Methone looked down at the document he had been reading. He had tried every method to stir up chaos in Uranus, but the results had been less visible than expected.

The conflict hadn’t yet escalated to the point where the two princes would use force. Methone suspected that since Prince Robert was surpassing Prince Frederick, things would soon come to a head.

“The salt mines of Ariel… If Oberon hadn’t been discovered so early, they would have been ours. Truly, a gift from the goddess…”

Methone shook his head. In Uranus, the goddess Titania was already treated as a myth. Faith had long disappeared from Uranus.

“Heretics holding the goddess’s gift… This must be corrected.”

Methone’s sigh quickly turned into thoughts of his war plans. Prince Robert was the variable.

“Even the arrival of Umbriel was unsettling. Cressida is dragging their feet too.”

Despite the bad situation, Ariel’s defenses had been kept at a basic level. But now, after the investments, they would be far more fortified.

“The internal structure must crumble first. By dealing with internal enemies, Prince Robert and the royal family’s strength will wane.”

Methone began drafting a new letter.

Time to provoke Netunia. It’s time.

He needed to create an excuse for Cressida to organize an army.

That should push Prince Frederick further. Then we can claim the Titania Mountains and Uranus.

Methone was also uneasy about Sir Enceladus and Sir Dione.

Even the king hasn’t dropped his suspicions, and these kinds of jokes… It could be spun as false agitation from Uranus…

Methone flicked his finger against the part of the document where Sir Dione’s joke was written.

“Such jokes will surely anger the king. Sir Dione and Sir Enceladus won’t have any excuse. If I press them with this, the king will be satisfied. I’ll be able to keep Enceladus bound as commander.”

Methone took the article containing Dione’s joke and left his office.

As the king grows angrier, I’ll step forward to protect them. That’ll make it easier to control them.

However, Methone soon realized that the king’s anger was far more intense than he had anticipated. For the first time, Methone experienced his calculation being wrong—against his own king.

***

Sophia watched as the two of them ascended Titania.

Among those sent from Saturn, the survivors had been imprisoned. The Saturnian delegation didn’t ask anyone in Ariel, nor Prince Frederick, about the attack on him. That alone was a clue as to their involvement. From the castle, they seemed so small.

No one knows how many schemes and plots are in their minds.

Prince Frederick spoke from behind.

“Are those following the Saturnian delegation doing so to ensure their safe passage, or are they planning to eliminate them secretly?”

Sophia turned to Prince Frederick after greeting him and answered.

“They’re certainly following to ensure safe passage to Saturn, without misunderstanding. They’ll likely try to find another reason to cause trouble. If a war breaks out, it will fizzle out, but justification is important.”

Prince Frederick replied.

“It’s truly unfortunate that you broke off your engagement with Prince Robert. You hardly knew him, and now you’re strangers.”

“I too feel regret. I must have fallen short while you were in Ariel, Prince Frederick. Please forgive me. By the way, what do you think of the two from Saturn’s delegation?”

Prince Frederick was momentarily flustered by Sophia’s question. He was surprised by how casually she treated him and how she asked for his opinion. After a brief pause, he answered without showing any signs of discomfort.

“The journey with them was more enjoyable than I expected.”

“Really? They acted the opposite, though. They deliberately kept their distance from Prince Robert and tried to stay closer to you. It seems they were using shallow tricks on you.”

Prince Frederick scoffed as he looked at Sophia.

“You think my closeness with Saturn is disadvantageous? Put such cheap suspicions aside. Even though a war is approaching, to speak so recklessly about a prince is both careless and presumptuous.”

Sophia responded.

“Please forgive me. In such a remote mountain village, what proper manners could I have learned?”

Prince Frederick replied.

“I forgive you. Then, for today, speak whatever you wish to me.”

Sophia, without hesitation, answered.

“Thank you, Prince Frederick. I will speak, relying on your generosity. I suspect that Saturn’s delegation may have been subtly influencing you. Seeing how busy Cressida was coming to Ariel, it seems they knew exactly how to handle you. From the way Cressida acts, it seems she trusts Ariel more than Saturn.”

Prince Frederick looked at Sophia as she spoke.

“The Cressida family certainly is foolish. But for Ariel to mock them… Ariel has grown, it seems. Or perhaps they simply deluded themself into thinking so.”

Sophia spoke with a smile, ignoring Prince Frederick’s warning.

“Ariel doesn’t have the power to mock anyone. But Cressida can certainly be ridiculed. Prince Frederick, you’re likely to be engaged to Isabelle Wiscombe. That’s why I’m saying this—step away from the Empress. Cressida has no future. If a territory is exchanging letters with Saturn while a war with Saturn is imminent, what do we call that?”

Prince Frederick, his expression darkening, asked coldly, “What do we call it?”

“Collusion or secret dealings. Wasn’t Oberon accused of collusion with Saturn? Do you think only a small house like Ariel knows that Cressida is communicating with Saturn? Don’t you think you’ve sensed it too, Prince Frederick? And would the Emperor or Prince Robert be unaware of something you’ve already noticed? And what about the fact that Lord Cressida didn’t accompany Saturn’s delegation from the start but hurried to catch up later? What reason could there be for that?”

“Well, if there were other matters to attend to…”

“If he had been with Saturn from the start, it would have aroused suspicion. He probably wanted to avoid that scrutiny, which is why he sent you alone. If he was so concerned about you, shouldn’t he have accompanied you from the beginning? The fact that he rushed to join later suggests someone tipped him off—perhaps about forces targeting you.”

Despite the visible anger on Frederick’s face, Sophia continued without hesitation.

“But think about it—who would dare make a move against you in the precarious situation with Saturn? If they truly wanted to harm you, it would be during the chaos of a full-blown war. In the confusion of battle, a prince could easily be caught in the crossfire—like during Umbriel’s recent ambush.”

Frederick scoffed, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “You have quite the imagination.”

Sophia responded calmly, “Why do you think Umbriel captured so many prisoners, while Ariel didn’t?”

“Perhaps it’s because Ariel’s forces were weaker… or the invading army was larger…”

“Exactly. Skill matters, but so does the size of the invading force. More troops targeted Umbriel because Umbriel was the objective. Umbriel held something far more coveted than anything Saturn desired. And Prince Robert captured prisoners. That must mean there’s something he wants to hear from them.”

“Something he wants to hear? Sure, he’ll force them to say what he wants.”

“Don’t forget the Emperor’s auditors. They’re in Oberon, in Umbriel, and even in your entourage, Prince Frederick. Have there ever been this many Imperial informants in the north?”

“You’re saying the Emperor is watching me?”

“The Emperor isn’t the type to trust anyone’s words, not even yours or Prince Robert’s. He’ll determine who’s lying based on the reports he receives. You’d know that better than anyone, Prince Frederick.”

Frederick avoided Sophia’s piercing gaze, and she pressed on relentlessly.

“Do you truly think it’s unfair for Cressida to be under suspicion? Do you believe Lord Cressida stays close to you out of concern for your well-being, or to use you as a shield for what’s to come?”

“Lady Ariel, are you trying to drive a wedge between me and Cressida with just a few words? You must truly take after the Duchess of Wiscombe. A sharp mind is certainly essential for climbing the ranks.”

“No. I simply wish to prevent tragedy—for the sake of the Uranus Empire.”

Frederick laughed bitterly. “For Uranus? Ha! Ha! Isn’t it more honest to admit it’s for Ariel and Prince Robert?”

“Honestly, yes. But Ariel and Umbriel are both part of Uranus. If Uranus suffers, Ariel doesn’t benefit. What do you think, Prince Frederick?”

Frederick scoffed again. “It’s easy to make lofty claims when Ariel is in a favorable position.”

“Are you suggesting, Prince Frederick, that if you weren’t in a favorable position, you’d let Uranus suffer for your own gain?”

Sophia’s subtle smirk made Frederick frown deeply.

“You’re no longer the Imperial fiancée, Lady Ariel. You’re just the daughter of a border marquis. Have you grown so bold now that our ties are severed?”

“If one bears the name of Uranus, shouldn’t they put Uranus first? If not, do they even deserve to carry that name?”

With a swift bow, Sophia descended the fortress wall. Frederick watched her retreating figure, then turned his gaze to the Titania Mountains.

The dense, rugged mountains seemed to swallow everyone who ventured into them.

Frederick mocked himself as he reflected on his failure to rebut Sophia’s arguments.

“Even a border marquis’s daughter finds me laughable now. Everyone seems to know Cressida isn’t helping me but using me. Isabelle was right. Cressida is a lost cause. Still, that insolent Ariel is insufferable.”

By late afternoon, the group that had accompanied Saturn’s delegation returned safely and without incident.

***

Prince Robert later arranged another meeting with Prince Frederick. Though Frederick was still irritated from his exchange with Sophia, Robert insisted they talk. The two strolled through Sophia’s greenhouse as they conversed.

Robert glanced around the greenhouse and asked, “What do you plan to do about Cressida?”

“You speak as if I have the power to deal with Cressida. Or are you here to expose some weakness of theirs and use it to sway me?”

With a sigh, Robert looked Frederick in the eye and said…

“They will use you as a shield, claiming they tried to kill me for your sake. But I don’t believe it. Cressida didn’t take these dangerous measures for your benefit—they did it for their own future. And they chose the worst possible means. Relying on foreign powers while aiming for the throne. Would you want an emperor like that?”

“Of course not. Cressida made a bad choice, but—”

“It wasn’t just a bad choice—it was the worst choice. If you want to ensure the Empress’s safety, there’s something you must do.”

“Is this a threat? Finally?”

Frederick’s expression turned to disdain the moment Robert mentioned the Empress. Robert, however, simply smiled and said:

“Cressida’s chance to save their house disappeared the moment they sided with Saturn. Whether the Empress keeps her position or not depends entirely on you. Think it over carefully. Or better yet, seek help from the Duke of Wiscombe. Let go of Cressida. Better still, distance yourself from them as much as possible before they drag you down into the mud with them.”

With those parting words, Robert left the greenhouse before Frederick could respond.

Having been subjected to similar warnings from Sophia in the morning and Robert in the afternoon, Frederick felt his head throbbing. He now wanted to meet with Sir Federico as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Robert couldn’t help but feel that he had wasted precious time—time that could have been spent exchanging even a few more words with Sophia in Ariel—on his foolish and selfish younger brother.

“I can only hope this effort wasn’t all for nothing.”