The final touch to the uneasiness was the conversation with Siena.

“For dessert, how about I serve cookies I made myself?”

“…What are you saying, my lady?”

Siena, who was pouring tea into the cup, stopped her hand and showed a shocked expression.

No. Why are you being so serious? It’s embarrassing.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. I’m serious. Everyone eats the desserts I make deliciously.”

“That may be true, but… No matter what, you’re the lady of the house. Wouldn’t it be a bit inappropriate to serve homemade cookies to guests? It’s a matter of dignity and such.”

“Is that so? I thought it would be unique and nice.”

“Please be honest, my lady. Are you trying to properly entertain the guests, or are you trying to… No. Please make it clear if you’re trying to make fools of them. We need to know what tune to dance to as well.”

She just said “make fools of” twice, didn’t she?

If that’s the case, why bother stumbling over your words?

Anyway, the very serious question felt like strong opposition, and although I felt wronged, I had no choice but to answer, “Then I won’t make them.”

No, I really thought it was a good idea.

Everyone seems to oppose my ideas from the start. At this point, I seriously wonder if they’re just calling me “my lady” in words but treating me like a scatterbrain.

As expected, the imperial people are not great.

They’re just making me feel miserable by coming here.

The golden clock tower standing tall next to the imperial palace, boasting its history and grandeur, had been one of the palace’s pride for generations.

Dong. Dong. Dong.

The well-maintained clock tower for a long time emitted a clear bell sound every hour on the hour.

12 o’clock in the afternoon.

The time when the bell sound resonates the longest.

A man crossing the imperial garden stopped in his tracks at the unceasing bell sound.

His bright hazelnut hair was tousled by the wind.

His amber eyes quietly gazed at the gleaming golden tower.

“What are you doing spacing out, Joshua? We’ll be late at this rate. Come here quickly.”

The one who called him was the woman walking ahead.

Like the man, she had bright hazelnut hair and amber eyes.

The two, who looked alike at a glance, were siblings.

First Princess Chelsea and Second Prince Joshua.

At Chelsea’s urging, Joshua finally moved his halted steps.

“Do you always stand still and glare at the clock tower whenever it rings? Do you like the clock tower that much?”

“No. It’s the opposite. After hearing it ring every hour for over 20 years, I’m sick of it. When you become the emperor, sister, can’t you tear down that clock tower?”

“Why tear it down? Do you know how much that noisy thing raises the value of the imperial family? Stop talking nonsense and walk quickly. So we’re not late for the meal. Just thinking about being later than that bastard irritates me.”

Chelsea gracefully narrowed her eyes and walked ahead haughtily.

Shaking his head, Joshua glanced at the still-ringing clock tower before following Chelsea.

It was obvious that today would be another tiring day.

Sure enough, his prediction was not wrong.

“Chelsea. You haven’t forgotten about going to the Richter Duke’s estate this time, right?”

“Of course not, Your Majesty. I’ve already prepared suitable gifts in advance. I’ll take a proper look around when I get there. And I’ll observe the atmosphere between the two of them as well.”

“Ho ho, that’s right. There’s no one as reliable as you. You act intelligently without needing detailed orders.”

“You flatter me. It’s all thanks to what I inherited from you, father. Isn’t it natural for children to take after their parents?”

“Haha, that’s right! It’s inevitable for children to take after their parents. You’re exactly like me, indeed.”

Cackle cackle, guffaw guffaw.

Indeed, even their laughter was alike, this father and daughter.

Joshua stuck out his tongue at his sister, who was wrapped in pretense.

In his opinion, his sister’s true calling was not as a princess but as an actress.

If she were to quit being a princess now and join a theater troupe, she’d become a top actress in no time.

“But I’m worried, Your Majesty.”

Soon, a sullen voice interjected from across.

The owner of the voice was the First Prince Isaac, the half-brother of Joshua and Chelsea.

“Worried? About what?”

The emperor asked with displeasure at Isaac’s sudden interruption.

However, the tactless Isaac didn’t even notice that his father was angry.

He was just full of anger towards Chelsea, who was busy flattering her father with a disgusting smile.

“Isn’t Chelsea a fragile woman? The North is quite far from the capital, and the journey will be rough… Wouldn’t it be difficult for Chelsea, being a woman, to go and monitor the Richters on behalf of the royal family?”

“Oh my. Thank you for your concern, brother. But I’ll be fine. I’m much tougher than I look, and reliable imperial knights will accompany me. Besides, my brother Joshua will be coming along too. Right, Joshua?”

Chelsea smoothly countered Isaac’s words, which were bristling with undisguised thorns, with a relaxed attitude.

“Don’t worry, brother. I will escort sister safely.”

Joshua also added calmly with a smile, just like Chelsea.

Hit with a combination, Isaac gritted his teeth.

That nasty woman and that nasty brat.

Currently, Isaac and Chelsea were in the midst of a fierce psychological warfare over the next imperial throne.

Naturally, both of them were eager to seize any opportunity to gain an advantage.

And this time, the task of monitoring Duke Richter fell to Chelsea.

The reason was that Chelsea was sharp and had excellent insight.

What was so sharp and excellent about that wench?

Just as Isaac was about to raise another objection,

“That’s enough. As Chelsea said, Joshua will accompany her, and other knights will go along too. Moreover, a princess must sometimes tread difficult paths. There’s no need to whine about just going to the North once.”

“I think so too, Your Majesty. I will fulfill my duty to the best of my ability. Please wait comfortably and trust me.”

“Haha, do that. Now, Isaac. You have no more complaints, right?”

Even Isaac, tactless as he was, could tell that this was not a question but a warning.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I was just concerned about my sister and spoke up.”

“Right. It’s good for siblings to have deep affection for each other.”

The emperor wrapped up the situation warmly.

It was then that Chelsea, who had been smiling brightly, counterattacked.

“I don’t see Julia today, brother? Ah, that’s right. Julia isn’t even engaged yet, so she can’t attend these gatherings.”

Unlike Isaac’s ineffective attacks, this was quite a valid strike.

“Ahem.”

At the emperor’s uncomfortable cough, Isaac rolled his eyes around, busy trying to read the mood.

Similar situations continued afterward. The two trying to flatter the emperor while attacking each other, and the emperor occasionally throwing sharp glances while maintaining a pleased smile.

Amidst all this, Joshua maintained a faint smile like an isolated island.

“I shall take my leave first.”

The first to rise was the emperor.

The three who stood up to see him off threw away the pretense on their faces as soon as the emperor left the dining room.

“You’re really something. Wagging your tail so well in front of father?”

Isaac sneered at Chelsea, whose smile had disappeared in an instant.

“What can I do? I’m just a person with many smiles. And you, if you want to wag your tail, do it properly. It was almost like you were wiggling your butt. Oh, was that supposed to be a talent show?”

“Hey!”

“Oh my, brother. You’re so loud. Don’t act like someone whose only redeeming quality is a loud voice.”

Joshua nonchalantly sipped his tea between the two who were growling incessantly.

Since this happened every day anyway, he didn’t feel the need to intervene.

“Ha. That’s right, my only redeeming quality is my loud voice. But you know what? Even though father praises you to no end, I’m still considered the more likely candidate for Crown Prince.”

Oof, he hit the mark this time.

Unfortunately, Isaac’s words were true.

Chelsea was more outstanding than anyone. To the point where it was natural for her to aim for the throne.

But the emperor, their father, while proud of such a Chelsea, was inwardly leaning towards giving the Crown Prince position to Isaac.

Simply because he was the first prince.

Chelsea resented this.

A birthday one month earlier.

Being male.

Just those two reasons made Isaac a more promising Crown Prince candidate than herself.

“That’s right. Since it’s the only advantage you got from being born incompetent, be careful not to lose it. Brother.”

“You really never back down, do you? You’re so annoying.”

Of the two who were biting at each other until the end, Isaac was the first to leave.

Bang.

At the sound of the closing door, Chelsea swallowed her anger by sipping tea instead of venting it.

“These days, Isaac keeps talking like a person.”

In the past, when he got angry, he used to just snort and rampage like an enraged monkey.

Is it because of that woman?

Chelsea thought of Julia.

Isaac’s lover who goes around wearing a veil every day.

Since she became Isaac’s lover, the frequency of Isaac rampaging like a monkey has decreased.

Occasionally, when he was about to get excited at official events, she could often be seen carefully calming him down.

No matter how I think about it, that woman must be the cause.

It was clear that Julia, who exuded a somewhat mysterious aura, was compensating for Isaac’s lack of intelligence.

How unfortunate.

If she was such a capable person, it would have been better to make her my subordinate.

Not the lover of such a dog-like bastard.

“You two never let anything slide. Don’t you get tired of fighting like that all the time?”