There was no need to delay unnecessarily. Askal took a short nap and then headed straight for the capital.

Thanks to his diligent movements, he arrived at the imperial palace before other courtiers. He threw the pre-written audience request form to the assistant and headed to the office.

The assistant urgently tried to dissuade him, saying he shouldn’t enter without permission, but Askal proceeded straight ahead without turning back.

“What kind of manners are these?”

The crown prince, sitting at the desk in the office, was not flustered when he saw Askal suddenly appear. He had expected him to come.

The imperial assistant who followed behind him hurriedly placed the audience request form on the desk. Then, not knowing what to do, he just watched carefully.

The crown prince waved his hand, telling the assistant to leave.

“You don’t know the imperial etiquette……”

The crown prince, who was about to admonish sternly, closed his mouth when he saw Askal heading towards the sword hanging on the wall. Although decorative and not as sharp as a real sword, it could still be a weapon if wielded by a skilled person.

Realizing the situation was taking an ominous turn, two guard knights surrounded and protected the crown prince’s desk. Askal drew the sword from its scabbard and thrust it into the floor. The marble floor cracked with a loud sound.

“Put down the sword and step back!”

The knight who felt threatened shouted. Yet Askal remained motionless, gripping tightly the sword handle with the clear imperial crest.

“Duke Artenbach. Put down the sword and step back.”

At the crown prince’s words, Askal smirked.

“Are you afraid? Well, I would be faster in cutting Your Highness’s neck than the guards who would come at the sound of the horn.”

“How dare you!”

The crown prince stood up abruptly. Askal spoke, his golden eyes flashing menacingly.

“Your Highness, don’t even think about messing with Artenbach, not even in death.”

Askal’s figure, tightly gripping the sword handle full of imperial crests, seemed as if he held the imperial family itself in his hand.

“The same goes for my family and the North.”

The crown prince trembled with humiliation. He wanted to shout to kill him immediately.

But the reason he couldn’t do so was because Artenbach was the biggest force supporting the imperial family.

The crown prince had only intended to use it to establish imperial authority to his liking by catching a weakness. He wasn’t trying to do the foolish act of kicking over his own rice bowl.

“Even for a duke, this won’t be overlooked! I am the empire’s……”

Crack.

Askal struck the scabbard he was holding on the floor. The scabbard split in half lengthwise from the terrifying force.

“I told you not to mess with us.”

The guard knights were on edge at his ominous and beast-like attitude. It seemed like an irreversible event was about to occur.

“Whether you go first or not, the moment you reveal your hand, we’ll fall together pleasantly. I’m sure Your Highness has calculated that much.”

There was a commotion outside the office. People had gathered after hearing the sound of the floor breaking.

But Askal didn’t care. The well-being of his family and Artenbach, which he had protected until now, was more important than his reputation.

“If you want to sit in that seat for a long time, keep my words in mind.”

Askal coldly looked at the crown prince who gave no answer. Then he brought one arm to his chest and bowed.

“Still, for Your Highness who might be thinking otherwise, I’ll say just one thing.”

He straightened up and spoke without hesitation.

“Aron is on Roded Island.”

The crown prince flinched, unable to hide his surprise. As if he had no more lingering attachments, Askal took the stance of a knight pledging loyalty to his lord and said.

“May you become a wise ruler.”

Askal spat that out and turned around. In that instant, he saw the crown prince stopping with his hand a knight who was trying to step forward.

The crown prince’s office after Askal left was in an atmosphere where one might die if they breathed wrong. The guard knights, unable to say anything, returned the sword to its place and cleaned up the shattered scabbard.

The crown prince, furious that he couldn’t properly say a word to Askal who had thrown the imperial authority to the ground, felt skeptical about the imperial family.

But he couldn’t retaliate either. Unable to do this or that, he was just seething inside.

Bang.

Unable to contain his anger, the crown prince slammed his fist on the desk. Rather than falling into ruin together pleasantly, it was a wise choice to endure for a moment even if it felt like his insides were rotting.

“Bring me a messenger to send to Roded Island.”

The crown prince pulled out a stamped paper from the drawer. It was a divorce agreement that had already received the emperor’s approval and would be perfect once signed by Hegelia and himself.

“If I hear about what happened here through someone else’s mouth, I will kill all of you here.”

At the crown prince’s deadly order, the guard knights loyally bowed their heads. Knowing the temperament of the lord they served, they had no intention of going against him.

Artenbach, which had been early autumn, had now entered winter with cold winds blowing. As the North is winter for 7 months of the year, people were skillfully preparing for winter, ending the dream-like autumn.

“Cough.”

After eating breakfast and coming outside, I was walking in the garden side by side with Rublion.

“My throat feels prickly. Is it because the wind is cold?”

Rublion, who had been coughing a few times, said while rubbing his throat with his hand. I unwrapped the scarf around my neck and put it around the child’s neck.

Then Rublion smiled brightly and held my hand.

“Thank you, Mother.”

I gently patted the child’s head and started walking again. The doctor had said it was good to exercise within reasonable limits, so we were taking a walk in the garden every day after meals.

When we came out of the garden after finishing the walk disguised as exercise, Askal, whom I thought had gone to the government office, was standing there holding a thick cloak.

“Father!”

Rublion ran over and hugged him. Askal, with the child hanging on his side, said.

“I came back because I have news to deliver.”

“News?”

Askal looked back and forth between me and Rublion before speaking.

“The prince and princess of Terabita have decided to stay at the Artenbach mansion for the time being.”

“The twins?”

“Yes, and Lamberson Terabita too.”

“Lamberson… you mean the duke?”

It does feel like he’s often away from his domain, but I suppose he’s coming as the twins’ guardian.

“When are they coming?”

To Rublion’s question, Askal nodded and answered.

“They should arrive tomorrow. They said they’re coming by train.”

The child’s face brightened. He seemed to have been exchanging letters with Riena, but apparently didn’t know they were coming.

“Can I go to the train station to greet them?”

“Do you want to?”

“Yes! I really want to greet… cough.”

Askal patted Rublion’s back as he coughed. Then, with his characteristic indifferent expression, he said.

“Make sure to drink Junos tea. The doctor said it’s good to drink a lot of it at this time.”

“Ugh, alright.”

Rublion rubbed his throat again, seemingly feeling prickly.

It is the season when it’s easy to catch a cold because it’s winter. I held Rublion’s hand and said.

“Shall we take a warm bath? The steam might make the prickliness a bit better.”

The child thought for a moment, then nodded and said okay.

The next day. Reuniting with the twins at the train station, Rublion greeted them calmly in a noble manner.

Riena responded prettily, lifting the hem of her dress, while Lambermon pointed at the two of them saying they were weird, and got smacked on the back by Ranson.

Originally, Askal was going to come to greet them too, but urgent matters came up and he was dragged to the government office by Duke Tirel.

So I came to the train station with just Rublion and a few knights of the family.

“Wasn’t it hard coming all the way here?”

On the way to the mansion in the carriage together. Rublion carefully spoke to Riena sitting opposite him. Ranson and I pretended not to listen while eavesdropping on the conversation between the little lady and gentleman who were shy to look at each other.

“It was fine. Because I’m coming to see you, Young Master.”

Oh my, oh my.

“Ah, I see… But I don’t like it if you’re having a hard time.”

“It’s not hard at all.”

“R-really?”

What kind of conversation is this. It’s trivial yet cute.

Rublion suddenly looked out the window. The child’s ears had turned red.

The atmosphere in the carriage became awkward for no reason. Sensing it wasn’t just me who felt that way, Ranson smiled brightly and said.

“Have you been well in the meantime?”

“Yes, I’ve been well. Have you been well too, Ran… Duke Terabita?”

“Please call me as you used to. Ranson.”

I answered, looking at his expectant eyes.

“Alright, I’ll call you as I like.”

Ranson nodded. I looked at him, Lambermon, and Riena in the carriage one by one and asked.

“By the way, is Rietta staying in the domain this time too?”

“Yes, she said she’d stay instead, but told us not to take away her workload.”

“It seems I’ll have to go to Terabita myself to see Rietta.”

“Please do come visit. Everyone in the empire loves Ritia, Terabita’s specialty.”

I’ve tasted it before. It was a fruit similar to rambutan.

“Since you say so, Duke Terabita, I’ll have to go just out of curiosity.”

As soon as the words ‘Duke’ came out of my mouth, his expression subtly stiffened. But as if trying not to show it, he soon smiled brightly.

‘It does feel a bit awkward to call him Duke…’

I had promised Askal. That I wouldn’t call other men by familiar names like nicknames.

“Ah! Duke, do you know?”

Rublion, who had been staring intently out the window, suddenly asked Ranson. Of course, not knowing what he was talking about, he tilted his head.

“I got a younger sibling. They’re here right now.”

Rublion pointed at my belly with his finger. As my belly hadn’t grown much yet, it wasn’t noticeable when wearing a dress.

“Really?”

Lambermon’s eyes widened in surprise. Riena also looked at my belly with a curious expression.

Ranson’s face completely stiffened.