They expressed gratitude repeatedly and bowed.

We returned to the imperial palace with their send-off. Nathaniel’s face, contemplating while sitting in a bedroom chair, showed a new emotion I hadn’t seen before.

I sat on the opposite side and asked, “What are you thinking?”

“I never thought I could help others.”

“Nathaniel, you may not be able to do everything, but you can certainly do a lot.”
He seemed to feel the weight of the position of the crown prince where he was sitting once again.

I quietly held his hand.

“There’s no need to worry right now. We still have plenty of time.”

Nathaniel’s expression relaxed, and he let out a soft chuckle.

“Yeah.”

He whispered softly,

Not long after, we washed off our exhaustion and lay down in bed.

As I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, I asked Nathaniel,

“Can you really be turned back into a human?”

“I’m the one who turned from human to a monster.”

Nathaniel’s words made sleep evade me.

Startled, I got up from the bed and awkwardly began to explain.

“Um… I’m not a monster like a wyvern.”

“More like a higher organism than a typical monster. Anyway, I’ve been researching how to fix this constitution for quite some time.”

Amused by my bewildered appearance, Nathaniel continued,

“There was a book I brought from that time, and it mentioned that the origin of humanoid monsters and humans is the same.”

I couldn’t believe it at all.

As if realizing my disbelief, Nathaniel quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me into an embrace.

“All you have to do is look for that book.”

“Where is that book?”

Nathaniel remained silent for a moment.

As the crown prince, there were hardly any places he couldn’t enter in this empire.

“It’s managed by the temple.”

“I see.”

“It’ll be difficult for me or anyone from our family to enter.”
As I pondered on whom to send, Nathaniel cautiously spoke to me.

“What about Anais?”

“The princess?”

“Yeah. The Viscount Trevia and the temple have quite a friendly relationship. Well, probably to keep me in check.”

“Hmm.”

But I didn’t want to put Princess Anais in such a crisis.

“If you can make a copy of the book, does it mean you can see it without being from the royal family?”

“Among the royal family, precisely, I can’t see it. Perhaps someone in a high-ranking position with a keen interest in that field could simply take a look.”

As I contemplated if there were other suitable individuals, Kilian came to mind.

“What about Marquis Matopju?”

“Marquis Matopju?”

“He’s not an imperial, and he’s a Marquis Matopju, so he might be curious about such a forbidden book. It’s the least suspicious choice…”

Nathaniel’s expression stiffened. I swallowed hard and observed his reaction.

“Matopju…?”

He didn’t like hearing another man’s name from my mouth.

I would feel upset too, but it was necessary, and I hoped Nathaniel would understand.

“Fine. I’ll talk to him.”

“Nathaniel? Are you close to Marquis Kilian?”

“He seems to think so.”

It seemed like I could hear the unspoken words, “Not really.”

Lately, Nathaniel’s face was hard to come by, indicating how busy he had been.
While Bill’s family searched for a place to escape, they were also researching a way to return to their original forms.

Since then, time had passed diligently in the midst of their busyness.

Strangely, the surroundings were eerily quiet, as if it were the calm before a storm.

And just around the time I finished knitting a sweater for Yongyong, the long-awaited events finally began to unfold.

“Your Highness, Lady Bee!”

“Huh?”

Cassian, usually calm, rushed urgently toward me with a pale face.

Sitting on the nearby sofa, she questioned the maids around her.

“Have you heard the news?”

“What news?”

“About Sir Groban.”

“Oh, that he became the Emperor’s consort?”

“Yes!”

Cassian, glancing around, lowered her voice and continued.

“Can you believe it, Your Highness? They say Her Majesty is deeply in love with Sir Groban, even calling Marquis Groban to the capital.”

“What, Marquis Groban?”

Suddenly dropping the familiar name, I let go of the sweater I was holding.

“Why Marquis Groban?”

“Sir Groban said that His Majesty is worried about his uncle or something, and that’s why he was summoned.”

“And you just accepted that so easily?”

Marquis Groban, who had tried to commit a crime against Theresa and was caught, received immediate judgment from Nathaniel and was sent down to the territory.

Summoning such a person to the capital would be a threat to Prince Nathaniel’s authority.

The Emperor wouldn’t lack the discernment to realize that.

“And there’s an even more astonishing story.”

“What, what is it?”

A ominous premonition swept over me.
Cassian hesitated, then swallowed and spoke.

“A lady who has never been married cannot be recognized by Her Majesty’s government, so she should at least formally marry another man.”

“That’s right.”

Generally, such women tended to marry older high-ranking nobles, providing a substantial dowry for their future.

“She said she wants to marry Duke Winters.”

I was so surprised that I dropped the cup I was holding.

Duke Winters looked at the man standing stiffly in front of him.

Did the author have no sense of hierarchy?

“It’s an honor to meet you, Duke Winters.”

“Well, a Marquis with an unknown name, ruling a small territory. What’s the reason for your visit?”

The Duke saw Marquis Groban, who was standing in front of him with his head held high.

Did the Marquis have no concept of hierarchy?

“Nice to meet you, Duke Winters. I forgot to introduce myself. I am the owner of Marquis Groban, Ardix Groban.”

It was an exaggerated gesture, as if introducing a great person.

But the Duke knew well that such people often lacked substance.

With a chuckle, the Duke waited for the next words.

“The reason I came here is to find a match for my younger sister.”

“Younger sister?”

The Duke easily recalled the currently noisy Groban Consort in the social circles.
She announced her intention to marry, and the Empress sponsored her, turning her into a notorious villainess who snatched away someone’s husband.

Duke Winters frowned.

“Let’s pretend we never heard that story.”

“If you don’t join hands with our family, you’ll regret it.”

Marquis Groban confidently declared.

Now that the Emperor was playing in the realm of my younger sister, there was no one in the empire who could confront him with a loud voice.

“Regret? Regret to the point of freezing to death. The Winters Duchy isn’t in such a hurry to marry my son to an elegant Consort with such disgraceful rumors. Leave now.”

The Duke regretted bringing him to the Duchy.

Just facing someone with unreasonable ambitions was exhausting enough.

“You’ll regret it for sure. Later, when your children’s necks are hanging on the city walls…!”

Ax, who couldn’t stop talking, had a sword thrust into his throat, silencing him.

“Have you ever seen such a lunatic?”