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The Crown Princess, having received word of the great upheaval in the Imperial Assembly from the battlefield, was notably excited. Of course, it was immensely good news that Walter’s secret plan had become unnecessary. However, for Rose, Janis’s sudden actions were shocking enough to temporarily overshadow the joy of narrowly avoiding the worst catastrophe that could have torn the Empire apart.

“Did they lose their minds? Or do they mistakenly believe that only phantoms sit within the Imperial Palace? How dare they plot to slyly snatch at the Royal Family’s nose while I, Rose Caprice, keep my eyes firmly fixed on the North? Damn it, did they seriously think I would just sit there and let such nonsense slide? Or has that half-demon witch’s arrogance grown so high that she no longer fears me?”

“P-Please calm down, sister,” Alex interjected nervously from the side.

“I hate to say it, but thanks to Janis Harker finding the answer, I believe our Empire has evaded its worst fate. If you think about it, we don’t have a reason to merely criticize Janis Harker…”

“That’s not the way to approach this, Alex. What did Walter say about her? A fox hiding tiger’s claws? Ha! Even Walter underestimated that girl. She is no cub; she’s closer to a baby dragon!”

Alex still wore a hesitant expression. For him, who was prepared to order an instant march of troops to the South at the worst, the current state with Jeffrey shattered and Harker holding power didn’t seem too bad or out of the ordinary.

Looking at Alex, Rose realized that her younger brother fundamentally possessed a different temperament than herself. Alex wasn’t overlooking the issue because he lacked intelligence compared to Rose. He fully grasped Janis’s ambition through this news and recognized how it could seriously contradict the interests of the Royal Family.

But Alex Caprice simply wouldn’t be so heartless as to criticize someone who had just saved the Empire for being a bit greedy. To help him understand her feelings, Rose began to explain slowly and gently.

“That girl accomplished something. I acknowledge that. She undoubtedly achieved something significant, a feat that can’t be attributed to anyone else but us. It’s conceivable she might demand compensation for it. And if she wishes to claim the top position in the South as a reward for her achievements, well, I could concede that much. I had anticipated something of that level. I thought if she got a little greedy, it would simply end in punishing Jeffrey by cutting off his limbs. That was the proposal she should’ve brought to us, Alex.”

“It is true that the Great Sage grew overly ambitious.”

“Overly ambitious? It doesn’t stop there. This is a declaration of outright competition. Have you noticed the faces of the lords who received the division of the Jeffrey Ducal Territory in this reform proposal? Cute little prank, isn’t it? Looks like Jeongjae was among them. They carved out a little land for the refugees from Baron Harriet’s territory to create a new Baron Harriet Territory. Well, I could have let that slide, but as Count Harker drives out the neighboring nobles within the scope of influence, the lords who once served the Harker family have completely moved west and clung to the borders of the Jeffrey family. Meaning, the land divided from the Jeffrey family effectively falls under Harker family’s sphere of influence.”

“That means they could control Sally Jeffrey as well.”

“Of course! Jeffrey bowed his head before Harker to preserve his own status. In other words, he surrendered. Now, the control over the Jeffrey family will likely fall under Harker’s influence, even stronger than the Royal Family’s indirect control, meaning that little brat has seized the entire Southwestern and Central regions of the Empire. Shall we shift our gaze to the East? Douglas Koesernis actively supported her in the Assembly as if he were one of Harker’s underlings. It seems that dimwit has properly cooked her up; if that’s true, that means the Southeastern region has already fallen into Harker’s hands.”

“So, you’re saying the entire South has been subjugated by the Harker family, sister?”

“The balance maintained at least minimally during Arthur Harker’s time has been utterly shattered! In just one and a half hours! Now, if Janis Harker declares her own ‘Harker Principality’ and leads the entire South in a rebellion for illegal independence, our Royal Family will have to kneel before her and beg her to remain a friendly nation. What the hell is this nonsense!”

“But sister, you know Janis Harker, right? She’s… a person with some principles. Besides, according to rumors… she isn’t someone who could easily turn her back on the Empire, even for personal feelings. Surely it wouldn’t come to that.”

Alex spoke about Janis having special feelings toward Jeongjae, a rumor that was close to the truth. Rose shot her younger brother a cold look.

“Alex, the future is uncertain, but even disregarding that, let me tell you something. In politics, asking ‘Will she really do that?’ isn’t really important. What truly matters is whether she has the ability to do so. If the opponent is capable of doing something, it doesn’t matter what kind of character they have; that issue is inconsequential.”

“I understand, sister.”

Alex bowed his head. Rose, briefly lost in thought, tightly shut her eyes before opening them again.

“Alex, please hold the line here for just a moment. I don’t think I can endure without heading directly to the system myself.”

“Go on, sister. I’ll keep this defensive line secure without issue.”

“Good, I trust you to hold the fort, brother.”

Unable to calm her excited heart, Rose immediately rode down to the Caprice Estate. Her unexpected visit startled Walter, Jeongjae, and Janis, who were gathered at one location, causing them to hurriedly rise from their seats as she crashed through the door.

Rose snatched an empty chair for herself and plopped down. Walter adjusted his glasses and asked,

“Oh, Rose. What brings you here?”

“Hello, good to see you, Walter.”

“Well, I’m glad to see you too, but… um… what about the battlefield?”

“I left it to Alex. I had something urgent to attend to.”

“Does that urgent matter concern me, Your Highness?” Janis asked in a deadpan tone. Rose locked eyes with Janis as she replied.

“Yes, little brat. I came to ask you something. First of all, good job. You did an extraordinary job pulling Koesernis to your side to prevent some ridiculous schemes; that was masterful.”

“Too much flattery.”

“But let me ask you, who gave you the right to arbitrarily divide the Ducal Territory that has been passed down to you? That doesn’t fall under the authority of a mere viscount, and I’ve never heard that the Magic Tower has such power. Did I somehow study Imperial law less? Or am I so ignorant of the continent’s history that the Great Sage is unaware of the customs or traditions?”

Rose fiercely pressured Janis. Janis calmly replied, maintaining her composure.

“A dog that shows its teeth won’t listen unless you hit it. Actions against Jeffrey were absolutely essential, Your Highness. Without showing such an example, I wouldn’t be able to govern the other lords correctly.”

Rose paused for a moment, stunned by Janis’s words, before bursting into laughter. Walter and Jeongjae exchanged uneasy glances as they watched Rose Caprice laugh to the point of tears, clapping her hands.

This was not a good sign. Rose genuinely seemed angry.

“That was a good line, kid. I really think you’re right.”

Rose shot up from her seat and strode towards Janis. The Crown Princess reached out towards Janis’s mouth, inserting her fingers between her lips to grab her fangs with two fingers. For a brief moment, Janis’s eyes wavered in surprise at the sudden physical contact, but she quickly regained her composure and met Rose’s gaze.

“What sharp fangs you have. Is it because of the demon blood that flows through your veins? It certainly looks like you’re baring your teeth in front of me. Am I seeing things?”

Jeongjae gasped for air as Walter froze in place. Rose’s words could clearly be interpreted as a threat—perhaps even a form of coercion. However, faced with the world’s strongest being; Janis calmly removed Rose’s hand from her teeth before responding smoothly.

“Of course, a disobedient dog must be beaten down, Your Highness.”

Janis intentionally bared her half-vampire fangs with a grin, almost as if to flaunt how Rose’s words did not threaten her at all.

“There’s a vast difference between a dog and a tiger. I know you can distinguish that, Crown Princess.”

“Hah… ha! Hahaha! Oh really? Is that your answer? Really?”

Rose looked around in disbelief as if she couldn’t comprehend the situation. After a moment, it seemed the Crown Princess concluded there was nothing more to say; she flung the door wide open and slammed it shut behind her.

It was only then that Walter’s frozen state thawed. The Hero turned to Janis and slowly began to speak.

“It’s best not to provoke her too much, Janis. This is my heartfelt advice.”

“Really? Ha! Then please tell that person not to provoke me too much either. That would be the best method for everyone’s safety!”

Janis slammed her staff down onto the floor with a thud, her expression sour. Walter quietly nodded in response.

“Of course, I will tell Rose that as well.”

“Hmm? Really? That would be quite something. I can already imagine how she’d be fuming.”

Janis followed Rose’s lead and swung the door open to leave. As the loud sound of the closing door echoed, Walter turned to Jeongjae.

“Why do you think she’s acting like that?”

“Who, Rose?”

“No, I know Rose’s situation better than you, so there’s no need to ask you. I mean Janis. I expected her to someday become a crafty shrew, but I never thought she’d grow so fast or so drastically. A lot has happened, but right now, the Great Sage….”

“She’s a vengeful spirit.”

Jeongjae succinctly summarized Janis’s current state.

“I can only see one objective in Janis right now. I clearly witnessed Count Harker’s death with my own eyes. Janis was there as well. The current Janis won’t be able to endure unless she personally kills the Demon King or at least breaks him with her own plans—by any means necessary. I… I can’t stop her. Just think about it. There’s someone far more powerful and intelligent than me… burning with a desire for vengeance that I’ve never experienced before. How can I stop that? What right do I have?”

“I understand. I really get it. I don’t have the slightest idea how to calm the current Rose down either.”

Walter sighed. While Walter was in a position to control Rose, there was a limit to how much he could actually suppress her.

“Well, at least you can consider yourself lucky that the woman who likes you is someone of your caliber.”

Jeongjae suddenly threw out an unexpected remark. Walter looked back at Jeongjae, perplexed.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Somehow, there are women who like me for reasons I can’t fathom, but both of them are too powerful and… too smart. It’s impossible for me to keep up with them.”

“Having a clever partner is a good thing.”

“To be honest, that alone is overwhelming for me. But do you know what the worst part is?”

“Well, no.”

“That both of them are suffering. That I’m swimming in a sea of anguish and pain that I can hardly understand the depths of. For some reason, I feel this responsibility to comfort both of them… but how can I possibly do that?”

Walter didn’t smile this time. Jeongjae’s concerns were far from lighthearted enough to be laughed off by the Hero.

 

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