At that, the noblewoman sneered, raising one corner of her mouth crookedly.

She might have said something like, ‘The fool from Amaterasu has come! It seems he wants to be even more embarrassed.’

It was when Jieselgrante had such a thought.

Suddenly, the noblewoman’s expression hardened, and then her face turned pale.

‘…What’s this?’

Jieselgrante looked at the noblewoman with a puzzled gaze.

Her gaze seemed to be directed at Jieselgrante at first glance, but upon closer inspection, she was looking slightly to the side.

Jieselgrante turned her head slightly to the side.

Duke Amaterasu was glaring at the noblewoman, radiating killing intent.

She quickly turned her head towards Mikhail.

“…”

Mikhail was even worse.

He looked as if he would rush over and bite the noblewoman’s neck if his leash were removed, with such a fierce aura.

‘Reassuring… isn’t it?’

Although she knew well that it was a threat to protect her, the two of them were too scary.

Jieselgrante stepped back hesitantly at their terrifying presence.

Then Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail immediately spoke to her.

“What’s the matter?”

“Jiesel, what’s wrong?”

The expressions of the two looking at Jieselgrante were gentle, and their voices were tender enough to tickle.

‘Thank goodness. It’s because I’m Duke Amaterasu’s daughter.’

If not, she might have been the one facing their murderous gazes herself.

Even after that, nobles who didn’t know about the earlier situation whispered when they saw Jieselgrante, but they quickly fell silent.

This was because every time, Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail glared at them with fiery eyes as if they would kill them.

It was when they had stepped into the center of the hall.

“How long has it been, it’s good to see you, Duke Amaterasu!”

“Young Duke Amaterasu, it’s been a while. I think this is the first time we’ve met since the monster subjugation…”

Nobles began to approach and speak to Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail.

The two engaged in conversations with the nobles respectively, while Jieselgrante stood quietly beside them with a faint smile.

They discussed topics related to the recent rapidly changing situation in the empire, business, diplomacy, and politics.

It was when Jieselgrante was listening to the conversations coming from both sides.

“Duke Amaterasu’s daughter.”

Someone addressed her.

“We meet again like this.”

Jieselgrante looked quietly at the young lady who had spoken to her, then returned the greeting.

“Have you been well, Marquis Howard’s daughter?”

After briefly inquiring about each other’s well-being, the Marquis Howard’s daughter pointed somewhere.

“Let’s go over there.”

There were young ladies gathered in that direction.

Jieselgrante looked that way and hesitated for a moment.

As it was an open hall, no high-level information was being exchanged among the nobles talking with Duke Amaterasu.

But since the main topics were fields she had been interested in before, she wondered if it was right to leave.

At that moment, the Marquis Howard’s daughter suddenly linked arms with Jieselgrante.

“…?”

Jieselgrante’s eyes widened at the intimate gesture.

But the Marquis Howard’s daughter paid no mind and spoke to Duke Amaterasu.

“May I borrow your daughter for a moment, Duke Amaterasu?”

Duke Amaterasu, who had been staring at the Marquis Howard’s daughter with surprised eyes, soon looked at Jieselgrante with a gaze asking if it was okay.

“What? Let’s go together.”

When Jieselgrante didn’t answer immediately, the Marquis Howard’s daughter gently shook the arm she was holding and urged her.

‘…What’s this? Why is she acting like this towards me?’

Jieselgrante was simply bewildered by the current situation.

This was her second encounter with the Marquis Howard’s daughter.

The first was at the Empress’s tea party, and both then and now, the Marquis Howard’s daughter seemed to feel an inner closeness to Jieselgrante.

Though she couldn’t fathom the reason why.

Jieselgrante found herself nodding before she knew it.

Perhaps it was because the Marquis Howard’s daughter was looking at her with an expression like a pitiful kitten.

“Then have a pleasant time among the ladies.”

Duke Amaterasu said with a faint smile.

Was it because of the smile that appeared on his usually expressionless face, or was it due to the added dignity on his inherently handsome features?

Jieselgrante thought she understood why noblewomen with husbands, or those who had long since lost their husbands and were alone, all glanced at Duke Amaterasu.

As soon as Duke Amaterasu’s permission was given, the Marquis Howard’s daughter smiled brightly and led Jieselgrante towards where the young ladies were gathered.

“I’ll decline your thanks.”

“…?”

At her questioning look, the Marquis Howard’s daughter continued.

“I know everything. You must have been listening to stories so boring you could yawn. And you were just quietly listening. How uninteresting.”

Jieselgrante blinked slowly.

It was a bit absurd for Jieselgrante, who had been quite interested in their conversation.

After all, it was clearly the Marquis Howard’s daughter who had interfered with her.

“But you know, young lady.”

The Marquis Howard’s daughter asked as they walked.

“Is the Duke not thinking of remarrying?”

“…Pardon? Why do you ask that?”

“Well, he’s so handsome. I was thinking it might be a loss for the empire if he stays alone. But still… would a stepmother be uncomfortable for you?”

Jieselgrante replied with a slight smile.

“Then if you know any beautiful widowed noblewomen around, please introduce them to me.”

“Really? Ah, which beautiful widowed noblewoman was it…”

It was when the Marquis Howard’s daughter was frowning and trying to recall.

“As expected! You’re amazing!”

Someone exclaimed in a rather loud voice.

The Marquis Howard’s daughter pointed to where the nobles were gathered and asked.

“What could it be?”

Shaking her head, Jieselgrante turned towards the direction the voice had come from earlier.

Then the Marquis Howard’s daughter spoke in an obviously excited voice.

“I’m curious, let’s go over there and check it out.”

At that moment, another loud voice, almost like a shout, was heard.

“Is this it? The mark said to be on the Crown Prince’s body?”

A mark on the Crown Prince’s body?

Jieselgrante immediately nodded to the Marquis Howard’s daughter and took the lead in walking.

“Let’s go over there.”

“Alright!”

The two in agreement squeezed between the gathered nobles.

In the center of the nobles stood a very familiar figure.

‘…Joshua!’

Joshua had taken off his jacket and half-rolled up the sleeve of his shirt near his arm.

On his exposed wrist was a small drawing.

‘Is that the mark they’re talking about?’

According to the founding myth of the Faysis Empire, the Emperor was called a descendant of heaven.

It was a founding myth that even children of the Faysis Empire would know.

The myth included a story that there was a mark on the body of the heavenly descendant that could identify their existence, and that they ruled as emperors.

But this had long since faded into an old tale of the past.

Jieselgrante judged that the cause of this story’s fading was in the hereditary succession of imperial power.

If the mark of the heavenly descendant really existed, in case the Emperor’s child didn’t have the mark, the imperial power would pass to someone else’s hands.

Then, the moment a new Emperor ascends, the previous Emperor would completely lose power.

They might be evaluated and punished for the various misdeeds they had committed.

So it was more realistic to think that the mark could be fabricated as needed.

The biggest reason she had judged the founding myth to be completely made up in the past was because Trinity didn’t have such a mark on her body.

It was also thanks to entering the secret archives of the imperial palace and seeing the reality of the story.

Anyway, although she hadn’t checked separately, she was certain that the current Emperor didn’t have the mark either.

If the Emperor had a mark like Joshua’s, he would have proudly displayed it.

Even if the mark was on a private part of his body, he would have frequently brought up stories related to it.

But the Emperor had never mentioned the mark.

For this reason, Jieselgrante thought that there wouldn’t be a mark known as the proof of heavenly descent on the Emperor’s body.

The Emperor she knew would never hide such a proud mark on his body.

“It’s the Crown Prince.”

At that moment, the somewhat bitter voice of the Marquis Howard’s daughter brought Jieselgrante out of her thoughts.

Her expression seemed somewhat displeased, so Jieselgrante tilted her head and asked.

“You don’t like it?”

Then the Marquis Howard’s daughter whispered in Jieselgrante’s ear.

“Actually, you know. I supported Princess Trinity as the next Emperor.”

“…”

At the sudden mention, Jieselgrante stiffened slightly.

But trying to act as naturally as possible, she whispered back.

“Why is that?”

“She’s cool, isn’t she?”

“But Trinity Princess is…”

The Marquis Howard’s daughter quickly spoke, making an expression as if she had made a mistake.

“Ah, perhaps Duke Amaterasu’s daughter supports the Crown Prince?”

Just as Jieselgrante was about to open her lips to give an answer, Joshua’s voice was heard.

“Have you all seen enough now?”

Joshua was about to roll down his sleeve, looking at the nobles who had gathered to see the mark.

Then someone shouted.

“I want to see too, Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, please grant me the honor of seeing the mark as well!”

Soon voices came from here and there.

“Now, now, don’t push. You might get hurt. Those who have seen the mark proving the next Emperor, please step back slightly, and those behind, so that you can see the mark as well…”

Marquis Ratse, who stood by Joshua’s side like a guard knight, controlled the situation.

As the nobles in the front row stepped back, this time the group of young ladies stood close to Joshua.

One of the young ladies who looked at the mark on Joshua’s wrist exclaimed in admiration.

“Wow… So this is that mark we’ve only heard about! I never imagined I’d be able to see it in person…”

The young ladies beside her also looked at Joshua with envious eyes.

Joshua exchanged glances with each of the young ladies who had come close to him.

The reactions of the young ladies when their eyes met Joshua’s were also varied.

Some lowered their gaze shyly with flushed cheeks, some quickly checked their attire, some combed their fingers through their hair that wasn’t even messy…

Meanwhile, there were also young ladies who openly stared at his face.

Anyway, with this, Joshua was not only appointed as Crown Prince but could also complete the proof of being the next Emperor chosen by the gods.