At that moment…

“No, your highness!” Eva suddenly shouted. We looked toward the young Duchess.

Unlike Christelle or Sand, who had lost the train of the conversation, the child seemed to have fully understood the contents.

“I have a lot to do and you need to help me, your highness. You cannot go.” She came closer and I could see that her brown eyes were sparkling. It put me in an awkward position. I didn’t know what she needed help with, but I wanted to help her. But I also wanted to go to the orphanage’s opening ceremony.

The croquet match naturally came to a pause. The attendants started whispering. Sir Johann came over and asked in a gentle tone. “Young Duchess-nim, please excuse me for asking this, but is your reason more important than your cousin’s schedule?”

“T, that……”

The child took one step back and warily looked toward the Imperial Crown Prince. She looked as if she realized her mistake. I urgently looked toward the crown prince.

His handsome orange eyes were sparkling with joy of his victory.

‘Hey, I’m thankful that you put it in your schedule, but you can’t be competing like this with a sixteen year old!’

“Eva, what is it?”

“……It’s not much, your highness. It is basically dust compared to his Royal Highness’s precious steps.”

“No. It is just as important to me. I’m sure Christelle feels the same way.”

I looked toward Christelle as I said that. Crack! The firewood crackled quite loudly in the furnace. Christelle started chuckling as she consoled Eva.

“Of course. I’m very curious as well. What could our Eva have planned all by herself? Hmm?”

“It’s nothing amazing, it’s just…… I have decided to take control of that tavern.” The young Duchess spoke quietly while in Christelle’s embrace.

We looked around at each other, wondering what she meant by that. Sand, who had quietly been listening, asked Vice Captain Élisabeth a question.

“Do you think she is talking about that luxurious tavern you mentioned going to last time? The place where you rescued Captain Modeste Bacary……”

“Ah. Are you talking about Blois?”

The young Countess’s grey eyes opened wide. All of us looked toward Eva again. That was the place that had been run by the wealthy juggernaut, Baroness Joan Tillier. The self-proclaimed information center of the central region and Fist Queen was now Empress Frédérique’s prisoner for illegal taxation and violence.

‘I had been curious about what would happen to the place because the owner was in prison, but Eva bought it? Seriously?’

“That’s right. I…… I’ve said that I want power.”

“Yes, you have.”

That was right. Eva had wanted to get to a high position since she was just a young lady, which was the reason she desired the young Duchess position. She was also confident that she would do a great job. She looked so innocent, making me wonder if she even knew what power was. However, the nobles here received their titles at a young age and personally experienced the economy and politics as they grew into leaders. That was why it was fine for Eva to slowly learn as well. I was sure that she would become a great Duchess that a punk like Robert Blanquer could never even dream about becoming. The Eva I had observed until now was a smart girl who was clear about what she wanted.

“My mother told me something last week. She said that using power as you please is violence. She said that power that people accept and approve of is what you would call true power.”

“Oh……”

We all gasped in admiration.

“That is why I started thinking about how I could get true power like that.”

“I see.”

“The friends I have right now are not enough. I need to grow my own force.”

“Excuse me?” I blinked in confusion. Crown prince Cédric tilted his head.

“I’m sure there are a lot of noble children like myself in the Imperial Capital. Maybe their family is weird but they have nowhere to talk about it…… Or they have a lot on their mind because they became the heir at a young age… Anybody with a tired soul?” The child spoke without confidence.

Christelle brushed Eva’s curly red hair as she commented. “So Eva wants to gather people who are in a similar situation to her and create a social club. The Empire’s Beau Monde is the center of power.”

“Mm, it is similar. Yes, something like that.” The young Duchess leaned on Christelle’s shoulder as she mumbled. Vice Captain Élisabeth and the crown prince exchanged glances. “However, I do not like the Beau Monde. I can’t go around with Gerrit. That child cannot drink alcohol and needs to rest early. He’s napping in the next room right now too.”

“……”

Sir Johann looked at Eva with shock. The child put up one finger at a time as she continued.

“Somewhere that people can drink only herbal tea like his highness if they want, a place where people even younger than me could rest without issues, a place where nobody would say anything even with commoners being around nobles…… I would like a place like that. But there is nowhere like that outside of Juliette Palace.” Eva said that last sentence very quietly. Rhea, who had been laying down by my feet, rubbed her cheek against the young Duchess’s dress.

I watched her before opening my mouth to speak. “That is an amazing plan.”

“Really, your highness?”

The little girl’s eyes opened wide. I couldn’t help but smile. I was certain that this child had thought about a lot of things during the Empress’s trial for the House of Andresy last week. After taking in the cruel history and the victims of the Count’s family… Then learning about politics from the Empress in the rear tulip garden… Followed by her mother teaching her…

She had thought about what she could do.

“Yes. I want to support Eva’s shop as well, no matter how small my support may benefit it. I will help you after coming back from the orphanage.”

I was thankful about that. Eva had grown up into such a good person all on her own to care about the weak. I was proud of that. It was also respectful that she wanted to gather them and hear their stories. Maybe a person’s own force was not something that had to be huge.

“That sounds fun. Should we replace the wallpapers and the linoleum? How about we go to the Commerce Center after croquet to look at some materials?” Christelle kissed the child on the head as she made those suggestions.

“What is linoleum?” Eva innocently asked. I laughed out loud before looking to the side. The crown prince very quietly snorted while the young Countess nodded her head and Sand smiled brightly. Lastly, Sir Johann silently bowed toward me.

*

Inside a Lord’s Castle with an extremely long history…

The boy, who had been the heir to Andresy County, bowed his head again toward ‘the man.’ There was a bag of medicine the size of a pebble in his hand.

“Thank you very much. Truly, thank you very much, sir.”

“I give you my respect for your valiant decision. I will pray for your soul as well,” he territory Lord solemnly commented. The child’s eyes glowed with lunacy.

As expected, the entire family was not normal. Growing up under such parents, it was obvious what kind of faith education he had received. However, the man had no plan on setting this boy straight. In fact, he planned on thoroughly utilizing him. The trash of the Blanquer Duchy wasn’t a bad card either, but he alone was not enough. A multi-prong operation was the basic of basics.

“I will head out now, sir.”

“Safe travels.”

The territory Lord said goodbye and the Chief of Staff by his side escorted the boy out. Only the man remained in the vast reception room.

He had been very busy lately. He was diligently looking after his territory and taking care of his administrative affairs but had to send all of the staff, minus his closest confidants, on paid breaks. It was smart to consider anybody he couldn’t fully trust to be traitors who had yet to be discovered. Furthermore, no matter how his scheme ended, it was better to have fewer people around him. It would allow him to minimize the victims other than himself if it were to fail. If he were to succeed, it would be easier to prevent people from leaking the information.

“……Haha.”

He basically fell to the couch as he bitterly laughed at himself. Everything was as simple as a glass of wine. He was someone who was famous for being a talented Pair de Riester, but even he had no idea that he was talented in this aspect as well. His brain was endlessly spinning and setting the field as if it was born for betrayal, as if it had been waiting for a chance like this.

The blood of the spy flowing through him roared with impure delight and guilt. He did not drink enough to get drunk, but his fingertips were tingling. The man opened and closed his fists as he looked at his desk. An empty parchment was waiting for his ink.

‘It was a decision for our survival. That is why I am not ashamed of it.’

He was having that annoying hallucination of his great-grandmother’s voice again. The man clenched his teeth. This hallucination would disappear if he pushed through it for a bit. The frequency had definitely gone down lately and it was not loudly tormenting him anymore either. That was why it was okay.

For his family’s honor and prosperity… And to protect his family in the Imperial Capital……

“Gasp, cough. Cough cough!”

He could handle something like this. The man jumped up and walked toward the desk. Now that he had finished fine-tuning the details, he had to report to the man with the rope around his neck.

– Scribble, scribble scribble……

He frantically wrote away with his quill pen.

It was extremely disrespectful when considering that he was writing to the Prince Consort of a nation. However, the man’s hands showed no hesitation. He was breathing heavily despite not running around. The drops of sweat on his forehead fell to the parchment and the wooden table.

‘A single purple tulip bloomed under Arian’s feet. It pains me so, the Empress’s hunting dog was color blind. He drooled as he ripped the flower apart. She blamed her innocent cat. This happened on the nineteenth sun of the tenth month.’

Tap. He almost threw the pen down. He didn’t even have the energy to look back at what he wrote. However, he had a feeling that this would be enough. Werner Venetiaan would instantly understand, but anybody who had no idea what it was about would simply read it as a tale.

The man thought about the date on the last sentence as he stood up. He needed to hand this over to the spy in the Imperial Palace……

– Knock knock.

“Come in.”

He made sure he looked and sounded as if nothing was wrong and efficiently placed the letter in an envelope.

“Master. Archbishop Eugénie Kessié has arrived.”

His loyal Chief of Staff, who was in his eighties, did not say a thing despite seeing his master covered in sweat. The man did his best to smile before wiping his neck with a handkerchief. Kessié was playing an important role in his plan, and, unlike the snotty little boy he met earlier, she was not easy to handle. He had been working with her until now, so he needed to continue to do so.

The man calmly cleared his throat. “Thank you. Please escort her in after 10 minutes.”

“Yes, my lord. Shall I prepare a carriage for the Imperial Capital?” The old man was sharp. He had recognized the envelope in the man’s hand.

“No, I don’t plan on leaving the Lord’s Castle for a while. I told my family I will see them at a later time.”

“Yes, my lord.”

He bowed and left without saying anything else. The man let out a deep breath. He was relieved that everything would be finished before his dear Empress’s birthday.

*

Five days later on December 15th. It was very early in the morning when everything was still dark.

– Screeeech!

“Yeah yeah, it’s so cold. This is no joke.” I could see my breath every time I spoke.

I wrapped the three red pandas around my chest and walked out of Juliette Palace. Percy buried himself in the crown prince’s fur coat while Tithé looked excited in Christelle’s arms. It was great that the little guy did not get cold easily, but I was the issue.

“Wow……”

‘I’m seriously going to freeze to death!’

The fact that I had the thickest clothes on out of everybody here was useless. My teeth started clacking and my shoulders shivered. Prince Jesse’s body did exactly as I had expected. After the summer where I had to escape to Yvelines because of the heat, this body couldn’t handle the cold either.

‘How does the temperature instantly feel as cold as it is in Seoul? Wasn’t it fine until last week? Please return the gentle weather of the Imperial Capital setting!’

“Your highness, are you very cold? You struggled with the heat before as well.” Christelle walked over, looking concerned.

I instinctively took a step back. It wasn’t because I didn’t like her. It was because as a water attribute Holy Knight, she gently released coldness. She squinted at me but I moved away toward a pillar that was warm.

Sir Johann looked at us and quietly chuckled.

“……”

I was wondering why when I turned around to see that this was not a pillar. It was the crown prince. He was a human hotpack. Furthermore, he felt like a newly opened hotpack!

“It looks like this trip to the south has been scheduled for the perfect time, your highness. The Bellang Barony should feel like early fall right now.”

“Apparently it feels like summer in the middle of the day, your highness!”

Benjamin and Ganael commented while putting the luggage onto a large carriage. I nodded my head, praying that the weather would be nice there.

Just as we finished the preparations to leave, Eva, who was completely bundled up except her face, grumbled toward me. She was tightly holding Gerrit’s hand.

“You must leave once the opening ceremony finishes, your highness. Okay? You can’t stay an extra day because you are having fun.”

‘Yes, I promise you. See you on the 20th.” I smiled as I responded.

We had a lot of fun the last few days with Eva. We ordered a painting to hang on the shop’s wall from Joanne and ordered a new sign from Frank, the Imperial Palace’s blacksmith. Eva said she picked out the wallpaper with Agnes over the weekend, so we just needed to figure out furniture when we got back.

“We need to look at lights too, your highness.”

“Ah, I almost forgot about that.”

I hugged Gerrit as I quickly added on, “Uncle will bring you back some yummy food. Make sure you listen to big bro Sand and big sis Eva. Make sure to eat your medicine as well. Let auntie Élisabeth know if anything happens. Okay?”

“Your highness, I’ve already told him about that five times.”

“I’ve informed him about it as well.”

Sir Johann and Christelle jokingly chimed in. Gerrit just nodded his chin as he was still sleepy. I made sure that the child’s ears weren’t cold multiple times before getting on the carriage. I felt like we needed to quickly leave for the kids to go back to sleep.

—
Translator’s Comments

I wonder if Liz is thinking about how she ended up as an auntie while Chris is just big sis…

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