She used to wonder why he squinted his eyes every time he looked at her. It was probably a habit that came out instinctively when scrutinizing people. Just like now.

“Yeah.”

And Sesenia didn’t ask anything.

Ian was presenting her with too obvious bait. Even if Sesenia asked a question here, the answer was already obvious.

“You’re still the same. You. Believe anything I say, over and over.”

“Is that so?”

“Lately, you’ve become a bit sensitive and grumbly, but… you like me too much. I’m grateful.”

Sesenia knew very well that his gratitude wasn’t for liking him. Because Sesenia liked him, it could have led to a close relationship with Elzerg.

Knowing that, Sesenia just smiled.

“Sesenia.”

“Yeah?”

“Should I try becoming the emperor?”

The moment he said that, Sesenia realized it clearly.

That Elzerg and Ian were already in contact, whether it was close or not. They were already working together.

Sesenia tried to hide her surprise and looked at him.

“You?”

“Yeah. It must be tough, right?”

‘Elzerg finally made a move. Thank you to Elzerg. You made it possible for me to give up on Ian faster than I thought.’

She, who refused to marry the Crown Prince, would have chosen Ian to become the emperor.

In the past, a prince who worked tirelessly for her sake. A man who loved her so tenderly.

So, she knew that Ian and Elzerg would have advised him to become the emperor. But she didn’t expect it to happen this fast, so a slight sense of confusion and joy overwhelmed Sesenia.

“Yeah.”

And Sesenia had no intention of seating him as the emperor.

She would collect all the trash, but now was not the time.

Without even realizing that they might be gathering in one place, it might not be a cliff in front of her but hell.

At that time, Sesenia’s plan was to throw them there.

Now Elzerg had to be engaged to the Crown Prince.

She had to be conspicuous in front of the Crown Prince and shake his feelings.

The Crown Prince’s mind had to think of Elzerg.

You couldn’t control people’s hearts.

But leading them down the wrong path and decorating the dung path as a golden path was an easy task.

Especially if the person doing it was someone who knew so well the emotions of someone who had experienced the same situation in the past.

“Ian, I’m advising you as a friend. You can’t become the emperor.”

“You’re quite firm. Firm enough to get hurt.”

To get hurt over something like this. Nobles, who were called humans, had a mental strength worse than cookies. Sesenia stared at him.

“Your mother is a former servant. Not a noble, but a commoner. She used to do housework.”

“Yeah.”
“Of course, I’m not cursing at him. I’m just facing the facts. And you, the prince, are nothing special.”

“…….”

“If the imperial family weren’t so influential, you’d be a prince who could die anywhere, and no one would know. That’s the kind of prince you are. Not that the power of the nobility is strong. It’s not even that you were born with the power of the nobility. It would be better if you were born with the power of the nobility, but you… you’re just an incompetent person born with the outer shell of the nobility.”

“Really… It’s quite hurtful today.”

Ian chuckled as if it was absurd.

“Hurtful, huh? That’s the problem. If you get hurt over something like this, an emperor? Who will support you, who will trust you? You don’t even have a backing.”

“If you’re talking about backing, there’s Viscount Vestel.”

“Our family? Why our family?”

Sesenia smirked as if she knew nothing at all.

“If I become the emperor, won’t your family help?”

“Don’t even think about it. It’s impossible.”

If it were that easy to become an emperor, if it were possible to become an emperor by helping like that, they wouldn’t have pushed Ian, who was difficult to handle, aside, but would have supported Ian, who was arrogant and conceited since childhood.

That it didn’t happen meant that Ian couldn’t become the Crown Prince, the emperor… even if they pushed him aside, he would have to stay in that position.

‘Even though I pretend not to be the Crown Prince, Ian is watching me quite carefully.’

No one knew that.

It was something Helbert, who would become the emperor in the future, said when he was drunk.

The imperial family was so influential that they couldn’t do anything, but in the end, Ian was also a nobleman who could become an emperor.

Therefore, Empress and Helbert had watched over him for a very long time.

One reason Helbert chose Viscount Vestel was because of Ian.

There were no major issues among the viscounts, and it had been a high-ranking noble family of the empire for many years. Also, it had accumulated wealth and could provide support in any situation. And one more thing.

‘The place where Prince Ian had his eyes on.’

That was what she thought was Viscount Vestel.

Why Ian had been connected with Viscount Vestel since a very young age for some reason, she couldn’t know, but externally, it seemed so.

So they chose it.