In his absorbed thoughts, Klaus didn’t notice the Crown Princess approaching until later and belatedly recognized her, bowing his head awkwardly.

“I greet the Crown Princess.”

“You seem to have many concerns.”

As much as he had pondered, Klaus was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t even realize when the Crown Princess came close.
Recognizing, checking if there’s any discomfort, asking how she’s been lately, ensuring there’s no one troubling her—due to Klaus’s excessive care, Princess hesitated and had difficulty dealing with it, especially when his attention was elsewhere, as it was now.

However, the princess found Klaus’s current distracted state surprisingly interesting. Even her intriguing expression couldn’t catch Klaus’s attention, who seemed to be absentminded.

In that state, Klaus, who seemed to be somewhere else mentally, inquired with formalities, “I heard that today you are coordinating the 3rd agreement with the Lapelios delegation.”

“Yes, that’s correct. I’m actually on my way to meet the delegation now.”

Only after the princess spoke did Klaus, glancing around her, ask curiously, “However, I don’t see Duke Rubeleo, who will be participating in the agreement.”

“The Duke has entrusted the entire agreement to me.”

Duke Rubeleo, the brother of the deceased emperor and the uncle of Prince Esteban, was a personage in the imperial court. While lower in the line of succession than Esteban, he was a seasoned and well-respected aristocrat, receiving much support from the nobility due to his experience and composure.

“I see. It seems that the Duke also acknowledges your authority, Princess.”

“Well… I wonder if that’s really the case.”

Responding unexpectedly to Klaus’s words, which were casually presented for courtesy, the princess smiled meaningfully.

“Well, then, I’ll go ahead.”

Ignoring Klaus, the princess fixed her expression and moved away.

As it was a meeting with envoys from the Lapelios Empire, she couldn’t afford to show any gaps. Moreover, the meeting was with Yuculioth Marquis, who was known as a pillar of Lapelios.

Although she couldn’t attend the welcome reception for the delegation due to dealing with Lapelios affairs, she had entered the imperial palace just the day before.

And finally, today, a meeting for the agreement between the two empires was scheduled.

Entering the spacious meeting room with a long table, the princess, immediately upon entering, made a graceful smile.

“You’ve been waiting a long time.”

As soon as she entered the meeting room with a long table, a pleasant fragrance passed by the princess’s nose.

Then, a pleasant voice reached her ears.

“No, we just arrived as well.”

Turning her head toward the pleasant voice accompanied by a subtle fragrance, the princess’s eyes widened for a moment.

Antonio…?

Standing there, the young man with long black hair and emerald green eyes, who seemed very similar to Antonio, was looking at the princess.

But… something was a bit different.

Although his features and atmosphere were strikingly similar to Antonio, he seemed taller and more robust…?

In the midst of the princess freezing in surprise at the sight of the man who was surprisingly similar to Antonio, the mysterious man, with a friendly smile, spoke with a confident voice.

“Greetings for the first time, Your Highness. I am Johannes von Yuculioth, the representative of the Lapelios delegation.”
He was Johannes von Yuculioth, known as the pillar of Lapelios.

The stiffened princess soon put on a graceful smile.

“So, you are the famous Lord Yuculioth. Nice to meet you.”

Although there was a momentary look of surprise, Yuculioth quickly regained composure, responding with a smile, “It’s an honor to meet Princess Rughbeljet, who received such praise from His Highness.”

As he smiled, revealing a striking resemblance to Antonio, the princess’s expression became subtly complex.

Evelionne, who had been scrutinizing Lord Yuculioth’s face with a contemplative expression, cautiously brought up the question she had kept in mind.

“By the way, Lord Yuculioth, do you happen to have a younger brother?”

Showing a slightly puzzled expression at the unexpected question, Lord Yuculioth answered with a smile, “I don’t have a younger brother… but it would have been nice if I did. These days, one can never have enough hands.”

“I see… No, let’s talk about the agreement.”

The princess, having quickly regained her composure, proceeded to lead the negotiation with an elegant smile, skillfully guiding the conversation.

Smiling in response, Lord Yuculioth, whose appearance was surprisingly similar to Antonio’s, easily joined the conversation with the demeanor of a skilled negotiator.

The current negotiations between Rugvelt and Lapelios involved discussions on coordinating the opening of the Berdan Harbor, located to the south of Rugvelt.

The relaxed smiles of Lord Yuculioth, who sought advantageous points, and the composed demeanor of the princess, who was determined to protect the empire’s interests, continued to clash.

About three hours passed, and the discussion remained inconclusive, lacking a definite conclusion.

No one in the meeting room had expected the negotiations to conclude within a day. Typically, diplomatic delegations stayed for a month or more for discussions related to agreements.

“Well then, we’ll meet at the next negotiation session.”

Accepting Lord Yuculioth’s greetings, the princess gracefully softened her stiff expression with a smile.

“Thank you for your hard work, Lord. I will take my leave then.”

As the princess elegantly turned and left the meeting room, Lord Yuculioth watched her with a smiling face.

Indeed, she was a princess with outstanding negotiation skills, more remarkable than a diplomat. Despite emitting a considerable amount of pheromones, she didn’t bat an eye, truly a commendable woman.

Suddenly, the princess’s initial question came to mind.

Did she ask if he had a younger brother?

It was an unexpected question, probably a technique to build familiarity before negotiations. A younger brother… Well, there was a sister who went missing with their mother many years ago.

After searching for them for over a decade, he had almost resigned himself to the reality.
The last time I saw that child, they were a lively 3-year-old toddling around. If they are still alive, that child must have become an adult long ago.