The Emperor, who had an indifferent personality, had never so blatantly taken the Empress’s side before.

He never particularly cared for her or kept her by his side, but…… She thought it was all because of that damned Captain Tikan.

The bastard blocked her at every turn and acted difficult.

‘The nerve of a mere guard!’

After his sister disappeared, he went crazy, and indeed, they were a good match.

But it wouldn’t be a big problem.

According to her father, the Imperial faction nobles said they would eliminate Rosemary as soon as she outlived her usefulness.

When that day came, that bastard Tikan would also be removed from the Emperor’s side, and she would be able to stand by the Emperor’s side. Evelina was convinced.

‘No matter how much of an ice-cold man he is, in the end, the Emperor is just a man.’

He wouldn’t stay alone on the throne and grow old just because he had someone he cared for in his heart.

The woman named Rachel or whatever was already dead, so even if he missed her, she wouldn’t come back.

The biggest obstacle, the Empress, was a Snowfell who was despised by the Emperor.

On top of that, the Emperor personally made her his aide. What could that mean?

‘But how could he change so suddenly like this?’

Evelina doubted whether she had misheard what was said a moment ago.

But she had no choice but to accept the reality.

It was after discovering the emotionless coldness in Casius’s blue gaze.

Before she could even get angry, goosebumps rose on her back.

‘What the hell? Did I do something wrong?’

Or was it that even though she was the Empress, he found it unpleasant to see her being taken by another man?

Clenching her fists and quickly turning her thoughts, Evelina hastily explained.

“I must have been too hasty. I misspoke in my urgency.”

“It’s fortunate that you realized it now.”

Evelina’s neck flushed red with humiliation.

But she couldn’t end it here.

If the Empire really introduced the healing center system like this, she couldn’t even fathom how much weaker Winterdell’s power, which had a weak foundation, would become.

It was a huge matter that could even lead to bankruptcy.

Recalling her father’s anger, Evelina gathered her strength again.

“Still, please reconsider introducing the healing center system to the Empire.”

Casius’s face slowly rose to meet Evelina’s.

Despite her being in a higher position, Casius’s eyes, as he sat, seemed to crush her, creating an illusion.

To that extent, his attitude seemed arrogant and bored.

The problem was that even that appearance evoked admiration to a surprising degree.

As if God had carefully crafted his appearance, it made Evelina’s heart flutter even in this moment.

She now understood why the young ladies were so infatuated with the blunt and arrogant Crown Prince.

Her determination to make that man hers boiled even more inside her. Lost in his appearance that paralyzed her train of thought, she came to her senses after a brief moment.

It was when Casius’s thorny voice flew in.

“That’s a thought befitting a Winterdell young lady.”

“Pardon?”

“Disregarding the well-being of the Imperial citizens, you only consider your own interests. That’s how you people are.”

Evelina’s mind raced.

‘The Emperor compared the Empress and me.’

Moreover…… The Empress pursued such things considering the Empire’s national interests, while she was an inferior human being who didn’t care about such things at all.

Evelina’s complexion turned pale.

She had lived as such a unique existence that she had never even been compared to anyone else before.

Of course, it was all something her father had created for her, but regardless, it was her reputation.

‘How dare he compare me to Vivian, that mere woman……!’

Evelina’s hands trembled.

Being compared was absurd enough, but what was even more ridiculous was the current situation.

‘Weren’t the Emperor and Empress on bad terms?’

The Emperor’s gaze towards the Empress clearly held no warmth at all.

But somehow, it didn’t seem that way at all now.

Evelina felt the subtle vibrations and her hair stood on end.

‘Why on earth…… Could it be because of last night?’

After finishing the congratulatory drink ceremony yesterday, the Emperor visited the Empress’s palace for some reason. And he didn’t come out of there all night.

To her worried father, Duke Bashvir, she said there was nothing to worry about.

“He didn’t even accept Duke Snowfell’s glass at the congratulatory drink ceremony. It was just a formality to show the foreign guests.”

In fact, that’s what Evelina had thought.

It was just a staged show to maintain the national prestige.

If the Emperor really had the Empress in his heart, there would be no reason why he hadn’t visited the Empress’s palace until now.

But was yesterday’s conviction too complacent?

The Emperor had changed since last night. Her instincts and intuition told her so.

Even seeing her trembling figure, he showed no reaction at all.

His expressionless face seemed to treat her as if she were invisible.

Finally, the words that came out of the Emperor’s mouth, as if putting an end to it, were even more shocking.

“I’ll have to reconsider whether I can continue to keep you, who still remain as a noble young lady, as the Emperor’s aide.”

“Your Majesty!”

Casius, who had taken his eyes off Evelina as if ignoring her, turned his gaze to the documents.

The low voice that followed cooled the space with a chill.

“From now on, report all the aide’s duties through Sir Tikan.”

Reporting the aide’s duties through a mere guard was a dismissive move.

“Your Majesty, there has never been a case where an aide reported through a guard until now.”

“Of course not. Until now, there has never been an aide who dared to deceive the Empress.”

At the mention of the Empress, which was getting on her nerves, Evelina’s brows furrowed beautifully.

“What…… do you mean?”

“On the day of the coronation, the Empress’s lady-in-waiting visited the Crown Prince’s palace.”

Only then did Evelina remember what had happened that day.

The Empress’s arrogant lady-in-waiting came several times despite being told not to, spouting nonsense about wanting to hear His Majesty’s intentions.

“Your Majesty didn’t say anything special, and you seemed uncomfortable with Her Majesty the Empress, so I merely conveyed your intentions on your behalf.”

“Are you saying that the aide has become my proxy?”

“That’s not it……”

“I will make such judgments from now on, so the aide should just do the given tasks properly.”

“……!”

*

Evelina’s face visibly hardened as she came out of the audience hall.

The movement of biting her nails seemed extremely agitated.

‘How the hell did that fox manipulate the Emperor……’

Evelina recalled the Empress’s face she had seen in the Empress’s palace before.

She was certainly not ordinary.

Even so, she was just an Empress in the back room who couldn’t win the Emperor’s favor, so she had been ignored, but…… she could no longer do that.

She must have whispered the secrets of the night and seduced the Emperor.

‘If the Empress were to give birth to an imperial heir first……’

The thought alone made her dizzy.

‘It can’t be. That’s impossible.’

The Emperor was probably just angry that she had acted without his permission.

But it wouldn’t hurt to be thoroughly prepared, just in case.

Opening the Imperial Personnel Records, Evelina stopped at the list of the Empress’s palace ladies-in-waiting.

Tapping on the thick personnel records, she pulled the bell rope.

Soon, a dedicated Winterdell lady-in-waiting entered, and Evelina ordered her.

“Marianne, find out about this person.”

“Understood.”

As the lady-in-waiting left the room, she discreetly called for a loose-lipped lady-in-waiting.

“What is the matter?”

“I heard that Her Majesty the Empress often meets with Prince Dilan. Have you heard anything about that?”

The image of the Empress and Prince Dilan, who had been together all day since the banquet hall, was vivid in Evelina’s mind.

On top of that, in this negotiation, the Empress even brought Berhen’s healing center system into the Empire, taking action for the prince’s sake.

It would be great if the Empress and Prince Dilan had that kind of relationship. Even if not, it was clear that a pretty good picture would come out of it.

No matter how emotionless a man was towards his wife, there was no way he could let it slide if she did such a thing.

Moreover, the other party was none other than the Empress of the Empire, so it would damage the national prestige.

‘The Empress had an affair with a foreign prince?’

There was no reason for the Emperor to keep such a woman by his side.

The Emperor would surely abandon the Empress.

‘What kind of affection could have developed in just one night of sharing secrets?’

*

The rumors quickly piled up.

One was predicted.

“Someone spotted a monster in Snowfell Territory.”

The other was completely unexpected.

“Is it true that Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness Prince Dilan are in that kind of relationship?”

“No way, right?”

“No. That’s why there are rumors that they’re accepting Berhen’s healing center system.”

The rumors were all aggressively attacking Snowfell.

The situation was so urgent that even Duke Diarob, who would have rushed over immediately under normal circumstances, was tied up in his territory and couldn’t visit the Empress’s palace.

If there was one fortunate thing, it was that.

But…… an affair rumor.

Usually, the parties involved are the last to know about such rumors, so this news only reached the Empress’s palace today.

“Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness Prince Dilan in that kind of relationship? That’s absurd!”

Marianne fumed as if it were her own matter.

“It’s clearly a scheme by forces trying to slander Her Majesty the Empress. We must uncover it no matter what.”

The source was obvious.

‘It must be Evelina’s doing.’

The cold gaze watching when she was talking with Prince Dilan was still vivid.

She must have felt even more of a sense of crisis after being kicked out of the meeting room this time.

She must have been secondarily shocked by the fact that Winterdell’s healing center business was being taken away.

On top of that, with the monster rumors also coming out of Winterdell, the failure to attract the tourism industry must have made her blood boil.

In this situation, the wise alternative would actually be to restrain herself and refrain from meeting Prince Dilan.

But then what about Berhen’s treasure?

In fact, after successfully concluding this deal with Berhen, I was planning to give him the treasure he had tried to steal as a gift of friendship.

Firstly, it was because I had something to receive from him.

Secondly, it was because it was most advantageous for the Empire if Prince Dilan, a moderate, became the next king of Berhen.

This contract would help Prince Dilan’s succession fight, but it wouldn’t have a decisive impact.

Putting the treasure in Prince Dilan’s hands and elevating him to the throne was clearly worth it.

Once he became king, the treasure would further solidify the relationship between the Empire and Berhen.

So, I had intended to finish this matter before Prince Dilan returned to his country.

Until the affair rumor started circulating, I had expected this matter to be handled smoothly.

Casius’s permission would be necessary in the process of returning the treasure, but……

The Casius I knew never liked the spoils taken from other kingdoms in the first place. He said it felt like wearing the label of an invading country on his forehead.

But given the current situation, it was actually awkward for me to step up directly.

‘If I go to Casius now and say that I want to return the treasure to the prince, would it seem strange?’

Just as my thoughts became complicated, there was a sound from outside, and Marianne hurriedly entered.

“His Majesty has arrived.”

“His Majesty?”

Wondering if he had come to question the affair rumors with Prince Dilan, I nodded my head half in doubt, half in anticipation, and half in anxiety, and waited. Soon, Casius entered.