The moment she saw the red hair, only one person came to mind.

‘Ellie.’

Her heart sank.

There was no way to hide her expression. She must have been shocked to the point where it showed on her face.

Otherwise, Blake wouldn’t be trembling like that.

“Seeing you make that expression, there’s something I can guess, isn’t there?”

“…I’m surprised. I opened the letter… and the contents weren’t paper.”

Odette struggled to control her expression. It was a suspicious excuse, but not entirely feeble.

No, even if it seemed feeble, here, it was about preventing Blake from gaining an upper hand the moment she showed confusion.

She asked as composedly as possible, “Why are you showing me this? It seems excessive for a surprise gift.”

“Don’t give me that expression. I’m just here to deliver a request to pass on the letter.”

“But it must be related to this matter.”

Calling her out, playing chess, giving her a letter at this hour when no one was around.

Did Blake really not know the contents of this letter?

‘Sending cut hair like this is a threat.’

A threat that Ellie’s life could be in danger depending on the situation.

And usually, threats come with demands, but there was nothing written in this letter envelope.

It was natural. Since the demands would be conveyed through the mouth of the person delivering the letter.

Odette’s eyes, suppressing impatience and anxiety, squinted sharply.

“Tell me what your intentions are, what you want. Don’t talk nonsense that it’s unrelated to this matter.”

“You’re getting harsh, Odette. Arrogantly.”

“Then, is there any reason for me to show respect to you in this situation?”

From Odette’s stern gaze, the empty letter envelope dropped.

“Whether you received the letter when or whether you’re involved in this matter. You could have told me anytime. If you didn’t, there’s a trick to it. Isn’t there?”

“…Well, you could see it that way.”

As if saying he didn’t care about his tone, Blake, who smiled thinly, touched the king next to the white queen with the tip of his finger.

“I just wanted to let you know the reality.”

“Reality?”

“Yeah. You know, what happened during the three months Cedric was away.”

It wasn’t just about the story of Odette’s marriage.

Blake had been meticulously building a foundation to push Cedric out.

“It started in the north. The frontlines of the controlled areas suddenly began a counterattack, showing signs of change. Next was the west. Smuggled goods were found in large quantities at the Randeau Port. Is that all? East Depot, South Gentil. It’s harder to find areas with no issues.”

As vast as the Empire was, incidents were bound to happen everywhere.

However, the events that occurred in the past three months were strangely concentrated to the point where calling it a coincidence would be too odd.

Naturally, even if her name was Odette, she couldn’t be unaware of these incidents.

Just.
“You probably weren’t interested in these issues. They have nothing to do with you at all.”

“…Well, do you want to say that these issues are related to me?”

“No, no. I’m saying it’s related to your dear brother, Cedric. When problems arise, people always tend to look for familiar faces.”

The current emperor has grown old, and Cedric, the crown prince, has been delegated most of the state affairs for a long time.

So, it’s natural that someone like Cedric would be responsible for the simultaneous problems erupting.

“If Cedric returns to the capital, he’ll soon become a busybody going here and there. There’s no need to argue. If there’s any negligence in handling those issues, blame will surely be poured on me. How can I ignore and discharge without paying attention?”

“…So?”

“So, you’ll be pushed aside.”

Cedric can’t protect you.

Blake’s index finger pointed towards Odette.

“Even if people around you keep dying, even if you hang on asking for help, he won’t care. That’s the meaning. Even if you trust Ertman… there’s already evidence of trust in front of your eyes.”

A severed red hair that seems to be Ellie’s.

“Whatever you catch won’t protect you. This is reality.”

At Blake’s words, Odette bit her lip.

“What on earth… I don’t understand what you’re talking about. I have nothing to do with Cedric, how many times do I have to say it?”

“Really? Well, then you won’t feel unjust even if you go through something like this. After all, you have no power. Isn’t that right?”

Blake, like that, adjusted his posture and pulled his upper body a bit closer to Odette.

“My demand is simple. Whoever you held hands with so far, now you have to hold my hand. It won’t change much. We’ll share a meal, and as for that hair… nothing bad will happen.”

Although the explanation was verbose, summarily, it meant saving Ellie and becoming on his side.

After all, neither Cedric nor Balter can fully protect her.

The problem is that there seems to be no way to refute those words in this situation.

Anxiety gnawed at Odette’s mind.

Odette’s hand, placed on her thigh, gripped tightly.

“Say something reasonable! Doing something like this… asking me to hold your hand?”