“Her Majesty the Empress is speaking.”

Velia softly cut off Henri’s soothing words.

She had no real interest in what Henri was saying from the start.

“Why the Empress?”

“Don’t you think it’s strange how she keeps getting involved with Prince Pellio these days?”

“Didn’t we discuss that matter already?”

“So what is it? What are they planning this time as they meet?”

Henri’s irritation surged again.

She had brought a gift to try to get along well, only to find Velia going on about herself again.

She doubted that the woman before her was the same Velia who always asked about Henri’s wellbeing and looked after her condition whenever they saw each other.

“It’s really none of your business. And it will be made known soon enough…….”

“So if it will be made known soon, why not just tell me now?”

Henri was quickly losing patience with Velia, who was more unyielding than usual today, but she persevered to the last.

“There will be a trial. Don’t you remember the assassination case? As for the other matters, it’s still ongoing, so it’s difficult to tell you.”

“If it’s the funeral incident, isn’t the Empress the victim? It’s not even against the public house like last time, and it’s a clear case with a known perpetrator, so why is the prince defending her?”

“I’m really tired today. Let’s talk another day.”

Feeling suddenly weary, Henri decided to cut off the conversation and leave.

Speaking further might cause her to say something that would genuinely upset Velia.

She didn’t want to add more weight to the situation, as she still regretted the words she had spat out in anger at Velia’s shallow trick during the garden party.

“You didn’t answer me! You never tell me important things! Don’t you think that I’m ill because of you?”

Even though she felt she had gone too far, Velia deliberately coughed dryly, pretending to struggle to breathe.
Since the previous life, she could cough until her face turned bright red, a behavior she had often performed.

Velia sighed and reluctantly approached to handfeed the water.

“What do you think I’m hiding? I simply can’t arbitrarily disclose information about a case that is being prepared for trial under national law. Don’t be hurt.”

Though her feelings for her lover were sincere, Velia was a ruler who would not even allow herself a small gap because of her serious character.

In the end, Velia had to give up hearing Prince Khaled’s answer.

She would prefer never to encounter him again, but today happens to be the day to discuss with the builders and the construction materials for the orphanage.

So Pellio is reluctantly heading to the site of the planned orphanage construction.

‘Should I drink a weak curse potion and pretend to be sick?’

He didn’t want to face Ermedillin the day after such an event, but Pellio, who is unmatched in diligence in the empire, couldn’t put the plan into action and eventually arrived at the orphanage site.

Looking around, he saw no other carriages than the one he had come in. He was the first to arrive.

‘Well, it’s welltimed. Let’s get to work.’

There were plenty of stakes embedded for construction on the planned site, and now was the time for Pellio to inspect them.

If he was going to use the orphanage as an experimental ground for new curse magic, he could install a magic circle that would not show up on the ground.

Usually, Pellio is a scholar and lawyer studying law, but his true identity is a wizard.

Despite the nickname “Ice Count,” he’s a wizard who handles fire, and because of his character, he’s also devoted to research on magic circles and magic potions.

The Baptistian Count’s house, once a mere remote noble family, established a principality and became the founding meritocrat of the Triban Empire, greatly influenced by this mysterious power passed down through generations.

Once powerful enough to run a small duchy, most of the magical power was lost over generations, rendering largescale magic unusable, but the value of wizards on the battlefield is still absolute.

Although they are much weaker, their magic is still strong, and they still guarantee the right to rule like kings in their own territories.

‘Hmm, nothing looks unusual. Is he really building the orphanage purely?’

As Pellio bent down, his face almost touching the ground, someone’s face suddenly appeared before his eyes.

“Did you discover an interesting bug?”

“Eeeeeeek!”

At the sudden appearance of Ermedillin, Pellio let out a strange scream and fell backward.

“Why are you so surprised? I knew everyone was afraid of me, but even the Count? Is your heart smaller than I thought?”

The Pellio that Ermedillin knew was outwardly stoic but in reality a straight and emotionexpressing person.

In a word, a fun person to tease.

Although it was lighthearted banter full of mischief, seeing Pellio still wideeyed and stuck to the ground, Ermedillin felt slightly sorry.

‘Is he really scared? Such a grown man with a small heart.’

To help Pellio up, Ermedillin stepped closer and extended a hand.

“Grab and get up. Your white uniform will get dirty.”

Though she extended her hand with the gentlest smile she could muster from her unexpected guilt, Pellio just stared blankly up at Ermedillin.
“No. Since I knocked you down, I’m sorry, so I’m trying to help you up…….”

“Ah, yes.”

Only then did Pellio, who had grasped the situation, reach out his hand.

‘What is this?’

His slender, beautiful hand was trembling violently.

“I have no intention of using any curse, so please take my hand with ease.”

At Ermedillin’s words, Pellio hesitated no more and clasped hands.

A tremendous trembling felt at the point of contact.

“Stop trembling! I told you, I’m not cursing!”

Ermedillin pulled with force to barely get Pellio up, only for Pellio to start swaying weakly again.

“Do you hurt somewhere? Your face is very red. Have you caught a cold?”

Ermedillin unconsciously reached for his face to check his temperature.

It was not appropriate behavior for an empress, but a habit from dealing with her siblings at the orphanage had inadvertently shown itself.

Pellio, startled, slapped Ermedillin’s hand away.

Very forcefully at that.