“Is it Kalpasto?”

If there was a well-known prophet, it would be Kalpasto. However, this person had retired from being a prophet for a long time due to old age.

“Kalpasto, huh? It’s been a while since I heard that name. I heard he’s already blind and deaf, in a nursing home.”

“If it’s not him, is there anyone else who could be called a prophet?”

In response to my question, the substitute shook their head.

“It’s none other than Her Majesty the Empress. There are many stories circulating here and there. It seems she summoned several, and one of them is said to be so remarkable that it would astonish Her Majesty the Empress. However, I don’t know who it is; it seems she hasn’t disclosed the name.”

“Have you never seen them?”

“Well… I haven’t seen them in person, but they say it’s a woman, small and petite. Of course, it could be a small man. They say she wears a black robe.”

“A black robe?”

At the mention of a robe, I recalled the person I had met with Micael.

“Yes! That’s right. It was a black robe, like the ones worn by wizards.”

It was just a casual question.

But the answer came back unexpectedly accurate.

I was left speechless.

‘Micael met a prophet?’

Someone who is a prophet and hears about me through Micael.

The suspicious behavior was not just one or two things.

‘Why is someone curious about me?’

Do they have a grudge against me?

I haven’t lived a saintly life, but I’ve never done anything to provoke others.

Serdis, who would have the most reason to hold a grudge, is not it either. The Empress who approved the event is not it either.

Someone else was lurking around me.

“Who on earth…”

No matter how much I squeezed my brain, no answer came.

After a while of no answer, the substitute cleared their throat and called me.

“Your Highness? Are you so curious about it?”

I just grimaced as if saying it was nothing.

“Since Her Majesty the Empress approved it, it piqued my interest.”

“Haha. That makes sense. She might come to the palace occasionally. Keep an eye out for that.”

“If you hear any news, could you let me know?”

“I’ll make sure to inform only Your Highness.”

I replied with a smile, and the substitute laughed with a twinkle in their eyes.

Then, they brought a pen and ink in front of me.

“Now that your curiosity has been satisfied, shall we finish the preparations?”

“Yes.”

I adjusted my posture again and focused on dealing with the pile of documents in front of me.

The work was nothing special.

Compared to what I used to do in the Blandyche territory, preparing for an event was relatively simple.

‘Perhaps it’s fortunate that the event is happening.’

Except for the duel between Hertian and Serdis, there would be a lot more to see, especially if a grand event like this were held.

I quickly organized the budget and handed over the necessary items to the substitute.

“Have you finished already?”

“Yes.”

The substitute accepted the documents I wrote and carefully checked the contents.

Wiping their eyes, they looked at me with astonished eyes.

“Your Highness…”

“Is there any other issue?”

“No. It’s perfect! Did you know the event would be held in advance?”

“As you can see, I just found out now.”

“So, you did. It’s so well-planned and perfect, like you had prepared it in advance.”

The substitute couldn’t hide their excitement and kept praising me.

“His Highness the Grand Duke must be happy. You have such great abilities, and you also have a beautiful wife.”

“He likes me a lot.”

I casually laughed it off.

“His Highness the Crown Prince will need to find such a good match as well. Although it’s worrying when you know he’s stubborn.”

The substitute muttered bitterly while looking at the documents.

“Does His Majesty the Emperor or Her Majesty the Empress have no intention of choosing a Crown Princess?”

I asked with a subtle tone.
The Empress knows that I exist, but still, leaving the position of the Crown Princess vacant indefinitely was not a viable option.

“Yes. I’ve been consistently informing Their Majesties about it.”

The substitute sighed deeply as they spoke.

“But Empress Her Majesty says she hasn’t found anyone suitable yet.”

“I see.”

“If Prince Serdis wins the duel this time, there will be many candidates for the position. Let’s wait and see.”

Although his words were light, he was subtly considerate.

He knew that the duel was happening because of me but pretended not to know.

“Oh, I made a mistake. Of course, Her Highness the Grand Duchess would hope that Her Highness the Grand Duke wins…”

He hesitated, watching my reaction.

“No, it’s not like that. You, being someone from the palace, expressed concern for Prince Serdis. It’s nothing. Everyone has someone they silently cheer for in their hearts.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Shall I leave now that your work is done?”

As I was about to rise from my seat when the work was finished, the substitute stopped me.

“Who else is coming?”

“Yes. With the grand event, the departments in charge have expanded.”

Just then, the door clicked open.

“Please come in.”