The Crown Prince, who had been watching and listening to the conversation between Ambassador Heinrich and Sien, cleared his throat a couple of times.

Now was the opportune moment to chase away that small and cheeky little girl, as Matthias Mirmord, who had been affectionately coaxing his daughter, had suddenly left his seat for some reason.

“Young Lady Mirmord. I’m sorry, but it’s not good to comment on other people’s physical features.”

At that moment, the princess, who had been biting her lip, spoke coldly.

“She’s a child who doesn’t know etiquette in the first place, isn’t she?”

“Princess Sherina Anessa.”

As the Crown Prince warned sternly, the princess’s face hardened.

“I apologize, elder brother. However!”

“Young Lady Mirmord, return to your seat. Be grateful for the tolerance shown to an uninvited guest.”

The Crown Prince spoke coldly, but Sien didn’t seem intimidated at all and just blinked her round eyes. Her appearance momentarily looked so cute that Ambassador Heinrich’s expression softened.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. But it’s so fascinating! I saw them earlier in front of the Imperial Palace! People with ears just like the ambassador’s!”

Ambassador Heinrich tilted his head in confusion.

“Pardon? There are occasional technical exchanges with the Empire. You must have seen something like that.”

“But!”

The Crown Prince cut off Sien’s words.

“Ambassador, if you respond to every word a child says, they’ll develop bad habits.”

“Haha…”

As Ambassador Heinrich, caught in the middle, laughed awkwardly, Sien spoke up playfully.

“But I’m talking about people with pointed ears, they were holding large picket signs and protesting in front of the Imperial Palace!”

If Heinrich had been completely unaware, he would have lightly dismissed Sien’s words. He might have brushed it off as a child’s misunderstanding. However, Heinrich had also seen something while riding in the carriage.

‘Could it be those people I saw earlier…? No, it can’t be. Why would people from the Principality protest in the Imperial capital?’

Even as he thought this, an uneasy feeling remained in his heart. Sien seemed to be closely observing Heinrich’s expression, staring at him before breaking into a playful smile.

“Well, I suppose! I might have seen it wrong!”

Heinrich, who had been quietly observing Sien, nodded his head.

“Could that be the case, young lady? Well, what reason would people from the Principality have to come to the Imperial capital to protest?”

At that moment, Sien smiled softly and said.

“I don’t know about that, but it said someone had stolen their ideas!”

For the people of the Principality with elven blood, theft or plagiarism was by no means a forgivable crime.

“Whoever it is, theft, you say. It seems they’ve fallen victim to some vulgar individuals.”

As Ambassador Heinrich frowned, the Crown Prince’s face momentarily contorted. As if he had something to feel guilty about.

The Crown Prince looked around. Then, noticing that Matthias was still absent, he briefly rebuked Sien.

“That’s nonsense. How could Imperial citizens steal ideas from the Principality’s merchant guild?”

Sien, as if she had been waiting for those words all along, widened her eyes and asked.

“I never said that Imperial citizens stole ideas from the Principality’s merchant guild, did I?”

At her words, the Crown Prince’s expression turned cold. Ambassador Heinrich also seemed to sense something amiss and hardened his expression.

Only Sien looked at them with a seemingly joyful smile.

However, the Crown Prince was not one to fall for mere wordplay. In less than a few seconds, he regained his composure and gently stroked Sien’s pink hair while coaxing her.

“I must have jumped to conclusions based on the context, young Lady Mirmord.”

Sien replied with a broad grin.

“Ah, I suppose that must be it?”

To Sien’s words, the Crown Prince replied firmly.

“Indeed, that’s right. Now, won’t you return to your seat?”

The Crown Prince coldly extended his hand towards the door. It meant for the uninvited guest to leave.

Ambassador Heinrich, who had been quietly observing this entire situation, muttered while crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“I see.”

However, Ambassador Heinrich wore an expression as if he had a bitter taste in his mouth.

After the celebration ended, a small dinner was arranged between the Emperor, Ambassador Heinrich, the Crown Prince, the Princess, and Count Yorter.

Although the Emperor had named the Crown Prince as his successor, he didn’t entirely trust him.

The Crown Prince had shown various mistakes so far, failing in consecutive conquest wars and purging his close associates. Every time he saw him, the Emperor inwardly felt that the Crown Prince was inadequate to rule the Empire and wield the Emperor’s scepter.

In the midst of this, the Crown Prince personally petitioned to achieve results in the diplomatic field.

The Emperor was now watching closely to see if his son could indeed reap diplomatic rewards with the mana stones from the Mikel mine.

“Ambassador Heinrich, welcome.”

“I am honored to meet Your Majesty, the Sun of the Empire.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the Emperor lightly inquired.

“Count Yorter here is developing a paternity test kit, Your Excellency.”

“Ah, not just a paternity test, is it, elder brother?”

The atmosphere between them flowed quite amicably. Except for one person, Ambassador Heinrich, who seemed lost in thought.

The Emperor, quietly observing Ambassador Heinrich, asked softly.

“Ambassador.”

“……”

“Ambassador Heinrich?”

“Ah, yes. Your Majesty!”

The Emperor, who had been quietly looking at Ambassador Heinrich, tilted his head and said.

“What’s the matter? Is there something on your mind?”

Ambassador Heinrich muttered with an awkward expression.

“Well, that is… It’s nothing.”

The Crown Prince, observing Ambassador Heinrich’s expression, said lightly.

“Well then, shall we proceed with the Mikel mine contract right now?”

Ambassador Heinrich was silent for a moment, as if thinking about something. Looking at him, the Princess poured sherry into her glass coquettishly.

“The Mikel mine will be a bridge symbolizing the alliance between the Empire and the Principality, won’t it?”

Ambassador Heinrich bit his lip as he looked at the wine swirling in his glass.

“I need time to report to His Majesty the Arch Prince first.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere turned cold.

The Crown Prince looked at Ambassador Heinrich with a stiff expression and asked.

“Is there a problem?”

A problem, there was no such thing as a problem.

Ambassador Heinrich entered the annex of the Imperial Palace and ruffled his hair vigorously.

‘His Majesty the Arch Prince also said to sell the mana stones from the Mikel mine to the Empire if possible.’

If that happened, it would bring vitality to the diplomacy between the Empire and the Principality.

But why had he returned to his room without properly responding to the Crown Prince’s words on his own accord?

‘…How frustrating. Surely it can’t be that the little lady’s words are weighing on my mind.’

Ambassador Heinrich decided to go for a walk with his troubled heart.

It was said to be a walk, but before he knew it, his steps had left the Imperial Palace and reached the place where the protesters had been earlier.

But then…

‘What’s that?’

The two-person protest group he had seen earlier seemed to have been there all along.

The protesters were being led away by the guards’ hands.

Ambassador Heinrich watched the situation with sweaty palms.

The two protesters had pointed ears and blue eyes, just as Sien had said. They were typical half-elves and likely to be citizens of the Principality.

Ambassador Heinrich, without even thinking about maintaining his composure, ran out like the wind and shouted.

“What is the meaning of this?”

The guards, who had roughly scanned Ambassador Heinrich from head to toe, replied indifferently.

“It’s nothing. We’re taking them in for violating the assembly law.”

“B-but they look like our Principality citizens.”

At that moment, one of the resisting protesters panted and shouted.

“We are Principality citizens! The Imperial people stole our ideas! That’s why we were protesting here!”

“How can that be?”

Ambassador Heinrich’s face contorted.

“If someone stole something, you should have reported it directly to the Principality. I can’t understand why you’d come all the way to the Empire to protest!”

His words were a hundred percent correct. As much as the Principality people loved technology and art, the Principality was also passionate about protecting its technicians.

But as if his thoughts were mistaken, the protester shook off the guard’s hand roughly and muttered.

“Ha. Report to the Principality? We’ve complained countless times! But the higher-ups never listened to our opinions anyway.”

“…What do you mean.”

“It means no one helped us. The administrators who took bribes from the Imperial bastards just played dumb!”

Neither Ambassador Heinrich nor the Arch Prince knew well.

That the administrators in charge of the Principality’s petition system were so corrupt. How could the interests of the Emperor or high nobles be maintained with the lower merchant guilds?

Ambassador Heinrich’s face contorted in shock. He hurriedly searched his pocket and pulled out a card.

It was the diplomatic immunity given to ambassadors.

The guards tilted their heads with uncomfortable expressions.

“You two, stop protesting and come here. I have something to say.”

“I’m talking about Sien Mirmord.”

The Crown Prince’s brow furrowed. Princess Anessa quietly looked at the Crown Prince and clenched her fist.

“Yes, elder brother. Sien Mirmord!”

“She’s quite suspicious, isn’t she?”

“Right? She wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.”

“I suppose that’s what it means to be a Mirmord, even at a young age… But Anessa, have you never thought about this?”

Suddenly, a question arose in Anessa’s eyes.

“What kind of thought do you mean?”

For a moment, the corners of the Crown Prince’s mouth turned up in a sneer.

“The thought that Matthias Mirmord is controlling all of this.”

“…Pardon? What do you mean?”

The Crown Prince laughed leisurely and tapped the table.

“What are the chances that a young child from the countryside has the ability to design situations and set up schemes?”

Logically, it was 0%.

Anessa’s face hardened as she gradually realized the true meaning of what the Crown Prince was saying.

“…Then, what you’re saying is.”

“Yes, it means that Matthias Mirmord is controlling everything from behind the scenes. The merchant guild that child created, everything. All of it.”

“Matthias Mirmord…”

“It means he’s hostile to us, Anessa.”

Princess Anessa’s expression contorted. The Crown Prince leaned back in his chair with a relaxed expression and laughed.

“Sien Mirmord is merely bait. Anessa, do you understand?”