“You, your acting is really top-notch. I thought you were an actor. I almost fell for it too.”

Celiya, who had entered Dietrich’s room, blurted out with apparent relief.

However, Dietrich silently gazed down at her face without responding.

“What? Is there something on my face?”

Dietrich, who had tidied Celiya’s hair, asked softly.

“…Are you alright?”

She never expected him to ask if she was okay.

Celiya awkwardly avoided his gaze.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s all in the past now. And now I have you.”

“…”

The atmosphere became strange. It wasn’t like this earlier when they were acting as lovers.

Celiya realized belatedly that she had made a mistake after saying it.

While being more consumed by revenge for the past than anyone, dismissing them as simply bygones.

What could she do if he thought of her as strange? It was nothing more or less than a partnership of necessity.

Thinking there was no need to correct herself, Celiya changed the subject to dispel the heavy atmosphere.

“Do we have to keep appearing as lovers to others from now on? Then how will we sleep at night…”

The atmosphere sank even further.

Celiya looked up at Dietrich with mixed feelings.

He blinked his eyes slowly before speaking.

“If you don’t like it, you can stop anytime. We chose this method because we judged it wouldn’t be good for others to notice we’re conspiring together.”

“For that, you acted too well.”

“Maybe it’s because we unexpectedly have good chemistry.”

Celiya nodded. His words were right.

The emperor’s seat was still vacant, and two of the three dukes were openly walking around the imperial palace.

In this situation, continuing to act as lovers would be beneficial rather than detrimental.

The embarrassment would be momentary, but the moment they showed a gap, all their plans might fall apart.

“…Celiya.”

Dietrich called out to Celiya, who was lost in thought.

“Don’t worry too much. Nothing bad will happen.”

“Hey, did you hear the news? Yesterday, His Highness the Crown Prince was confined to the tower. Apparently, Duke Calypso personally put him in there on charges of massacring innocent people.”

“My goodness! Is Duke Calypso finally showing interest in the throne?”

The gatekeepers guarding the imperial palace were engrossed in conversation.

“I heard a knight asked, but he flatly said he wasn’t interested in the throne.”

“Why on earth? There would be hardly anyone opposing if Duke Calypso took the throne…”

The gatekeeper looked at his colleague as if he was frustrated.

“Listen, it’s not as simple as you think. There are still the three dukes, and Her Majesty the Empress is still very much alive. It’s already remarkable that he put the only heir to the throne in the tower.”

A knight who was listening nodded his head up and down vigorously in agreement.

“Wait, then what happens to the Angel of Brilliance who was the Crown Prince’s lover?”

“Haven’t you heard? She seems to be in that kind of relationship with Duke Calypso.”

“Gasp, is that true?”

“There’s more than one witness. Duke Calypso is really enviab…”

The knight who had been talking non-stop suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

This was because a man wearing a black robe with the hood almost completely covering his face had silently approached.

He even tried to enter the imperial palace, passing through as if he didn’t see the gatekeepers at all.

The knights were momentarily stunned by his movement, which was like a flexible snake slithering, but they quickly came to their senses.

“State your identity. We can’t let just anyone into the imperial palace.”

“…”

At the knight’s words, the man’s lips visible under the hood curved slightly upwards.

The skin showing halfway below the bridge of his nose was pale in stark contrast to his red lips.

“It’s quite disappointing not to be recognized, even if it has been a while.”

At the man’s lighthearted tone, the knights looked at each other.

“But showing you my handsome face would be too much of a loss for me.”

“…?”

The knights looked at the man as if he were a madman.

The man shook his head sideways and then pulled something out from inside his robe to show them.

“This should be more than enough to prove my identity.”

The knights’ eyes widened like saucers when they saw the man’s object.

It was a crest with a huge white snake coiling around a golden staff from top to bottom.

There was no way they couldn’t recognize it.

Except for the national flag of Abelon, there were only three families in Abelon that used a snake in their family crest.

The Portman ducal family’s crest had a red snake coiling around a sword and shield.

The Gredrick ducal family’s crest had a large black snake coiling around a white cross.

Lastly, the Servantes ducal family’s crest had a huge white snake coiling around a golden staff.

“Duke, Duke Servantes? Is it really Duke Arthur Servantes?”

“If you know, then move aside. I need to go in.”

Arthur waved his hand as if shooing away flies.

With that motion, the gold bracelet Arthur was wearing on his arm made a jingling sound.

“We apologize for not recognizing you!”

The gatekeepers quickly bowed and opened the imperial palace gates.

Arthur, who had entered the imperial palace, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The clear air carried by the wind filled his lungs.

In fact, he wasn’t just taking a deep breath, but reading the concentration of the most beautiful scent floating in the air.

Finally, his golden eyes flashed sharply.

“…Found it.”

“Master, Arthur Servantes is an extremely dangerous individual. Why did you summon him to the palace?”

Ileon’s subordinate asked worriedly.

Ileon answered without taking his eyes off the scripture he was reading.

“To deal with someone who’s not in their right mind, it’s best to counter with someone even more out of their mind.”

“By someone not in their right mind, do you mean Duke Calypso?”

Instead of answering, Ileon smiled gently.

His blue eyes sparkled clearer than ever in his narrowed eye corners.

“Well. It could be just Duke Calypso, or it could be two people.”

“…”

Ileon spoke as he inserted a white cross-shaped bookmark into the page of the scripture he had been reading.

“Above all, to succeed to the throne, all three dukes must agree. Calling in the one who’s holed up in his territory and refusing to come out is an unavoidable choice.”

“Um… Master, may I know what you wrote in the letter to Duke Servantes?”

Ileon stroked his chin as he looked at his subordinate expressing curiosity.

“Do you know why a man obsessed with beautiful things to the point of having a hobby of preserving them was reluctant to see Celiya Brilliance, who is rumored to be beautiful?”

“No. I thought that was strange too.”

“…Because his expectations for that woman were so high that he didn’t want to feel betrayed by his own expectations if he saw her in person.”

Ileon’s subordinate was thoroughly creeped out by his words.

“According to what you’re saying, Master, Duke Servantes wanted to confirm if the woman was as beautiful as the rumors, but deliberately didn’t look because he would be greatly disappointed if she wasn’t in reality?”

“Correct answer.”

“He really is… someone not in his right mind.”

Ileon smiled amusedly at his subordinate’s words.

“I wrote in the letter: I’ve confirmed her in person, and she will never betray your expectations. The woman is in the imperial palace, so come if you will, or stay holed up in your territory if you prefer.”

“…”

Ileon shifted his gaze from his subordinate to the window that offered a clear view of the imperial palace.

“He might already be in the imperial palace. Although he’s a pervert, his reputation as a genius magician is no lie.”

Dietrich used to go to the stable located on the outskirts of the imperial palace once a day to personally give hay and water to the horses.

This was one of the rules he kept every day.

Celiya wanted to accompany Dietrich, but he said the stable smells a lot, and since it doesn’t take long to feed them, he would go alone.

“If anything happens while I’m gone, use the dagger immediately.”

“…”

Only after seeing Celiya nod did Dietrich leave the mansion.

Celiya thought Dietrich might be overprotecting her.

Unlike the underground prison where she was confined before, this was Dietrich’s mansion, and Anderson, his right-hand man, was also here.

Although it’s said that two dukes are openly walking around the imperial palace, and even the Crown Prince is confined in the tower, Celiya thought nothing bad would happen.

Dietrich, who had been with her almost every day, was just out for a moment. What could possibly happen?

Celiya dismissed her worries, keeping the dagger in her bosom.

To alleviate her boredom, Celiya took out a philosophy book from the bookshelf.

Just as she sat on the plush sofa and opened the book.

Knock knock.

Suddenly, there was a knocking sound.

The sound came from the window, not the door.

‘This is the third floor, there’s no way a knocking sound could come from the window, humanly speaking.’

Celiya thought she had misheard and turned the page.

Flip.

As Celiya was looking at the philosopher’s impression written on the first page of the book.

Knock knock.

Once again, there was a knocking sound.

This time, the sound came from the bookshelf, not the window.

Celiya stopped turning the book pages and examined the bookshelf.

However, there was no one there.

Celiya narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.

‘What is it?’

“Is someone there?”

Celiya looked around warily, but there was only her in the large room.

Just in case, Celiya checked the bathroom attached to the room.

She looked inside the large bathtub, but there was nothing inside.

Just as Celiya, having confirmed no one was there, was about to leave the bathroom.

With a thud! The bathroom door forcibly closed.