Cabelased chuckled softly, recalling Jieselgrante who couldn’t take her eyes off his naked body while being shy.

Then he soon stood up and stood in front of a large mirror.

His red eyes went down to his chest area where Jieselgrante’s gaze had lingered particularly long.

After staring at that area for a moment, Cabelased lightly scratched the surface with the tip of his well-rounded nail.

Knowing full well that it wouldn’t fall off.

This had been there like a tattoo since birth, and its size grew as his body grew.

Even now it wasn’t large enough to catch one’s eye at once, but what mattered was that Jieselgrante had noticed it.

Cabelased thought about why she had stared at this so intently.

‘She might have thought it was a tattoo…’

In nearby cultures, it was said that people leave marks on their bodies to commemorate or remember something.

If Jieselgrante knew about this, there was a possibility that she interpreted what was on his body in a similar way.

For a moment, a faint crease appeared on Cabelased’s handsome brow reflected in the mirror.

He had lived without being conscious of others’ gazes.

He didn’t care much about how others thought of him.

That’s why the thought he was having now felt very unfamiliar.

Speculating about what Jieselgrante might have thought while looking at his body…

The man’s brow in the mirror wrinkled as if expressing displeasure.

It was when Cabelased turned around, realizing he had wasted time being caught up in useless thoughts.

“I have something to report… Duke?”

Count Preston, who was walking this way looking at documents, stiffened the moment he raised his head towards Cabelased.

“…Why are you naked?”

To Count Preston’s natural question, Cabelased blinked slowly and murmured lowly.

“It’s hot.”

“Shall I have ice prepared?”

To Count Preston’s question, Cabelased shook his head lightly and sat on the sofa.

“I just finished bathing.”

“Ah….”

Count Preston, who had briefly acknowledged, raised one eyebrow and glanced at Cabelased.

His expression seemed to think that Cabelased’s words about being hot despite just having bathed didn’t make sense.

Cabelased quickly reminded Count Preston of the purpose for which he had come to see him.

“More importantly, didn’t you say you had something to report?”

Only then did Count Preston nod and say.

“Yes. It seems the Crown Prince is plotting something.”

Whether harboring resentment for the incident on the terrace on the day of the imperial ball, Crown Prince Joshua immediately began investigating Jieselgrante.

Jieselgrante told Mikhail that someone seemed to be following her, and Mikhail relayed this information to Duke Amaterasu.

The two immediately caught and interrogated the tail attached to Jieselgrante.

And they found out that the person who ordered the investigation of her was Crown Prince Joshua.

But there was a big fact that Joshua overlooked while attaching people to Jieselgrante.

That was that, contrary to what was known to the public, the men of the Amaterasu ducal family were not bookworms quietly reading books in a safe study.

Although they pretended to be gentlemen on the outside, the men of the Amaterasu ducal family had been inherently persistent and cruel for generations.

Joshua was likely still unaware that even the imperial spies, who were highly trained not to easily open their mouths under torture, had given up to Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail.

And this guess of Cabelased’s seemed to be correct.

If Joshua had known that Duke Amaterasu’s side had dealt with the spy in advance, he would never have attached a spy to Cabelased, to him.

Cabelased became aware of the fact that there was someone gloomy following him from some time ago.

He immediately went into the process of confirming who had instigated this person.

And the name of Crown Prince Joshua came out of the spy’s mouth.

He urged him to become a double agent in exchange for sparing his life, and he accepted.

It could be said to be a very wise decision, as he would have died on the spot if he had not accepted Cabelased’s proposal.

“I will relay the detailed information as soon as it comes in. Until then, I urge the Duke to be careful about his safety as well.”

Meanwhile, in front of the prison where Baron Cypress was imprisoned, an invisible battle of nerves continued today as well.

As it was a case for which the Emperor himself ordered an investigation regarding Baron Cypress, there was thorough surveillance.

And it wasn’t just the imperial guards guarding the front.

People sent from Marquis Antares’ side and Cabelased’s side were operating in a secret triple surveillance system.

Given this situation, no one could move rashly.

Neither sneaking Baron Cypress out of prison nor dealing with him quietly.

“Is there really no other way?”

At the Empress’s urging, Marquis Antares lowered his gaze as if ashamed.

At that moment, Viscount Antares cautiously opened his mouth.

“It’s not that there is no way at all.”

Then Marquis Antares immediately countered.

“That’s too risky!”

“But if we stay like this, it will end up going according to Duke Cardia’s will!”

This confirmed that the current situation was turning unfavorable for the Antares family.

To the point where the father and son, who always took care of each other even if not affectionately, raised their voices towards each other.

Although their opinions were divided, the Empress decided to at least hear what it was if there was any clever plan.

“Viscount, if you have a method in mind, speak quickly.”

Despite Marquis Antares’ warning gaze, Viscount Antares prioritized the right to speak given by the Empress.

“How about causing a commotion inside and outside the prison? First, we create a situation where Baron Cypress has no choice but to come out of prison.”

“…”

The Empress nodded slightly while looking at Viscount Antares with narrowed eyes.

It meant to continue.

Encouraged by the Empress’s not negative reaction, Viscount Antares began to explain his plan in earnest.

Throughout explaining the plan to the Empress, Marquis Antares’s expression was not very bright, but he pushed his opinion.

After all, wasn’t it because there was no other suitable alternative that Baron Cypress had been left unattended, unable to do this or that until now?

Moreover, the Empress and the Antares ducal family were in the same boat.

If one side starts to tilt, the boat was bound to sink someday.

Just as the Minster Count family’s merchant ship, which was believed to be solid, sank due to seawater seeping in through a small hole.

“Well… it doesn’t seem bad. Although it feels a bit extreme.”

After hearing all of Viscount Antares’s plan, the Empress nodded her head with narrowed eyes.

The Empress neither strongly affirmed nor denied Viscount Antares’s plan.

Marquis Antares’s brow was still furrowed with displeasure.

At that moment, a servant who entered the reception room whispered to the Empress.

“Joshua?”

The Empress turned her head towards the servant, raising one eyebrow.

“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”

The Empress, who had been breathing softly, soon nodded.

“Tell him to come in.”

As the servant bowed deeply and left the reception room, Joshua soon walked into the reception room.

“I see you two are here as well.”

After exchanging light eye greetings with Marquis Antares and Viscount Antares, Joshua naturally sat across from the Empress.

And looking alternately at the three of them, he opened his mouth.

“I heard you were discussing the treatment of Baron Cypress.”

When the Empress nodded, Joshua continued.

“The reason I came suddenly during an important meeting is because I have a way to divert Duke Cardia’s attention.”

“What is this method, Your Highness the Crown Prince?”

“Yes. If you have a good method, please tell us quickly.”

Following Marquis Antares, the Empress also urged Joshua.

And for good reason. The clever plan that Viscount Antares had just presented could be considered quite extreme.

It was a method to set fire to the prison where Baron Cypress was imprisoned, and use the chaos to smuggle him out while avoiding the eyes of the watchers sent by the Emperor and Duke Cardia.

Receiving the expectant gazes of the Empress and Marquis Antares, Joshua soon opened his mouth.

“Before that, I’m thinking of taking the Amaterasu ducal lady as the Crown Princess.”

At the sudden mention of a Crown Princess while discussing Baron Cypress’s matter, the Empress slightly lowered her gaze.

Marquis Antares also wore a troubled expression.

However, Joshua continued speaking, regardless of their reactions.

“I say this because I have confirmed that Duke Cardia is protecting the Amaterasu ducal lady.”

“Duke Cardia, that man is protecting the Amaterasu ducal lady, you say?”

Marquis Antares asked, raising one eyebrow, and the Empress’s reaction was not much different from his.

Joshua cited the terrace incident at the previous imperial ball as an example and informed them that there had been a change in Duke Cardia’s feelings.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince’s words have a point.”

Only then did Marquis Antares nod.

“Taking the Amaterasu ducal lady as the Crown Princess…”

The Empress stopped speaking there.

In her opinion, even if the Amaterasu ducal lady was confirmed as the Crown Princess as Joshua said, Duke Cardia would not bat an eye.

But she couldn’t just outright oppose Joshua’s opinion.

Above all, her son’s eyes were full of confidence in his plan.

Jieselgrante returned straight to the Amaterasu ducal residence after finishing her short outing schedule.

It was because she had someone to meet.

For that reason, she had visited the Cardia ducal residence much earlier than her original appointment time with Cabelased.

That was also why she had left there earlier than usual.

“Welcome back, young lady.”

Lindsey and Ola greeted her as she entered the bedroom.

“Yes, I’m back.”

Jieselgrante, who briefly greeted them, sat on the reception room sofa.

Soon Lindsey placed comfortable slippers in front of her and said.

“The painter you were supposed to meet before arrived a little while ago. What would you like to do?”