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The conference room, where both the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince had completely vanished.

I was slightly surprised by the Emperor’s sudden order for us to stay behind.

I couldn’t help but worry a bit about what he intended to discuss…

“Then I shall ask. How is your relationship with the Second Princess?”

At that moment, I thought I had misheard. I almost reflexively responded with, “Huh?”

To answer back in front of none other than the Emperor was truly bold of me. I could hardly believe I held my composure under such pressure. I was grateful for my noble upbringing.

“Your Majesty, I am lacking and do not fully understand your intention—”

“Isn’t it strange that you describe yourself as lacking while saying so?”

No, this isn’t humility—I’m genuinely unsure of what you mean!

If it were merely the Princess I was dealing with, I could have cautiously read her expressions and inferred an answer.

But the person before me was the Emperor. That was beyond audacity.

This meant I was expected to anticipate and produce the correct answer.

If I got it wrong, I wouldn’t die, but I might earn the Emperor’s disappointment.

Well, from a noble’s perspective, it might as well be a type of death, which is still a headache.

“The time for deliberation is long. Was my question truly that difficult?”

“…No, Your Majesty. I was simply organizing my thoughts in response to your inquiry.”

Taking a deep breath, I continued cautiously.

“In my view, the Second Princess harbors no ulterior motives whatsoever.”

“…Hmm?”

The Emperor’s expression cast down upon me was somewhat strange.

It seemed he hadn’t anticipated such a response.

Could it be that he thought I had some bias toward the Crown Princess?

That wouldn’t be completely unreasonable; I did have some contact with her.

From the Emperor’s perspective, it might have looked like I had already established a rapport with the future sovereign.

However, I had far more connections with the Second Princess than with the Crown Princess.

“Recently, the Second Princess’s status has risen significantly. Starting with the friction with Nobogord in the North, she has shown exemplary conduct for the Imperial Family throughout the East. And now she’s even persuaded the Southern Kingdoms. There will certainly be talk arising from this.”

“…”

“However, having observed the Princess closely, I can assure you that she holds no ambition or desires to surpass the Crown Princess.”

Honestly, I had been quite troubled about this for a while.

The more public engagements the Princess took part in, the more rumors could potentially circulate.

Especially since she had been quite active in various places.

Typically, to ensure the safety of the designated heir, one would eliminate any threats from others.

Be it the current absolute ruler or a future one.

In any case, if they showed distinctive qualities in some way, it usually wouldn’t bode well.

However, to not utilize the Princess’s strengths would be too regrettable.

In the East, she was expected to showcase the Imperial Family’s virtues and earn profound support for the Legion.

In negotiations with the Southern Kingdoms, she could assert that this was the Empire’s sincerity, thus pressuring them to join hands.

“On the contrary, the Second Princess could very well be of help to the Crown Princess. She is a relative capable of completing any task entrusted to her. A talented kin who delivers results commensurate to the trust given.”

“…”

“Though such qualities could transform into a minor threat, the Crown Princess’s status will not sway. There’s already a distinct gap between them, is there not?”

The sudden rise in the Princess’s standing indeed had my interests woven into it.

While I couldn’t make her the Crown Princess, she had no desire to be one anyway.

However, if this could put her in a precarious position, then assisting her was the right thing to do.

It was a sense of responsibility, perhaps regret, or it could be something entirely different.

In any case, I gathered my courage to shield the Princess in front of the Emperor.

I hoped this was the answer he wished to hear.

“…Hmph.”

Damn it. It looks like that wasn’t it. Shit! I’ve messed up!

Why on earth did you just sigh like that? You’re making my heart race like crazy!

Could it be that I answered contrary to the Emperor’s intentions!?

Has he already assessed the Princess’s standing as too high?

Before it got out of hand, was he planning to step in and correct things himself?

If that were the case, it would not bode well for the Princess.

It meant he had come to see her as a potential threat to the Crown Princess, his successor.

From now on, he would slowly begin to strip her of real power, pushing her back further until she could no longer move.

Had I just stayed quiet, I could have lived as the Emperor’s daughter and the Crown Princess’s sister without much trouble.

There could still be minor vigilance, but it wouldn’t have reached the current level.

It was all because she had collaborated with me, assisting with my requests and inadvertently drawing attention.

“…”

What should I even say? What on earth should I tell the Emperor?

To oppose his will as a noble sworn to loyalty felt entirely wrong.

But to remain silent was a matter of conscience, and it pained me to see the Princess in such a predicament.

Despite not being on the level of the Crown Princess, she was fulfilling her role as a member of the Imperial Family.

“Your Majesty, if I may say a word…”

“Ah, so that’s why like attracts like, huh?”

“…Your Majesty?”

What did he just say? What was the meaning behind that?

“The Princess was like this too. She had no such intention, but she blurted out an absurd answer to me. Even then, I took it in good spirits and overlooked it. But seeing something similar again makes it impossible for me to sit back and do nothing.”

So what in the world are you trying to say!?

Anxiously awaiting the Emperor’s next words, a question suddenly flew toward me.

“I am asking about your relationship in a romantic sense.”

…Huh?

*

Meanwhile, the Duke of Bertier Empire, who was busy with work, briefly turned his gaze out the window.

There stood his daughter, Kaya, who had been pacing in front of the castle gates for a while now.

She looked like a six-year-old girl waiting for a gift.

‘…Well, it is a gift. A gift more significant than anything else to Kaya.’

A little while later, amidst the commotion, that gift returned to the Duke’s residence.

“Kael Oppa!!”

Thanks to her, the Duke’s hand, which was holding a teacup, trembled slightly.

He was startled. My goodness, how can someone so loud at just sixteen?

If this were a battlefield, her roar alone could drive the enemy troops away.

‘Oh, how I wish she were born a boy instead.’

I heard from the head of the Knight Order that Kaya’s martial skills had surpassed common sense.

She was so strong that even several knights could barely handle her with ease.

Hearing this, the Duke couldn’t help but feel both proud and melancholic.

The Empire’s ethos isn’t excessively male-centric, as seen with the Emperor’s heir and future sovereign being a woman.

But on the battlefield, men are still held in higher regard than women.

There’s no particular reason. It’s simply because men fight better in those rough conditions.

Although there are exceptional cases like Kaya, that just adds to my worries.

What a boy could easily achieve, Kaya must prove time and again.

She’s still young and, being a girl, can she truly become a military representative of the Empire?

There are those in the Eastern region who might consider her contributions insufficient.

‘Thinking this way would surely disappoint Kaya.’

I solemnly vowed before Runen that I would never discriminate between sons and daughters.

In fact, I was overly cautious and doted on them to avoid any discrimination.

Now all I can wonder is if Kaya will face the harsh realities of the world and feel disheartened—that’s what weighs heavily on my heart.

“Father.”

After a knock, the door opened and my most illustrious son entered.

Kael, heir to this Ducal House, a noble enough to have an audience with the Emperor himself.

The moment I thought about having such a son, my worries seemed to lift, even if only momentarily.

“You’ve come.”

“Yes, I’ve brought some gifts for you.”

“Gifts?”

“I just returned from the South. Well, while the circumstances weren’t good, there are many famous items there with a long history, just like our Kingdom. So I thought I’d bring back a few as a memento and a gift.”

I want to assure you that I didn’t plunder anything. I purchased it legitimately with money.

Seeing how cautiously he was in case of causing any inconvenience to the family made the Duke smile.

This is why highborn people take such a liking to my son.

“Well then, I’m curious about what you’ve wrapped as a gift.”

“It turns out to be the commander’s scepter from the Benito Kingdom. Didn’t we crush them earlier? Somehow, this item came to be in my possession during that process.”

“…It sounds like quite a valuable item just from hearing about it.”

“I believe so. Apparently, aside from the King, only one other person may get this honor in Benito. This is a gift for you, Father!”

It seems my son brought back something quite significant.

It was evident this was no ordinary scepter. It was ornate yet imposing, exuding authority.

To put it somewhat exaggeratively, it could very well be displayed in the Imperial Museum.

“Oh, and for Mother, they gave a ring from the Southern Kingdom, supposedly finely crafted. This one is also fully approved from the top, so don’t worry.”

Speaking of which, I noticed a sword I’d never seen before in Kaya’s hands.

I turned to ask the grinning Kaya a question.

“Did you receive a gift too, Kaya?”

“Yes! Oppa gave it to me! It’s my birthday present! Heeheehee! Kael oppa remembered me!”

“I’m just sorry it’s a bit late. But I made sure to bring back the most precious thing I could for you.”

It was just a calm voice, like he had merely picked up a souvenir somewhere.

Yet what followed wasn’t ordinary at all.

“It’s a sword that was gifted as a token of gratitude for saving the church from destruction during my travels to our homeland. The Crown Princess received a pendant, and I received a sword, but I thought Kaya would have more use for it than I.”

“….”

“Sorry, Kaya. A spear would have been better.”

“No! I like it! I like anything that big brother gives me!!”

Hmm. Hmm. My son has truly grown into someone remarkable.

It’s all about perspective. The Duke shrugged his shoulders as he looked at his son and daughter.

 

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