[To His Excellency, the Esteemed Crown Prince,

I will keep this letter brief, Your Highness, so as not to encroach upon your precious time.

I humbly ask for your understanding, and I hope that my words will not be considered discourteous.

Recently, letters sent to me from Callithea have been delayed. May I ask if there is a reason for this? In addition, as I am unwell today, I fear I may trouble you with details of my condition. I humbly ask for Your Highness’s kind consideration in this matter.

Rest assured that I will abide entirely by Your Highness’s wishes in all matters. Please speak freely as you see fit.

I hope that this letter causes no offence to Your Highness.

Respectfully,
Anita Fion]

··· ✦ ···

“Geneviève of House Clev serves as an attendant to Her Highness the Crown Princess. She is closer to her half-brother than to Count Clev himself. The Count’s current wife, the Countess of Lilav, replaced their late mother. Through her kinship with the Marquis of Sez, the Countess is also acquainted with Her Majesty the Empress.”

“You’ve placed her well in the gap. And the rest?”

“There are several suspicious court attendants, but aside from Lady Clev, all of the Crown Princess’s maids are unquestionably loyal to Your Highness.”

“She handled poison, did she not? Find a suitable pretext and dismiss her. See that she never steps foot in the palace again.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll see to it at once.”

“And while you’re at it, tell Count Clev to stop showing affection to his late wife’s useless children. He has a younger son who is clever. I wonder what he’s waiting for.”

With a single command from Cedric, the fate of an ancient noble family was sealed.

Geneviève, the Crown Princess’s maid, had once been admired and favored throughout the palace, but she had chosen the wrong side and her punishment would come swiftly.

She could be sent to a convent, condemned to death, or forced into a shameful marriage to a man with no title. Either way, it would be a cruel outcome for someone who had once stood so close to royalty.

However, for a woman who had dared to serve the Empress against the Crown Prince and conspire to harm the Princess, it was, in truth, mercy.

Had the Crown Princess wished to pursue vengeance further, the entire Clev family would have been executed for treason.

‘Then why does His Highness choose not to?’

“How old was Count Clev’s young son again?”

The Crown Prince’s aide, Gislin, tried to remember, doubt taking root in his mind.

It had been the Empress’s scheme: to poison the Crown Princess and frame the Crown Prince. It was reckless, yes, but the worsening of the Emperor’s illness had driven her to desperation.

If she had succeeded, she would have gained a great deal, as the Emperor disapproved of his son’s cold treatment of his wife.

‘…He could have waited for the trap to spring, then seized the tail and dragged the Empress down with it, forcing her to pay the price.’

Yet now, when the enemy’s hand had been revealed, His Highness chose not to exploit it but to settle the matter quietly. The decision perplexed Gislin deeply.

‘…Could it be that His Highness fears for the Crown Princess’s safety?’

The thought flashed through his mind, absurd and impossible yet if not that, then what? After all, although His Highness still scowled at the mere mention of her name, did he not visit her chambers every night?

Affection born of sharing a bed could not easily be dismissed. Just a few days ago, His Highness had spent the whole day in a bad mood simply because the Crown Princess had not come to him that night.

Gislin understood. Although their marriage had begun as a political alliance, His Highness had undeniably grown attached to his wife over time. It was true that his desire had dimmed somewhat after the birth of their child, but compared to the cold indifference of their first meeting, this change was extraordinary.

‘Still… he used to loathe her so deeply. And yet, it seems even desire has its own power over him.’

His idle thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. When he opened it, prompted by a familiar servant’s voice, he saw a knight standing there with a stern expression. Gislin’s own expression immediately hardened to match it. Stepping aside, he glanced at his seated lord.

“Leave us.”

Before the attendant could speak, Cedric gave the order without looking up from the papers in front of him. Everyone in the room knew exactly what that tone meant. Gislin left with the servant, leaving only the knight behind.

“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Dian was the only one left. Despite his pale complexion, he knelt and bowed deeply before Cedric, who still did not look up. Cedric continued leafing through the documents in silence for a long time. It was only when the shadow on the floor shifted by a few inches that he finally looked up at his long-serving subordinate.

It must have been painful to remain bowed for so long, yet Dian held his posture like stone. Cedric gestured for him to stand up. Only then did Dian slowly stand up.

“Your condition?”

“It is not severe enough to trouble Your Highness.”

His words did not reflect his state of mind. In truth, Dian was far from unscathed. Cedric had sentenced him to thirty lashes for disobedience. Although the punishment had not been carried out in public, news of it had spread quickly. Among knights, such a sentence was a mark of disgrace, so when others heard that Dian Gard had been flogged, they were stunned.

After all, Dian Gard was the head of House Gard, the Crown Prince’s oldest confidant, and one of Laxion’s most renowned knights. Those who knew of his temperance and composure laughed in disbelief when they first heard the rumor.

“…Even if it costs your neck, you would still say the same thing to me, wouldn’t you?”

Cedric murmured as he looked down at his vassal. On the surface, it sounded like a remark of admiration for loyalty, yet coming right after a punishment, it carried an oddly cutting undertone.

“The penalty for your defiance is done. I will not speak of it further. However—”

“……”

“From this point on, any disobedience will not be forgiven.”

“……”

“Keep the knights in line, they must be on edge after seeing you punished.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I will make sure such a thing never happens again.”

Dian replied in a steady, unshaken voice. There was no trace of defiance in him.

Cedric was about to return his attention to the papers on his desk when he paused, studying the knight before him with a sharp, observant gaze.

“Dian.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Cedric rose slowly from his seat, his eyes never leaving the man. Stepping out from behind the desk, he came to stand before him.

“Are you still the same?”

For a moment, Dian’s eyes trembled. He did not answer immediately as he always had before. Cedric’s tone hardened as he pressed him for an answer.

“I asked if you are still the same, Dian. Do you still revere the goddess as deeply as I do? Can you still say, without hesitation, that you will complete your sister’s vengeance?”

“With utmost respect, I can, Your Highness. My heart has not changed in the least since that day.”

Sister. A subtle shift flickered in Dian’s gaze. When he raised his head, Cedric met those familiar green eyes, darkened and subdued, so like his own. Cedric tilted his chin slightly.

“Is that so?”

“……”

“Then stop pitying the princess. You seem to have forgotten what your task is.”

It had been a while since Cedric last referred to Anita as the Princess of Callithea. The weight of the title was unmistakable, and Dian’s hands stiffened at once.

“Think about what you’re meant to do, Dian. Remember what I entrusted to you. The death of the goddess would mean the fall of Callithea, you know that as well as I do. The two are bound tightly together.”

“……”

“Why do you think I placed you at the center of it all, out of everyone else I could have chosen? Because I never doubted you. I believed you would not falter.”

Dian had been involved in the plan to bring about Callithea’s downfall for a long time, acting both at the behest of his master and out of his own conviction. For years, he had overseen countless large- and small-scale operations under Cedric’s command. Yet now, bitterness filled his mouth and unease churned in his chest. Why now? Why this sudden change of heart when he had never questioned his actions before?

“You must have heard the news. Troops are gathering in Callithea’s capital. They say supplies are almost gone. With both the sea and the roads frozen, a great calamity is sure to come.”

“……”

“The timing isn’t bad. To begin again.”

His gaze lingered on Dian—measured, deliberate. To begin again. It meant the resumption of what had been briefly halted: their covert support for the rebellion against Callithea.

“There will be no more aid from Laxion to the Callithean royal family. Even if there were, I doubt the pace would remain the same. When civil war deepens and ships sink, thieves rise to power — that’s just the way things are.”

“……”

“Why shouldn’t that be good news for you, Dian?”

“It’s an opportunity to punish those who fled to the goddess’s land for their long-festering sins. You never did find out who killed your sister, did you?”

Hearing these words from her master, Dian felt a chill crawl up her spine, bringing back the memory of her frozen feet in the snow. Why now? Only yesterday, His Highness had wanted to slow the pace of things.

Much had been planned for after Callithea’s fall. Among those plans was—

Dian opened her mouth to speak, attempting to dissuade him.

“While His Majesty the Emperor still lives, replacing the Crown Princess is impossible. If she were to die, surely His Majesty would—”

“Why are you thinking that far ahead?”

Cedric’s face was usually expressionless, but never cold. In an instant, however, it turned glacial. The warmth drained from his eyes, and his voice cut through the air.

“Dian. That is not for you to concern yourself with.”

“……”

“What I entrusted to you was to lend your strength to Callithea’s downfall. Why, then, are you troubling yourself with matters beyond that?”

“……”

“Overstepping your place.”

Cedric spoke quietly, barely concealing his anger.

Faced with his lord’s reprimand, the loyal knight was unable to respond. It was a justified reprimand — why had he gone beyond the command given? And yet, his lips twitched involuntarily. He felt an urge to speak.

“Your face looks grim. You’re still unwell, it seems. Take ten days’ leave. Go outside the palace and rest.”

Cedric’s eyes lingered on the knight’s troubled expression, a blend of unease and tension before issuing the order. Dian lowered his head at once, ready to beg for the command to be withdrawn.

“Please, Your Highness, rescind that order. My duty—”

“It’s an order.”

Cedric cut in firmly. Turning his back, he returned to his desk and drew the pile of documents toward him.

“Go and clear your head. Think about your future while you’re at it. Once the House of Hardyde collapses, I plan to send you to Callithea first. No matter who claims the throne, we must ensure we gain something from it.”

With that, Cedric dismissed him. His gaze alone was enough to silently command him to leave. At the same time, however, Cedric also spoke of the next directive: when the Callithean royal house fell and chaos ensued, Dian would have a part to play.

In the past, he would have accepted this as a matter of course. Those who helped to destroy always played a part in rebuilding what rose from the ruins. Yet now, the thought unsettled him. He wanted to beg for the order to be withdrawn.

“No one understands my will better than you. Isn’t that right?”

Had Cedric read his heart? The words cut deep. Whether he was sincere or not, a vassal could not refuse his master’s trust. To do so would be to defy him.

As he always had, Dian bowed deeply and silently, then withdrew.