A white carrier pigeon sliced through the sky and flew toward him.

Aster, standing by the window, extended his arm to the side.The gentle pigeon flapped its wings a few times and gracefully perched on his arm.

“Good work.”

As if understanding its master’s words, the pigeon let out a strange coo and nodded its head.

Aster pulled a small scroll tied to its neck and unrolled it to read.

Written in cheap ink and scribbled with a pen, a short sentence was jotted down.

[ The queen left the palace in a hurry with only one guard knight. She informed the royal household she’d be recovering at her family home, but for some reason, she’s heading toward the outskirts of Saintfield. I don’t know her purpose yet, but I’ll keep following. ]

She said she was visiting her family home but is heading to the outskirts of Saintfield?

Aster felt an inexplicable sensation thudding heavily at his temples.He tossed the note into the fireplace and hurriedly walked off somewhere.

After passing through dazzlingly decorated staircases and corridors that gleamed with golden light, he arrived at Princess Relen’s office.

He told a servant outside to inform the princess that Aster had arrived.

“I’ll seek permission. Please wait a moment.”

The servant went inside and, moments later, came out and cheerfully opened the door.

Aster straightened his disheveled collar, neatly swept back his flowing hair, and entered Princess Relen’s office.

In a space meticulously organized to an almost ruthless degree, Princess Relen sat with equally impeccable posture.

In front of her desk was a guest who had arrived earlier—a professional courier handling important documents.

Princess Relen carefully wrote something, checked it multiple times, and handed it to the courier.

“I’ll assign double the usual escort, so you must deliver it without the slightest mistake.”

“Understood. Don’t worry, Your Highness.”

The courier, taking what appeared to be a letter, bowed to Princess Relen and Aster in turn before hurriedly leaving the room.

Aster, who had been watching the courier’s retreating figure with an indifferent gaze, approached Princess Relen.

“That wasn’t an ordinary courier. Do you have important business abroad?”

“I’ve sent a letter to the Rnel Empire requesting the resumption of diplomatic ties, along with a delegation.”

Aster raised an eyebrow skeptically.

“I doubt Emperor Parnes will easily take your hand, Your Highness. Though, of course, it’s far better than the king’s.”

“That’s why I’ve attached an extraordinary condition—one that checks Shallen while ensuring Emperor Parnes can’t ignore me.”

“A condition? What is it?”

Rising from her seat, Princess Relen stretched her arms upward.

“Well, nothing’s finalized yet, so let’s discuss the details later. By the way, what brings you here at this hour?”

“The queen’s movements are suspicious.”

Princess Relen tilted her head slightly, prompting further explanation.Aster leaned casually against the window where a gentle breeze blew and continued.

“I’ve had someone secretly watching the queen for a while now, and I just received word from them. She said she was visiting her family home, but she’s secretly heading to the outskirts of Saintfield.”

“The outskirts of Saintfield? That’s just quiet farmland with a few small villages.”

“Yes. This might be my speculation, but…”

Unlike his usual self, Aster paused in thought for a long moment before looking directly into Princess Relen’s eyes and speaking.

“Perhaps… the queen might be planning a miscarriage.”

“…”

Princess Relen seemed to be calmly processing Aster’s words in heavy silence.After pursing her lips a few times, she finally managed to speak.

“Why do you think that? Just because there are many illegal doctors and mercenaries in Saintfield?”

“No. I’ve slipped some blue thorn flame herb into her tea a few times whenever we met.Of course, the extreme stress from her precarious position as queen likely plays a part too.”

“What…?”

For the first time, a ripple of shock stirred in Princess Relen’s usually composed eyes.But it wasn’t a negative emotion.

Since returning from the Ram Kingdom, Princess Relen wore the most intrigued expression yet.She twisted one corner of her mouth and said,

“Do you trust me enough to casually tell me something like that?If I betrayed you and told Shallen, you wouldn’t die peacefully.Poisoning a nation’s queen, especially one who’s pregnant, is a crime grave enough for your entire family to be executed.”

“I know. But to gain a lady’s favor and trust, isn’t it worth risking one’s life?”

Aster stepped forward toward Princess Relen.

At a distance so close their distinct scents seemed to blend, Aster and Princess Relen exchanged a meaningful glance for a moment.

“Promise me. If you dethrone His Majesty and take his place, you’ll welcome me as a state scholar.”

“…”

“If you promise, I’ll share some very interesting information about the queen.”

Parnes, despite his endlessly busy schedule, never neglected spending time with Kasallin for prenatal care.

Since their marriage, Kasallin had spent the most time with him.They took an hour-long walk daily, painted, played musical instruments, and more.

It showed how much he cared for the child in her womb.

“By the way, will this child be a girl or a boy?”

On a day when the weather grew hotter, Kasallin asked while strolling under the shade of lush tree leaves.

Parnes, walking beside her, answered casually.

“As long as they’re healthy, it doesn’t matter what they look like.”

“I hope they take after Your Majesty—kind and thoughtful. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Kasallin placed a hand on her gradually rounding belly as she spoke.

Parnes quietly shook his head.

“Then I’d hope they take after you. I’m not that good a person.”

“But you’re a good husband. To me, at least.”

His steps, which had been moving steadily over the fine dirt path, slowly came to a stop.

Kasallin looked up at his face, which she had to tilt her head far back to see.

His face, slightly flushed from the heat, glowed brighter than ever under the backlight.

His lips moved almost imperceptibly, as if lost in thought.

“If I’m not as good a person as you think, would you be disappointed?”

“I don’t know why you’d say that… but would Your Majesty be disappointed and cast me out if I turned out to be a villain?”

“Never.”

The reply came without a moment’s hesitation. Kasallin shrugged lightly.

“My answer is the same.”

“…”

After a brief silence, a faint chuckle escaped his lips.

He reached out, placing his hands over hers on her belly.

Though his expression was hidden from behind, the warmth of his hands over hers was astonishingly intense, almost as if she could feel his pulse.

“Every time you say things like that so casually, the wicked part of me grows greedier by the day.”

“What… greed?”

His fingers slipped between hers, intertwining like an invasion.Just as he parted his lips to answer, his breath coolly brushed the back of her neck.

“Your Majesty, I apologize for interrupting your rest.”

Duke Ludwig approached through the garden, bowing his head.

“A courier from the Kan Kingdom requests an audience. What shall I do?”

“Tell them to wait.”

“No, tell them I’ll come right away.”

Parnes’s eyebrows furrowed in displeasure.Kasallin, slipping out of his embrace, spoke in a soothing tone.

“You shouldn’t keep a guest from a far-off land waiting, Your Majesty.”

“…”

“We’ll meet this evening after your duties. I’ll head back to the palace to rest now.”

“Alright. Don’t stay alone too long, take a nap, eat some snacks, be careful not to overheat, and especially when going down stairs…”

Kasallin nodded repeatedly, gently pushing him toward the imperial palace.

If she let him go on, his nagging might never end.

Parnes, who had been letting himself be nudged along, suddenly stopped and looked at her with an odd expression.

“Is there something else you’d like to say?”

“I read in a book that appropriate physical contact between husband and wife can benefit the child in the womb.”

“What?”

Before she could fully process his words, his unusually cool lips lightly brushed her cheek.

With his hands politely clasped behind his back, he left a brief kiss and slowly stepped back.

“See you later,” he said casually, before going on his way.

“…He told me to be careful not to overheat.”

So much for that, Kasallin thought, holding her burning cheek, trying to cool it down for quite a while.