I shot a glare at the illmannered little tyrant.

“How about you greet with a bit more courtesy, Your Highness?”

“What did I do?”

“You should at least thank him. You. Can. Do. That. Right?”

I spoke through gritted teeth.

I even showed my fist.

Franz immediately became formal.

“Thanks for the book, Duke Netleton. See you next lesson.”

“I bid you farewell, Your Highness.”

I thought that the uncomfortable meeting was over.

If only Douglas hadn’t extended a thick, yellow envelope.

“What’s this?”

Inside the waxsealed envelope, something rattled.

“It’s an invitation. Will you accept it?”

“An invitation……?”

“You can read it and refuse if you want. I hope you won’t, though.”

Douglas smiled, his eyes soft.

It was a smile that was hard to push away.

He seemed to know that well.

‘This man has certainly changed. He’s subtly scheming.’

Though I don’t know why I was annoyed, after Douglas left, Franz’s face was still puffed up.

“He’s twofaced. Those men are more dangerous. Are you listening, Elizabeth?”

I let Franz’s words go in one ear and out the other as I opened the wax seal of the Netleton family.

Of course, I was thinking of refusing.

‘There’s an invitation and a small container inside the envelope? What is this?’

I fiddled with the round, flat container as I opened the invitation.

It contained information that I could not ignore.

As soon as Douglas returned, Susan came running.

“Did you meet Elizabeth sister?”

Greeting me with a bow, Douglas stroked Susan’s auburn hair, as if to say she was adorable.

“I didn’t get to talk much, but I delivered your invitation.”

“I also included a sample of the newly developed ointment! Do you think sister will respond to my invitation?”

“You invited her as your sponsor, so why wouldn’t she come? Let’s wait and see.”

“Can you win her back with such a lukewarm attitude? Your opponent is a worldclass Casanova!”

“You say things even little children wouldn’t say.”
“I’m also 16. It’s not an odd age to be married off.”

“When did the cute little miss grow up to talk back?”

A faint smile never left Douglas’s face.

Susan looked dissatisfied as ever.

“Now’s not the time to be relaxed. You must marry Elizabeth!”

“It’s not something that will happen just because I insist on it. I’m determined to do my best until the end.”

“You have to emphasize your strengths, Brother. You did mention that the second volume of the ‘Empire’s Red Star’ will be published soon, right?”

“I was going to but…”

“You forgot that? The foreign rights have been sold, and it’s being made into an opera. You’re making a lot of money, aren’t you?”

Douglas shook his head with an awkward expression.

“To a wealthy person like Elizabeth, it won’t matter.”

“Oh, dear. I’m not saying you should brag about money!”

“Hmm?”

“You have to show that you’re not a poor, aspiring novelist anymore. Don’t you know that, writing romance novels?”

“Ha ha. I have my own thoughts, Susan.”

Susan sent a distrustful glance at Orabi, who broke into a friendly laugh.

“Can you really win over my sister?”

“People are not something to be won over. I don’t want to approach Elizabeth with such a mentality.”

“You only speak politely. Even now, the tyrant is targeting my sister.”

“As you know, Elizabeth is not someone easily won over.”

“They say he’s a handsome man one can’t forget once seen, and an emperor at that. Elizabeth might even fall for him.”

“Making assumptions is rude. Be careful.”

Douglas’s anger started to flare.

Susan puffed her cheeks with air.

“I’m the only one who’s upset!”

“It’s just that I don’t think you need to worry too much.”

“Really?”

“His Majesty and Elizabeth cannot be connected.”

“How do you know that?”

“Just wait a little. The day will come when I’ll tell you as well.”

Days quickly passed.

I took care of Franz’s overall life, inspected the refurbished palace servants.

I mostly spent my free time in the imperial library.

I splurged on the information guild, but nowhere was the information on the second poison found.

Nikolai had been missing ever since that day.

Even Cares didn’t give a satisfactory answer.

‘The one who is tempted doesn’t reveal all the truth. The more I force what’s unwanted, the more resistance grows, and the charm’s effect shortens.’

I transcribed the experimental results into my research notes.

Using Morasinshia’s eyes from time to time, I watched over Franz.

Thanks to increasing security personnel and monitoring all the food entering the Prince’s Palace, no further threats were found.

‘The Emperor leaving the imperial palace for a week… Was there really urgent business? Maybe I misunderstood again.’

Was it because of the distance from Nikolai?

The burning enmity had somewhat cooled.

I desperately ignored the slowly rising longing, thinking he must have his reasons.

But then.

“The Emperor has returned.”

The newly arrived servant Bill said.

Bill, who had worked in the inner palace, was a clever and diligent boy.

After receiving a wink full of charm, Bill had become my faithful eyes and ears.

“His Majesty has returned to the palace?”

Franz raised his voice.

My face brightened as well.

If Bill had not said that, I might have fixed my disheveled hair while looking in the mirror.

“He brought a new Empress candidate. The inner palace servants are frantically busy.”

A heavy shock hit my head.
Walking down the street and getting slapped by a stranger would not have seemed as absurd as this.

‘Busy with work? He went to find a new woman while eating skewers? And for a whole week?!’

The absurdity soon turned into anger.

What should I do with this philandering brat?