With a firm misunderstanding, Luni clenched her fists and burned with indignation, looking cute in her determination. Ermeldine’s tears were wiped away with a clean towel.

“Am I kind?”

As Ermeldine hugged Luni and asked, Luni, who was smaller in stature than Ermeldine due to her relatively tall height for a woman, nestled into her embrace.

“What?”

Although Ermeldine’s sudden question seemed suspicious, Luni decided to answer.

“Yes. You’re kind. Too kind, causing problems.”

“Really? Am I a kind person?”

Seemingly pleased with the answer, Ermeldine laughed loudly and rested her chin on Luni’s head.

“Hmm. It seems that guy said something strange again. Next time I see him, I’ll pluck out some hair!”

Ermeldine’s attitude, full of joy at the compliment of being kind, deepened Luni’s misunderstanding.

In the viewpoint of the central palace of the capital.

“That woman, is there anything suspicious about her?”

“No. Even after investigating from various angles, she’s just a widow from an old local aristocratic family.”

“I see.”

“The timing of approaching Viscount Bellian is a bit suspicious, but there’s nothing to catch yet.”

Henry, receiving a report from Count Halstein, clicked his tongue.

“Why is Valliere trying to approach Leopold through that woman?”

“It could be curiosity, or it could be an action to attract Her Majesty’s attention.”

“Hmm. What should we do about this matter?”

“There’s also a letter from Ermont. Don’t you have one? One saying to be cautious…”

To Halstein’s words, Henry swept his chin with his long fingers, lifting his head.

“No. It’s too early to reveal that. For now, continue to monitor. I’m curious about how Leopold will react.”

“Then, will the viscount’s pension continue?”

“No, release the pension. If Valliere continues to contact Leopold, we may be able to use it later to our advantage.”

At Henry’s emotionless statement, Count Halstein shivered for a moment.

He, who had been watching Valliere’s love for Valliere, knew best how much Henry loved Valliere.
However, as the relationship became a bit strained, there was a scheme to politically exploit the lover.

Count Halstein felt a chill down his spine, finding Henry’s actions eerie yet profoundly empty.

Nevertheless, as a faithful servant, he left his office just to fulfill his orders without showing any emotions outwardly.

As soon as the pension was released, Valliere, too, went to find Leopold.

Although Henri, who had been annoyed by her nervousness despite releasing the pension, felt a slight disappointment, thinking, ‘Well, it’s fine. If some connection forms between them, I can use it as leverage.’

Henri, thinking such thoughts about his lover, laughed at himself for being so pathetic.

He had given up on being human when he killed the stepbrothers, yet why did that guy’s heart still trouble him so much? Suddenly, an unbearable fundamental loneliness engulfed Henri.

Shivering with the chill he felt all over his body, Henri hugged himself with both arms.

After a while, when he regained his composure, he found his appearance to be ridiculously amusing. ‘Heh. This must be the appearance of my remaining lifetime.’

Leopold also felt extremely uncomfortable when Valliere visited.

Ermeldine had left for prayers in the temple, and the fact that a woman from the Empress’s government kept sending people was already worrying. Leopold wondered if she knew how much surveillance was laid around here. Was she aware and still doing this? Was it an operation to induce jealousy?

Valliere, who he thought would naturally have no contact with him, was coming out so actively that Leopold thought he should meet her at least once.

“I heard the sad news. You must be deeply saddened.”

To Leopold’s courteous greeting, Valliere nodded with a calm smile.

“Yes. Well, that’s true.”

Leopold’s residence, which he had bought the entire mansion near the palace, was dazzling both inside and out. It was even more luxurious than the palace.

“But why did you come to visit today?”

To Leopold’s kind question, Valliere smiled slightly and answered in a shy voice.

“I thought I didn’t properly thank you for the gift you gave me last time.”

“If you wanted to say thanks, didn’t you do it at the ball? That should be enough.”

Leopold, sipping wine from a crystal glass, smiled leisurely.

Leopold’s crystal glass looked very similar to the one Henri had bought after Valliere had broken it a few times and Henry had prevented him from buying it again.

For a moment, Valliere looked at the glass with a nostalgic gaze, recalling her situation when she first possessed it.

“Ah, I didn’t offer you a drink.”

At Leopold’s gesture, a crystal glass emitting a beautiful shimmer also appeared in front of Valliere.

“Please have whatever you like. If you have nothing more to say, I will take my leave.”

Leopold, already standing up, looked down at Valliere with indifferent eyes.

“Wait a moment!”

Even though Leopold had already stood up, Valliere urgently grabbed him with a desperate voice.

“Um, I haven’t given you the proper thanks for the drink yet. I was wondering if you’d like to build some friendship since we’re close to each other as brothers of the emperor.”

Suppressing the urge to shout out loud about how close he was to the government, Leopold reluctantly smiled and said, “Even if I want to build friendship, coming here personally is awkward for both me and Viscount. I am hosting a ball next week, so please attend then.”

Being as polite as possible, Leopold invited Valliere to the ball, then left the reception room, muttering to the butler.

“Give her that glass. If she doesn’t want it, throw it away.”
“Is it because things aren’t going as planned that you’re changing your goals right away? She’s a light woman who doesn’t even have the minimal understanding of the situation. Why is Henri not rejecting and taking care of such a woman?”

Although she is an enemy who killed his brothers, Leopold fundamentally acknowledged that Henri is an intelligent person.

Therefore, when he heard the rumor about a government associated with her, he naturally expected her to be a woman who could politically help him or provide wise advice for him.

However, the actual encounter with Henri’s government deviated significantly from his expectations.

Even while dancing with him at the ball, she couldn’t hide her jealousy towards Henri and openly displayed it on her face.

Ermeldine may have felt her entire body stiffening, but at least she could conceal her emotions.

“If Henri’s taste is like this, it’s natural that refined and elegant women like Ermeldine wouldn’t catch his eye.”