnites.

However, seeing how Parma Gareth treated them, Sol hesitated to approach, merely observing their behavior.

Helen spoke, “What do you think they’ll report once they reach the capital?”

Parma called for Acel, Prince Robert’s attendant.

“Summon Prince Robert for me.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Acel hurried off to deliver the message, and soon, Prince Robert arrived with a frown. Parma addressed him.

“Are you having a pleasant time with Saturn’s people?”

“Not at all. I’ve been deliberately curt with them, hoping their discomfort matches my own.”

“Oh, that sounds good. In that case, I won’t suggest sharing a carriage with them. Keep up the good work.”

Prince Robert nodded and returned to his carriage.

“Is it really because of Saturn’s ambush? He seems sharper than ever,” Parma thought as she watched his retreating figure.

‘Sophia Ariel was indeed impressive. But did Prince Robert have deeper feelings for her than I expected? I thought he justified his choice as reasonable, but was that just a cover? Was his rationality just a pretense because he liked her?’

As the journey to the capital continued, things unfolded as Prince Robert intended. The two Saturnian delegates, uncomfortable with the strained atmosphere, rode in the carriage nervously.

***

Finally arriving in the capital, the delegation moved to their lodgings, where Sir Enceladus and Sir Dione breathed sighs of relief. Sir Dione spoke with a face that looked like he could finally live again.

“That was truly an unpleasant and stifling experience.”

Sir Enceladus replied, “Our task is to feign ignorance and stall for as long as possible. No matter what anyone says, we didn’t do anything. All of this is just misunderstandings between Ariel and Umbriel.”

“Don’t you think Ariel and Umbriel would have prepared themselves while we’ve been stalling? Even if we play dumb, they’ll accept it on the surface but prepare behind the scenes. The central government will surely lend them support this time.”

“True, but while they prepare for war, we’ll be regrouping. We need to show how inept we are and make it clear that we’re harmless. At the same time, we must hinder any support from the central government.”

“Do you think they’ll believe us? Even Uranus is aware of the reputation of the Titan Knight.”

“They are cousin. But remember, we failed even a small ambush on Ariel and Umbriel. Consider Ariel; they already anticipated Saturn’s next move. The fact that Gareth is with Ariel proves that much. Still, they can’t fully grasp the scale of our preparations. They’ll think the next attempt will be similar. With a young Gareth relying on them, how much could they possibly prepare?”

“Even so, it’s unsettling. The ambush was always meant to fail, but the damage on our side was far greater than expected. In contrast, we barely harmed Uranus.”

“That was unexpected. How could we have predicted an avalanche? Ariel must be extraordinarily lucky—first the salt mine and now the avalanche. It’s almost unbelievable.”

Sir Dione pursed his lips. “If someone’s that lucky, it might as well be a skill.”

“Is that so? Prepare a report on that. But, by the way,” Sir Enceladus paused, “I have a task for you. What’s your impression of Parma Gareth?”

“She’s beautiful. As proud and aloof as her name implies. Why do you ask?”

“Could you seduce her?”

Sir Dione recoiled. “Absolutely not. Didn’t you see how disdainfully she looked at me? If Prince Robert glares at us, Lady Gareth outright dismisses us with her eyes.”

Sir Enceladus remarked, “Why are the young people of Uranus so insolent? To drive Gareth away from Ariel, the best way might be to spread rumors linking her to you.”

“Why don’t you try it yourself, Sir Enceladus?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Forget Lady Parma Gareth. She clearly sees our delegation as pathetic. Playing dumb seems like the best tactic.”

“Still, give it a shot. If you fail, it’ll only reinforce the perception of incompetence. That’s also a viable strategy.”

Though Dione grimaced, he nodded reluctantly.

***

The day after Saturn’s delegation arrived in the capital, articles about them began to pour in. Speculations abounded regarding their crossing of the Titania mountain range at night without sending any prior notice of their visit.

Although the articles did not state it outright, most suggested that Saturn’s invasion of Titania was imminent.

This was even before the delegation had an audience with the Emperor of Uranus. Both Sir Dione and Sir Enceladus shook their heads, realizing they had underestimated the reach and vigilance of Uranian publications.

Dione remarked, “I don’t understand how both the ambush incident and details about us are already being turned into articles. Doesn’t this kind of reporting instill fear among the people? How can the Emperor of Uranus just let this happen?”

Sir Enceladus also shook his head. “Did we underestimate them too much? This level of detailed information likely came directly from the Emperor of Uranus or their administrative office. Even our family lineage has been printed in their papers. Even if we lodge a protest, the Emperor will probably claim there’s nothing he can do about it. It’s obvious they’ve done this to prevent us from mingling with and winning over the nobles in the capital.”

Sir Dione frowned. “It’s disgraceful. This is why they need to keep their bourgeois class in check. Publishing sensitive information like this as news is appalling. So, it’s true that Uranus’s class system is collapsing.”

Even while they remained at their lodging, articles about the delegation continued to flood the city’s magazines and even cheap newspapers. Additionally, Saturn was being mentioned in connection to the Oberon incident.

The papers and magazines soon began delving into stories about Saturn’s king and his closest aides. Sir Enceladus could no longer dismiss Uranus’s media as inconsequential.

“At this rate, even Saturn will start keeping track of Uranus’s articles. This is maddening.”