“I have committed a deed, and my relationship with Dongryeong is not good. Since that incident, Namjehu hasn’t set foot in the empire at all. The Emperor only trusts Seoryeong, so how can he easily turn his back on Seoryeong?”

“Then, was it all useless?”

“Not exactly. The small blemish made today will someday become a significant one.”

There was no need to rush.

Moving first would only turn everyone’s blades toward the Northern Territories. The tip of the sword had to naturally turn toward Seoryeong and, at the same time, toward the empire.

“Ariana will eventually make a flashy entrance into society.”

I didn’t think Ariana’s revenge against the Bronte family would end here. There was undoubtedly a reason why she went to the trouble of going to Dongjehu, initiating a custody trial, and obtaining the position of Princess Dongryeong.

“Ariana will aim for the Bronte family and Namjehu, and I will be able to turn the storm she raises into a tempest. The tempest will sweep away Seoryeong, revealing the secrets hidden beneath her tough exterior.”

“Hmm. So, do you expect me to continue to watch over and help Princess Dongjehu, who seems to be of no use?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“What should I say? Well. There are many charming and easy-to-handle young ladies more beautiful and easier to deal with than the Princess. If you smile at those young ladies once, they will move as you wish. Maybe even jump into the fire willingly?”

Cyrus responded with an incredulous expression.

“With those eyes, you seem to think there is a presence in the ladies’ world more disruptive than Ariana.”

“There might be? There are many beautiful, mature, and cultured ladies everywhere.”

“Is there a woman who can shake the social scene more than Ariana?”

“Well, there might be.”

“No, there isn’t.”

“A woman more beautiful than Ariana.”

“No.”

“Cultured.”

“No.”

“Well, then, in your eyes, Ariana White is the most beautiful woman in the world, right?”

“I want to ask you back. Objectively, among the women you’ve seen so far, was there a woman more beautiful than Ariana?”

There was.

Of course, Ariana was genuinely beautiful, but objectively, Isaac felt that Princess Charlotte, in terms of appearance alone, seemed even more beautiful than Ariana.

But since the answer was obvious, he lowered his head.

“No, your meaning is all correct. What you see is what I see.”

Isaac thought.

‘Andrei should have heard this conversation!’

+++

He heard a voice.

“Someday, when the blood of those who harbor hatred stains this land…”

A voice floating in the darkness. The voice scattered like mist, and I couldn’t hear it all the way to the end.

“The lady is truly…”

“Just didn’t realize…”

“This pitiful…”

“What the lady wants…”

I tried to listen carefully to the voice floating in the air, but I couldn’t. Something grabbed Ariana’s ankle and pulled her away.
The scenery around me changed rapidly. I screamed, but no sound came out. The swift movement was so nauseatingly fast that I couldn’t gather my wits. I was being dragged endlessly without knowing what had happened to my body.

After what seemed both short and long, Ariana found herself in the banquet hall.

The dazzlingly luxurious decorations and the music echoing were strangely familiar. I wanted to look around, but I couldn’t. It felt as if my body didn’t belong to me.

My gaze was fixed on one place.

A pitiful woman standing alone among beautiful noblewomen and young ladies adorned in gorgeous dresses. With her rich sky-blue hair perfectly complementing her fair skin, it was impossible to look away from her.

She seemed somewhat frightened and tense, her fidgeting at this party for the first time endearing and adorable.

Her eyes were teary.

This, too, wasn’t Ariana’s emotion. Ariana’s soul had lost itself, becoming someone else, experiencing what he saw and felt.

‘Ariana.’

I wanted to approach and talk to her.

‘My daughter.’

My daughter, whom I had only held once when she was born and hadn’t seen since. I had longed for my daughter so much that I would wish for her to come to me every night in my dreams.

‘But she would be frightened if she saw me.’

Rachel said Ariana considered Jacob Bronte as her father. She feared a man she had never seen named Russell White.

Perhaps she was afraid of getting close to a stepfather and being hated by a stepbrother. Maybe she feared drifting away from her family.

So, I had to endure. Even if I wanted to speak, even if I wanted to hug her, even if I wanted to ask how she had been, I had to endure.

I couldn’t make Ariana afraid.

Hearing that Ariana would come to this imperial party, I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to come to the empire, where I hadn’t set foot for a long time.

Seeing Ariana’s face after a long time was nice, but it was difficult to suppress the desire to approach my daughter.

I wanted to hold her, stroke her hair, and have a simple conversation about how she was doing.