“That son of a b*tch, really!”

As soon as he entered his room, Friedrich threw the vase he was holding. It crashed against the nearby wall and fell as fragments.

A sharp shattering sound echoed in the air.

Fortunately, the door was closed. Otherwise, news that the Second Prince was rampaging at night would have spread throughout the palace. But at present, Friedrich’s eyes registered neither his reputation nor his mother’s reproach.

With both hands on the desk, Friedrich let out an angry groan. At the same time, the sneer he had heard earlier flashed through his mind as if bewitched.

—It seems bugs have laid eggs near the palace. Flies keep coming in at all hours.

—Brother.

—It’s even becoming difficult to kill them now.

After saying that, Ludwig had whispered secretly.

—Even on the battlefield, I never touched a dog while eating. Friedrich.

—…

—I mean, don’t waste your effort.

He had raised his upper body slowly and grabbed the lady who approached him.

—Let’s go in now.

“What worthless trash!”

The flies that had come referred to Friedrich. Because of the assassins he had sent.

From the day Ludwig re-entered the palace, Friedrich had consistently tried to kill him. Unable to even keep his own place and abandoned. He was infuriated that Ludwig had returned with the title of hero.

Every time he strutted around the palace ostentatiously, Friedrich felt so nauseated he thought he would go crazy. Even the Emperor was paying attention to Ludwig, who had achieved merit.

The palace was in his mother’s grasp anyway, but what mattered was elsewhere.

The problem was that attention was turning to Ludwig, not himself.

Foolish people had already blurted out that Ludwig should be made the next crown prince. As all the emperors who had achieved great peace in history were Sword Masters, that symbol was with Ludwig.

Something Friedrich could never possess.

An ability that could be most fatal in the future struggle for the throne.

That’s what provoked Friedrich.

“Ha!”

How to kill him?

Friedrich, who had struck the desk, chewed his lips. A fishy taste spread in his mouth, but it didn’t matter. He clenched his fist tightly and rolled his eyes quickly. Between the rapidly moving red flashes, a small light sparkled.

At the same time, Friedrich thought of one person.

“Lady Brioden.”

The woman he had met today.

Friedrich, recalling her smiling brightly beside Ludwig, exhaled the breath he had been holding.

“Yes.”

Love, he said.

“Romance is good.”

‘Though I don’t know how long that feeling will last.’ Friedrich, forcibly calming his turbulent insides, immediately snapped his fingers.

Subordinates, appearing from nowhere, gathered behind his broad back.

“Sezlin Brioden.”

If he was irritated by the bugs,

“Kill that woman.”

He had no choice but to take it out elsewhere.

* * *

“Your Highness.”

“Ludwig.”

“…Ludwig.”

Sezlin, who had changed into a comfortable slip, tightened the shawl draped over her shoulders. Sitting on a nearby sofa, she looked at the man who sat down after her.

“You’re more aggressive than I expected.”

“It would be troublesome to be disgraced elsewhere. There’s the dignity of the imperial palace to consider.”

But to insult even his parents together. Sezlin was genuinely confused whether to praise or scold him for this.

Looking at it, he seemed to seek even harsher rhetoric than her own. It was quite irritating how he pretended not to be doing so. But what was the point of saying that now?

After confirming that the maid had left the tea, Sezlin opened her mouth.

“I think we have a lot to talk about.”

Having arrived at the palace, bathed, and gone to the banquet, there was no time to talk with him separately. That’s why she had kept her mouth shut at the banquet earlier.

While she had deliberately reduced her words to assess the other royals, there were too many uncoordinated aspects. It would be troublesome if she made a mistake.

So now that she had time, she needed to finalize the contract perfectly.

“We’ve discussed private lives. Is there anything else you’ve thought about?”

“One thing comes to mind right away.”

It was something she had considered originally, but seeing Friedrich earlier had confirmed it.

“Protect my safety. It would be good if you could assign guards. Preferably skilled ones.”

“You’re quick-witted.”

“The way he looked at you earlier was quite frightening.”

The way he glared so fiercely. Sezlin had never seen Friedrich so angry in her life.

“What you brought at the matchmaking meeting I saw before.”

“They were assassins sent by Friedrich. I’m sure you’ve already noticed.”

“Of course.”

Ludwig’s existence was a tremendous obstacle to the Second Empress and her son.

It might have been different before, but at least now that he had awakened as a Sword Master, it was so.

“Do you know what Friedrich hates most?”

“His pride, I suppose.”

She could tell even from the brief encounter. To Friedrich, the imperial family was his pride itself, his identity. Having lived his whole life dreaming of becoming emperor, it was understandable in a way.

Moreover, there hadn’t been much political opposition. If he had lived diligently under the shadow of the Second Empress, it would have been strange not to have pride.

“My very existence touches his pride.”

“Because you’ve started to gain attention.”

Ludwig nodded.

“That’s why he’s been sending assassins and poison at all times. He restrained himself earlier.”

Since there was no poison in the banquet food. Ludwig’s face soon showed annoyance.

“The situation is roughly like this, and as I said, I’ll assign guards. Trustworthy ones.”

“Thank you.”

Sezlin picked up the cup brought by the maid.

“Did you place our rooms close together to prepare for assassinations?”

“Since we don’t know how Friedrich or the Second Empress might act. At least until we hold the engagement ceremony and things stabilize, it’s better to stay together.”

Sezlin agreed with this. As she had thought earlier, staying close to Ludwig was beneficial to her for now.

Or even to survive.

“Then it’s my turn now.”

Following his low voice, Sezlin’s cup tilted. Warm tea flowed through her parted lips. Ludwig asked:

“I won’t ask further about how you knew about the mine.”

“…”

“A report came in that a large amount of gold was discovered. Just as you said.”

It wasn’t just fragmentary. The information Sezlin had mentioned was included in the report without omission. It was surprisingly accurate and detailed enough to raise questions about how she knew.

Therefore, as soon as he confirmed this information, Ludwig began preparations to welcome Sezlin. As he had resolved before, to keep her in front of him and watch her.

He had planned to immediately dismiss her if she tried any tricks in between.

At this moment, Sezlin, who had placed her half-empty cup on the table, broke the silence.

“So you had me monitored.”

For the first time, her face, which had been calm until now, showed agitation. Like throwing a stone into a calm lake, it was a slight ripple.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”

In fact, it was half certainty and half speculation. Anyone would have certainly placed surveillance after someone blurted out such things and asked for marriage out of the blue.

And during the nearly two weeks since returning to the Duke’s mansion, Sezlin had harbored a strange certainty.

That a subtle gaze was following her.

“You wouldn’t have gained anything by monitoring me. I didn’t meet anyone or do anything. At most, I entered the study.”

“If it offended you, I apologize.”

At this interpretation, Ludwig readily confessed everything. Ludwig wasn’t so conscienceless as to deny it when she spoke so directly.

“I didn’t mention it expecting an apology. Just asking you to set aside unnecessary suspicions.”

“I’m not doubting your words.”

“But you still doubt the person Sezlin Brioden herself, don’t you?”

While seeming to believe Sezlin’s words, Ludwig was still somewhat guarded. More precisely, he was still putting up a wall. It could also be said that he was in the process of understanding what thoughts Sezlin harbored.

“I understand. If it were me, I’d also think someone was crazy if they approached me like that suddenly.”

“Sezlin.”

“I’ll continue to show you that my words about abandoning Brioden are sincere, so I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from excessive speculation.”

For example,

“Wondering if I might try something foolish in the meantime.”

“…”

“That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”

“Ha!”

Ludwig, who had been hit squarely by her, let out a hollow laugh. Well now. She had not only dissected his thoughts but also suggested his future direction.

‘What kind of person is this…’

A sense of interest settled in Ludwig’s eyes. It was a more vivid emotion than when she had said she would kill his brother before.

After letting out a powerless laugh, Ludwig gradually steadied his breath and asked:

“So. Now that you know there’s gold in the mine, what do you plan to do?”

“First…”

Sezlin’s legs crossed.

“There’s a safe in my father’s study.”

Just lightly,

“Let’s start by opening that safe.”

To completely dry him up.