“You mean… a mark?”

Joshua nodded.

Only then did Court Minister Anwaz recall seeing Duke Amaterasu’s daughter at today’s palace ball.

He only remembered watching anxiously, worried she might cause a scene and make the palace ball a laughingstock like before.

He had only observed her dancing with Joshua from afar, without encountering her up close.

Although recent rumors said her uncouthness had improved somewhat, Court Minister Anwaz did not believe it.

Court Minister Anwaz tended to believe that while outward appearances can be easily adorned, a person’s inner nature is not so easily changed.

Even if she behaved properly for now, he anticipated that Duke Amaterasu’s daughter would eventually cause a major incident.

The Empress said they should first draw in House Amaterasu as Joshua’s people through marriage, then if Duke Amaterasu’s daughter acted unbecomingly for a crown princess, they could quietly dispose of her by disguising it as an accident.

But he did not find the Empress’s plan very appealing either.

Court Minister Anwaz’s view of Duke Amaterasu’s daughter was skeptical, finding it truly regrettable that her outstanding beauty shining even among the empire’s beauties gathered in the capital, and her grand family background, were wasted on her.

“Yes, a mark.”

At Joshua’s expectant gaze waiting for an answer, Court Minister Anwaz drew in a sharp breath.

As if things weren’t bad enough, the palace had just been thrown into an uproar over the Crown Prince’s attempt to ravish Duke Cardia.

If not for quick action, it would have immediately reached the Emperor and Empress’s ears.

Of course, even if they tried to hide it, news would soon reach the Emperor and Empress, but it was better if they at least didn’t know about it today.

And it was Court Minister Anwaz who had been running around frantically until now without a moment’s rest, silencing and threatening those involved to properly handle the whole affair.

So if Joshua had any conscience, he should have at least thanked him.

But he was not in a position to express such inner thoughts.

He could only respond to the Crown Prince’s absurd words.

“If it were someone else I might be suspicious, but for Duke Amaterasu’s daughter… I wonder if she simply spoke without knowing?”

Joshua’s gaze towards Court Minister Anwaz sharpened for a moment.

At such times he so closely resembled the Empress that Court Minister Anwaz shuddered.

However, he swiftly moved to persuade him.

“Your Highness must have also heard the rumors about Duke Amaterasu’s daughter.”

“I have heard rumors, but…”

The Duke Amaterasu’s daughter Joshua encountered directly was completely different from the rumors.

No, rather, she seemed to be the finest among all the ladies he saw today.

Her voice was clear and each of her actions was graceful.

Her manner of speech was gentle yet carried strength.

He could also sense the unpretentiousness unique to high nobles.

Above all, her body seemed born to provoke his lust.

To the point where he regretted not having properly tasted her flesh yet.

“But she was quite different from the rumors.”

Joshua’s red tongue, stretched out like a snake’s, slowly licked his lower lip.

Feeling an inexplicable chill at that sight, Court Minister Anwaz hurriedly spoke.

“There must be a reason for Your Highness to be concerned. If you command, I will promptly begin investigating Duke Amaterasu’s daughter.”

Having obtained the desired response from Court Minister Anwaz, Joshua nodded.

“Then rest well, Your Highness.”

Though he said that to soothe the seemingly agitated Joshua, the investigation into Duke Amaterasu’s daughter had already been completed long ago.

And as predicted, there was nothing particularly noteworthy. It was almost embarrassing to report to the Empress who had ordered it.

However, having received the order, he could not simply do nothing, so Court Minister Anwaz shook his head and quickened his pace.

He had to if he was to report to the impatient Empress by today.

Baroness Cypress had left the palace early.

Her husband, Baron Cypress, had long since passed out drunk, and she was on her way to take him out of the palace before he could make a drunken scene with innocent nobles.

Her family members were staying in their territory, not attending this palace ball.

The noble ladies she was close with seemed intent on enjoying the ball until sunrise.

As she was about to head straight back to the baron’s residence, she discovered an invitation wedged like a sandwich between the carriage seat and cushion.

She thought it was fortunate, as she had been itching to talk about what she’d seen today.

Glaring at Baron Cypress snoring in his sleep, Baroness Cypress checked the date on the invitation and smiled.

It would have been a shame to go straight home after all…

“Turn the horses around.”

“Where shall I take you, my lady?”

“To Count Tarel’s residence.”

The energy at Count Tarel’s residence, where she thus arrived, showed no signs of cooling despite the late hour.

“Welcome, my lady.”

“It’s been a while.”

After briefly explaining to Countess Tarel who inquired after her husband, Baroness Cypress walked to the center of the hall.

Naturally, the guests who had arrived earlier at the salon turned to look at Baroness Cypress and Countess Tarel.

“Did you perhaps come from the palace ball?”

As there was no other particular reason for being so dressed up and adorned, everyone guessed they were coming from the palace ball.

“Yes, that’s right.”

As Baroness Cypress nodded, another noblewoman asked with shining eyes.

“How was the palace ball today?”

The eyes directed at Baroness Cypress were full of interest. As if expecting to hear some amusing story.

“I hope we can agree to laugh off lightly what I’m about to say and forget it when you leave, is that alright?”

The nobles’ eyes lit up at this cautionary remark made before she even began speaking. If anything, it only stoked their curiosity and interest.

“Of course, naturally. We usually forget conversations had here when we leave anyway. Isn’t that right, everyone?”

Another noblewoman supported Baroness Cypress’s words.

The other nobles also nodded their heads, looking at Baroness Cypress. As if urging her to hurry and finish what she was going to say.

“His Highness the Crown Prince expressed his feelings to someone he’d been interested in at today’s palace ball.”

“…!”

The nobles could not hide their surprise and gaped.

“Who was it? Which lady received such an honor?”

“Ah… about that?”

Baroness Cypress lowered her gaze slightly and moved her lips.

The nobles urged her with their eyes to hurry and speak.

“It wasn’t a lady.”

At those words, the nobles each began rapid calculations.

What if the woman the Crown Prince had his eye on was already married? And if his feelings were sincere.

To obtain her, the Crown Prince would find a way to steal her away by any means necessary, whether killing her husband or framing him with false charges.

Only the husband would end up pitiable. As they were all thinking this, someone asked.

“So does that mean it was someone already married?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Baroness Cypress shook her head. The nobles’ expressions also grew puzzled.

“It was Duke Cardia.”

At the sudden mention of Duke Cardia’s name, the nobles tilted their heads.

“As far as I know, Duke Cardia has neither a fiancée nor a lover? Or am I mistaken?”

“No. I mean, it was Duke Cardia himself.”

“…”

At Baroness Cypress’s words, the nobles in the salon only blinked. Someone among them asked again.

“…Pardon? Did I hear correctly that the person His Highness the Crown Prince expressed his feelings to was Duke Cardia?”

Baroness Cypress nodded quickly, and the nobles gathered in the salon fell into confusion.

However, busy gauging each other’s reactions, they couldn’t utter a single word of what they truly wanted to say.

“It seems His Highness the Crown Prince had been truly struggling to suppress his feelings all this time…”

Just then, Baroness Cypress spoke with eyes full of pity.

Then immediately widening her eyes, she made a gesture of violently tearing the shirt of the man sitting next to her.

“Would you believe it! He forcibly… Duke Cardia’s clothes on the terrace…”

“…Forcibly?”

Focusing on Baroness Cypress’s words, the nobles were busy just swallowing.

“He was in such a hurry that even outdoors…”

“…Outdoors?”

“On the terrace not far from the banquet hall where the ball was in full swing, he forcibly removed Duke Cardia’s clothes and…”

Baroness Cypress closed her mouth at the most crucial moment.

But that alone was enough to spread wings of imagination, so everyone remained frozen, unable to even close their gaping mouths.

It had been quite a long time since jokes spread by word of mouth that the young man who had loved the opposite sex, enchanted by Duke Cardia’s exceptionally beautiful appearance, had suddenly turned to male lovers.

But if the subject was the Crown Prince, that was truly a different story.

The Crown Prince who had even completed his investiture ceremony, a lover of men…

After the palace ball, news that the Crown Prince was a lover of men spread throughout the social circles of the imperial capital.

The Crown Prince’s sexual orientation shocked the nobles that much.

There were some male nobles who enjoyed dating beautiful young men.

That was their own business, and they couldn’t openly flaunt it.

In other words, it was the first time a famous figure like the Crown Prince had publicly revealed his unusual preferences, and at a gathering of all the empire’s nobles at that.

It was to the point where any group of three or more would all be gossiping about the Crown Prince’s preferences.

“I suppose this will dampen the enthusiasm for the position of Crown Princess.”