“Don’t be too sharp, Grand Duke. As you can see, I have no intention of harming the lady.”

“Well. I don’t know you well enough.”

Aywis shrugged.

“Then get to know me over time. Actually, the best thing would be for Lady Franche to enter the Great Temple disguised as a priestess. Then I could protect her.”

And properly assess the power Roxiana possesses.

“But since you’re glaring at me so fiercely, Grand Duke, I guess we can’t try that method.”

“That’s right, Lord Brede.”

“In that case, from now on I’ll move secretly to find if there are other spirit artists and protect them.”

“Why?”

“Because I have doubts and suspicions. Until these curiosities are resolved, I intend to act on my own. Ah, I’ll try to block news about the lady as much as possible, but it will be difficult to block completely. Eventually, word of the lady’s amazing miracle will reach the ears of the High Priest.”

Despite gaining nothing from coming here, Aywis did not show any hostility towards Roxiana. She just looked at Roxiana with concerned eyes and said:

“The temple is harsher on spirit artists than the lady can imagine. So if what you want is revenge against the Crown Prince of Gania, just take your revenge. Don’t rashly use that ability.”

“The princess will handle it herself, Lord Brede.”

“Ah, you said you’d let her do that, Grand Duke. You must feel reassured, Lady Franche.”

Roxiana hid her embarrassment and smiled slightly.

“But please know this. The power the lady possesses can save a great many people.”

Aywis added, as if still feeling regretful. Before Floyd could say anything, Roxiana replied.

“Right now, I can’t even save myself.”

“……”

“I’m already overwhelmed just trying to solve the problems right in front of me. So Lord Brede, don’t expect anything from me.”

Aywis tried to persuade Roxiana once more, but noticing Floyd’s terrifying gaze, changed her words.

“Grand Duke, may I stop by areas with many monsters in Torkan on my way back?”

“Why?”

“Well, as the commander of the Holy Knights, I should bring back something to save face. Even though I moved quietly, if anyone asks, I could explain why I visited Torkan.”

“You mean to say I couldn’t handle the monsters in my own country, so I begged you for help while crying?”

“Yes, wouldn’t that be a pretty good excuse?”

Floyd chuckled.

“Do as you please.”

+++

The wolf sat quietly, listening to the story his children brought.

−”Right now, I can’t even save myself. I’m already overwhelmed just trying to solve the problems right in front of me. So Lord Brede, don’t expect anything from me.”

That’s what Roxiana told the Holy Knight who had doubts about the temple and empire. It was the right answer. The wolf did not want Roxiana to take on any problems other than her own. He only wished for her happiness, so he wanted her to stay away from other issues.

So he ordered his children:

“Go and let them know. Subtly. Hint at it so they don’t have too much hope.”

Roxiana, who had left the inn and boarded the carriage with Floyd, listened to what the spirits were saying.

−There’s something in Gania.

−Roxy, you need to go to Gania.

−You might find something there.

−Seems like there’s something important. I’m not sure of the details though.

−You might be able to find what you need to find.

As always, the spirits’ information was disorganized, so Roxiana couldn’t tell what they wanted her to find or what it was that she needed to find. But since she had been planning to go to Gania soon anyway, she thought this worked out well.

+++

I prepared the finest tea, delicious cookies and pudding. I also prepared finger foods that could be easily eaten if we got hungry while talking. They were made with fresh seafood from the Caran trading company, which has been selling for an enormous price recently.

Despite all these preparations, no one visited the greenhouse garden of the Crown Princess’ palace. Elise sat alone at the tea party venue where no one had come, glaring at the empty chairs with cold eyes.

The maid who came to serve fidgeted nervously while watching Elise’s expression and said:

“It seems the weather is still too cold……”

“If you’re going to say something nonsensical, please keep your mouth shut.”

At Elise’s cold words, the maid felt a surge of irritation.

‘Who does she think she is? After seducing our kind Crown Prince and having a marriage that no one blesses.’

Since she was at least the Crown Princess in name, the maid shut her mouth with a disgruntled expression. Elise, who didn’t care about the feelings of those beneath her, clenched her fists tightly.

‘How could this happen?’

It was an invitation from the Crown Princess after all. She had sent out 20 invitations, so she expected at least half to come. She never dreamed that no one at all would show up.

‘How could this be possible?’

No matter that Elise was the Crown Princess, the real power in the Robua Royal Palace was the Queen, Christine. Unlike Elise who had no background at all, Christine had a strong family backing her and connections she had built up over time.

Moreover, there was also the issue with Viscount Braisa.

Since many nobles were connected to the Braisa viscounty in some way, they all had no choice but to be mindful of Viscount Braisa’s stance.

Once you’ve fallen out of favor with the Queen, the real power among the palace women, and Viscount Braisa, there was no way anyone would try to form connections with Elise. One wrong move and they could end up dead at the hands of the Queen or Viscount Braisa.

Her fingertips grew cold with humiliation.

She thought that once she became Crown Princess, everyone would try to get on her good side on their own. Even if not everyone, she thought at least a few would bow down to her naturally.

‘What should I do?’

She wanted to order Lanian to kill everyone who didn’t come to today’s party. But in a situation where she didn’t know where the Queen’s assassins might be targeting her from, she felt uneasy about separating from Lanian.

‘If only I had someone on my side, I could branch out from there. Should I approach them first? But I can’t approach those beneath me first. I’m royalty now.’

She felt anxious.

Just because she became Crown Princess didn’t mean the personal debts she had in King Terren City disappeared. Even though she had killed the banker, Baron Edic Mihor, the bank loans still remained intact.

The Crown Princess’ dignity maintenance allowance from the royal family was far from enough to repay it.

For now, everyone was quiet since it hadn’t been long since she became Crown Princess, but there was no telling when the debt would snowball and overwhelm her. To resolve the debt, she needed connections. She needed someone who would lend money generously for the future queen without asking any questions.

But to have such a disastrous start from the beginning.

‘Roxiana, this is all because of you.’

If Roxiana hadn’t pulled her family out of the well in Kanta, if she hadn’t spread that fact everywhere, this wouldn’t have happened.

‘Don’t you know any shame!’

How could she reveal such a dishonorable thing, that she couldn’t even be placed in Adelia’s coffin, to the whole world?

She shouldn’t have done that. She should have quietly cleaned up and left. Did she really have to come out and target me and the Crown Prince like that? Couldn’t she have considered it even between us and left quietly?

I suffered at your hands too, and at the hands of your family, didn’t I? I’m finally trying to be happy now, did you really have to do that?

Her misdirected resentment turned towards Roxiana. The face smiling brightly in a beautiful dress came to mind. Those clear eyes like a forest on a bright day overwhelmed her.

She felt nauseous again. This time it wasn’t because of morning sickness.

“Your Highness!”

Just then, the maid outside came running in.

“Countess Bakiri has come to visit! She says she’s here to see the Crown Princess!”

At the mention of Countess Bakiri, Elise’s eyes widened.

‘Countess Bakiri came to see me? That Countess Bakiri?’

Countess Obena Bakiri was known as the flower of high society in Gania. It was said that any woman she chaperoned would surely become the “Jewel of Gania” that year.

When a debutante became the “Jewel of Gania” personally chosen by the Queen, marriage proposals would come in from good families, so young ladies of debutante age strove to have Countess Obena Bakiri as their chaperone.

‘And I heard she doesn’t get along well with the Queen.’

Yet she had the power to make the young lady she chaperoned the “Jewel of Gania”.

‘Why has she come?’

Though the reason for Countess Bakiri’s visit was unknown, Elise had to win her over. Elise was no longer in a position to fret over debutantes, but she needed Countess Bakiri’s influence to infiltrate high society.

‘If I can just win over Countess Bakiri.’

Elise stared at the empty table. She glared at the pretty cookies that no one had touched.

‘Filling this table will be no trouble at all.’

So without a word of refusal, without asking the reason for her visit, Elise let Countess Bakiri into the greenhouse garden. With an extremely pitiful expression on her face.

+++

A few days ago.

Someone came to visit Viscountess Mizeltia Braisa, who was on the verge of losing her mind over her daughter’s disappearance. Dressed neatly in a black suit, he introduced himself as “Puccino” and said bluntly:

“You must want to deliver a crushing blow to the Crown Princess.”

Indeed she did.

The first thing she wanted to do was find her daughter, Engis Braisa. But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t believe she was still alive.

Elise, who had clung to Lucas like a tick, became Crown Princess without difficulty, and though she couldn’t have a lavish wedding, she received recognition from the King and Queen.

She couldn’t shake the thought that the Braisa family’s tragedy originated from Elise. If not for Elise, who had been eyeing the Crown Princess position, who would dare touch the daughter of Viscount Braisa?

There was just one question.

From her investigations, Elise had no close associates willing to risk their lives for her. Nor did Elise have much money.

There couldn’t be a group of assassins who would touch the Braisa family for a few coins. Yet Engis disappeared at just the right time, and the pregnant Elise smoothly ascended to the position of Crown Princess.

That was the question. How was Elise able to touch the young lady of the Braisa family? Could Elise possibly be innocent?