“Your Highness Friedrich.”

“……”

“Your Highness?”

Friedrich stared indifferently at the figures that had disappeared before him. The woman who felt anger toward him, and his brother who took her away.

They were all fools, every one of them. Friedrich raised one eyebrow and then turned away.

“My teacher will be waiting.”

Just like Ludwig, Friedrich turned his back without any lingering attachment. However, even as he returned to his palace, Friedrich’s mind was quite noisy.

‘Strange.’

In Friedrich’s memory, Sezlin didn’t exist originally. He had only heard rumors about her or seen her once from afar. Meeting her directly two days ago was the first time.

Yet Sezlin’s attitude just now was somehow unnatural. As if she knew him. Her slightly trembling back conveyed her emotions clearly, as if she was angry with him.

It was a small trace that others might not notice, but Friedrich was naturally perceptive. Especially regarding matters related to himself, he became more sensitive than usual.

‘Why would she be angry with me?’

Looking back, it wasn’t just today. Even during their last meal together, she had shown subtle hostility toward him.

She probably thought she was hiding it. Sometimes, there’s nothing more frightening than human intuition.

One can hide goodwill, but hostility is difficult to conceal.

‘She has quite a capable guard as well.’

Seeing how brutally the assassin died. She clearly had a skilled protector. When he approached Sezlin, he had felt a faint killing intent.

But he couldn’t tell where the guard was, suggesting Ludwig had put considerable effort into this arrangement.

‘How ridiculous.’

Love? As if.

Friedrich wasn’t naive enough to play along with such a farce. Love between those two? Maybe Sezlin, but Ludwig was absolutely not the type to love others.

Emotions from that monster? Friedrich couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

‘It looked quite natural though.’

How long would this fabricated relationship last? Whatever the reason might be, it was certain that the two had no ordinary relationship.

Not love. Something deeper and more profound. Friedrich exhaled deeply and held a faint smile on his lips.

At that moment, a maid turning the corner saw him and hurriedly bowed. Friedrich merely tossed a casual “Good work” at her hasty display of respect.

Yet he still examined the bowing maid with cold eyes. The smile on his face gradually deepened as he passed by her.

As his heavy footsteps faded away, Violet, who had been deeply bowing, glanced behind her.
There was no one around except her, as far as the distant footsteps had gone.

After confirming no one was present, Violet straightened her back. Her upright posture no longer showed any anger. She had calmed herself down, though the head chamberlain’s consolation had helped her regain composure.

‘D*mn it.’

Her sharp eyes rose fiercely. Even at the mansion, she had to mind the maids’ attitudes. The head chamberlain had instructed her to act freely within reasonable bounds.

‘If I’m easy prey even for mansion maids, how stupid must I be.’

Kuk-kuk. Violet covered her mouth and laughed silently.

‘I need to teach them a proper lesson.’

So they won’t act so freely again. Just thinking about what happened this morning still made her blood boil. Violet took a deep breath and clenched her fist.

* * *

Meanwhile, Friedrich, who had passed by Violet, quietly instructed his subordinate.

“Find out about Sezlin Brioden. Her reputation, rumors. Everything without exception.”

Just before entering the palace. His subordinate who received the order responded respectfully.

“I will obey your command, Your Highness.”

“Ah, and also.”

Friedrich’s face filled with rare pleasure.

“Prepare the drug I mentioned earlier.”

“The drug…”

“It’s about time we begin.”

Since assassination or poisoning wouldn’t work. He needed to find a more certain method.
For that, he would need to,

“Conduct experiments.”

Until he kills his brother.

* * *

“My lady. For your meal…”

“I’ll eat later.”

Sezlin rejected Joanna’s suggestion and sat by the window.

Why? She had no appetite at all since earlier.

More precisely, since meeting Ludwig.

‘To think I almost cried.’

Sezlin unconsciously closed her eyes. Beyond her exhaled breath, deep shame hung over her.

First, that her agitation had been visible. Second, that she still couldn’t hide her emotions.

The reason for such intense shame.

She ran her tongue over her slightly chapped lips.

But only briefly. One of Sezlin’s cheeks twitched.

She tasted blood. Sezlin pressed her index finger firmly against her lip.

When she removed it, she saw a small amount of red blood.

‘Did I bite it too much?’

To think she hadn’t even noticed the wound on her lip. Sezlin expressed her bewilderment with a hollow laugh instead of a sigh.

How much had she been shaken when she first met Friedrich? She thought she had composed herself then… An indescribable sense of wretchedness washed over her.

Trying to shake off her self-loathing, Sezlin deliberately shook her head vigorously.

‘He said he’s studying imperial governance.’

If so, rumors about Friedrich becoming crown prince would soon be the talk of the town. Imperial governance was a discipline that required the emperor’s permission. Naturally, all princes and princesses who studied it followed the path to the throne. Of course, not all became emperor, but the fact that it was a predetermined course couldn’t be denied.

If it happened again this time, the nobles would be convinced that Friedrich had been designated as crown prince.

‘Should I call this being born to good parents?’

She didn’t know much about Ludwig, but she could tell he was at least better than Friedrich. Honestly, wasn’t it thanks to the Second Empress that Friedrich could study imperial governance at all? All he was capable of was devising cunning schemes and shortcuts, not scholarly pursuits.

‘Even mentioning it to me was probably to pressure me.’

Sezlin sank into the soft backrest.

Coming to the First Prince’s palace deliberately. Saying such things to her was just an obvious psychological warfare.

“My lady.”

Joanna entered the room and bowed respectfully.

“The First Prince requests your company for dinner.”

At those words, Sezlin tightly closed her eyes. She furrowed her brow and slowly lifted her eyelids.

Any other time might have been fine, but she wasn’t in a state to see Ludwig yet.

Resting her elbow on the armrest, Sezlin touched her forehead.

“Please tell him I’m not feeling well…”

“Then it’s fine if you don’t eat.”

A quiet voice overlaid her words of refusal. Sezlin just slightly turned her head to look toward the door.

Ludwig, who had instructed the maid to leave the tray and go, closed the door. In an instant, only the two of them remained in the room again.

“You said you’re not having dinner.”

“I’m not feeling well. Why did you come here?”

Ludwig, who had pulled the trolley nearby, sat on the visible sofa. Under the bright chandelier, the food glistened appetizingly.

“I was concerned when you left like that.”

“……”

Her eyes, which had been fixed on the window frame, gradually widened. Was it because she didn’t expect such words from Ludwig’s mouth? Sezlin sneered coldly.

“You’re more caring than I thought.”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t mock me too much. I have another reason for coming here.”

“What is it?”

“The new maid is watching.”

Her lips, which were about to retort, froze in place. What other new maid could there be?
Sezlin brazenly swallowed the sarcasm she was about to spit out.

“You’re faithful to our contract.”

“Your every move will be monitored. Isn’t it better if we stay together as much as possible?”

He was right. Until she properly got rid of Violet, Sezlin intended to avoid giving any cause for criticism.

With Ludwig by her side, they could act like a good couple. And it wouldn’t be easy for others to enter the room.

“Is your lip alright?”

“It’s fine.”

“It looked bitten earlier.”

“It’ll heal if I apply medicine.”

Sezlin unconsciously pulled her injured lip inward. She could taste the metallic blood.

“You seem to get injured quite often.”

“……”

Sezlin deliberately ignored his comment. Ludwig stared at her back as she silently gazed out the window.

When neither spoke, a quiet stillness filled the space between them.

Sezlin gently stroked her arm covered only by a thin shawl. The formless silence felt like it was binding her ankles.

“Haah.”

She couldn’t just tell him to leave. Sezlin finally decided to break the silence first.

“You were quite good with skinship earlier.”

“That was…”

“Yesterday you were embarrassed even to hold hands.”

At Sezlin’s words, Ludwig’s mouth closed as if he was lying. When no answer came, Sezlin twisted her upper body.

Beyond her narrowed eyes, she saw the arrogant man. His tightly closed lips moved like a crawling turtle.

“I was displeased.”

“…About what?”

At Sezlin’s question, Ludwig furrowed his brow. As if he himself didn’t know why.
Ludwig recalled the snake-like gaze he had seen earlier. When it had subtly examined Sezlin.

“I wanted to gouge out those eyes.”

Though he didn’t know why.

“I just wanted to snap that neck.”