“Make sure the Asthart Duchy also attends the banquet. Ask them to add their name to the list, saying they wish to attend.”

“Ah… attend, you say?”

Jenkis reacted somewhat reluctantly to Natasha’s order. It was quite different from his usual attitude of confidently answering that he understood.

“Wasn’t an invitation sent in advance?”

“Yes, yes. That’s right……”

“Even if they’ve broken ties with the imperial family, they can’t refuse an invitation to an imperial banquet. Wouldn’t that be improper etiquette?”

“Yes, yes. That’s also correct……”

Jenkis answered, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly. However, contrary to his repeated affirmations, the man’s expression still contained an uneasy emotion.

The reason he was acting as if he had swallowed something sour was probably because Natasha had made a decision different from usual. He might even be worried that the duchess had made a wrong choice impulsively due to an unstable state of mind.

Natasha attempted to explain with a faint smile, as if to dispel the misunderstanding.

“The Letius Imperial Family is hosting a banquet after a long time, isn’t it? So people’s interest in the banquet will be greater than usual.”

Perhaps concerned about the failed achievement two years ago and the subsequent poor performance, the imperial family had skipped the grand imperial banquet they used to host annually last year.

And then this year, the following year, they were preparing a banquet as soon as something worth celebrating came up. As soon as winter ended and spring arrived.

People would pay attention to the imperial banquet held after a year’s gap. In such a situation, a prestigious family like the Asthart Duchy not attending the banquet would be divided into two categories.

First, that the imperial family was keeping them in check and didn’t even give them an invitation.

Second, that the duchy was keeping the imperial family in check and deliberately not attending the banquet.

“So everyone will pay attention to the Asthart Duchy’s absence.”

“……”

“We could maintain our principles and pride by defying the imperial family, but we have something more important than that right now.”

Jenkis quietly blinked his eyes.

It was as if he was asking, What is it?

“Finding families who will cooperate with the Asthart Duchy.”

“……”

“The moment it’s revealed that the Asthart Duchy is so at odds with the imperial family that they won’t even attend an imperial banquet, families will be reluctant to associate with us. They’d rather choose the safe and long-established Letius Imperial Family than associate with a family with many risk factors.”

Although they had officially announced the severance of ties between the Asthart Duchy and the imperial family, this was separate from that. This wasn’t a private gathering, but a banquet attended by almost all the nobles of the empire.

Although the Asthart family is currently influential in the empire, nobles won’t gamble when it’s uncertain how long that reputation will last. So it’s right for the Asthart Duchy to follow the natural course of things now.

Jenkis, having understood this fact, belatedly raised his alertness.

“Ah, that’s certainly true. I understand. I’ll go and specify that our Asthart Duchy’s name should also be added to the invitation list!”

Jenkis left the room with a broad smile. He seemed to have muttered to himself, Our madam is the best! Or was it just my imagination?

‘Well, what’s good is good.’

Actually, that wasn’t the whole real reason, and seeing Jenkis moved without knowing the full story pricked her conscience.

Natasha had another sinister intention for attending this imperial banquet.

Just as the Asthart Duchy was having headaches because of the imperial family, the imperial family was experiencing the same.

As long as the Knight of Honor commands and leads the Asthart Duchy’s knights, the value of the Asthart Duchy’s knights is higher than that of the imperial knights.

It was quite a blow to their pride that the knight order that had been superior for several decades was stripped of its honor by a mere vassal family.

But it wasn’t just that the duchy had only gained superiority in military strength.

Asthart was also gradually building connections while conquering the social world. Moreover, when the Pope appeared at the banquet, their friendship with the temple was naturally proven.

It meant that the Asthart Duchy was no longer the easily manageable family it used to be.

Just as the duchy worries about nobles deviating from their line, the imperial family must also be worried about nobles deviating from their line.

‘So they’ll use every means to win the nobles’ favor at this banquet.’

To turn the hearts of such nobles, the Letius Imperial Family will likely try to show their ‘real’ power that they have forgotten.

For instance, they might try to prove that the Letius Imperial Knights are superior to the Asthart Knights.

‘They might greatly increase the number of knights attending the banquet.’

So…

It was when her thoughts were trailing off.

“You’re deep in thought.”

Knock, knock, the sound of hitting the table dully broke the silence. The mental thread that had half drifted away belatedly returned.

The gaze that had been resting in a random place soon found its proper place. As the blurry vision soon became clear, the face of the uninvited guest who had appeared without notice also became clear in succession.

It was Sieghart Asthart.

“Ah, you’ve come.”

Although Natasha had asked him to come first, an uninvited guest was still an uninvited guest.

She got up from the table and soon moved to sit on the couch in front. Sieghart, who had just arrived, sat across from her.

After pouring tea, she spoke directly to the point without giving time to drink.

“Jenkis just told me that a banquet will be held at the imperial palace soon. So I told him to put our Asthart Duchy on the attendance list.”

“I see.”

“… Aren’t you going to ask about the reason?”

“There’s no need to question your decision.”

Unlike Jenkis, Sieghart, whose expression didn’t even change, only asked out of curiosity.

And what he received in return was an ambiguous answer that was neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory. A peculiar result bundled with unwanted trust.

Not knowing how to react, Natasha substituted her response by glancing at him once.

“Anyway, I’d like to hear more details about the imperial banquet. I heard there’s an event for the knights themselves, what’s the average percentage of knights attending the event?”

“If we’re talking about up until now, it’s about 20 to 30 percent on average. They say they only put forward the senior knights who have value to showcase.”

“Until now, meaning…”

“Surprisingly, for this banquet, they say they’ll put forward most of the imperial knights. Except for the completely new knights, everyone regardless of skill or fame.”

“… Everyone?”

Sieghart nodded.

“They even seem to be planning to hold a hunting competition among the knights to showcase their excellence. I heard they’re putting up luxurious prizes for the winners.”

“It’s to win people’s favor.”

“Yes, because the imperial knight recruitment will soon take place.”

Coincidentally, the imperial knight recruitment was also scheduled to take place soon.

Every year when the Letius Imperial Knight recruitment took place, excellent young men would apply.

There was even a joke that the competition rate was so high it was extreme, but last year, perhaps due to the tarnished reputation of the knights, it was announced that the competition rate was lower than usual.

They must be displaying the greatness of Letius to avoid repeating the same mistake.

“Actually, what I’m curious about is something else. If the knights move to the annex for the event, wouldn’t the security of the main palace naturally become lax?”

“That’s right.”

The banquet was scheduled to be held in the annex, not the main palace. It was a palace built solely for banquets, a place where beauty and luxury stood out rather than convenience.

In other words, the Letius knights would stay there.

“On that day, I want to go out for a preliminary investigation for the rebellion.”

The man quietly inhaled. Soon, his red irises thoroughly captured Natasha.

“I need two things.”

Natasha extended her fingers to make the number 2 and continued her explanation.

“First, finding the contract that the principality and the empire wrote together in the past.”

“You mean the contract that promised peace?”

“Yes, more precisely, the contract that states the clause where the principality handed over the territory of Charliee to the empire. Of course, it would be nice if the future emperor found it and destroyed it, but as you’ve experienced, verbal contracts can be nullified by one side’s unilateral claim.”

She was referring to the marriage contract between the two of them, but Sieghart seemed to sympathize while recalling something else.

“Since we can’t write an oath of allegiance… It would be better for our side to destroy the contract first.”

An oath staking each other’s lives was a right only the rulers of each country could have. Otherwise, they would need to seek permission from the temple, so it was a means that couldn’t be used by them who were dreaming of rebellion.

“I see, then what’s the other one?”

“The second is to find the back door. In other words, the secret room.”

The second was to find the back door, also known as the secret door.

It was an important space that was directly connected to the emperor’s room, a passage to enter and exit the imperial palace secretly, not through the official route. Known only to the emperor and his close associates.

“For both, we need to find the emperor’s room. Finding the room first is the key.”

“I know the location of the emperor’s room. We just need to take care of the rest.”

“You know the location of the room?”

Natasha asked in surprise.

The emperor’s room was a secret place known only to the bedchamber maids and the imperial knights. Even if Sieghart had been close to the imperial family, knowing the emperor’s bedroom!

“I have a faithful helper.”

“… You mean someone from the knights is your helper?”

If it’s the imperial knights, they would have wealth and honor, as well as loyalty to the imperial family, so why would they cooperate with the Asthart Duchy, their enemy?

“I wonder why such a person is helping us…”

“Well, maybe because I gave them too much money.”

“……”

“No, perhaps it’s because they pity me.”