Despite my fluttering heart, Casius, who showed little difference in his expression from usual, had lunch placed in front of him shortly after taking his seat.

‘It doesn’t seem like he came just to have a meal……’

I thought that today’s steak would also disappear outside without fulfilling its duty.

As the plate was set down, he began to cut the steak.

‘What? Did he really come just to eat?’

As I stared blankly, his gaze pierced into my cooling plate.

“What are you doing not eating?”

“……”

“Don’t tell me you expect me to feed you.”

In an instant, the knife fell from my loosened hand with a clang.

The attendant who came running at the sound quickly tidied up the table.

Meanwhile, Casius, as if he couldn’t believe he had said such a thing, calmly cut the steak.

‘What on earth is he thinking?’

“What brings you here so suddenly…?”

Facing Casius, the image of the bedroom flashed in my mind, causing my voice to tremble.

‘Could it be that he found out everything that day was Diarob’s scheme? Has he come to confront me now?’

Come to think of it, if he had intended to confront me, he wouldn’t have called me to the meeting room or cooperated with me there.

As if reading my complicated thoughts, he slowly opened his mouth.

“I came to say that from now on, we should have lunch together, but it seems you’re uncomfortable with the idea.”

“……”

“Then let’s forget about it.”

My body, which had been tense thinking he would bring up that night, relaxed.

But that was short-lived as questions welled up.

‘From now on, we’ll have lunch together?’

Letting me into the meeting room, and now Casius’ actions were completely unpredictable.

It made me uneasy.

But ultimately, it was a good thing. For Casius to suggest having lunch together.

I couldn’t miss this golden opportunity.

“Of course not. I have always been waiting to have lunch with Your Majesty.”

Casius looked at me intently for a moment.

His gaze, whose thoughts were unreadable, quickly lowered again.

Thereafter, only the sound of clinking tableware echoed in the silent space.

Throughout the meal, I couldn’t help glancing at him.

It felt like a dream.

On top of that, questions overlapped.

‘Has he decided to overlook what happened that night?’

As if reading my thoughts, his gaze slowly lifted and met mine.

The blue gaze was calm yet deep. Seeing me gulp, I averted my eyes and picked up the knife and fork.

I put the perfectly cooked meat at the right temperature from the iron plate into my mouth.

However, it was as if my sense of taste had been lost, and I couldn’t properly taste it.

“Will you be having lunch with me starting tomorrow?”

I couldn’t even count the number of times he had promised to do so but broke it.

Perhaps because of that, while I was happy, anxiety rose in a corner of my heart.

Casius silently picked up the meat and made an unexpected remark.

“Why. Do you have a prior engagement?”

A faint hint of laughter was heard at the end of Casius’ words. However, it contained a sharp edge.

A prior engagement. Could he be… referring to Prince Dillan?

‘I didn’t think Casius would directly mention that issue…’

Judging by his eyes, he seemed to be quite concerned about it.

‘Has he come to warn the empress about her behavior that lowers the empire’s prestige?’

But you also kept Evelina by your side?

“Do you suspect my relationship with Prince Dillan?”

Casius’ eyes narrowed.

He looked bothered by something… Why? As if he wouldn’t care who I meet.

“Would it bother you if I were to meet another man?”

*

The blue eyes that slowly lifted gazed at Vivian.

Her face, pale as snow, her trembling violet eyes, her shaking breath naturally filled his sight.

Casius found it absurd.

To think she would blatantly bring up Prince Dillan in front of him.

Ah, of course, it was of no particular concern.

It was just amusing that the empress brought up such a ridiculous topic first.

“I can’t help but be concerned.”

Vivian’s eyes that looked at him wavered. As if expecting something.

Casius shattered it.

“Because the empress’ actions could lower the empire’s prestige.”

As if disappointed, the empress lowered her head.

Even the hand holding the fork was trembling.

It was ridiculous. Even after being treated like that, she still sat there with expectations.

Casius clicked his tongue, but at the same time, he recalled the purpose of coming here.

The reason he visited the empress’ palace today and proposed lunch was because Vivian’s usefulness was excellent anyway.

As a woman who had been in the heart of enemy territory, she would have a lot of information.

There was no point in creating friction with a woman he intended to use as a tool.

“Seeing you today, I thought the empress might be from Wolfdor, not Snowfell.”

At his words, the knife in Vivian’s hand gained strength.

The woman, who seemed to be barely keeping her composure, even turned pale.

Had it been another time, he would have considered it an act, but today, it didn’t seem that way.

However. So. What of it?

Casius watched as Vivian adjusted her sitting position.

Seeing her like that, constantly getting hurt yet stabbing her own family, he suddenly grew curious about the reason.

“The healing center system will harm Snowfell, so why go that far?”

“Because for Your Majesty, Snowfell must disappear.”

This woman had said something similar before. She spoke as if Snowfell was not her family but an enemy to be defeated.

Perhaps she had a clear hostility towards Snowfell.

However, recalling how Duke Diarob had been terribly protective of this woman…

Casius frowned imperceptibly as his thoughts grew complicated.

His doubts gradually increased. The empress’ bold gaze in the meeting room, her unwavering words, the prepared knowledge as if she knew everything…

“Have you always been interested in the state of the continent?”

I looked at Casius.

My heart, which had sunk into disappointment after Casius dryly mentioned the empress’ prestige, was gray.

As a result, even the question he was asking now seemed like a mere formality.

It would be awkward for him to just eat and leave without saying anything.

But still… for the first time, he’s curious about me.

Come to think of it, it was the first time I sat at the negotiation table after becoming Vivian.

‘From Casius’ perspective, it must have been a surprising sight.’

“I studied diligently in case I had to attend state affairs after becoming the empress.”

“It didn’t seem like the level of studying in your spare time.”

“I have been called a genius since I was young.”

Instantly, Casius’ blue gaze lifted and met mine.

Only after our eyes met did I realize that my answer was a bit, no, very strange.

‘Rachel’s ego came out.’

During my time as Rachel, I used to boast like this as if drinking soup.

In fact, back then, I didn’t even think of it as boasting. I had always heard such words wherever I went, and it was a natural fact to me.

However, seeing Casius, who seemed to be in deep thought, his thoughts were clear to me.

He was probably making a resolution. To never compliment that woman again, even superficially.

As if it were true, Casius smirked and wiped his mouth, then spoke.

“A genius, I’ve never heard such a thing before.”

The temperature in the dining room instantly dropped.

Complicated thoughts piled up over the sound of the steak being cut.

‘I need to bring up the divine object while the mood is good… When should I mention it?’

As we ate in silence, lunchtime was coming to an end.

Seeing his plate becoming empty, my heart grew more impatient.

Finally, the moment the last piece of steak entered his mouth, I had no choice but to speak.

“May I offer a humble opinion?”

At the word ‘opinion’, his face instantly hardened.

“What is it?”

“What if we return Berghen’s divine object to Prince Dillan?”

In an instant, Casius’ face subtly stiffened.

“Why?”

Casius, who tilted his posture like a strict examiner, stared at me with cold eyes.

Come to think of it, it might seem strange to mention Prince Dillan and return the divine object in this situation.

But the Casius I know will surely accept this. He is quick to understand and well-versed in the state of affairs.

“If Prince Dillan fails to claim the throne, the hardline 1st Prince will succeed the current King Leo I of Berghen.”

As expected, Casius immediately understood my words.

“So you’re saying we should help Dillan, the leader of the moderates who will benefit the empire, become king.”

“Yes. If the 1st Prince of Berghen, who supports the isolationist policy and is currently secluded in the kingdom, becomes king, he will surely be hostile to the empire.”

*

Casius was surprised again.

Even if the empress hadn’t said so, he also intended to hand over that divine object to Dillan.

As she said, considering the empire’s national interest, giving it to Prince Dillan and him ascending to the throne was the best course of action.

However, it was unexpected that it came from the empress’ mouth.

While the issue of introducing Berghen’s healing centers could be seen as an attack on her family, giving the divine object had nothing to do with that.

Of course, there was the pretext of doing it for the empire, but he considered it a mere facade.

Casius recalled the image of Vivian politely saying “Please give it” in front of Prince Dillan.

“Is that the only reason the empress wants to hand over the divine object to Prince Dillan?”

“…Pardon?”

“I heard the empress was supposed to receive something from Prince Dillan.”

Asking about what Tikan would report anyway was a somewhat impulsive decision.

The moment he regretted saying something unnecessary, a tremor was etched in the gaze that met his.

What was engraved on the empress’ face was clear bewilderment.