Duke Matiel entered the royal palace before the bureaucrats’ meeting and requested an audience with King Lyuen.

She had already finished all preparations to attend the meeting, and when Matiel was guided inside, she was double-checking the agenda items while the maids were arranging the hem of her dress.

Despite the early morning, her appearance was impeccable.

“Duke of Elinak, good morning.”

Matiel bowed his head.

“Did you sleep well last night, Your Majesty?”

“You may leave now.”

The maids glanced at each other’s faces once and quickly vacated the room.

King Lyuen joked while adjusting the decoration on the front of her dress.

“I don’t like today’s dress. I don’t particularly like this color, it seems Joel’s sense has declined a bit.”

Joel was the close maid in charge of her overall clothing and daily care.

Although she held the position of Marchioness of Pantry, she was actually a commoner-born dressmaker who had been in charge of clothing for a long time due to her aesthetic sense catching King Lyuen’s eye.

‘The close maid might change soon. I hope she’s less picky than the Marchioness of Pantry.’

Matiel thought. However, King Lyuen didn’t seem to want to continue the topic of the dress.

She looked at Matiel while switching the paper she was holding from her right hand to her left.

“Coming to see me this early means you wanted to avoid others’ eyes. Tell me. What’s the matter?”

“I came to report about what happened at Baron Liberon’s second son’s funeral yesterday. As it was late, I thought no one would have reported it yet.”

King Lyuen’s expression changed slightly.

“What happened at the funeral?”

Matiel slowly lowered his gaze—although it wasn’t necessary, he thought showing that much agitation was appropriate—and carefully began his story.

From the fact that Baron Liberon’s second son had faked his death in collusion with his friend who was a doctor, to the attempt to bury alive another friend who had reported embezzlement.

While listening to his concise explanation, King Lyuen only slightly parted her lips or raised her eyebrows, showing no particularly surprised reaction.

Even when Matiel finished his story, she only let out a short sigh.

“I see, so that’s what happened.”

Matiel’s eyes quietly blinked at King Lyuen’s words. She walked to the window and touched the delicately decorated window frame with her fingertips.

“I knew Baron Liberon’s second son was unremarkable, but to think he would do such a thing. The Baron must be heartbroken.”

At that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through Matiel’s mind. Even though he thought it impossible, he couldn’t help but ask.

“Your Majesty, did you perhaps know about this?”

King Lyuen’s fingertips paused for a moment as they were caressing the window frame.

After an elaborately crafted moment of silence, the king turned her head and smiled faintly.

With slightly drooping eyebrows and a smile, bathed in the rising morning sunlight, she looked like an ordinary middle-aged woman rather than her usual majestic self.

“How could that be? Didn’t the Duke say so too? It was too late to receive any reports.”

“…I see. If Your Majesty is not overly concerned…”

“While I feel sorry for the aging Baron Liberon, Tedderbine Liberon’s crime is not something that can be lightly dismissed. If we were to punish him half-heartedly just because he’s a nobleman’s son, how could the people of Roynock trust the royal family? Don’t you agree?”

“Your Majesty’s words are correct.”

The sound of engines running came from the air. It was the sound of small aircraft belonging to the Roynock royal family returning from patrolling the border areas.

King Lyuen gazed at the cityscape visible beyond the palace gardens and said:

“Tedderbine Liberon and his accomplice will be executed. Considering his father Baron Liberon’s position, the execution itself will be private, but the fact of the execution will be announced. What do you think, Duke?”

“I have no objections.”

The king smiled slightly.

“Good. But one thing.”

Matiel looked at her. An unusual light flickered in King Lyuen’s eyes.

It was a gaze that seemed both playful and reproachful.

“Matiel, while carefully pondering your report, I realized one thing. Tedderbine Liberon and that doctor… When they were caught at the scene, there was someone else besides you. Isn’t that right?”

Matiel’s eyes widened slightly. He had deliberately not mentioned Charlotte.

He hadn’t lied, but intentionally glossed over her presence.

It was only natural to be flustered when this was pointed out right in front of him.

King Lyuen prompted for an answer again.

“Isn’t that right, Matiel?”

“…Yes, Your Majesty. It wasn’t that I deliberately didn’t mention it, but…”

“Is it that Berrett’s daughter you mentioned before?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The king let out a short sigh.

“I thought I told you not to involve that child.”

Matiel replied.

“Wasn’t that about the Old Church’s matter, namely the serial killings in the Eliky region? I have been faithfully following Your Majesty’s words regarding that matter. Also, I didn’t intentionally take her to the Liberon Baron’s house.”

“Then you met by chance? There?”

“You may not believe it, but that’s correct. She said she thought there was a demon beast giving off a terrible fishy smell.”

“A fishy smell. So was there actually a demon beast?”

Matiel shook his head.

“There was no demon beast. But the source of that smell—which I couldn’t smell—was apparently Tedderbine Liberon.”

King Lyuen frowned while still smiling.

“That’s a difficult story to understand.”

“I apologize for my inability to explain it accurately. But as I mentioned last time, she has much keener senses than others and excellent coping abilities. If we hadn’t encountered her by chance, it would have been much more difficult for me alone to capture Tedderbine Liberon and Louis Agen so easily.”

After a brief pause, Matiel added one more thing.

“The same goes for finding Lord Rogers’ diamond.”

“Matiel, you have always handled the Old Church’s matters well on your own. There hasn’t been a single task I ordered you to investigate or solve that you couldn’t accomplish. But listening to what you’ve been saying these past few days, it sounds as if she is absolutely necessary for the Old Church’s work. Have you lost confidence?”

“Not at all. That won’t happen, Your Majesty. If you order me, I will handle the tasks you command in the same way as before. However, I keep mentioning this because there are things that concern me about the Eliky region case.”

King Lyuen shook her head with a small laugh.

“I understand that you like that young lady, but my answer remains the same. If you say that there is something other than human involved in the Eliky region case… something that you, Matiel, or the other two from the Old Church find difficult to handle, then I’ll consider it.”

“I understand, Your Majesty.”

The king made a gesture indicating he could leave now, and then called the dismissed maids back in.

The sun had already risen high over the mountains, casting long rectangular shadows of light on the floor.

It was just as Matiel was about to leave the palace and turn into the east corridor.

The sound of hurried footsteps was heard from behind, and then a delicate woman’s voice caught Matiel by the scruff of his neck.

“Elder brother.”

Although he had noticed her presence from the sound of footsteps, Matiel, who had been ignoring her, closed his eyes tightly and stopped walking.

A woman wearing a voluminous and gorgeous dress, as if layers of butterfly wings were overlapped, stood blocking his way.

The woman had looks that would make even passersby turn to look.

Large, gentle drooping eyes with deep red irises that reminded one of a small, frightened animal like a rabbit.

Moreover, her skin looked as smooth and soft as white porcelain.

Her delicate features and red, plump lips were enchanting, and the small but distinct tear mole under her right eye made her uniquely melancholic impression even more beautiful.

The woman approached Matiel, her lips quivering.

“Elder brother, why are you ignoring me?”

Matiel slightly withdrew his body, avoiding her hand reaching out towards his arm.

The woman’s eyes immediately welled up with tears at his attitude that showed not a hint of warmth.

Matiel said:

“I’m too busy with my schedule to chat with you.”

“Don’t you have time even for a brief greeting with your younger sister?”

“If you were my real sister, I would have left you alone whether you called me or not, Edesa.”

In other words, he was showing the courtesy of acknowledging her because she wasn’t his real sister.

However, the woman called Edesa’s eyes widened, and a tear finally rolled down her white cheek.

Her cheeks flushed peach-colored, as if from embarrassment, anger, and sadness.

It was a pitiful face that would make anyone feel sorry, but Matiel didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.

“You’re too much.”

“You’re the one who’s too much. It’s fine to quickly look for another husband candidate because your brother passed away. It was just an engagement, not even a marriage, so you can’t waste your life over just that. But think about who you were trying to find as your new husband candidate.”

Edesa’s face reddened a bit more. Her shoulders trembling slightly, she said:

“I was originally supposed to marry into the Elinak ducal family. If elder brother Lotus passed away, naturally…”

“That’s exactly what’s too much.”

Edesa looked up at Matiel with a tearful expression.