No matter how many adjutants she suffered with on the battlefield or knights she fought alongside, not a single one opened their door to her.

Even if her arms had no strength, she could not give up her position. Though the emperor turned a blind eye, she was clearly still Esteban’s shield who ended the Hundred Years’ War.

But having no one to help meant she might as well have no power at all.

Irritated by her knocking on all the noble houses’ doors, her father and Helen eventually threatened her, and on that day Baron Jenax who was protecting Nerea was struck down by Marvin Moore with a direct hit to the leg.

Alejandro, who was with her at the count’s residence as a servant, witnessed it all and fell ill from the shock.

Nerea gazed blankly at the duke’s portrait. Then she smiled as if letting out a sigh between her lips.

Is that why this man was kind at the victory banquet?

Because he felt a kinship as a child unloved by their father.

She could only think of questions she couldn’t ask. It was the only way to think a little less about her father. Suddenly not understanding, Nerea tilted her head for a moment.

Why her father hated her, his own daughter, so much more than Brianna who wasn’t even his real daughter. Nerea simply could not understand.

In fact, she didn’t want to know.

She would have already been removed from her father’s sight.

As she digested the emotions she had stuffed down, Johnny, who had gone to send someone, reported with a troubled look he couldn’t hide.

“The Esteban Count’s proxy was at the dressmaker’s and is now heading toward the imperial palace.”

* * *

In front of the emperor’s office in the imperial palace.

“His Majesty has granted you an audience.”

Gabe smiled broadly at the immediately granted audience and smoothed the front of his new suit. Then as he strode energetically into the office, he paused for a moment.

Next to the emperor with brown hair and brown eyes, the crown prince with brilliant golden hair and blue eyes was smiling slightly. His gentle, handsome features resembling the empress stood out especially today.

Ahem-. At the chamberlain’s cough, Gabe came to his senses and paid his respects.

“Glory to the great sun and small sun of Castarty. I, Gabe Esteban, proxy of Count Esteban, am honored to meet your two noble selves.”

“Raise your head, Count Proxy. I heard you brought good news. Surely it must be the news I’ve been waiting for?”

The authoritative voice spread evenly throughout the office. Though Gabe wanted to answer confidently, he only moved his lips because of the crown prince.

Gabe knew the crown prince well. He was a man who lived for his own conceit, but at the same time was wrapped around his daughter Brianna’s finger.

Sometimes Brianna would even share information she obtained by seducing the crown prince with Gabe.

Could he really reveal that a ‘riot’ had occurred in a place that had just recently quelled unrest? Above all, the crown prince would think the riots had subsided thanks to him after his recent tour.

Noticing his hesitation, the emperor raised one eyebrow.

“Count Proxy. Is there anything in this Castarty that the crown prince cannot hear?”

After glancing around for a moment, Gabe lowered his body.

“There has been a riot by Gauwe’s rebel forces in Valere territory. Currently dozens of houses have burned down and the center of Valere territory in particular is completely destroyed.”

“Oh my. How can there be such a regrettable incident? My people!”

The emperor slammed his hand on the desk. A smile seeped through for a moment amidst the sorrowful voice that could not hide his distress.

“What is the cause of this tragic riot?”

“I believe it is due to the duke’s lack of ability and the fault of my daughter who failed to properly deal with Gauwe’s remnants.”

Repeating what had been said before like a parrot was a rule between the emperor and Gabe.

Now if the emperor told him to circulate an extra edition with a gloomy face, everything would be over.

“…But is this really certain this time, Count Proxy?”

For a moment Gabe doubted his ears. The chilling gaze was as if he knew Gabe himself was the culprit behind the riot.

No way. Did the crown prince also know all along that he had instigated riots in Valere territory? He thought this was a secret only between the emperor and himself!

Hurriedly looking at the emperor, the emperor gave Gabe a chin gesture with a displeased face. It was a look asking why he wasn’t answering the crown prince’s question. Having no choice, he looked at the crown prince who was different from usual.

Clearly on the day he married his daughter through their romance, he had even thanked Gabe for sending his daughter to him. But now he was oppressing him with a commanding presence like the emperor.

The bright blue eyes in the slightly slanted gaze looked Gabe up and down as if sizing him up.

“I wonder if your hesitation to answer is due to uncertainty, or some other reason.”

Ahem. The emperor’s displeased cough snapped Gabe back to his senses.

Though he didn’t know why the emperor was pressuring him along with the crown prince, he now knew what stance he should take.

“No, Your Majesty. It is certain.”

For a moment the afterimage of red hair flashed through his mind, but Gabe answered smoothly.

“By now the newspapers should be printing. After circulating an extra edition about the grand duchy, I will immediately put up posters as well.”

It was easy to blame the riot in Valere on the duke and Nerea.

People were easily swayed by the argument that the incompetent duke failed to properly embrace Gauwe, or that Nerea Esteban had not properly eliminated the Gauwe dynasty ten years ago.

Afterwards, it would be perfect if a few words were added in a few places by informants.

“Hurry, Count Proxy. I too must announce that the order of the 20th anniversary victory festival has changed.”

“Order? What do you mean?”

The order of the victory celebration festival has always been the same for ten years…? The crown prince’s eyes looking down on him contemptuously were truly different from usual.

“With such chaos at the borders, shouldn’t I as one who bears the weight of being the father of all people boost the morale of my people?”

“…”

“So for any knight of Castarty to be able to come out without burden, wouldn’t it be right to put the tournament ahead of the formal ball that is merely a formality?”

At the tone as if reminding him of an obvious fact, Gabe blinked for a while before carefully asking again.

“…Are you saying you will proceed with the tournament first instead of the masquerade ball?”

How hard Brianna and Helen had prepared for the masquerade ball! But even this level of questioning immediately earned him an irritated look.

Suddenly the thought ‘this isn’t right’ occurred to him, but Gabe said no more.

.

.

.

“How presumptuous, not realizing he’s only risen this far because he’s the crown princess’s father.”

Claude looked down coldly through the floor-to-ceiling window.

He wasn’t even Count Esteban, yet allowing the count proxy to drive the head family’s carriage made him enter with such an arrogant attitude from the start.

He’s not a peacock in mating season. The puffed up expectations showing excessively were unpleasant to the point of disgust.

“They’re all like that originally. Crown Prince.”

Claude slowly turned around.

The current Emperor Philip Kazef Castarty. His respectable father smiled faintly.

“When you start performing official duties in earnest, all the nobles of Castarty will only beg you for things.”

Though he had heard it enough while studying kingship, his father’s words stemming from experience felt different.

“The count proxy is still relatively okay. At least he’s not someone who comes empty-handed and only runs his mouth.”

Claude smiled faintly.

The emperor was now talking about the most basic ‘give and take’. Along with the fact that the count proxy and his wife’s family had offered quite a bit during this recent tour.

“I will try to weed out those who come empty-handed through this tournament.”

“Of course. As the crown prince, you will end it splendidly.”

“…”

“You take after me, you see.”

Hearing the emperor’s words, Claude thought so too.

After all, the emperor taught him how to steal from others by snatching away even what was in others’ grasp and placing it in Claude’s hands at every moment.

Claude recalled the things he had taken.

The duke’s things, a bit of Nerea Esteban’s merit, and the당연한 배려 of numerous nobles.

He chose Brianna Esteban because it was natural for her to take from others as well. But he didn’t know why her father only knew how to be taken from day by day, not how to take.

As if he was about to slowly lose even what he had luckily grasped.

Claude slowly left the audience chamber. Count Wilson, standing in the hallway, immediately spoke at Claude’s nod.

“I will immediately release an article about the festival order. I will also spread throughout all of Castarty that commoners can participate in the tournament without any conditions or restrictions.”

Claude nodded in satisfaction.

“What about ‘Number Three’?”

“He is dyeing his hair red, losing enough weight to fit in black armor. I will continue training him to ensure he wins.”

The smoothly flowing answers were quite satisfactory. Claude looked at his own hand.

Now after bestowing the image of a hero that Nerea Esteban had onto a commoner.

Thud.

All that was left was to discard her.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the carriage heading to the count’s residence.

Gabe looked out the window lost in thought. After the rain stopped, the streets could be seen through the window that had been wiped clean of water droplets.

“Extra! Extra!”

“They say the largest scale riot in history has occurred in Valere territory!”

The extra editions had just begun circulating among people. Soon when the newspapers were distributed as well, the honor of the duke and Nerea would fall into the mud as he had assured in front of the emperor.

Now that his job was done…

Gabe roughly undid the first button of his suit. Something felt stuck inside, making him feel bloated and uncomfortable somewhere.

He knew well that the basis of this uneasiness was the red hair he had glimpsed. Even though he knew he had seen wrong.

“But is this really certain this time, Count Proxy?”

Additionally, the crown prince’s chilling gaze that gave him goosebumps came to mind. Gabe swallowed hard.

If he knew that he had instigated the riot, he would know that the success of the recent tour was all thanks to him as well.

Nevertheless, why did the crown prince look at him with such disapproval? He even pushed back his daughter’s masquerade ball.

Then Gabe let out a sigh. From the crown prince’s perspective, who had suffered embarrassment due to Lessor’s painting, he may want to firmly solidify his foundation perfectly this time.

For certain.

“…I should go to Alpern once.”

Gabe nodded with lowered eyes.

Might as well finish things up while I’m at it. So that I’m never uneasy again, perfectly.

“They’ve gone mad. I suppose a little poison will do?”