Familiar names and suspicions crossed Odette’s mind. And those suspicions became certainty when she saw the knight blocking the entrance. Because that knight and Odette were acquaintances!

“Sir Arnold!”

“Ah, long time no see, Your Highness! The dress suits you very well.”

“Thank you… No, that’s not it. Why is Sir, Cedric’s knight, here?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? I came to carry out the orders given by His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Arnold spoke briskly with his characteristic amiable and affable personality. Unlike Odette, who was lost in thought, he seemed to be in high spirits returning to the capital after a while.

“I’m not sure about the details, but His Highness the Crown Prince ordered to take control of Duke Ertman’s residence as a punishment for insulting the royal family. If there is no opposition to the forthcoming decision, there should be no problem.”

Odette’s mouth fell open at the words flowing from the knight’s nonchalant expression. If there is no opposition to the decision, there should be no problem.

Doesn’t that mean there will be a problem if there is opposition to the decision?

‘What kind of decision is he going to make?’

Is Cedric, her cousin, really that angry?

Moreover,

“Insulting the royal family?”

“Sure. His Highness warned several times, but it seems to have been ignored.”

Arnold added with a smiling face that the punishment for the crime would proceed soon.

“Oh, and there was one more thing His Highness mentioned.”

“What is it this time?”

“It’s nothing special.”

Saying so, Arnold put his hand into his chest and quickly pulled something out.

Odette flinched for a moment at the enthusiastic gesture. She blinked her eyes blankly as she looked at the item he presented.

“…A pass?”

And it was a pass to the Prince’s residence.

In front of the bewildered Odette, Arnold smiled slyly.

“He said to have a quiet drink between siblings.”

Over Arnold’s face, the ‘smiling face’ drawing from the letter passed by.

And what Cedric wanted to convey.

” When I speak nicely with a smiling face, come to the palace, Odette.”

Cold sweat ran down Odette’s spine.

It was a tension that she had rarely experienced in her simple life.

Meanwhile, at the Crown Prince’s residence.

A rose petal, delicately pinned in a flower vase, fell silently.

It was a teasing move of the gloved hand.

“Valter, I want to talk.”

And the owner of that hand, Cedric, opened his mouth with a ruthlessness equal to tearing off the rose petal.

“We may not have had an exceptional relationship, but I thought we communicated fairly well.”

There had never been a time when they explicitly stated it, but as kindred spirits, they understood each other.

For this reason, they did not have to say things they did not want to say to each other, and for this reason, they formed a bond with each other through a slight sense of camaraderie. That was the relationship between Cedric and Valter.
If I can call you a friend, I can also call you a friend, and if I call you a colleague, it seems reasonable to call you a colleague.

“Sometimes on a day with good sunshine, a rainbow in the sky, beautiful cloud shapes, and harmonious temperature and humidity, I had the intention to use the expression ‘affectionate’ in the messages I send to you.”

“If you die, it seems like a funeral notice will be written.”

“Well, if you hadn’t ignored all my warnings and married Odette repeatedly.”

Tang! Cedric’s hand slammed the table, freezing the face of the young man with slightly bluer silver hair than Odette’s.

Just by looking at him, it would be hard to believe that he was a person who usually smiled a lot, but to Valter, it was also a very familiar face.

Because, even though others might not know, Valter knew very well that what Cedric was showing now was his true self.

“I clearly said it. I will go within a month, so don’t get married within that. Whether you hold a wedding or whatever, do it after that. I sent you the warning several times over. You should remember.”

The voice that had a threatening tone also carried a considerable amount of intimidation.

However, Valter, who was sitting across from him, casually answered while resting one leg on the other.

“Yeah, you did.”

“But you completely ignored it and got married. Thanks to that, I couldn’t even attend my younger sister’s wedding. Do you think this makes sense?”

“Fortunately, Princess 3 is still unmarried, so it will be a perfect opportunity to attend and brighten the occasion next time, showcasing the imperial richness.”

“Give me Odette, you bastard.”

“No, I don’t want to.”

Valter replied briefly, putting the teacup back on the table.

He wore an expression that seemed to say that this confrontation was very annoying.

“I heard you came to urgently deliver some news. But all you’re saying is to give away someone else’s wife… Is the Crown Prince’s position that idle these days?”