Rumors spread quickly throughout the palace that the Crown Prince had ordered the arrest of the Crown Princess’s handmaiden from her homeland.

Within moments, the entire court was abuzz. Every gathering of nobles turned into a hushed discussion about the growing discord between the royal couple.

“I knew this would happen. Really now, how could His Highness ever accept a princess from Callithea? Just look at the people he surrounds himself with and to think, back then…”

“Don’t bring that up. Even recalling what happened at the banquet makes it clear why His Highness keeps his distance from Her Highness.”

“I heard,” another whispered, lowering her voice as though sharing a forbidden secret, “that the Crown Princess is still a virgin. It is said that she and her husband have not consummated their marriage.”

“What does it matter? From what I’ve heard, she had plenty of experience back in Callithea. They say she taught men, rather than learned from them.”

“Oh my. How scandalous. Really, how shameless.”

The victim of the rumors was obvious. There was far more talk about Anita than about Cedric himself, and the palace was flooded with mockery that was barely veiled as pity for her.

Overhearing the gossip, a young noblewoman who belonged to no particular faction sighed and remarked that whenever a scandal arose between a man and a woman, it was always the woman who suffered the greater loss.

“I hear Prince Gerard has been showing his face quite a lot lately?”

“Yes. Odd, isn’t it? He used to ignore even Her Majesty the Empress’s summons, but now he’s taking part in all sorts of affairs on his own. They say Her Majesty’s been smiling much more because of it.”

“It may please the Empress, but this could bring a storm. The palace has stayed outwardly calm only because the Second Prince stayed out of politics…”

Following the conflict between the Crown Prince and Princess, the Second Prince, Gerard, became the subject of much discussion.

Until recently, he had shown little interest in politics, preferring to devote himself to the arts, landscaping, and court festivities. However, he suddenly began voicing opinions on legislative matters and business interests, this time backed by the Empress’s faction.

The Empress was delighted. The son who had once ignored state affairs in favor of idleness was now acting exactly as she wished. Whatever had prompted this change, she was determined to see it through, and she wasted no time in appealing to the Emperor for his support.

Cedric’s allies were alarmed by Gerard’s newfound enthusiasm. While the Empress alone was a political centre of gravity, together she and her son formed an entirely different force. Together, they represented present and future power. Proof of their growing influence could be seen in the fact that several noble families and officials, who had long maintained a stance of neutrality, were beginning to shift towards the Empress’s side.

All eyes in the Imperial Palace were on the swiftly changing political landscape of Laxion. All except one.

In the Crown Prince’s palace, Anita’s attention was fixed beyond the empire’s borders. Even after six months in Laxion, she still felt like an outsider.

“The weather’s turning chilly, Your Highness. Please, take this shawl.”

“Thank you.”

Summer, so much longer than in Callithea had passed, and autumn had come. It had been more than six months since Anita’s arrival in Laxion.

Though not long in the grand scheme of things, the changes in Callithea were far greater than those in Laxion.

“And the letter?”

“Please wait just a bit longer. The southern port seems to be in disarray because of the rebels. Deliveries have been delayed.”

News from home was weighing heavily on Anita’s heart. As summer drew to a close, a major scandal had erupted within Callithea’s temples.

One of the country’s five largest temples had been caught embezzling relief goods intended for the starving poor in the aftermath of years of famine. The revelation enraged the people.

Had it ended there, the matter might have been quietly settled. However, more corruption soon surfaced in other temples, and evidence quickly emerged linking these scandals directly to the Callithean royal family.

“K*ll the corrupt priests!”

“Down with the royals who sided with them! Drive out the blood-sucking tyrants of the throne!”

When it emerged that Countess Davria, Anita’s distant cousin, had colluded with the temples to sell fake medicines as holy remedies, the people could no longer remain silent.

What started as isolated local uprisings against the oppression of the nobles and clergy escalated into a widespread rebellion in the southern provinces.

As a result, the authority of the Callithean Emperor plummeted to new depths. Although Anita’s brother still commanded several skilled generals who were holding the rebels at bay, the insurgents were growing in power at an unprecedented rate and expanding rapidly.

In light of this, Anita was desperate to plead for help on her brother’s behalf. But she knew Cedric would never listen.

‘I can’t speak to Her Majesty the Empress, either.’

For a moment, she considered confiding in the Empress, who had always shown kindness and sympathy towards Callithea. Yet she quickly dismissed the idea. In Laxion’s current political climate, such an act could easily be perceived as betraying her husband.

Since the day she had been summoned before the Emperor, Cedric had unexpectedly returned all the belongings he had confiscated from her. Nevertheless, Anita dared not provoke him again. She carefully wrapped the items and hid them out of sight.

‘His Majesty the Emperor’s health is failing… it’s difficult to approach him. And Cedric, he would never approve.’

She considered appealing to the Emperor as a last resort, but that was out of the question. Cedric’s faction had already argued that Laxion should withdraw all support for Callithea.

If she were to beg the Emperor to aid her homeland now, it would only serve to deepen the resentment against her as the Crown Princess.

Unable to find a solution, Anita let out a long, weary sigh.

“Your Highness, allow me to prepare some tea. You look pale, you haven’t been sleeping well, have you? A warm drink might help you rest a little.”

“…Thank you, Renee.”

Although she wasn’t thirsty and didn’t want anything to drink, Anita nodded. Although Renee tried to hide it, it was clear that she was also worried about their homeland. Anita didn’t want to burden her further with her own distress.

After Renee left, Anita sat quietly, turning a small locket over in her hands. Cedric had once thrown the necklace out of the window, breaking it, but the miniature portrait sealed within had survived intact.

It could have been repaired and worn again, but fearing it might be taken from her once more, Anita only carried the top of the pendant in her pocket.

A short while later, Renee returned carrying a tray of tea. But, unlike before, there was a faint hint of excitement in her expression.

“Your Highness,” she whispered, lowering her voice as she poured the tea. “I heard something while I was fetching this…”

The door was firmly shut, yet Renee still spoke in hushed tones, wary that the other maids outside might overhear.

Noticing Renee’s cautious behavior, Anita leaned closer to her. The maid lowered her voice to a near-whisper and her face lit up with repressed excitement as she shared the news she had secretly overheard.

“…Word has it that a large-scale aid package for Callithea has just been approved.”

··· ✦ ···

“It was the Second Prince who first proposed it. He argued that Callithea is an important ally of Laxion and that it is only right to help them.”

The unexpected news that Reneé brought filled Anita’s thoughts for days. After much deliberation, she finally requested an audience with Gerard. Upon receiving her message, the second prince immediately replied through his attendant that she was welcome to visit at any time. When she arrived, he greeted her with a bright, welcoming smile.

“Sister-in-law!”

“I’m sorry to visit unannounced. I worried I might be disturbing you.”

“Not at all. I actually needed a break from work. You came at the perfect time.”

It was Anita’s first visit to Gerard’s palace, and she immediately noticed the contrast with the Crown Prince’s residence.

While Cedric’s palace was elegant and imposing, Gerard’s was warm and inviting. The beige walls and lush indoor plants created a sense of gentle vitality, enhanced by the high ceilings and soft light.

As he led her through the garden, Gerard guided Anita to a small table nestled amongst beds of blooming flowers. Surrounded by the fragrance of autumn roses, Anita couldn’t help but relax. Her gaze lingered on a soft pink rose in full bloom, its petals shimmering in the sunlight.

Smiling as he watched her, he served her a cup of citrus-scented tea and an assortment of flower-shaped sweets. Then, his eyes gleaming with curiosity, he asked.

“But what brings you here, Sister-in-law?”

Anita turned to Renee, who handed her a small box. Asking quietly for privacy, Anita waited as Gerard gestured for his attendants to withdraw to a distance.

“Please… accept this.”

Anita placed the box on the table and slid it toward him. Gerard, puzzled, took it carefully and opened the lid.

“Sister-in-law, what is this?”

Inside lay a magnificent brooch, gleaming under the soft light. A flawless sapphire, large and deep as the sea, was encircled by diamonds, their delicate strands cascading below like a waterfall of light.

“It’s one of the gifts His Majesty, the Emperor of Callithea, gave me before I came here.”

It was clearly no ordinary trinket. Startled by the lavishness of the gift, Gerard stared at Anita, then quickly closed the box.

“I… I can’t accept something like this. No, absolutely not.”

“Please, accept it. It’s only a token of gratitude.”

“Gratitude? From you, Sister-in-law—to me?”

“I happened to hear, not long ago… that you spoke up in favor of sending aid to Callithea.”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if embarrassed by her own gesture. Realization dawned on Gerard’s face, and he quickly waved his hands in refusal.

“Ah! So that’s what this is about. Then all the more reason I can’t accept it.”

“…….”

“I only did what needed to be done. If I accept something like this, people might misunderstand and think that I’ve taken a bribe.”

Anita’s eyes widened in shock. She had only wanted to thank him, yet the thought of having caused a misunderstanding made her heart lurch with shame and fear.

“That wasn’t my intention at all. No…how careless of me. I nearly brought trouble upon you, Your Highness.”

“It was a joke, a poor one, apparently.”

Gerard immediately shook his head, seeing how pale she’d gone.

“I only meant to tease you a little. Forgive me.”

He hadn’t expected her to be so startled and felt a pang of guilt. It seemed that the rumors about how harshly the Crown Prince’s servants treated her were true.

Suppressing his sudden resentment towards Cedric, Gerard forced a calm smile.