“Where is Lady Fisher?”

“What’s the hurry? You could have sat down for tea and talked leisurely.”

“Your Majesty.”

“I understand the Duke’s concern, but there’s nothing we can do. We can’t just put together the victim and the perpetrator when their sincerity has not been clarified.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong. This is a conspiracy.”

“Of course, it must be. As if the honorable Duke of Creighton would do such a thing.”

Lugen shrugged his shoulders as if to show off.

Bake clenched his fists behind his back, calming his boiling insides. The reason the emperor’s smiling face was irritating was because he was acting as if all this was a game.

“Now, now, don’t get too excited. Have a seat. Surely, I wouldn’t have called the Duke here to devour him. I just want to help.”

“…Are you saying that, Your Majesty?”

The saying ‘a pig has wings’ would be more believable. Bake narrowed his eyes.

“I guess Calix didn’t explain properly. That blunt personality of his never changes, no matter what. Even though I tell him to fix it every time, he just doesn’t listen.”

“…”

“Although it’s a bit late, let me explain directly. Lady Fisher has accused you.”

“I have already heard that story.”

“Exactly speaking, the Duke, fearing that his infidelity would be caught by his wife, asked me for help, saying he was trying to get rid of the woman with whom he was having an improper relationship.”

Lugen, squinting one eye, extended a document.

Bake took the document, unable to hide his discomfort.

The document, a lengthy record of what Lugen had just briefly summarized, was written in a format used for prosecution and bore the emperor’s seal. If sent to the court as is, it would be adjudicated faster than any other lawsuit, under the emperor’s approval.

“I didn’t know Your Majesty would be so concerned about the Lady’s affairs.”

“I am a gentleman, you know. I can’t turn away a woman crying pitifully in front of me.”

How well he lies without even salivating. Bake swallowed his tongue inwardly, pretending not to understand outwardly, and opened his mouth.

“It’s strange that a mere lady got the chance to meet the noble Emperor.”

“Isn’t that fate? What are the chances that I would see a familiar face at my favorite hunting ground on the day I went hunting?”

While emphasizing the word ‘happened,’ Lugen looked at Bake, who clenched his mouth.

If it was Margaret, it would be possible, even for an ordinary lady.

Bake always had people watching the emperor’s side, and Margaret had a close relationship with such Bake. If she intended to, she could have stolen the documents and known the emperor’s schedule in advance.

Just like when she tried to match Calix with Liviana when he was away.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean I suspect the Duke.”

“Then why did you call me?”

“I just wanted to hear the story. Honestly, it’s unimaginable that other women would catch your eye when you have such a beautiful wife. Isn’t that right?”

Pretending not to know while knowing everything, Lugen exaggeratedly nodded his head with exaggerated movements. Bake followed suit with a nervous expression on his face.

“…Of course, it’s nonsense. I only have my wife.”

“But that’s what society is like. They make nonsense rumors seem real. It’s a problem.”

Lugen propped his chin leisurely. Contrary to his words of difficulty, he looked like a man looking forward to a feast before enjoying it.

“…So what do you want?”

“As expected, the Duke understands me well. That’s why I like the Duke.”

“You don’t have to waste words unnecessarily.”

“It’s not an empty word. I want the Duke.”

“…?”

“You seem to prefer older people, but actually, preferences can change depending on the situation. Younger people have their own charm.”

The young emperor was as bold as his age. He wasn’t shy about showing his greed. It was a sight that couldn’t be seen from the former emperor, or maybe it was natural.

Bake stared at Lugen.

As a descendant of the former empress compared to a rose, the emperor’s face was pretty, and his viperlike personality was quite similar.

But when compared with the former emperor, it was somewhat ambiguous. Everyone said that the emperor’s red hair was very much like his father’s, but in reality, there wasn’t much similarity.

The emperor was not like his father.

“Above all, I like to tidy things up. I don’t like to leave room for anything.”

“…?”

“If you want, I’ll clean it up from my end. Very neatly.”

“….”

“Isn’t that a bad proposal? Honestly, who could predict? They say I, known to be your enemy, would act for you.”

Prejudice, indeed, blocks a person’s thinking.

Rugen, squinting one eye, lifted the tea pot. His hand, which brought the sword, was rough, but surprisingly, his touch for brewing tea was utterly delicate.

“I cannot trouble Your Majesty.”

“Rather than that, wouldn’t you prefer not to pay the price?”

“….”

“But we can’t help it. I had to pick up the traces you couldn’t clean up.”

“….”