Gabe grabbed Johan’s collar. Johan, taller by a hand’s breadth, swayed with the motion.

Sparks flew from Gabe’s eyes. His breathing was rough and agitated, but what little reason remained kept him from mentioning Le Soir in front of the mansion’s people.

That’s when it happened.

“My, why is everyone gathered here?”

A clear voice rang out from the second-floor railing.

“…Helen.”

At the soft utterance, Helen met Gabe’s eyes with a gentle smile. Then she descended the stairs with light steps. Her brilliant golden hair swayed with each step.

Only after seeing Helen did Gabe seem to come to his senses and release Johan.

The butler also clapped his hands, dispersing the servants. The stern housekeeper and experienced butler would completely drive the recent events from the servants’ minds.

In the hall that had grown quiet again, Helen smiled sweetly.

“Shall we go inside and continue our conversation? Count. Of course, Lord Jenax should join us too.”

With Gabe and Helen leading the way, Johan followed behind.

“Darling. What happened today to make you so angry? Lord Jenax should know why he’s being scolded too.”

At Helen’s coquettish voice, Gabe glared at Johan again as if his suppressed anger was rising once more. Then he clenched and unclenched his fist, calming his rage.

“Anyway, my lord, know that I’m holding back as much as I can for my father’s sake. If only Baron Jenax hadn’t been injured…”

“Oh, come now. Is Baron Jenax’s injury really your fault? It was because of Lord Moore’s excessive loyalty. You should have completely expelled Lord Moore from vassalage, why bring it up again now?”

Helen added a word to Gabe’s threatening remarks.

The injury to Baron Jenax, the Esteban family vassal who had protected Nerea, was an accident. Moreover, it was an accident caused by the overzealous loyalty of another Esteban vassal, Lord Moore.

But.

Helen narrowed her eyes as she looked at Johan. Sometimes tests were necessary. Especially tests of loyalty.

“Always.”

Johan’s flat voice cut off briefly before continuing.

“I am grateful. Count.”

.

.

.

“I apologize, Count. If only I hadn’t listened to the rumors about Le Soir then, you wouldn’t have been troubled today.”

After hearing the story, Johan Jenax lowered himself respectfully. Gabe, having regained his senses, swallowed an unpleasant feeling. Johan’s reddened, swollen face pricked at his conscience.

Strictly speaking, Johan Jenax hadn’t actually mentioned Le Soir.

It was Gabe Esteban himself who had hastily concluded, without proper investigation, that Le Soir depicted the current emperor’s reign.

But the facts didn’t matter at all. Gabe instead let out a heavy sigh, dispelling any slight feeling of guilt towards Johan.

“His Majesty is very concerned about the Le Soir matter. He even mentioned the Crown Princess.”

Helen swallowed hard. It had already been five years since her beloved daughter Brianna became the Crown Princess.

If only she had given birth to an imperial grandchild, she wouldn’t be mentioned every time an issue arose. But now, an imperial grandchild wasn’t the urgent matter.

“Who on earth is bringing up Nerea with such a painting? How is the investigation going?”

“As you instructed, we checked the Valere Grand Duke’s faction. But currently, the Grand Duke is strengthening the border town defenses, and the moderate nobles are quiet.”

“See, Gabe. I don’t understand why you’re checking the Valere Grand Duke’s faction at all. The Grand Duke wouldn’t have the mind for it in the first place, given the riots caused by the Gauwe restoration forces.”

Johan and Helen’s words continued. Gabe swallowed hard.

He had wondered if perhaps the Grand Duke had finally lost patience and was trying to trick him, a pro-emperor faction member, but it seemed he had guessed wrong.

Well. He had just been overly cautious. The fact that the rioters in Valere weren’t really the true Gauwe prince restoration forces was a secret known only to the Emperor and Gabe.

Edward Castarty Valere.

He was an illegitimate son, born to a woman the Emperor had briefly met before marrying the Empress, and was treated as little more than an outcast.

His brown hair and hazel eyes, strikingly resembling the Emperor, did stand out.

But it was said that without the Emperor’s generosity in placing an illegitimate child as Grand Duke, and the Empress’s grace in allowing it, Edward would never have sat in that noble position.

However, on one side, there were definitely rumors that there must have been some deal between the Emperor and the Grand Duke’s birth mother.

Otherwise, how could ‘such a generous person’ hate a son he had elevated to Grand Duke so much as to drive him to the brink of death?

Gabe clearly remembered what the Emperor had said five years ago.

“A special law for Gauwe refugees, you say?”

“Yes. To make Valere return to its old state, appropriately. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”

Ten years ago, just as Gabe had gotten rid of Nerea, the Emperor too had eliminated his thorn-in-the-side son. And so, the place the Grand Duke headed to was ‘Valere’, a land scarred terribly by the traces of war.

And for the following five years, the Grand Duke had turned that barren land into a domain at least habitable for people. This happened in the gap while the Emperor was busy leading the revival of the system.

Upon hearing this news, the Emperor immediately suggested a way to bring down the Grand Duke.

He enacted a special law with the purpose of moderately absorbing Gauwe refugees. Due to this law, the Grand Duke, who had been dealing firmly with Gauwe refugee riots and barbarian invasions, had to change his stance.

Thus, no one welcomed the Grand Duke, the lord of Valere which had become barren again.

And it was Gabe Esteban who successfully led riots each time, using the special law to make it seem as if the Gauwe people had caused them.

Gabe couldn’t hide his feeling of pride. Thanks to that, his daughter Brianna sat in the glorious position of Crown Princess.

If not the Grand Duke, he had no idea who could be behind Le Soir.

Gabe rubbed his face dry. A groan escaped involuntarily.

“He said he expects an article the day after tomorrow morning! Yet with no progress on the investigation of Le Soir…”

“Then how about borrowing the information network of the Rosa merchant guild?”

“Accept help from that guy? Nonsense! A man with no roots receiving a title. And a count at that!”

Helen quickly noticed the point Gabe was uncomfortable with and gently massaged his shoulders as he ground out his anger through clenched teeth.

“Come now. Everyone in Castarty knows that His Majesty doesn’t like him and hasn’t granted him knighthood. A half-penny count who His Majesty hasn’t even officially appointed, what’s there to worry about?”

Helen’s gentle words soothed his frayed nerves. Right, a half-penny count.

Gabe chuckled and smiled lightly at Helen.

A woman who always took his side and supported him. Helen, who personally demonstrated the virtues a wife should possess, was the one who should be by his side…

“I want my husband to support me. Not overstep his bounds.”

For a moment, Gabe frowned. An unpleasant, dry voice suddenly came to mind, and he shook his head.

It was then.

“Count, what if we attribute the Grand Duke’s achievements entirely to His Highness the Crown Prince?”

At Johan’s sudden interjection, Gabe furrowed his brows for a moment. Then he stroked his chin.

Apart from their happy daily life, the Emperor’s threats were terrifying. Johan’s proposed solution was adequate for preparation within two days, but insufficient to be the definitive alternative the Emperor desired.

Above all, crediting the Grand Duke’s achievements to the Prince was a tactic they had used several times already.

“Think of a more definitive plan. Furthermore, in a direction that can completely erase the rumors about Nerea.”

Gabe paused for a moment. Then, with a strange smile on his lips, he muttered.

“…If it doesn’t work out, there’s always the option of making her disappear completely.”

“With all due respect, Count, if Nerea were to disappear now, it would bring even greater controversy.”

“Well. You know well that while many are curious about Nerea, no one is actually looking for her.”

“That doesn’t guarantee that no one will ever look for her in the future.”

“Then what are you suggesting!”

Gabe burst out in irritation. Johan answered.

“How about reenacting the fall of the Black Knight once more?”

Curiosity was piqued. As Gabe sat up straight, Helen beside him also fixed her gaze on Johan.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you know, Count? The reason people have started looking for Nerea Esteban’s story after ten years is because the scale of the Gauwe rebellion on the border has grown.”

Gabe looked at Johan with sharp eyes.

It was true that they had increased the scale of the riots using the story that the Gauwe prince was alive, to create a distraction.

Could this man know something?

Facing Gabe’s expression that alternated between suspicion and trust, Johan spoke softly.

“Invite a hero too broken to fulfill their role to the victory celebration festival. Let the people see those trembling hands once again. And above Nerea Esteban…”

A distinct hatred flickered in Johan’s dark eyes.

“Stamp the mark of nothingness. Though she’ll probably stubbornly refuse to even appear at the festival before that.”

.

.

.

After Johan left, Gabe was lost in thought for a moment.

Helen beside him shook her head.

“My goodness. How can there be such a mortal enemy? Well, because of Nerea, the Baron limps, and his younger brother who followed her to war at a young age, we don’t even know if he’s alive or dead.”

“Helen.”

“Yes, Count.”

“…The herbs. Are you still sending them?”

“We’re still sending them. Soon we’ll probably hear news that she’s critically ill.”

Helen curved the corner of her lips seductively. She felt Gabe’s gaze linger on her lips. Apparently, he liked the pink lipstick she had applied today.

Gabe might not have realized it, but Helen knew. Gabe hated anything red. Thanks to that, Helen’s dressing table was always pink.

Helen smiled sweetly and leaned on her husband’s shoulder.

“By the way, Gabe.”

“Hmm.”

“We Tylesburys are continuously supporting you. Can’t you give me just one of the ruby mines or diamond mines in Sosron?”

“To become a marquise, you need wealth befitting the position, Helen.”

The soothing words were a refusal. Disappointment welled up, but seeing Gabe’s lips firmly pressed together, Helen changed the subject.

“Oh, right. I heard Her Highness the Crown Princess sent flowers.”

Gabe must be having a hard time with the Le Soir issue too. Swallowing her vague disappointment, Helen quickly rattled the chain.

Soon, the housekeeper brought in a vase. Helen’s face, which had been smiling forcedly, darkened instantly.

“These are the flowers sent by Her Highness the Crown Princess. Queen roses, they say. Such precious roses, her heart in sending them is truly beautiful.”

“Oh, come on. Red flowers? She knows I don’t like red.”

Helen could barely hear the housekeeper’s flattery or Gabe’s grumbling.

The red and beautiful Queen rose that only grows in the imperial palace. The fact that it came with its thorns untrimmed was a urgent call from Brianna.