Raul, who was standing still with an indignant expression, quietly opened his mouth.

“It is said that his daughter is in an orphanage sponsored by Princess Bellia.”

“Is that all you could find out?”

The emperor said in a disappointed tone.

“Father!”

“His daughter entered the orphanage just as the princess was starting her sponsorship. He hasn’t seen his daughter even once since then.”

The emperor had also ordered an investigation into all circumstances after Raul was caught in the illegal facility and received a report. It was clear that he would know more details than his son Raul, since it was investigated by the intelligence department directly managed by the emperor.

It was suspicious that he appeared on that day, at that moment, but even the empire’s intelligence department could not find any evidence that Callid or Bellia had planned this.

“Tsk.”

He knew that Callid and Raul were watching each other.

However, the person Callid attached to monitor Raul had nothing to do with this incident.

“…There might have been some conversation at that time.”

“At that time, you were in the middle of investigating illegal facilities. Were you frequenting gambling dens then too?”

Raul shook his head at the emperor’s question.

“No, I wasn’t.”

At that time, he really had no interest in gambling. Who would have thought that just trying it out of curiosity after accidentally observing it would lead to this?

“Then are you suggesting that the princess predicted you would frequent illegal gambling dens and hid that person there in advance?”

“…”

It was frustrating.

It felt like there was a hazy fog.

There were clearly hidden matters, but they just wouldn’t reveal themselves.

“This incident is entirely your fault. Admit it.”

“…I understand.”

“So, stay confined in your palace for the time being.”

Raul gritted his teeth.

He felt utterly incompetent.

Observing his distorted expression, the emperor sighed and asked.

“Do you perhaps wish for the one who reported to be killed? He has tarnished your reputation. I’ll grant you that much.”

Raul slowly shook his head at the emperor’s cruel words.

“No. Please give him a reward. Those who report illegal facilities should naturally be rewarded.”

“You’ve become a laughingstock to the whole world.”

The emperor seemed displeased that his beloved son was being talked about by many people for an unfavorable reason. Despite the emperor’s words spoken with an annoyed face, Raul calmly replied.

“If anything happens to him, people will spread even bigger rumors that I killed him. So please give him a proper reward.”

The emperor reluctantly nodded at Raul’s earnest request.

Then he lightly patted the shoulder of his beloved son.

“For now, I’ll take care of this matter. So wait.”

Although Raul found this situation humiliating, he had no choice but to answer that he understood and return to his palace.

Bellia and Callid were spending a leisurely moment in the palace.

They had completely stopped visiting the casino since that day. There was no reason to visit anymore since they had achieved their goal.

Even if that wasn’t the case, they couldn’t go there anymore anyway.

“I heard the casino has closed down?”

“Yes. They couldn’t operate anymore after being beaten down by everyone from the emperor to the nobles and the people of the empire.”

“Hmm. That’s a shame.”

Bellia said in a tone that didn’t sound regretful at all as she took a sip of tea.

“If you hadn’t known everything, it would have been difficult to corner Raul.”

“I guess he couldn’t find the connection in the end?”

Callid nodded.

“He seemed to be poking around here and there trying to find out, but I left him alone. It would be difficult for him to uncover what happened before now anyway.”

When he came to leave his child at the orphanage sponsored by Bellia, they decided to use him.

They told him to work diligently at the designated casino, and when they gave the signal, to report that there was an illegal facility. It wasn’t a difficult request.

“It’s fortunate that he did well.”

Raul’s movements were being tracked by people separately employed by Callid.

He just had to check for the signal and make the report that day. But if he had been scared and held back, things could have gone wrong.

Of course, they had prepared an alternative plan, but this method was the cleanest, so they had hoped he would keep his promise.

“He took his daughter from the orphanage recently. It seems he received a generous reward too. They say his expression was very good.”

“Is that so? That’s fortunate.”

But the reason he had the courage to run to the guard to make the report was solely to repay them for taking good care of his daughter.

“He said to make sure to pass on his thanks for taking good care of his daughter. He heard that his daughter laughs a lot at the orphanage.”

Of course, Bellia had given him a house and money as compensation so he could settle in the Tessa duchy.

But Bellia’s heart ached when she heard that he had repeatedly expressed his gratitude for looking after his child.

“Raul was better than the old man. He moved smartly.”

Callid shrugged his shoulders.

Acknowledging one’s mistakes and rewarding good deeds.

It seemed easy but wasn’t such a simple matter. It was an issue involving the honor of the emperor and the prince.

If the emperor had tried to kill him, Callid had made up his mind to save him by any means necessary. That’s why he had already deployed some of his people around the person who made the report.

“It’s fortunate that it passed without incident.”

Bellia smiled.

“It looks like the emperor will step in to handle this matter.”

Callid’s voice was subdued.

Just when they thought they had managed to tarnish his name, the emperor steps in to smooth things over. It will certainly be passed off as a very trivial incident.

Callid didn’t like that fact. The outcome was small compared to the effort they put in.

But Bellia had a very bright expression.

“It’s what we expected, isn’t it?”

In her previous life, the emperor had also handled it, so she expected it to be the same this time.

Of course, back then, Bellia had also stepped in to completely cover it up, but the difference this time was that the incident had been exposed.

“I’m satisfied just with the fact that people now know he’s not a perfect person.”

Until now, Raul’s image had been too glorified in people’s minds.

A flawless prince? There’s no way such a person could exist.

Bellia let out a small chuckle.

“People have realized that the first prince is not a perfect person. It may seem like nothing, but it will provide a small gap for us to intervene with those who thought he should unconditionally become emperor.”

Bellia took a bite of her favorite baked snack.

Somehow, it tasted even more delicious and savory today.

“The chef hasn’t changed, has he?”

Surprised by her sudden question, Callid asked back.

“Why? Does it taste bad?”

“No. It just seems to taste better today.”

Saying that, Bellia smiled gently, her eyes curving.

“Mmm. It really is delicious.”

And looking at Bellia affectionately, Callid smiled back.

“Your Highness. A letter has arrived from the Kingdom of Ronica.”

Bellia rushed to her room at the news the maid brought.

As soon as she opened the door and entered, letters were neatly placed on the desk that came into view.

‘This is from Closet. This is from elder brother… There’s also a letter for Mother.’

Bellia was smiling as she checked the sender of each one, but she froze when she picked up the last letter.

It was a letter sent under an alias, not her own name, but she recognized who it was from immediately.

‘…Derek.’

What on earth had he been doing to contact her only now?

And to include it with letters sent from the Kingdom of Ronica!

“Sigh…”

Bellia let out a deep sigh.

Then she opened Derek’s letter first with quick hands.

…omitted…

My mother’s condition has improved greatly. I will consider what you proposed to me after my mother is fully recovered.

…omitted…

I plan to stay in the Kingdom of Ronica for the time being. Recently, Princess Closet has been taking good care of me. It’s all thanks to your consideration.

I hope you stay healthy even in a distant foreign country.

I look forward to seeing you soon.]

The content of the letter was concise.

While conveying everything that needed to be said, it hid anything that might seem suspicious if someone were to secretly check this letter.

Moreover, he even pretended to be an artist sponsored by Bellia on the surface. It was the thoroughness expected of the head of an information guild.

Bellia smiled with satisfaction.

His letter indicated that the medicine Bellia had given him was effective.

In fact, this was the most crucial content. After all, they had made a promise before she came to the empire.

However, she wasn’t very pleased with his statement that he would join the Sellon viscounty after his mother’s full recovery. Just how long did he intend to drag this out?

Bellia carefully folded the letter.

“Hmm…”

It seemed he would stay in the Kingdom of Ronica longer than expected.

Why was he moving so leisurely even though he knew the viscount would die soon?

“For now…”

She should write in her reply to contact him immediately when they discover an illegitimate child in the viscount’s family.

And she should tell him to agree on when he’ll enter the family to receive successor training.

If left like this, she felt a bit anxious that he might not come to the empire even after the viscount had died.

The Derek she knew wouldn’t break a promise, but it would be more reassuring to make things even more certain.

Thinking this, Bellia opened and checked the rest of the letters one by one.

“Ahaha.”

As expected, Herald’s letter was full of immense worry and concern.

Bellia couldn’t help but laugh as she imagined her elder brother writing each sentence with careful pressure.

“Really, elder brother…”

He didn’t just stop at wondering if she was eating well, but wrote down every little detail like whether the food was properly seasoned and what the proportion of vegetables was. It was so like Herald that Bellia laughed as she folded the letter.

And her mother’s letter was concise, but the worry and affection buried in it was fully felt. And there was brief information that couldn’t be missed.

‘His Eminence is really going to visit the empire…?’

To think that the story she had brought up to provoke the emperor and empress was actually happening.

Bellia’s thoughts momentarily stopped when she read that the Great Priest of the Holy Country had decided to move personally to attend her wedding.

She thought it was just empty words she had casually mentioned. Because in her previous life, when she married Raul, they sent an invitation but he never came in the end.

“And Mother is coming too…”

She’s coming to the empire to see her daughter’s wedding and meet her father.

Why has it suddenly changed like this?

Bellia was confused.

There were so many parts that differed from the future she knew that she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed.

‘I should discuss this with Callid.’

Now she naturally thinks of him whenever something happens.

Bellia was inwardly surprised to find herself relying on Callid a lot at some point.

It really felt like he had become a life partner walking together with her.

Of course, they weren’t married yet…

‘We’re going to do it soon anyway.’

Thinking that, Bellia chuckled.