‘Happy birthday in advance.’

Cabelased’s brow furrowed slightly.

Then Jieselgrante added that she didn’t think she’d see his face again before the Founding Day.

‘How did she know my real birthday?’

By the time Cabelased pondered this question, she was already far away.

Watching her board the carriage escorted by the guard knight, Cabelased soon found the answer.

‘……It must be Mikhail.’

There was no one else he could think of.

Cabelased focused on how Mikhail knew that his actual birthday was on Founding Day, besides the publicly known date, as he walked towards the carriage.

It was when the view of Cardia’s mansion began to appear through the carriage window.

‘It must have been then.’

After much thought, Cabelased estimated the timing.

The first year he entered the academy. The butler visited the dormitory where Cabelased was staying on Founding Day.

Saying he couldn’t just let his birthday pass, which had been celebrated at the mansion every year.

Of course, after that year, the butler never came to the academy on Founding Day again.

It was because Cabelased had repeatedly urged him not to.

Saying someone might be watching, so he should always be cautious and careful.

As the carriage neared Cardia’s mansion, Cabelased spoke.

“Turn the carriage around.”

“Where shall we go, sir?”

“To Duke Amaterasu’s mansion.”

Soon the speeding carriage gradually slowed down. And then it changed course, making a large circle.

It seemed better to meet Mikhail right away today.

Mikhail was usually tight-lipped, but he wanted to confirm.

And it would be troublesome if someone other than Mikhail found out that his real birthday was on Founding Day.

Of course, not many people would specially associate him with Princess Trinity just because they were born on the same day of the same year.

But there was still a need to make sure.

He needed power to reclaim the original position he should have had since birth.

That power didn’t just refer to strong military might. He needed to gain the support of influential nobles.

There was a need to further expand the power of the vassal families and draw in neutral high nobles to solidify his position.

So it was still premature then and now. To reveal to the world that he was the emperor’s true firstborn.

Returning to the mansion after going out, Mikhail watched a carriage rushing towards Duke Amaterasu’s mansion.

Soon the carriage passed through the huge iron gate and stopped in front of the mansion.

Mikhail, who was about to enter the mansion, happily approached the carriage.

“Cabel? What brings you here?”

Cabelased, who got out of the carriage, had quite a grim expression.

It was obvious at once that he had come for not such a pleasant matter.

“We need to talk.”

“Huh? Umm……”

Mikhail entered the mansion while gauging Cabelased’s mood.

Only after entering the soundproof conference room, not the reception room, did Cabelased bring up his business.

“You ran your mouth quite well.”

His voice was calm, but his attitude was clearly accusatory.

“Run my mouth? Cabel, what do you mean?”

“Jieselgrante knew that Founding Day is my birthday.”

“Ah……”

A small exclamation escaped Mikhail’s lips.

As he had told her to remember it, Mikhail was choosing words to excuse himself when he soon focused on another part.

‘Cabel…… called her Jieselgrante?’

Calling an unmarried woman who was neither his wife nor family by her name. And Cabelased at that.

It was truly the first time he had called his sister by name.

So Mikhail guessed that their relationship must have developed at some point.

“If you didn’t know, that’s fine, but I didn’t think there was a need to hide facts you already knew. So I told her.”

The displeasure on Cabelased’s face dissipated somewhat at Mikhail’s straightforward answer.

But he still asked with his brows furrowed.

“Who else did you tell this to?”

“I didn’t tell anyone else besides Jiesel. I swear, Cabel! It seemed like you didn’t want your real birthday to be known.”

“Did you know when you did that?”

“……What?”

He had asked if he knew the truth about ‘that day’, but Mikhail just tilted his head like an idiot.

The Mikhail he had observed so far was poor at lying.

There was no way he would have acted cutely trying to hide his true feelings like his sister Jieselgrante.

So he concluded that he wouldn’t have spread his personal information to anyone other than Jieselgrante.

“……Cabel?”

As if his business was done, Cabelased turned around.

Mikhail left the conference room, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.

‘That’s right……!’

As he was walking, a memory from the past suddenly came to mind.

That he had told someone else besides Jieselgrante about Cabelased’s birthday.

‘I think I told Father too?’

After Founding Day, Mikhail, on vacation, returned to Duke Amaterasu’s territory and had a conversation with Duke Amaterasu about what had accumulated.

As they shared the same dormitory room, Cabelased’s name often came up as a topic of conversation.

He did so more because he thought Duke Amaterasu had been interested in matters related to Duke Cardia from before.

Then the topic of conversation jumped to Jieselgrante’s upcoming birthday.

At that time, Mikhail mentioned that Cabelased’s actual birthday seemed to be Founding Day, unlike what was publicly known.

It was in hopes that Duke Amaterasu would take care of Cabelased secretly from other nobles.

Duke Amaterasu, who had been silent for a while as if lost in thought, asked the same question Cabelased had just asked.

Who else he had told this story to.

“……”

Mikhail, belatedly realizing he had lied to Cabelased, albeit unintentionally, glanced at Cabelased with an uneasy feeling.

“What’s wrong?”

Sure enough. Cabelased looked at Mikhail with sharp eyes.

At his gaze that seemed to see through his inner thoughts, Mikhail hurriedly shook his head and said.

“Cabel…… won’t you stay for dinner?”

It was when Cabelased and Mikhail were having dinner.

“The young lady has returned home.”

At the butler’s words, Mikhail cautiously opened his mouth.

“Cabel, we recently got some precious tea leaves, would you like to have a cup of tea?”

And before Cabelased could answer, Jieselgrante walked into the dining room.

She greeted Cabelased without being flustered.

“We meet again. I came to say hello when I heard you were here.”

It seemed the butler had informed Jieselgrante that Cabelased was here.

Mikhail hurriedly stopped Jieselgrante, who was about to leave the dining room after giving an eye greeting.

“Jiesel!”

“……?”

When Jieselgrante turned around, Mikhail hastily opened his mouth.

“Remember that tea I mentioned before? I was thinking of tasting it now, would you like to join?”

As Jieselgrante seemed to be hesitating without answering right away, the butler intervened and added.

“Why don’t you taste it together while we’re opening it, young lady?”

Jieselgrante’s gaze, which had been alternating between Mikhail and the butler, stopped on Cabelased.

“Would it be alright? If I join you.”

Everyone’s gaze in the dining room turned to Cabelased.

Cabelased, who had put down his utensils and wiped his mouth with a napkin, nodded.

While Mikhail and the butler exchanged glances, Cabelased and Jieselgrante were also gazing at each other.

Shortly after, Mikhail and Cabelased, who had finished their meal, and Jieselgrante, the three of them moved to the reception room and sat around a round table.

Only the sound of tea water dripping from the teapot into the teacups echoed in the quiet reception room.

“Please have a taste.”

The butler placed teacups in front of each of the three people.

The reception room was filled with the fragrant scent of tea, and the three drank the tea the butler had poured.

It was when the three were savoring the tea in a quiet atmosphere.

As if he had just remembered, the butler opened his mouth.

“Oh, by the way, young master. Do you have a moment? I completely forgot I had something to tell you……”

Mikhail, after looking alternately at Cabelased and Jieselgrante’s faces, soon stood up.

“……”

“……”

The reception room was quiet after Mikhail and the butler left.

Of the two people who were quietly sipping their teacups as originally planned, Cabelased was the first to speak.

“Since the trial ended inconclusively, I think someone who doesn’t want this will come up with a new scheme……”

As Jieselgrante nodded, Cabelased continued.

“……I’m curious what the young lady’s countermeasure will be.”

“I thought you rather enjoyed unexpected situations, was I wrong?”

Jieselgrante, who had taken a sip of tea, smiled slightly.

Cabelased’s gaze on her face was quite intense.

Jieselgrante blinked, lowering her gaze slightly. Wondering if something was on her face.

And before the atmosphere could become awkward, she hurriedly opened her mouth.

“How did you turn the judges’ hearts, Your Grace?”

Instead of answering, Cabelased quietly sipped his teacup. And just silently looked at her.

She soon opened her mouth again.

“There were five judges. If they had wanted to make a quick decision, they could have handled it by majority vote. But they didn’t.”

“……”

“And you, Your Grace, briefly left your seat to match the judges’ emergency meeting.”

To her gaze asking how he had manipulated the judges to his liking, Cabelased finally opened his mouth.

“Were you watching me that day too?”