The imperial palace was in complete chaos, to say the least.

Sinclair and Elaina returned to the prince’s palace with Eric Connor. The reason they didn’t go to see the emperor, who was seriously injured and unconscious, was simple.

Entry was forbidden.

By order of the crown prince, Hister.

“The situation is not good, Sir Sinclair.”

In the reception room of the prince’s palace. Eric parted his lips awkwardly, looking down at the warm tea Judith and Anna had served.

“I hear a grand council will be held soon.”

“…A grand council?”

Elaina, still unfamiliar with palace life, murmured with narrowed eyes, and Sinclair slowly began to speak.

“In Edenbell, a grand council is held whenever a major event occurs. It’s the emperor’s prerogative. When the emperor is unconscious like now, the authority passes to the crown prince who will become the next emperor.”

In the end, it meant Hister was the one hosting the grand council.

“Grand councils are mainly held, to put it simply, when there’s a problem with Edenbell itself or the emperor. Or when there’s an issue with the imperial heirs. The same goes for when facing a large-scale war.”

“…”

“Those who attend are those with imperial blood mixed in. Those who have close relationships with them. You, as the prince’s consort, would be included as well. And the heads of the five families representing the nobles of Edenbell gather.”

…But weren’t they all on the side of the imperial family? Having manipulated and profited from an unwise emperor, there was no reason for them to lend their strength to Sinclair.

“For your information, the last grand council was held over 10 years ago.”

The fact that they hadn’t held this grand council, which was said to be convened before every major war, until now was also the strongest expression of will that whether Sinclair, who had gone to war, lived or died was not an imperial matter.

In fact, the last grand council was held when Sinclair’s mother, the former empress of Edenbell, passed away. This was the first time since then.

“They must have a clear plan to set up such a big stage. Don’t you think?”

“Hister’s plan is probably simpler than you think.”

Sinclair said, shrugging his shoulders.

“He’s planning to pin everything on me. Of course, it is what I did.”

“Sir Sinclair, I cannot attend the grand council, so I cannot help you. Moreover… forgive me for saying this, but you have no one on your side in the imperial palace, do you?”

In this situation, no matter what excuse is made, there would be no way to avoid Hister’s scheme. Eric exhaled a heavy sigh with a troubled expression, but Elaina’s reaction was a bit different.

“…But don’t we have a logic we can present from our side?”

“Pardon?”

“Sinclair’s reputation is completely different from before. Of course, it’s partly thanks to Lady Leggers’ diligent chatter, but what was most significant was that Sinclair took charge of the ceremony at the temple.”

Sinclair, listening to Elaina’s words, chuckled.

“There are actually many people talking like that. The position of crown prince was originally Sinclair’s, and now that he’s reconciled with the emperor, Hister’s position…”

And at that very moment.

“Sir Sinclair, Lady Elaina. I’m told everyone has gathered in the council chamber. It seems you should go now.”

It was when Schuler, with a subtly pale face like Eric’s, appeared in the reception room.

“Why the expression, Schuler?”

To Eric’s question, Schuler sighed and replied.

“Hister is in quite an uproar. It seems he intends to fan the flames of anger of all those gathered in the grand council chamber. The more he does so, the more advantageous it will be for him.”

“I’ll be able to make quite a grand entrance as the protagonist.”

Despite those terribly ominous words, Sinclair maintained an unfazed expression. Then he slowly rose from his seat.

“You can stay here if you want.”

Sinclair turned to Elaina and said.

“Normally, you, as the prince’s consort, should attend, but since you’ve only recently entered the palace and I’m their main focus right now, they probably won’t pay much attention.”

“No, I’ll go with you.”

But Elaina answered, rising from her seat to follow him.

“Anyway… there’s no reason for you, who has a wife, to go alone.”

Even if she attended the grand council, Elaina knew better than anyone that she wouldn’t be of much help to Sinclair.

But having even one ally in that vast council chamber versus having none at all was a matter of a completely different dimension.

She didn’t want to let him go alone.

“And you said it yourself. That you’re confident in these kinds of fights.”

“I am.”

“Then don’t you need an audience too? I’ll take on that role.”

“…Alright.”

Sinclair smiled faintly and extended his hand to Elaina, and Elaina grasped it firmly.

Thus, the prince and his consort left the room in step, leaving only Schuler and Eric in the reception room.

“Haah…”

Along with their heavy sighs.

“How could such a thing happen in the imperial palace of all places!”

The first thing heard upon reaching the door of the grand council chamber was Hister’s resonating voice.

“This is a vicious challenge to the emperor of Edenbell and sacrilege. Even the body of the high priest is not intact! To dare do such a thing to the sacred emperor in the sacred temple!”

“Do you know what one of Hister’s few good points is, Elaina?”

Sinclair, standing before the door, asked with a frown as if he disliked hearing it.

“…No?”

“He has a loud voice and talks a lot.”

“…”

“It could also be called a characteristic of a con artist.”

Elaina didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at Sinclair’s boldness in making such jokes even in this situation.

“Well, anyway.”

Sinclair, grasping the doorknob, silently looked at Elaina. As if asking if she was ready to enter. Elaina slowly nodded, and Sinclair opened the door to the grand council chamber without any hesitation.

“…”

As Sinclair and Elaina stepped into the chamber, the atmosphere froze as cold as midwinter frost.

Just from the gazes directed at them, they could tell. That they had already decided who the culprit was.

And Elaina, taking her place beside Sinclair, recognized the woman sitting in front and staring at her.

‘…Lady Aneli?’

Ah, even if she was driven out due to bad relations, she came because the collateral line is still of imperial blood.

Then could Aneli possibly be of help to Sinclair?

But she couldn’t read what Aneli was thinking at all. Aneli just gazed at Elaina’s blue eyes with her characteristic gentle smile.

“I heard His Majesty’s condition is not good.”

And, the one who first broke the heavy silence that had descended on the grand council chamber was, of course, Sinclair.

“As a son, I wanted to visit him first, but I was told the crown prince had forbidden my entry. Could it be that you think I’m the culprit, Hister?”

Golden eyes subtly resembling Sinclair’s glared at him for a moment.

…To be honest, the emperor being attacked wasn’t entirely a bad thing for Hister.

If the emperor were to die as is, it was clear that Hister, as the crown prince, would immediately succeed to the throne.

No matter how much Sinclair’s reputation had improved, and even with rumors spreading that he had reconciled with the emperor after performing the ceremony at the temple, there was nothing he could do now.

Moreover, Hister had realized from the beginning that Sinclair was the culprit behind this incident. The reason was obvious. He must have wanted revenge.

Yes, you’re right, Sinclair.

You still act without thinking of the consequences, only knowing how to rush in stupidly. Just as you always have.

Like the empress who met a miserable death after foolishly challenging my mother without knowing her place!

‘…I’ll get rid of you completely this time, Sinclair.’

Finally, Hister parted his lips with an extremely angry face.

“Of course it is, elder brother. Who else in this imperial palace could possibly harbor ill feelings towards His Majesty the Emperor?”

“Well. Who could it be?”

“The one who was driven out after trying to pin the death of the former empress, which was a simple accidental fall, on my mother, Royal Consort Yuria, and not satisfied with that, beheaded my mother in broad daylight and was stripped of his position as crown prince. And ultimately ended up being sent from one battlefield to another – who else but you, elder brother?”

“Forgive me, but His Highness the Crown Prince is correct. All the incidents and accidents that have occurred in the Edenbell imperial family until now… weren’t you, Sir Sinclair, at the center of them all?”

The one who cautiously spoke up was a person from the Grand Duke’s family, a relative of the brothers.

“I, too, think it’s a reasonable statement. Since my younger sister Yuria… no, since Lady Yuria passed away unjustly, Your Highness the Prince has continuously harbored ill will towards the imperial family. No one can say otherwise.”

Yuria’s elder sister.

In other words, Hister’s aunt ranted with an extremely angry face.

“You’ve gathered quite a motley crew in the grand council chamber. Anyone watching might think it’s a party.”

“Elder brother!”

“Your Highness the Prince, if I may be so bold, if you have something to say, please use language appropriate to your position. The more you act like this, the more disadvantageous it becomes for you.”

The one who stepped in as if to mediate was Duke Heswin of the Heswin family, the most powerful among the five families representing Edenbell.

“I’m sorry, but I’d appreciate your understanding. As you all know well, having lost my mother at a young age and grown up as a delinquent, I never properly learned the language appropriate to my position.”

“…”

“But on the flip side, I have a lot of experience falling into traps like this. So my mind works quite well in that area. Isn’t that truly fortunate?”

“Do you intend to present as evidence the fact that you were already absent from the imperial palace the night before the incident occurred?”

Hister asked as if dumbfounded.

“No matter what, that cannot instill confidence that you are not the culprit of this incident, elder brother!”

“Of course, that was one of the things I was going to mention. Thank you for saving me the trouble.”

“Hah…”

“But what I really want to talk about, Hister, isn’t something so childish.”

Sinclair said, magically erasing his expression full of derision and speaking with a cold face.