As soon as Duke Yovel was released from the Imperial Palace’s underground prison, he went straight to Frost.

“You’ve had a hard time.”

Frost quickly looked over Yovel as he entered the office and spoke with relief.

Although he looked somewhat fatigued and tired, unlike what was feared, there were no signs of torture or assault on the duke.

Yovel plopped his large body down on the sofa with a frown.

“Why did the emperor release me so quickly?”

“You look displeased about being released early.”

“It doesn’t make sense to me. I thought he urgently arrested and detained me to frame me. But releasing me after only two days is bound to be strange.”

Frost rubbed his temples with his long fingers and furrowed his brow.

“He may have wanted to frame you, but with signs of uprising in the south and me siding with His Highness Lewis and even issuing a statement, it likely became a burden for him.”

“The reason sounds plausible but not convincing.”

“They are rational reasons.”

At the archduke’s words, Yovel laughed incredulously.

“Right. A madman doing crazy things for rational reasons makes even less sense. What could be the emperor’s real reason for doing this?”

He had his suspicions, but it wasn’t something to tell Yovel. He had no intention of letting things go the emperor’s way either.

The office door opened and Lewis entered. Duke Greco followed behind him.

“I’m glad you were safely released, Duke Yovel.”

“Your Highness Lewis. I heard you put in a lot of effort to save me. Thank you.”

Duke Greco looked up and down at Duke Yovel with a worried expression.

“The torturers at the Imperial Palace have a notorious reputation. Are you alright?”

“Forget torture, I wasn’t even interrogated once. The emperor came down once. After that, all I saw was the chamberlain who came down three times a day to serve me meals. I ate better than at home.”

“Really?”

“I was confused whether I was imprisoned or invited as a guest at the Imperial Palace. They gave me books so I wouldn’t get bored, and at night they worried I couldn’t sleep so they even let me drink southern wine.”

Duke Greco and Lewis were also perplexed, but they looked relieved that Duke Yovel was at least released.

That is, until they heard what Duke Yovel added.

“But the emperor said something strange. He told me to make sure to tell the archduchess later that I was treated so well. What could that mean?”

Duke Greco and Duke Yovel exchanged puzzled glances.

Why was the emperor, who only knew about the former Imperial Knight Commander Solas, suddenly obsessed with the archduchess?

There were even rumors that the emperor summoned the high nobles’ council to officially bring in Archduchess Yuriella.

Even so. In this situation.

His half-brother who threatens his throne has returned alive and well. And with Frost Ielheim, the empire’s only archduke and owner of the sacred sword Iello, as his backer!

They thought the emperor was using a clever trick to frame Duke Yovel and swiftly imprison him.

But despite them running around sweating profusely trying to find a countermeasure…

The emperor voluntarily released Duke Yovel without any conditions.

And all he said was to make sure to tell the archduchess.

It would be less absurd if fish were flying in the sky.

Lewis, who knew the archduchess was Solas Moretti, glanced at his cousin’s expression with surprise.

As expected, a sharp murderous intent hung over Frost’s crumpled face.

Frost abruptly stood up from his chair.

“I need to see the emperor.”

His two eyes were bloodshot from not sleeping after visiting the northern iron mine accident site.

“Do you think talking will get through to him?”

Lewis tried to dissuade Frost with worry, but…

“A mad dog needs to be beaten, why bother talking to it?”

Frost responded coldly.

The archduke was already in a foul mood from having to send Yuriella alone to the east.

He seemed to think he needed to smash the emperor’s head once more to stop him from constantly yapping about his wife, and started moving towards the door…

An imperial messenger ran down the corridor and knelt on one knee in front of Frost. He was so drenched in sweat from rushing that steam was rising from his head.

“Your Grace the Archduke. His Majesty the Emperor has summoned Your Highness Lewis to urgently come to the palace!”

The emperor’s summons were not just for Frost.

“Duke Yovel. Duke Greco. Messengers have likely arrived at both of your mansions now as well.”

Unease and wariness flashed in the eyes of the two dukes as they exchanged puzzled glances.

“Is that all? No other message?”

“There was no other message, and from what I know, all the high-ranking nobles in the capital have been summoned.”

“All the high-ranking nobles?”

What situation was this again?

Frost furrowed his brow and gnashed the soft flesh inside his mouth.

This crazy cousin of his was completely unpredictable and incalculable.

But there was always one predictable point.

Whether in the past or now, whenever Justin Della Ponti voluntarily did something crazy, it always involved Solas Moretti, the former Imperial Knight Commander. Now his wife, Yuriella.

“Let’s go.”

Before departing, the archduke summoned the Tower Master. It was to prepare for any possible assassination attempts.

Ricarion flew over immediately through a magic circle. He took out protective magical tools that were kept deep in the Magic Tower and wrapped them around Frost, and meticulously cast layers of protective magic.

A few head mages borrowed from the Tower Master disguised themselves as aides to the archduke and the two dukes and joined the entourage.

The Angelus Knights and knights from the west and south were on high alert the entire way to the Imperial Castle, tightly guarding the archduke’s party.

*

Inside the semicircular grand council hall of Leone Hall.

Low murmurs from the nobles who had hurried over at the emperor’s sudden summons filled the council hall.

Duke Figuera, who had not heard anything from the emperor beforehand, was anxiously tapping his leg and staring only at the entrance that wouldn’t open, his face pale.

Frost, seated in the very front row with his arms crossed, had such a grave expression that no one dared approach him to speak.

People assumed the archduke was deep in thought for his game of wits against the emperor…

But Lewis, who was sitting right next to Frost, could clearly see what was making his cousin grind his teeth and tap his leg.

The only person under the heavens who could make the owner of the frozen sword of ice so restless was his lovely wife, Archduchess Yuriella.

Now that the archduchess had left for the east… The culprit who had stirred up Frost’s anger was Ricarion Greco, the owner of the sacred sword Gaius, who had cast protective magic on Lewis before returning to the Magic Tower.

[It seems Her Grace the Archduchess has safely arrived in the east.]

At first, it was just an ordinary exchange of greetings.

At Ricarion’s words, Frost responded as usual, unable to hide the longing in his blue eyes.

[Mare Viola must be a sight to behold with the lavender in full bloom now.] [Her Grace has loved purple since childhood. She liked violets too, and treasured an amethyst locket gifted to her by the innkeeper lady she briefly worked for as a maid.]

It was just a passing mention of an insignificant memory. But from then on, the archduke’s expression grew as cold as a towering iceberg in the frigid northern sea.

He was probably jealous of the archduchess’s childhood that only the Tower Master knew about.

[When Airy made a lavender flower crown and gave it to Her Grace, she was so delighted. Although Her Grace scolded Airy saying, ‘We’re not here to play. We shouldn’t be wearing things like this in this situation,’ … Her Grace was so adorable, sneaking glances at the lavender crown.] [You saw?]

The voice was cold and sharp, like a huge iceberg shattering all at once.

[Pardon?] [You saw Yuriella sneaking glances at the lavender crown?] [Ah. Airy had Popo make an image orb and send it. Would you like to see it too, Your Grace?] [No. Forget it.]

It seemed the archduke had been grinding his teeth since then. Like now.

Frost’s fingers anxiously tapping on the council table held a mix of wanting to directly see his wife smiling radiantly wearing the lavender crown, the frustration of not being able to share that lovely moment, and the irritation that such a heavenly sight was snatched away by some bastard, even if he only heard about it.

“Damn it. Hell.”

The name omitted from the curse muttered under his breath was probably the Tower Master and the wind spirit.

Lewis found it amusing but also somehow reassuring.

As if unconcerned about the unstable political situation where he couldn’t see an inch ahead or the emperor’s inscrutable moves, his cousin was solely flushed thinking about his pretty wife, and that felt as reliable as a huge mountain.

“His Majesty the Emperor is entering!”

As the attendant’s voice rang out, the front entrance opened and the emperor walked in.

Wearing a light sky-blue uniform with his dazzling honey-blond hair neatly swept back, Justin Della Ponti looked at the nobles with a smile, then his gaze met Frost’s.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

The emperor walked to the podium and turned his gaze to Lewis, gesturing kindly for him to come forward.

Duke Greco reflexively grabbed Lewis’s arm.

“I won’t eat him, so don’t worry, Duke Greco.”

Having no choice, Duke Greco let go, and Lewis stood up, smiling at him reassuringly before stepping forward to the emperor.

Duke Figuera exchanged glances with the eastern nobles, a baffled look on his face, then turned his head to glare at the emperor.

This did not bode well at all. Gathering all the nobles in the capital without any prior consultation, what in the world was the emperor trying to say?

The emperor placed his hand on Lewis’s shoulder and looked at the nobles.

“I have an important announcement to make today. I intend to appoint my younger brother Lewis here as the imperial prince and formally establish him as my successor.”

His expression was light as if plucking a wildflower by the roadside, and his tone was nonchalant.

“Your Majesty!”

Duke Figuera stood up abruptly, calling for the emperor like a scream.

At the same time, a huge commotion filled the grand hall.

“Oh my. I’m not done speaking yet. Could you all quiet down a bit?”

The emperor, whose gaze clashed with Frost’s in mid-air, chuckled and continued.

“I plan to hand over the throne to Lewis as soon as he is ready. He’s such a smart kid, so it won’t take long.”

The emperor kindly patted the shoulder of Lewis, who was looking at him dumbfounded.

“You won’t disappoint your brother, right? Work hard so I can leave within this year. I’ll assign you plenty of bureaucrats so you can grasp the duties you’ll take over from me as soon as possible.”

It was the emperor’s official declaration of abdication.

“Why…?”

To Frost’s quietly uttered question, the emperor burst into a low laugh.

“Why, you ask. I’m giving the emperor’s position to Lewis as you wanted, so why are you so surprised?”

“So why?”

Frost shot a piercing gaze at the ever-relaxed emperor, his face stiffly hardened.

“Because I want to.”

Justin slowly walked over to where Frost was sitting and stopped right in front of him. Then he leaned over, placing his hands on the table, and whispered, his lips nearly touching Frost’s ear.

“Someone told me… If I stop here, they would spend the rest of their time with me.”

Beautiful blue eyes, as if gemstones had been polished, sparkled with a mischievous light.

Frost’s Adam’s apple moved slowly as if swallowing down the flames rising from within.

“I thought about it and realized… That’s the only thing I want. That’s all I desire. So take the empire, the throne, whatever you want. I don’t need them.”

The emperor straightened up and smiled, looking down at the huge fists twitching as if ready to pounce on him at any moment.

“Frost Ielheim, Archduke. This is my one and only selfishness.”

Justin Della Ponti left the grand council hall with a light step, as if he had said all he wanted to say.

As if he had finished his long-held agony and anguish.

Lewis slowly turned his head to look at Frost.

The emperor had gifted them the peaceful transfer of imperial power they had so desperately wanted.

It was clearly not a petty scheme.

Duke Figuera chased after the emperor, foaming at the mouth. A few timid pro-emperor nobles fainted.

The emperor’s aides, who seemed to have already finished preparations in advance while the emperor was holed up in the Imperial Palace, approached Lewis with solemn faces and brought up the imperial prince investiture ceremony.

The judges who had been waiting outside began explaining the necessary procedures.

Reporters from the nobles’ newspaper and commoners’ news gazette approached Lewis, vying to ask how he felt about becoming the imperial prince and how he wanted to lead the empire in the future.

The northern and western nobles, who realized belatedly, began chanting “Long live His Highness Lewis, the Imperial Prince!”

Frost remained motionless, recalling the emperor’s last words whispered only for him to hear.

[I abandoned everything. Except her. Now, what will you do? Will you take her and kill everyone? Or will you save everyone and give her up?]