“We must give a stern word to the servants. How could the royal hand make a mistake that even a sixyearold child would not make?”

Bake suppressed his discomfort and raised both hands on the table.

The meal was interrupted by the wine commotion, leaving the two men alone, waiting for the return of Livianna.

“Pardon me, the royal interior cleanup is not over yet. There are occasional mistakes.”

“That’s not the issue to let pass.”

“Should have disciplined from the beginning. Daring not to crawl.”

“….”

Bake’s hand, which had been reaching for the glass, slipped for a moment, and the wine in the glass sloshed.

“Be careful. Although I have a dress left by my married sister, I have no spare clothes to give, as all the clothes of my older brothers have been burned after the funeral.”

“….”

“Oh, then should I give out a suit of my clothes?”

Lu Zhen showed off his glass with a smirk, but Bake did not follow him with a trembling face.

“Don’t make such a face. After all, we have something to talk about. The kind of talk that can’t be had in front of a wife who has lost her memory.”

“….”

The young man was dark in his intentions from the start.

Bake suppressed his unpleasant feelings and poked a shrimp with a fork.

He pretended to be a sweet lord, but it was clear from the dish on the plate.

Today’s meal was selected only from among many dishes that require complicated etiquette. It was a subtle mockery of his background.

But he wasn’t going to be bullied like this. It wasn’t for nothing that he had memorized that tiresome etiquette.

Everyone watched him in front, shouting ‘His Lordship the Earl of Creighton,’ but Bake knew better than anyone else that if he did anything against etiquette, everyone behind him would giggle that he wasn’t noble enough.

Now the Earl of Creighton was ready to show perfect etiquette, no matter what dish was served.

“I hear that your wife has been grieving greatly after losing her daughter, I wouldn’t want to make a verbal mistake.”

Screech.

The tip of the knife made a creepy sound as it rubbed against the plate.

Bake stared at Lu Zhen, biting his lower lip.

But Lu Zhen was again undisturbed and calmly opened his mouth.

“In fact, I’ve been investigating the case of your Lordship Creighton separately, and I see suspicious circumstances.”

“Don’t use my daughter politically.”

“Is she really your daughter?”

“What are you saying now?”

“Well, I think you know better.”

Lu Zhen’s gaze reached Bake’s hand. The hand that had been elegantly carving the shrimp with a fork and knife was trembling faintly.

Lu Zhen watched this and gracefully closed his eyes.

“I don’t know if there’s any secret in the Creighton family, but at least it’s clear that you want to hide what I know. Isn’t it?”

“Are you threatening me now?”

“Threatening, that’s harsh. Why would I threaten you? There’s no noble as loyal as our Earl of Creighton.”

“….”

“Honestly, whether it’s murder or suicide, what’s important. It’s a fact that the incident happened at the academy managed by the royal family, so the royal family can’t avoid responsibility.”

If it was someone else’s death, he would think about it one more time, but the victim of this incident was the Lord Creighton.

Even if he dug up the case, he might be criticized for being a heartless father who killed his daughter, but the actual gains were not great.

Each family had its own rules, and it was even a case that Bake tried his best to cover. It could be a loss to dig into the trouble.

Especially if the existence of the academy was mentioned, it would be more so.

Rather than stirring up a hornet’s nest, it was better for both to compensate and close the matter. That’s how the case was settled.

Except for one variable.

“Earl Creighton, I don’t want to interfere in your family’s affairs. I’ve seen more than once how an awkward bloodline ruins a family.”

“….”

“Of course, your wife’s position will be different.”

The aroma of the wine seemed more sweet today, not just because of the mood.

Lu Zhen leisurely enjoyed the acidity of the wine remaining on the tip of his tongue while admiring the perfect side dish.

“What do you want to say?”

“It’s not hard. I just had something to ask for your wife’s help.”

Bake opened his mouth, then paused for a moment at Lu Zhen, who was looking elsewhere.

At the end of the Emperor’s gaze was Liviana, no. To be exact, she wasn’t the only one.

Liviana, changed into a new dress, was being escorted by Calix.

Bake watched Calix, who was holding Liviana’s hand, then noticing the sparkling cufflinks on Calix’s sleeve, he finally screwed up his expression.

It could be a mere coincidence, but out of all the gems, it had to be a sapphire. It was a gem that resembled the color of his wife’s eyes.

“Seeing the two of you standing together, memories of the past come flooding back.”

“Your Majesty.”

“What’s the matter. It’s all in the past. Isn’t that right, Duke Pieren?”

“That would depend on the person.”

A slight strength entered Calix’s hand, and Liviana’s eyes widened in turn.