Duke Hillburn answered Caelon’s question.

“As Your Excellency knows, they still regard Your Excellency as the rightful ruler, and they still hope for Your Excellency’s ascension to the imperial throne.”

“I understand. That’s true.”

Shade, who sympathized with those who shared similar sentiments, nodded his head. Duke Hillburn glanced at Shade with a sharp eye for a moment.

Although Hillburn had repeatedly emphasized the need for neutrality, his son, who had grown up as a close friend of the Grand Duke from a young age, seemed to have his own ideas.

Despite hoping that he would broaden his perspective and grow through the grand tour, the Duke’s son, Shade, who had only eyes for Caelon, even after Caelon became the Grand Duke instead of the Emperor, seemed to have his own plans.

If left unchecked, it was evident that the Duke’s son, who would become the heir of the Hillburn family, openly supported the Grand Duke. Hillburn squashed his temples at the thought of the family becoming the leader of the Grand Duke faction without maintaining political neutrality.

For the sake of the Hillburn family and, beyond that, for the sake of Upieter, the division and confrontation between the Emperor and the Grand Duke had to be prevented at all costs.

Duke Hillburn looked even more serious as he addressed the Grand Duke.

“Until now, it was just some wishes, but this time, the rumor has a basis, and the substance has become clearer.”

“Basis?”

“As Your Excellency knows, the strong demand for the sudden capital lockdown served as the trigger.”

Caelon could guess what the basis of that rumor was from Duke Hillburn’s words.

“As Your Excellency is aware, the capital lockdown is the Emperor’s exclusive authority and is only issued in a national emergency. Many doubt that there is a reasonable justification for the lockdown, given the current situation.”

Caelon had anticipated this when he wrote a letter to Pascal, asking him to issue a capital lockdown to officially acknowledge the illegal smuggling incident rather than making the Grand Duchess’s kidnapping public.

Pascal had granted his request, but Caelon never expected that it would escalate into a rumor that the Grand Duke was controlling the Emperor’s authority…

‘Probably another one of her schemes.’

Thinking of Katrina, Caelon’s gaze became sharper.

Certainly, Katrina had been watching the situation of the kidnapping while using even the capital lockdown, which he had imposed to save the Grand Duchess, as leverage to pressure him.

“Not only that, but the recent dispatch of the diplomatic mission to Lisandro is also causing concern.”

Duke Hillburn spoke with a worried tone.

“While regular diplomatic missions have been sent, the recent ominous rumors have led to a lot of gossip about the Grand Duke taking the lead in directing the mission, making his influence beyond the borders more evident.”

“To increase power like that, and eventually, are they saying that I will really take Pascal’s imperial throne by force?”

“…Forgive me for saying this, but the grounds for rebellion can be created in such a way.”

“Father!”
Incredibly, Shade exclaimed in a surprised and bewildered voice at Duke Hillburn’s mention of ‘rebellion’ in front of the Grand Duke.

Duke Hillburn, looking at his son in such a way, strengthened his resolve even more. The worst-case scenario he feared had to be prevented.

Seeing an heir who followed the Grand Duke by his side, mentioning the word ‘rebellion,’ or any spark of rebellion, was something he couldn’t allow.

The Hillburn family head, well aware of how families accused of rebellion in history disappeared into obscurity, closed his eyes and, with a determined gaze, looked at the Grand Duke.

“Daringly mentioning ‘rebellion,’ but this is certainly not the intention of the Grand Duke.”

“Indeed. If there were any ambitions for the throne from the beginning, you wouldn’t have stepped down from the position of Crown Prince.”

“If that’s the case, then show it to His Excellency. The Grand Duke has no intention of surpassing the power of Her Majesty the Empress, and he desires harmony among the noble factions.”

“Today, when you invited me, this was what you wanted to say.”

Caelon gazed sharply at Duke Hillburn with a mocking smile.

“Is that so… something about Lady Katrina?”

“……!”

Duke Hillburn’s pupils enlarged in an instant. Although he quickly composed his expression, cold sweat flowed down his back.

“Lady Katrina?”

Shade, standing by, tilted his head in disbelief.

‘Why did Caelon suddenly ask his father about Lady Katrina’s intentions? Could it be…’

For a moment, Shade’s gaze also became sharp, and he questioned Duke Hillburn about the truth.

“Father, did you, by any chance, meet Lady Katrina?”

Just as Duke Hillburn knew his son Shade well, Shade also knew his father Duke Hillburn well.

Originally, Duke Hillburn was not entirely on the side of the Grand Duke, just like Shade himself. Furthermore, Hillburn was not on the side of the Emperor either. He was solely loyal to the Upieter Empire.

For the stability of Upieter, Hillburn taught his son that it was the family’s duty to balance both imperial and divine powers, maintaining neutrality.

Inviting the Grand Duke to dinner was a kind of negotiation.

As a moderate faction, he volunteered to play the role of mediating and confirming each other’s conditions to smoothly resolve the conflicts between the Emperor and the Grand Duke factions.

Duke Hillburn nodded his head with a firm expression and spoke willingly.

“…Your Excellency is truly sharp. As you mentioned, I have indeed met Lady Katrina.”

“Fine. Take them all with you.”

“You… No, Your Excellency!”

Shade exclaimed in surprise at the Grand Duke’s acceptance of the conditions.

Shade was one of the few who knew the real reason why Caelon had voluntarily stepped down from the position of Crown Prince.

That’s why. Despite opposing the family’s beliefs and his father Duke Hillburn’s will, he had been following and assisting Caelon all along.

The dispatch of the diplomatic mission meant leaving the Upieter Empire. Once beyond the borders, the Grand Duke’s power would inevitably be limited.

In such a situation, bringing along the Imperial faction, which was a hostile force to the Grand Duke and a potential threat, was something Shade couldn’t easily accept.

“Are you really okay with this?”

“Don’t worry. It’s for ‘harmony.'”