Philip spoke in a voice tinged with self-mockery.

“Those Saturn bastards. Deceiving and exploiting several Uranus families, they must think Uranus is a pushover and a joke. And maybe it is funny—to them. After all, I fell for their schemes too. They even sent an envoy to mock us. Rotten scoundrels. Even now, they’re probably busy preparing for war.”

Isabelle looked at Philip with wide, startled eyes and asked,

“Does this mean Saturn’s invasion of Uranus is certain?”

“Of course. They’re trying to wage war in a way that’s much easier and cheaper than sending a massive army over the Titania Mountains. Making us fight among ourselves, planting distrust—that’s their strategy. What do you think will happen to Uranus if Prince Robert accuses Cressida and Wiscombe of colluding with Saturn? That’s why Robert hasn’t acted against Cressida and Wiscombe directly. And, in contrast, Saturn’s envoys keep visiting Wiscombe.”

Isabelle realized that the situation was far graver than she, or even Prince Frederick with his constant complaints, had thought. In a hushed tone, she asked,

“Does Saturn want us, along with Cressida, to incite a rebellion under Frederick’s name?”

“That would be their best plan. If not, they at least want to stir chaos. For Saturn, even planting a sliver of doubt is a success. With their troops pushing through Umbriel and Ariel, if Wiscombe and Cressida seem untrustworthy, they won’t receive support, and the Emperor won’t dare to pull his forces from the capital. Saturn has schemed thoroughly.”

“So, even their attempts to meet with us are part of their plan to invade Uranus?”

“Exactly. That’s also why I can’t leave this estate.”

Isabelle couldn’t help but worry about Prince Frederick, who had yet to grasp the gravity of the situation.

“Should we tell Prince Frederick about this?”

“We should, at least for now. Give him the information and see how he uses it. He’s cornered now, especially after seeing how effective Robert has been. Maybe this will push him to act.”

“Understood.”

Before leaving the study, Isabelle asked,

“So… how does it feel to have blood on your hands?”

Philip, reclining again, looked at his hands and replied,

“It doesn’t bother me at all. Which makes me wonder… am I abnormal? It really doesn’t affect me. I’m just annoyed the plan failed.”

Isabelle’s expression turned bitter. Both she and Philip were people willing to do anything for Wiscombe. With a wry smile, she remarked,

“You’re not exactly normal, brother.”

“Little sister! At least say it’s reassuring to have a brother like me—someone who doesn’t hesitate to bloody his hands for the sake of the family. You should’ve seen the Gareth siblings yourself. Their harmony was truly enviable.”

Isabelle scoffed, replying,

“Impossible. Those two being harmonious? Both of them are notorious for their prickly personalities.”

“That rumor must have been fake. I wonder if we’re the ones who spread it and ended up believing it ourselves. If this plan fails, we’ll truly reap what we’ve sown.”

As Isabelle left, she said,

“I’ll speak with Frederick. It’s time to appeal to the Emperor, not Cressida. He’s still his son, after all. He’ll save him.”

“Good thinking. The Empress and Cressida will be too busy surviving Saturn’s schemes themselves.”

Left alone, Philip muttered to himself,

“I avenged myself on Oberon with my own hands, but in the end, I was outmaneuvered—by an enemy nation, no less. Unbelievable…”

***

As promised, Isabelle advised Prince Frederick to approach the Emperor. After their conversation, Frederick hesitated briefly before summoning his mentor, Sir Federico.

Sir Federico nodded as he spoke,

“There’s nothing faster than appealing directly to the Emperor. The reasoning is sound. Putting some distance between yourself and the Empress or Cressida wouldn’t hurt either.”

Prince Frederick asked,

“Will he grant my request?”

“The Emperor has given Prince Robert opportunities, so he’ll undoubtedly grant you one as well. You needn’t worry about that.”

Frederick nodded at Federico’s assurance. As he left, a satisfied smile crept across Federico’s wrinkled face.

“Just a little longer. He’ll soon be entirely dependent on me.”

***

The Emperor smirked at Frederick’s request for an audience. Turning to Caliban at his side, he remarked,

“What do you think he wants to say?”

“He’ll likely ask to be sent to the north or volunteer to escort Saturn’s envoys to Ariel.”

“So, he’ll request a chance to prove himself?”

After a moment’s contemplation, the Emperor nodded. The door to the audience chamber opened, and Frederick entered, his demeanor unusually grave.

“The Saturn delegation has persistently sent invitations to the Wiscombe estate and has been lingering around the area. It seems they are trying to brand Wiscombe as a traitor, taking advantage of the suspicions about Wiscombe’s ties to Oberon,” the emperor was informed.

The emperor frowned and asked, “What is their purpose?”

“To create turmoil in Uranus. Prince Robert is treating the Saturn delegation with unprecedented hostility. It seems that part of Prince Robert’s resentment towards Saturn stems from me. Since Saturn views Wiscombe as being closely tied to me, their anger naturally intensifies. This means Saturn is well aware of Prince Robert’s animosity toward both Wiscombe and me.”

Prince Frederick displayed a bitter smile, expressing some regret regarding Prince Robert. The emperor nodded, signaling Frederick to continue, and he did so confidently.

“Saturn believes that Prince Robert might accuse Wiscombe of treason without substantial evidence, using his connection to me. If that happens, what do you think the result will be? Chaos will spread along with division within the empire.”

The emperor’s eyes glimmered with interest, and Frederick clenched his fist slightly, sensing the emperor’s reaction.

“I hadn’t thought of this. It seems appointing tutors for you has paid off. This is a matter worth considering—your connection to Wiscombe. Saturn likely knows about your relationship with Isabelle Wiscombe. It seems they’re leveraging that.”

Frederick responded, “I wish to proceed with my engagement to Isabelle Wiscombe once the Saturn delegation departs. Therefore, I request your permission to personally escort the delegation. I will handle the matter swiftly and safely. Please place your trust in me.”

“Very well,” the emperor agreed.

Receiving such an immediate approval, Frederick exited the emperor’s office with a proud expression. Even Caliban looked surprised.

“Do you think Prince Frederick came up with this on his own?”

“Of course not,” the emperor replied firmly, silencing Caliban.

“How long has it been since Prince Frederick sought me out like this?”

“Hasn’t he often visited you?”

“But never with such a clear objective. He’s always tried to gain my favor, but he’s never come with such specific proposals. To interpret Robert’s proactive stance as mere resentment toward himself… Just as I thought I’d finally deal with Frederick directly, I wonder if he has moved from the empress’s influence to Wiscombe’s.”

Caliban did not respond. The emperor continued, “You must have thought of this possibility but refrained from mentioning it, not wanting to nitpick at Frederick.”

“Will it be a problem? Considering the Umbriel matter and Saturn’s relations, Cressida also has many questionable aspects. Wouldn’t this be an opportunity for Frederick to distance himself from Cressida? Shifting to Wiscombe might not be such a bad move.”

“True, it’s better, but it’s not the growth I had hoped for. Before, I might have been glad simply to see Frederick distancing himself from Cressida. But now, I can’t help but compare him to Robert.”

“We should have taken Prince Frederick out of Cressida’s hands sooner,” Caliban suggested.

“If we had, how would the empress and the Cressida have reacted? Would Robert have been safe? And even if Frederick had been under my influence, would he have surpassed Robert? I can’t say for sure. What do you think?”

Caliban hesitated. Frederick certainly had his flaws, and being under Cressida’s influence had amplified them.

“But when compared to Prince Robert…” the emperor began again. “What Robert lacks is the will and motivation to ascend to the throne. Seeing the transformed Robert makes me think he could become a better emperor than I ever was. Don’t you agree?”

“Prince Robert’s newfound determination toward the crown seems to stem more from Lady Sophia Ariel than the Umbriel attack by Saturn,” Caliban replied.

“Even after he personally brought me her letter of annulment, you say that?” the emperor countered.

“Didn’t Duke Gareth mention it? That Prince Robert would ultimately choose Lady Ariel over his daughter? Lady Ariel remains at the heart of Prince Robert’s intentions. For now, he has stepped back due to circumstances, but I believe he will propose again once the Saturn matter is resolved and he proves himself as a crown prince.”

“And yet, Sophia Ariel delivered the annulment, and Robert brought it to me himself. This matter is settled. Besides, I understand that Gareth has given Parma a chance.”

“Duke Gareth’s daughter rejected the idea, claiming that while Prince Robert is capable, he lacks charm. She said she doesn’t want to marry him.”

“As a father, that’s painful to hear. Does Robert know this?”

“Yes, Lady Gareth conveyed it directly to him, far more bluntly than the duke did. Knowing her personality, it must have been quite straightforward.”

Caliban was correct. Parma had turned Robert down. Her cryptic smiles and probing questions had all been signs of her disinterest in him.

She had told Robert as much directly:

“You’re efficient and systematic, but you’re utterly boring. You didn’t even bother to hide that you’re not the least bit interested in me. You even showed signs of being annoyed by me. Worse, you seemed far more enthusiastic about my brother, Sir Gareth, which was quite unpleasant. Perhaps I was wrong to think traveling with you would be fun. Meeting Oberon and Lady Sophia Ariel was the only enjoyable part of this. Other than that, you have no appealing qualities. I hope you’ll make a good crown prince.”

Robert had anticipated her words and nodded in understanding, though even that reaction had irritated Parma.

‘What a dull person. So unreadable. Even his responses are boring,’ she thought.

The emperor, meanwhile, resolved to arrange for Robert to be engaged to someone of equal stature to match Frederick’s impending engagement to Isabelle Wiscombe. However, despite the emperor’s enthusiasm, Caliban remained indifferent and simply shook his head.

‘If someone as enigmatic as Prince Robert showed interest in Sophia Ariel, it would likely mean his feelings are far deeper than they appear. Even the Emperor wouldn’t be able to intervene.’

Though Caliban said nothing, the Emperor could read his opposition through his demeanor and shook his head.

‘What Prince Robert needs comes first. He requires a strong faction to support him.’

***

Parma’s current primary concerns revolved around Ariel’s situation and the resolution of the Oberon incident. She had already heard from Sophia about the agreement with Sir Gareth.

As the Oberon matter anticipated another attack from Saturn, its resolution seemed likely to be postponed. However, this wasn’t necessarily a disadvantage for Ariel.

If securing Oberon took longer, Gareth might provide military support in the meantime.

Parma muttered to herself,

“Sophia really is clever. She knew the Oberon issue wouldn’t be resolved easily, so she secured the military support Ariel needed most in advance.”

Since her northern trip, Parma had exchanged occasional letters with Helen and Sophia. Helen and Sol also sent letters expressing gratitude for Parma ensuring their safe and comfortable journey to the capital.

At the end of Helen’s letter, she extended an invitation to Parma, mentioning her school—something that had previously piqued Parma’s interest.

Having been taught by private tutors all her life, Parma was curious about formal schools. Many other nobles frequented academies due to their siblings’ enrollment, but Parma had never had the chance, as Sir Gareth had left for their territory.

Delighted by Helen’s invitation, Parma accepted with enthusiasm.

“It’s not an academy, but a place that’s more relaxed and bustling with peers? That sounds like fun.”