So now he had to endure seeing this detestable face. He had to end with giving the West Vassal a tiny grain of anxiety.

‘He might make a mistake in his anxiety, thinking that I might know something.’

And so, Cyrus perfectly drew a faint smile and said,

“The West Vassalage is indeed a harsh place. Not even offering a cup of tea to a visitor from afar.”

Rodian gritted his teeth and signaled to the servants.

Even after the servants brought the tea, Cyrus did not tell why he had come. As time passed, Rodian became anxious.

His granddaughter Victoria was falsely accused of murder and imprisoned, and there were unsavory rumors about the Bronthe family in the West City.

He had no time to deal with an arrogant young vassal, but he couldn’t leave the castle unattended without knowing why Cyrus had come either.

When Cyrus was 5 years old, his parents, the former North Vassal and his wife, were killed in a war and falsely accused of various crimes.

Most people who owned the castle of Carha died because of that, but Cyrus escaped safely.

Not only that, but at the tender age of 14, he led the Black Knight Order back to the North Vassalage and restored order and regained his position as North Vassal.

Rodian had met Cyrus when his parents were still alive, and he couldn’t know what poison Cyrus might harbor after not meeting him for over 10 years.

Rodian examined Cyrus with snakelike eyes.

‘He mustn’t have come without a reason… Could he have sensed that there is another reason for my parents’ death?’

Cyrus’s expressionless face gave nothing away.

Eventually, Rodian prepared a place for Cyrus to sleep, and two days passed until today.

He had to do something before the rumors about the Duke Bronthe family spread out of the city, but it was difficult to move rashly because of Cyrus.

It was unlikely that Cyrus knew the secrets related to the former North Vassal, but it was a possibility.

Perhaps Cyrus had come to find Rodian’s weakness. If Rodian showed himself protecting his family with power, Cyrus might later use that against him, getting Rodian into trouble.

Rodian was in a situation where he could do neither this nor that, and time just passed.

+++

Isaac was drinking alcohol at a temporary shelter outside the castle gate.

He was bored with drinking the new alcohol only available in the West Vassalage, and he was constantly yawning while drinking.

“Sneaking in so I can’t wander around freely… It’s boring to death.”

Tearing at the meat he’d eaten until he was full, Noah, who had gone out to spread the rumors as Cyrus had ordered, returned.

When Isaac smiled brightly, Noah hesitated and stepped back.

“Don’t smile like that, Sir Isaac.”

“Why? Will you fall for me?”

“No, you’ll offer me alcohol.”
“What’s the big deal? His Majesty isn’t here, and all we have to do is spread rumors, so we can at least have a drink.”

“You can’t do that while working. If Louis finds out, you’ll die.”

“Louie is right next to the Queen Consort, so he can’t come. What’s the problem?”

Noah sat in the chair across from Isaac and leaned forward.

“Speaking of which, will the second princess really become the Queen Consort?”

“Of course! Look now. His Majesty is wholeheartedly helping the second princess. They say it’s to repay the debt for gaining evidence thanks to the second princess, but His Majesty isn’t someone to do that, is he?”

“No, he’s not. He’s someone who will relish taking advantage of a good fool. But the second princess has value worth using for a long time, they say.”

Isaac gently moved his index finger from side to side.

“Noah, Noah, Noah. You’ve been with His Majesty for several years, and you still don’t know? Will His Majesty help just because there’s value in using?”

“No, that’s not it either. If there’s value in using, he’ll threaten to suck out even the marrow.”

“That’s right. Such a person has been investing several days to meet the Western Queen Consort, even though he dislikes her enough to want to chew her up. Then what does that mean?”

“The second princess is the future Northern Queen Consort. That’s what it means.”

“That’s right. Just that. Only His Majesty hasn’t realized it, but we all know, don’t we?”

Isaac poured liquor into a glass and pushed it in front of Noah.

“So drink up. It’s something to celebrate.”

Noah looked down at the glass as he wet his lips, then said, “Ah, I don’t know!” and lifted the glass.

He gulped down the liquor in the glass in one go and spoke.

“But will the Queen Consort like our lord? When I saw her last time, her expression was not very good even in front of the lord.”

“Where’s the woman who doesn’t like our Majesty?”

“Well, that’s true, but …”

Noah recalled Ariana, whom he had seen in the pergola.

So far, women who faced Cyrus were lost in his appearance, but Ariana was different.

Her pretty and lovely face was full of annoyance, and she seemed in a hurry to end the conversation with Cyrus.

Not because the situation was urgent, but because she really seemed to find Cyrus annoying.

To Noah’s eyes, Cyrus looked like a man who was playing tricks on a woman who disliked him, but he could never voice that thought.

Unaware of Noah’s thoughts, Isaac chuckled and said.

“When we take the Queen Consort, Duke Heren will be really happy, won’t he?”

+++

When the dresses to be taken for the social season arrived, Rachel thought she could no longer remain like this.

Rachel took out one dress after another from the box and examined them. Her eyes sparkled as she picked up Ariana’s dress.

When she had these dresses made, she never imagined she would be in this situation. She thought that when Ariana wore this dress, it would be not at a royal party, but at a wedding with Alfrey Count.

But nothing happened to Ariana, Victoria was framed for murder, and Rachel was rumored to be a woman who abused her own daughter.

Was that all?

Her husband, whom she thought was entirely on her side, and her father, whom she expected to help her in a crisis, both turned their backs on Rachel.

The Western Queen Consort sent no news after a single letter, and Jacob didn’t even return to the mansion. Rumor had it that he had taken a woman from some extreme as his lover and stayed at her house.

At any other time, she wouldn’t have left Jacob’s lover alone, but now she had no choice but to endure, even if her eyes bled.

Rachel gnashed her teeth and flung the dress she was holding.

She then commanded the maid.

“Bring me a maid. A girl who came from living in the country. Her parents must both be alive, preferably with many siblings, and she must have a lot of affection for her family.”