Prince Frederick felt ashamed of his mother for the first time. Rising from his seat, he turned to Sir Federico to excuse himself.

“I believe we should end the lesson here. My apologies for the disruption. I hope to continue today’s lesson another time.”

Federico stood up and politely replied,

“Of course. Let me know when it’s convenient for you, Your Highness.”

As soon as Sir Federico left the office, the Empress seated herself on the sofa and remarked,

“You seem to have plenty of leisure time.”

Prince Frederick, his face now showing visible irritation, sat across from her and retorted,

“Leisure? Is that what this looks like to you, Mother? I’m learning things now that I should have mastered years ago, thanks to wasting my time hunting and wandering aimlessly. Did you truly not know what Lord Cressida and Count Cressida were doing to me all this time?”

Hearing his resentment towards the Cressida, the Empress’s anger flared further.

“They only arranged those things because you wanted them!”

“Exactly. My uncle and grandfather kept me occupied with things I enjoyed but that did me no good. Should I thank them for that? Of course, I admit I was immature and thoughtless, which is why they managed to manipulate me so easily.”

“Manipulate? Did Isabelle put such nonsense in your head?”

Frederick openly displayed his disdain, his expression now full of scorn. Seeing her son’s contempt, the Empress’s eyes began to well up with tears.

“Have you grown to hate me now too?”

“It’s not hate, Mother. It’s just that I finally understand.”

“What do you mean?”

“I spoke with the Emperor. He told me that every time he tried to involve himself in my education, you wept and insisted that you alone should raise me. You cried until he finally gave in and stepped back, saying you couldn’t stand me being around Prince Robert.”

The Empress shouted,

“Robert is different from you! He’s of different lineage and age—it’s only natural! It was far better for me to raise you than to let you be educated alongside him.”

“The Emperor also told me that you did this deliberately to isolate Robert. That he had no choice but to let you have your way. Were you really protecting me, Mother? Or did you simply ruin the relationship between the two of us?”

“How can you even call Robert your brother?”

“Tell me the truth. Did you really only learn of Robert’s existence when I was eight? Or did you know all along?”

“The Emperor lies! Did he say I tried to kill that woman and her son? That’s absurd! He’s just trying to blame me for his own failures.”

Frederick looked deeply shocked.

“The Emperor never said that. I suspected it myself. But now I see it’s true, isn’t it, Mother?”

In desperation, the Empress asked,

“Should I have done things differently?”

“No. If you were going to act, you should have killed Robert and spared the woman—or killed them both. But no, you handled it in true Cressida fashion.”

The Empress was dumbfounded.

“In ‘Cressida fashion’? What do you mean by that?”

“Your latest failure in Ariel speaks for itself. Isn’t that how it always goes? Even when you had me in the palm of your hand, you rarely managed to handle things properly. But you succeeded in making me selfish and incompetent—though maybe I was selfish to begin with. Either way, I’ve come to realize that cutting ties with the Cressida is my only way forward. What about you, Mother?”

The Empress was appalled.

“They are your family! Your uncle, your grandmother, and your grandfather! Cutting ties? These are the people who’ve stood by your side your entire life!”

“And for that, I am grateful. But can you really say their intentions were pure? Did they genuinely care for their grandson, or was I just a tool for them? Be honest, Mother. You can’t even give me a clear answer, can you? Because you’re in the same position I am.”

“That’s not true. They cared for you and sought only to help and protect you.”

“We’ll see. So, Mother, what brought you here in such a hurry today that you dismissed my tutor?”

“Why? Why did you have the imperial events scaled down? The war is happening on the northern border—what does that have to do with the capital? For something so minor—”

Frederick interrupted her.

“Don’t say that. You’ll make me think the Cressida are traitors. Minor? Do you truly not understand how this war started? Both you and the Cressida should be keeping a low profile right now, yet here you are, outraged.”

The Empress stared at him in disbelief.

“Are you seriously blaming the war on the Cressida now?”

“If they hadn’t so easily aligned with Saturn, do you think Saturn would have dared to look down on Uranus like this? Isn’t that right, Mother? When did it begin? Was it when I fell beneath Prince Robert? Or was it from the start? And now I hear Cressida is embroiled in a dispute with Netunia again.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“I’m not the only one questioning whether that dispute is even real.”

The Empress’s voice trembled.

“Now you’re doubting everything about the Cressida? Your grandfather? Do you think Count Cressida would falsify reports to the Emperor?”

“Why would I have gone hunting in Cressida? Because there wasn’t a real conflict. Even my grandfather went hunting with me. If things were truly tense with Netunia, could that have happened?”

Frederick sneered as he spoke.

“If there really was a conflict with Netunia, and yet my grandfather still went hunting with me, wouldn’t that call his competence into question? Honestly, I feel like a fool for realizing all of this only now. I want to free myself from it all.”

The Empress glared at Frederick while gasping for breath as if she were out of air. Frederick continued, unfazed.

“You’ve kept me confined to Cressida. That’s why I thought, as someone of incomparable noble status to Robert, that I would naturally become the Emperor. But that’s not the case, is it? Cressida has failed. They tried to manipulate me, but I became so inept that they failed even at that. It’s almost laughable, isn’t it?”

“That’s because… the Emperor insisted on making that child—a child born of filth and without legitimacy—a prince…”

“That, too, was Cressida’s failure. All Cressida has managed to do is latch onto you and me without ever succeeding at anything meaningful. So perhaps it’s only natural I turned out this way. But do you think Cressida could weather this storm on its own if you and I were to leave?”

“What are you saying…?”

“Think carefully, Mother. Use this opportunity to reflect on what you must do to survive moving forward. Stop summoning Grandmother in the dead of night. At her age, traveling back and forth to the palace at all hours must be taking a toll on her body, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Ha! If you’re so concerned about your grandmother, why didn’t you meet her? I heard you refused to see her.”

“I know why she wants to see me. Why would I agree to meet her?”

“What?”

“She wants to drag me to the conflict zone, doesn’t she?”

“Is that such a bad thing? Prince Robert is earning accolades in Umbriel. Wouldn’t it make sense for you to do the same in Cressida?”

“The Emperor would never allow it. Me and Cressida’s army? If I were him, I wouldn’t let the two be near each other under any circumstances.”

The Empress abruptly stood up.

“Are you throwing away everything I and the Cressida family have worked for all these years?”

Frederick replied calmly.

“Listen to me carefully. Find your own path, Mother. Don’t let Grandmother and Grandfather drag you around. Use this opportunity wisely. With the Countess of Creole gone, what influence could you possibly wield at court parties? People might nod and smile in your presence, but once they leave, they’ll shake their heads. It’ll be futile.”

The Empress stormed out of the office, and as soon as she was gone, Frederick let out a long sigh.

“Isabelle was right all along. In the end, Mother is just another part of Cressida. Using me for Cressida’s benefit? Not a chance.”

Frederick glanced around his office. It still felt unfamiliar, but he was slowly growing accustomed to it.

“Even though I started later than Robert, not everything is over yet. I may be heading to my own estate soon.”

He returned to his desk and resumed reviewing the documents he had set aside earlier.

***

The Emperor received a report that the Empress, after storming off to confront Frederick in anger, had returned to her chambers in even greater fury.

Caliban commented, “The Empress must have been desperate. She’s resorting to actions she’s never attempted before.”

“It’s a sign of how dire Cressida’s situation has become. Either that, or they’re about to make another disastrous move.”

“If it’s true they’re instigating a conflict and attempting to involve Prince Frederick, their military strength is insufficient. The way they’ve been currying favor with Duke Gareth’s household also points to their weakness in this area.”

“But if the army moves north for the war with Saturn, the central regions will be left vulnerable. That’s likely what they’re counting on. Saturn is surely aware of Cressida’s movements and might even be using them to ensure we can’t deploy our forces away from the center.”

“Even so, the borders at Ariel and Umbriel have held firm. There hasn’t been a breach yet.”

The Emperor’s expression grew complicated.

“That’s precisely the concern. Simply holding the line brings no advantage in this war. Saturn chose to fight on Titania’s soil because they know we won’t retaliate by advancing into their territory. Even if they lose, they won’t suffer the consequences we will.”

“What’s your next move?”

“First, we need to secure our internal situation. Cressida seems poised to collapse under its own weight, but the real issue is the Empress and Frederick. Frederick has already shifted his allegiance to Wiscombe, so he’s less of a worry. The Empress, however… Cressida’s Countess must be barred from entering the palace. Enforce the new rules under the guise of tightened security due to the war with Saturn.”

“Understood.”

***

That night, the Empress found no rest. Though she sent word to Cressida, the Countess was unable to enter the palace gates. The palace guards had been replaced by unfamiliar faces.

A man who appeared to be the captain of the guard stepped forward, blocking the Countess’s carriage.

“Countess of Cressida, no one but members of the royal family may enter the palace after dark. Please turn your carriage around.”

As the driver began to comply, the carriage window opened, and the Countess addressed the captain.

“What is the meaning of this?”

The guard bowed respectfully and replied, “Due to the war, security protocols at the palace have been heightened. We appreciate your understanding, Countess.”

“Because of the war… The war is in the north. How does this concern the center…?”

The captain stepped closer to the carriage, his tone becoming more discreet as he spoke in a lower voice.

“There are already many of Saturn’s agents and operatives in the capital. Over thirty have been apprehended so far, some of whom were even within the royal palace. That’s why the security protocols and defenses have been reinforced.”

The captain’s subtle tone revealed his careful effort not to offend the Countess of Cressida.

With no choice but to comply, the Countess gave a nod and ordered the carriage to turn around. Upon returning to the Cressida estate not long after her departure for the palace, she was greeted by Lord Cressida, who looked surprised.

“I thought you wouldn’t return until dawn… Why are you back so early? Did something happen? The Empress summoned you, didn’t she? Could it be that the Emperor…?”

The Countess quietly led Lord Cressida into her private drawing room. Once seated, she spoke.

“It seems the Emperor has been quietly rooting out Saturn’s spies. Among them were some affiliated with the royal palace itself. He’s discreetly tightened the rules to prevent any outsiders from entering the palace at night or in the early morning.”

“Couldn’t that just be an excuse?”

“Recently, there’s been a noticeable decrease in messages arriving from Saturn. Have you noticed any other changes? If something else has shifted, then it’s not just an excuse. Think carefully.”

Lord Cressida was momentarily struck silent, astonishment freezing his words.

‘It’s clear now—there’s no turning back.’