At that time, Princess Scarlet really made an expression like she had bitten into a bug. 

 Tatiana almost felt embarrassed, thinking: Am I wrong? Was it just my imagination? Are the walls of in-laws really that hard to overcome? 

 However, that wasn’t why the princess had such a sour face. 

 ‘Hmm, Tatiana is an only child so you probably don’t understand this feeling.’ 

 ‘What?’ 

 ‘To me, Gideon is just my mother’s son. Of course I like you more, Tatiana . No, I only like you. It’s disgusting, so please don’t say things like I like my mom’s son, okay?’ 

 ‘……’ 

 ‘I really feel like I’m going to throw up.’

‘No, why would you go that far……’ 

 Tatiana really liked her new friend. Though Scarlet had nothing in common with her, Tatiana felt interest rather than discomfort in that. 

 Perhaps since she had already taken a liking to her, everything just looked good no matter what she did. However, Scarlet had also said something like this to Tatiana. 

 ‘My sister-in-law is a completely different type of beauty from me. I don’t feel any sense of competition, just joy in looking at you. Some people might think they’ll get tired of looking at pretty things eventually, but that’s absolutely not true. It’s always fresh.’ 

 ‘……’ 

 ‘So please stay forever.’ 

 Tatiana walked through the corridor and out to the outer gate to welcome her cute sister-in-law. Her steps were light and cheerful. 

 Soon the princess and her entourage came into view. Scarlet was showing off the most splendid outfit of anyone today as well. However, the area near the outer gate was very noisy. Not because of Scarlet, but because an unexpected visitor was having an argument with the guards. 

 It was Sir Samuel Samson, the Deputy Commander of the Royal Guard and Tatiana’s neighborhood uncle. 

 “I am from the Royal Guard. I’m the Deputy Commander. What more certain identity could there be in the palace?” 

 “That’s not the issue. You haven’t coordinated schedules with Her Highness the Princess Consort beforehand. We haven’t received any notification.” 

 Tatiana became a bit puzzled. 

 ‘Since when did I become such a difficult person to meet?’ 

 Of course, she wouldn’t meet just anyone who showed up unannounced. But isn’t a Royal Guard executive not just anyone? Even without their childhood connection. 

 “Uncle Samson, what’s wrong?” 

 “Your Highness!” 

 Sir Samson’s expression looked as if he had found a lifeline. However, he showed a hesitant attitude for a moment as if it was difficult to speak right away. 

 Tatiana pat his arm as if to comfort him. 

 Stop that. Keep the report simple and clear. While you’re hemming and hawing like that, the borders could fall and the palace could burn down. 

 Even then, Tatiana was still snickering. Because she hadn’t thought it would be such a serious matter. 

 However, when Samson suddenly straightened up and began speaking as the Deputy Commander, she froze instantly. 

 “Your Highness. The Inspectorate agents are currently searching the Royal Guard quarters.” 

 “……Huh?” 

 “No one answers when we ask for the reason. As Deputy Commander, I need to know what’s happening, so I’ve taken the liberty of coming here despite the rudeness.” 

 Tatiana remained frozen for a long while before nodding. 

 She understood what kind of chaos was happening at the barracks now, and why he had no choice but to come here. But then what was the Commander above him doing? 

 “What is Father doing now?” 

 “……He was arrested at the scene.” 

 “……” 

 Tatiana froze even more than before and blinked repeatedly. Then she looked around at the people nearby with an expression asking ‘What in the world is going on?’ 

 But it was a strange thing. When their eyes met, Scarlet avoided her gaze with embarrassment. However, while she looked troubled, she didn’t seem surprised as if she had foreseen this situation. 

 It was the same with Isabelle and the maids who had followed Tatiana. They all wore expressions like ‘This was bound to happen.’ 

 Tatiana felt quite dumbfounded. She had felt similar feelings recently at the party venue and in front of her adoptive father’s residence. 

 ‘Am I the only one who doesn’t know again? Why does everyone know except me?’ 

 Given the gravity of the situation, perhaps putting everything else aside and checking on her adoptive father’s condition should be the priority. 

 But Tatiana stared at Scarlet, who was avoiding her eyes, for quite a long time. She felt like something had been intentionally hidden from her. Then very honestly, she felt betrayed. 

* * *

 Gideon is such a meticulous and kind man. He is so kind that he even gives warnings before things happen. 

 He had told Tatiana in bed recently that the palace would be noisy for a while. And what do you know? It really did become noisy. 

 Tatiana wanted to ask Gideon’s face sarcastically: 

 ‘My husband, are you perhaps a prophet?’ 

 While the Royal Guard was experiencing chaos, House Muller was truly in shambles. 

 Even at this moment, anonymous complaints and letters sent by territory residents and soldiers were flying into the palace. It was quite a nationwide movement, as if they had been waiting for this moment. 

 And at this point, there’s something anyone could guess. The target of this commotion wasn’t the Royal Guard. It was Duke Muller. No, perhaps it might be Queen and Prince Vaikal who were even higher up. 

 The issue of House Muller’s private army was raised at the State Council. Gideon seemed to have had quite a confrontation with the Queen about it during the meeting. 

 But was there really something suspicious? The Queen was continuing to play dumb. Without even properly displaying that supremely elegant eloquence of hers. 

 Gideon was steadily creating situations favorable to himself by riding this momentum. 

 Once, Tatiana had thought noble peers who bragged at parties about their spouse’s success as if it were their own looked quite pathetic. But looking at it with a more generous heart, it might be enviable in some ways. 

 Not because the spouse’s success was their own success. A spouse was, coldly speaking, still another person. 

 But how often can people be so purely happy about another person’s success? Marriage sometimes makes that too easily possible. 

 So Tatiana should also send congratulations and encouragement if her spouse was cornering his political opponents…… It would be nice if she could do that…… 

 ‘But that sacrifice happens to be my adoptive father.’ 

 However, what really made Tatiana angry these days was something else. 

 It was how she was hearing about all these developments from others’ mouths, not from Gideon. 

 He hadn’t come to see Tatiana lately, using the excuse of being incredibly busy. He was continuing to live separately, going between his office and his own bedroom. 

 Whether from anxiety or rising anger, it was difficult to meet him even when she visited his office. 

 At this point, Tatiana couldn’t help having such thoughts. 

 ‘He’s not busy, he’s deliberately avoiding me, isn’t he?’ 

 If one couldn’t even have this much reasonable suspicion when the situation had come this far, they wouldn’t be human but a bear. 

 But there was one fortunate thing even in this serious situation. It was that she could meet outside people without any restrictions. 

 Of course, sometimes she had such doubts. 

 ‘Why is this fortunate? Isn’t it natural? Am I a prisoner? Am I satisfied with just this?’ 

 At such times she would feel angry again, but being able to meet people anytime did help ventilate her stifling feelings. 

 If she hadn’t been allowed even this, she might have laid down in the corridor where Gideon passes by, telling him to step on her. Though she hadn’t done such outrageous things yet, what couldn’t people do when their heads are spinning? 

 After seeing off her peers who had visited earlier, Tatiana sat quietly on the sofa to rest. 

 Though her ears hurt from her friends chirping like baby chicks while chattering, it was a time when she could forget her worries for a while. 

 But the next visitor was someone quite burdensome for Tatiana. Lady Muller had begged for some time. 

 To be honest, she wanted to avoid or postpone it. It was too obvious what the Duchess would say, Tatiana couldn’t solve it, and her mind was noisy. 

 But because the person who must be much more troubled than her right now was the Duchess, Tatiana couldn’t ignore that desperate request. 

 “Your Highness!” 

 “Mother.” 

 Lady Muller, who was always overflowing with dignity, entered the room and fell to her knees as if collapsing. 

 Tatiana quickly helped her adoptive mother up while gesturing to the maids to leave. Though Isabelle hesitated awkwardly, Tatiana had been spending very distant time lately with not only Scarlet but also the maids. It was a protest against them deliberately filtering information at their level. 

 When Tatiana sent a sharp look, Isabelle finally bowed her head and left with the maids. 

 “Please sit down first.” 

 “Your Highness, what should we do about this……” 

 “……” 

 “My son…… Your older brother was also dragged to the Inspectorate for questioning the other day……” 

 “Brother too?”