Caught in the act just before a kiss with Eli, Walter and Odette refrained from showing such blatant affection in front of Eli.

Initially, Odette wasn’t that type of person to begin with.

But the problem was Walter.

“Come to think of it, the Duke always looked at the princess so intently…!”

It wasn’t just eye contact.

As if constantly confirming her existence, Walter’s gaze roamed every inch of Odette’s body.

‘Every inch,’ indeed!

Occasionally, that gaze even harbored complex emotions and sometimes revealed overt possessiveness.

‘He must have been harboring twisted fantasies!’

Looking at the princess with such impure eyes!

Eli could effortlessly recall the lines from the cheap romance novels she loved reading.

The male protagonists in those novels were charming but at the same time, dangerous beasts driven by desire.

Her recent reading of had significantly influenced this thought.

While cheap romance novels usually boasted a considerable level of explicitness, half of the content in was filled with just that.

And Eli recalled a line that had left a strong impression on her.

[She was the only one who could touch the Emperor’s base desires. Her translucent skin that occasionally showed veins, her moist eyes emitting an innocent light, even her delicate voice that makes you want to commit sins…

And so, she was placed in the deepest cage among all the things the Emperor possessed. Only when her beautiful voice faded and her beauty waned, would the heavy doors of the cage open.]

It was a description that came up when the male protagonist planned to ruin the female protagonist through his obsession.

Of course, Eli had thoroughly enjoyed reading this part.

‘…Trash in reality!’

Eli knew how to strictly distinguish reality from fantasy in such matters.

And she could say with certainty.

None of the male protagonists in cheap romance novels were decent guys.

‘The problem is… whether Duke Ertman might be one of those cases.’

Initially, Eli had not dispelled her doubts about the ‘suspiciously numerous women’s items of Ertman’ that Odette had dismissed lightly.

Meaning, she thought Walter could be the owner of lewd tastes or might have a woman on the side.

But because Odette seemed so nonchalant about it, Eli trusted her.

[-]Our princess is not someone easily fooled. No matter what schemes Duke Ertman might hatch, she won’t fall for it easily!

It was naive thinking.

Eli realized this fact after seeing the scene where Odette had returned to her palace from the royal palace ball and was on the verge of kissing Walter.

[-]…Eh, Eli?

A blushing Odette was practically defenseless.

Her usual wariness toward Walter was completely gone, revealing all her defenses!

‘I was going to stay out of it if the princess was fine, but…’

Having even overheard Lizeina’s conversation, she had no choice but to intervene.

So, today Eli especially went to see Ertman.

‘There’s no need to worry the princess with uncertain talk.’

She intended to confirm it for herself and then tell Odette.

Unfortunately, before she could even start her investigation, she had to drop it due to a call from the Wellington Hotel.

But her fighting spirit still remained.

‘I should protect the princess myself!’

Even if Duke Ertman tries to lower my guard with sweet talk and lavish treatment, I will never easily succumb.
If it’s not me, then there’s no one to protect Your Highness!

Eli’s ambition was certainly admirable.

“Anyway, I’m not too fond of this marriage. It can’t be helped given the circumstances, but Your Highness shouldn’t let your guard down either. The Duke’s gaze is particularly concerning.”

“How does the Duke appear to you?”

“He looks at Your Highness as if… as if you’re some kind of delectable prey!”

“……?”

The problem was, to Odette, who knew none of this context, Eli’s attitude only seemed confusing.

‘Did I… speak too ill of the Duke?’

Is that why Eli harbors such resentment…?

Odette’s gaze wavered uncertainly.

Though a bit late, Odette felt the weight of the situation and decided to defend Balter even now.

“Um, Eli. I did think poorly of the Duke at first, well, I still do think he’s not a great person… but he’s not a bad one for sure. He was quite helpful at Xavier’s party.”

“You don’t know, Your Highness. People with motives are always kind. The bait in the trap always looks sweet!”

“……You’re making a lot of sense today, Eli.”

It had the opposite effect.

Fortunately, the conversation didn’t last long.

Thanks to a bird that flew in through the window with a fluttering noise.

“My goodness! Isn’t that your bird, Your Highness? Wasn’t it whiter before?”

“It lost its magic. My brother must have had urgent news to relay.”

True to Eli’s words, the bird, which now looked somewhat alien, had lost its color and appeared closer to gray.

Since Sedric occasionally used Odette’s bird to send urgent messages, this was not particularly surprising.