“Maybe… we should wait and see. Princess Bella seems unstable.”

The mention of Bella made Charlotte’s forehead tense.

Gallio, who noticed her concern, chuckled softly.

“Seems Princess Bella is finally ready to spread her wings.”

“What do you mean, ‘ready’?”

“You must already know that Princess Bella has been experiencing magical depletion. Elga and her disciple seem to have found a way to overcome it.”

Tense, Charlotte swallowed her dry spit.

She had considered Wilhelm safe due to Bella’s ongoing ailment. Now that certainty crumbled.

“The truth is, we tried to eliminate a boy from the Benian tribe because he had the power to cure the princess. If we succeeded, we could’ve rested easy for a while.”

“…If that’s the case, you should’ve told me earlier. Weren’t we partners?”

“Hmm, but if I’d told you, you’d have ordered the assassin to eliminate the princess. Sorry, but that’s not what I want right now.”

Gallio was right.

Had she known the secret, Charlotte would’ve told Talia to eliminate both the target and the princess by any means necessary.

‘…He’s like a slippery snake. I wonder what else he’s hiding from me.’

Charlotte looked at him with a mix of suspicion and caution.

If it were revealed that Gallio had killed Talia behind her back, she would’ve considered severing this risky relationship. But sadly, Charlotte was unaware of this.

“Princess Bella has already begun growing again. Given her long dormant phase, her growth will be faster than most.”

“Even so, she won’t pose a real threat to Wilhelm. My son has already reached the position of receiving independent missions from Vlady.”

“Well, for now, that seems to be the case. But will it remain so?”

She frowned at his accurate prick, and Gallio laughed aloud.

Clearly, the man had a knack for pushing people’s buttons.

“For the time being, it’s best to lie low, Charlotte. The Royal Knights are keenly pursuing the perpetrators of this incident.”

“And after things calm down, what’s your next move?”

“Don’t talk as if I’m only using you. I’ll surely help you, so don’t feel too bad.”

Well, see you next time.

Leaving lingering words, Gallio disappeared, and Charlotte slumped on the sofa.

She’d dealt with numerous matters as a noble, but never had she felt so drained.

‘Wilhelm… what should I do to protect you?’

All she had endured was for her son.

Of course, the glory of the Lepel family loomed large in her desire, but her yearning to be a good mother was also present.

Though twisted, her love for Wilhelm was undeniable.

‘Gallio has a point. For now, staying quiet and watching is best.’

Grimly refocusing, Charlotte summoned her aide to tighten security at Rose Palace, then returned to her desk.

Concentrating on paperwork made time fly.

Work was her best escape from harsh reality.

She chuckled, finding it ironic, but Charlotte knew no other way to live.

After Bella’s sudden growth flipped Rose Palace upside down.
Avoiding the noisy crowd, Raven returned early to his room and collapsed onto the sofa.

“Just one night and she’s grown that much. Vampires are truly fascinating.”

Unlike humans, who grow little by little each day, he had heard that they suddenly grow all at once.

Had he witnessed the transformation of another demon, he might have been surprised, but strangely, when he saw Bella’s changed appearance, he felt proud rather than scared.

It was as if he were watching a younger sibling’s growth, like a big brother.

For Raven, who had been born an only child and grown up alone, this was an entirely unfamiliar feeling.

“The fact that my power can be of help to someone… feels peculiar.”

Although it was indirect help through a potion, it was true that his power had a positive impact on Bella’s health and growth.

That the power of the Benian race, which he had hated and despised for so long, could be of help to someone was astonishing to him.

“Hey, are you in there?”

Roused by a woman’s voice, Raven got up from the sofa and opened the door.

The unexpected guest turned out to be Elga, who was holding an unidentifiable small box in her hand.

“Tsk, how long are you going to stare like that? If a guest comes, you should at least greet them.”

“…I don’t recall inviting you.”

“So you’re planning to leave this old woman standing outside?”

Conceding to Elga’s nagging, Raven obediently let her into the room.

Taking a quick glance around, Elga spoke with a satisfied smile.

“Shion has given you a fairly decent room. Although it’s a bit too much for a kid like you.”

“If you’re just here to talk nonsense, you can leave. I’m busy.”

“Busy? You probably have almost no need to go to the lab now, so you must be really bored.”

Caught off guard, Raven awkwardly coughed and avoided her gaze.

Although he had been extremely busy assisting with Elga and Shion’s research, now that everything was done, he had almost nothing to do.

Shion had declared that classes would resume once the urgent matters were settled, but no one knew exactly when that would be.