Early dawn.

Eustia could not get a wink of sleep all night. The face of Relia, which she had seen in the afternoon, lingered in her mind.

“Your Majesty, please say it’s not true. There’s no way Prince Liurian suddenly changed his mind. It can’t be like this, Your Majesty.”

The desperate muttering of Relia turned into a strong denial filled with resentment.

Eustia was bewildered. Not only was Relia’s unexpected behavior incomprehensible, but her words also uncomfortably resonated in Eustia’s ears.

“Liurian’s mind has changed? What are you talking about, Relia? Did something happen between you and Liurian?”

“Your Majesty, His Highness… His Highness, ugh.”

As Eustia hurriedly questioned, Relia finally burst into tears. Her weeping appearance hinted that something unusual had happened.

This made Eustia increasingly uneasy.

Relia couldn’t stop crying for a long time. Eustia, unable to wait, chastised Relia.

“Crying won’t solve anything! What happened, Relia? Tell me quickly.”

“…I happened to see His Highness the Crown Prince on my way here.”

Relia, who had barely begun to speak, still had teary eyes. She looked as if she would burst into tears again at any moment.

Eustia hurriedly asked, fearing Relia would close her mouth again.

“Liurian? If that’s the case, there’s no reason to cry so sorrowfully. Did you have a fight with Liurian?”

“No. His Highness did not see me. I was the only one who recognized His Highness from a distance.”

Eustia frowned. If Relia alone had recognized Liurian, there was no altercation between her and her son. Then why this fuss?

She let out a deep sigh. A wave of fatigue suddenly washed over her.

“Ah, Relia. It seems like you’re not in a good condition today. On such days, one can easily become sensitive for no particular reason. You should go back and rest well for today.”

“Your Majesty.”

“I don’t want to hear anymore. I should rest as well.”

Eustia moved her momentarily halted legs. Inviting Relia to the palace seemed to have been a mistake.
After the party, there had been little interaction with Liurian, and Eustia had only intended to offer some small comfort for Liurian who seemed down these past few days. Yet unaware of this kindness, he had stirred her emotions, making Eustia not want to face him anymore.

She clenched her throbbing forehead and began to walk towards the Reality Gate. The tea she had brewed for Liurian now seemed like something she would have to enjoy alone in her room.

It wasn’t bad. The timing was apt; a sharp headache was starting to weigh heavily on her.

Eustia quickened her pace. But just as she was about to grasp the doorknob, she had to stop due to an unexpected voice.

[Your Highness the Crown Prince Liurian changed direction while he was on his way somewhere. He even dismissed his escorts and went straight to the Crown Princess’s palace.] […….] [Upon arriving there, he was searching for the Crown Princess, and he even gave her flowers.]

Eustia turned her stiff neck to look at Rellia. She was biting her lower lip, shedding tears of sorrow once more.

There wasn’t a hint of deceit in her expression. And yet, Eustia could not bring herself to believe Rellia’s words.

Even now, just before dawn, it remained the same. She still could not believe what Rellia had said.

Unable to dispel her feelings of frustration, Eustia finally stood up from her seat.

“Why would Liurian go to see the Crown Princess for no reason? And even give her flowers? A guy who never even paid attention to flowers?”

Liurian was indeed her biological son, but in terms of disposition and even taste, they were very different in many aspects. That’s why Eustia could not have known Liurian better.

Liurian had never shown any interest in flowers. Therefore, the story that he went to the Crown Princess for no reason and gave her flowers was utterly unbelievable.

Then, did Rellia lie to me?

“……There’s no reason for it. Why would Your Highness, especially to Liurian, lie?”

Eustia clutched her forehead. By now, she didn’t want to think about anything. But each time she tried, Rellia’s cries echoed in her ears like tinnitus, and the discomfort she had momentarily forgotten scrambled her thoughts.

“……Though it was indeed strange when he suddenly said he would attend the party with the Crown Princess.”
Eustia muttered softly to herself. Come to think of it, it was true. Despite having been apart for a year, he was still the son she had carried in her womb for months. It was strange to feel an odd sense of unease from such a son.

Moreover, the words he uttered were not the sort that would normally come from the son she knew. At the time, she had simply assumed that he had matured quickly, having spent a year in the harsh battlefield.

“It was strange at the party as well…”

Gaining the favor of the Duke Caroline faction for political purposes was one thing, but giving the unique empire necklace to the crown princess and the unsettling look in her son Liurian’s eyes was something else. Because of that, she too had felt uncomfortable throughout the party.