Tikan stood before Casius with a face tanned by the sun.

Casius, reading the report’s contents from his dark face, spoke first.

“Did it fail?”

“We ambushed day and night, but Diarob didn’t show himself.”

If there had been more time, they could have rolled for a few more days, but the grand council was only a day away.

Casius thought of Vivian and flicked his fingers on the table.

‘Was it deception after all?’

Thinking about it, she might have been trying to buy time to turn the situation in her father’s favor.

Complex thoughts enveloped Casius.

The subtly blended emotions soon reached a single conclusion.

That it was rather a good thing.

If that woman was in league with Snowfel, there would be no hesitation, nothing left.

He would just have to crush her without leaving even debris.

Rising to his feet, Casius strode towards the Crown Princess’s palace.

Tikan followed behind, unable to open his mouth at those heavy steps.

*

Vivian greeted Casius with an unusually tense face.

The servants who hurriedly moved upon seeing him retreated near the room under Tikan’s protection.

Only a heavy, chilling silence hung over the space left to the two of them.

Vivian quickly gauged why he had come here by looking at the silent Casius.

“Has Diarob not been caught yet?”

Seeing Vivian looking more anxious than himself, Casius was at a loss for words.

It was nothing short of astounding.

To be acting even in this situation.

“Why pretend to be surprised? You must have already known.”

Vivian clutched the hem of her dress at Casius’s sharp words.

“That’s a misunderstanding.”

Vivian just stared at him with a blank expression.

As if she, not him, was the victim.

Casius’s blue eyes were filled with a hurt expression, as if asking how she could say such a thing.

Looking at that, Casius muttered mockingly.

“It’s amazing that you can act even in this situation.”

Casius looked emotionless, like a man made of iron, without a single strand of emotion.

At that sight, Vivian felt fear for the first time. It felt like her head was turning white.

‘Did Diarob really not show up?’

The ancient book she had seen recently clearly stated that monsters would appear within days if holy water was sprinkled.

But for the situation to turn out like this, she couldn’t hide her bewilderment.

Casius’s buzzing words rang in her ears, broken into phrases.

When Casius’s voice finally coalesced into one, it felt like the nightmare she so desperately wanted to avoid was being reborn.

“Even if this goes wrong, Snowfel will never be in charge of that business.”

“……”

“And since you broke the promise, the tourism autonomous region will be Winterdell.”

“That’s……”

“It will be the best gift for Lady Iblina.”

Everything went dark before her eyes.

‘I thought everything would be alright after this……”

Feeling like everything was crumbling before her eyes like a sandcastle, Vivian collapsed on the spot.

Vivian’s consciousness faded like a blown fuse.

*

The servants who hurriedly entered at Casius’s call laid Vivian on the bed.

Even while watching this, Casius’s face showed not the slightest change.

His face, hardly believable as one watching his fallen wife, recalled the rumors surrounding the two.

The servants showed fearful faces as they stood by, then retreated outside when the healer arrived.

Afterwards, the healer, Hilter, meticulously explained her shock state and post-treatment care.

However, Casius barely listened, showing no particular reaction.

Casius’s mind was just full of cynical thoughts.

‘Is this acting too?’

Looking at Vivian lying collapsed, the image of her lying down after taking an arrow for him overlapped like an afterimage. But that was all.

Thinking that even that might have all been an act, Casius felt dizzy.

Seeing her just move her lips this time, it was clear she had nothing to excuse herself with.

And yet, he didn’t like how she made a person feel like a criminal in this way.

At that moment, Tikan, who appeared with Wolfdor’s armor, prostrated before him.

Their day’s schedule was to search all the wetlands where Diarob might be.

Casius had also decided to move together for this mission.

With the grand council schedule right around the corner, it was his will to do something out of impatience.

But seeing the collapsed Vivian, Tikan observed the situation and advised.

“Your Highness, how about canceling this schedule?”

Casius stood up immediately with eyes as dry as could be.

“Let’s go.”

Tikan hesitated for a moment but couldn’t add more words at his lord’s firmness.

*

Bright light seeped into her opening eyes.

‘Has a day already passed?’

The last words Casius had spoken excitedly in front of me came to mind.

His expression, breath, even the temperature contained in it, everything was vivid without a single thing missing.

It seemed like Casius’s scent had brushed my nose, but he wasn’t by my side.

‘I hope he didn’t think I was acting again.’

The servants who discovered that I had opened my eyes bustled about and brought the familiar-looking healer.

I thought I might have to see him often in this life.

After taking my pulse, he tried his best to refine his rough speech and asked.

“Have you been focusing on anything lately?”

Somehow, Lord Hilter’s gaze seemed to look at me pitifully.

‘Well, he must have heard the rumors about me.’

He probably had various thoughts about Casius not being by my side.

Something like a wife not receiving her husband’s love.

Anyway, as Lord Hilter wondered, since my possession, there hadn’t been a single day when I wasn’t on edge.

Looking at Lord Hilter’s expression, it seemed this was the result of that impact.

It was fortunate that it wasn’t any special illness.

“I’ll get better with some rest. You may go.”

Lord Hilter, befitting a long-time royal healer with fastidiousness, had quite a long nagging.

“This isn’t a problem that will get better with a little rest. You need to be even more careful and take rest from now on.”

“I will do so.”

Even though he should have withdrawn after going this far, he continued to the end with what he had to say.

“Illnesses caused by emotions are often taken lightly, but they tend to fester and burst.”

It was reassuring that such a healer who didn’t mince his words was by Casius’s side.

As the bitter medicine went down my throat, my hazy mind gradually became clearer.

Only then did I notice the servants looking around cautiously.

‘Why are they like that?’

As my gaze fell on them, Marianne sent the servants out and remained silent.

The bright sunlight shining through the window suddenly reminded me that it was the day of the grand council.

The remaining hazy feeling disappeared completely, and a cool sensation dominated me.

“Has the grand council started?”

“……Yes.”

Seeing her trailing off, it was clear that some problem had arisen at the grand council.

An anxious heart made me hurry my words.

“Until when was His Highness here?”

At my question, Marianne hesitated with a troubled expression before opening her mouth.

“Well…… He was here only until yesterday.”

I could guess that Marianne was just refining her words for my sake, and that Casius had left shortly after. My heart ached.

‘Has Diarob still not been caught?’

Casius’s gaze, which had swept over me chillingly enough to make my spine tingle, was vivid.

‘If Diarob had been caught, he would have visited at least once out of apology after that fuss yesterday……”

Seeing not even the tip of his nose, it seemed Diarob had not been caught yet.

It felt like some damn god was blocking and interfering at every moment.

As I got up, Marianne fussed that I should rest.

But I didn’t want to just lie still like this.

“I’m going to the council chamber. Prepare.”

I wasn’t sure if I would go inside or what I would do, but I wanted to at least quickly guess the situation.

But for some reason, Marianne was flustered and just stood in place.

“Is there a problem?”

Seeing Marianne’s reaction, it was clear she was hiding something.

As an ominous premonition swept over me, she spoke with her head bowed.

“Well…… Lady Iblina is also on today’s grand council attendance list……”

The tender flesh under my unknowingly clenched hand was miserably bruised.

I thought it would take longer since she was returning from studying abroad, but it was a faster move than expected.

On the way to the council chamber, having only roughly changed clothes, Marianne, who had been just observing, followed behind.

My steps, which had gradually quickened without my realizing, soon reached the council chamber.

The surprised doorkeepers exchanged glances, and then one of them opened his mouth.

“I will report.”

“It’s fine.”

As I raised my hand, they returned to their positions in unison.

I had come this far, but seeing the huge door, I couldn’t muster the courage to enter.

It was clear as day what would happen if I went inside.

If Marianne’s words were true, Iblina would be inside, and the nobles would naturally compare me and her.

Casius would come on stronger towards me as if to show off.

Diarob would rage and pour his anger on me.

The vividly imagined picture held back my steps.

As complex thoughts rippled, Casius’s voice leaked from inside.

“The tourism autonomous region will be selected from either Winterdell Duchy or Snowfel Duchy.”

My hand fell miserably to my side with a thud.