In a way, Marina, Karl’s mother, was entangled in the circumstances that led to the loss of his parents.

Karl’s father, Prince Mainhardt, left the capital voluntarily to avoid being a threat to his brother, Prince Bayern, who was often discussed for his frail health.

The empire’s military was divided into three types: Primo for royal protection, Alter for capital defense, and Tertio for regional protection. Prince Mainhardt, as the commander of Tertio, dedicated himself to defending the empire’s borders, showing no interest in the throne.

Yet, Marina saw Mainhardt as a threat and persuaded Emperor Alexander to continually send him to dangerous front-line battles.

Mainhardt bravely fought on the front lines to protect the empire and died heroically in battle. Karl was only three years old at the time. Since his mother had passed away giving birth to him, he became an orphan at the age of three.

This was why Franz was treated as an unwelcome presence.

“We must expose those wretches this time. I’m counting on you, Karl.”

Wearing the crown must have been too heavy for the young emperor, just 14 years old. The throne was too big for such a young boy.

Pulcheria had never been at ease, seating her young nephew on the throne. Her anxiety only grew as Franz roamed freely in the royal palace. Her worst fears were realized with the death of Emperor Maximilian.

Upon hearing of Maximilian’s death, Pulcheria fainted. Karl was concerned she might collapse again in excitement.

“Please, don’t be too angry, Aunt. It’s harmful to your health.”

“How can I lie down and sleep until the culprit is found? Oh, Almighty…”

Pulcheria wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. She couldn’t afford to shed tears until the perpetrator was found and punished.

Only after exposing everything and holding the criminal accountable could she fully mourn. Pulcheria swallowed her tears of blood.

Franz and his mother might have hidden the real causes of the former emperor’s and crown prince’s deaths under the guise of natural causes, but there was no such excuse for the young emperor Maximilian.

The empire would doubt the mysterious death of the young emperor, and people would wonder who led the innocent young emperor to death. Amidst all eyes, the stage was set to uncover the truth of the imperial assassination.

Karl, as the head of the royal investigation and acting military governor, was determined to find the murderer of his cousin, the emperor.

Apart from this, Karl had a mountain of tasks to handle, but investigating the imperial assassination was his top priority. And then…

Karl’s thoughts were interrupted by a familiar silhouette. Buried among the sea of black attire, the purple hair was unmistakable.

“…Celeste.”

Her matter was also one of his most pressing responsibilities. Not just one of them, but the ‘most important’ one.

His gaze naturally hovered around her. The child was not in sight, appropriate for the occasion. A sigh of perhaps disappointment escaped him.

“By the way, Karl. I heard a new rumor.”

Pulcheria whispered softly after drying her tears.

“It was an unusual rumor, something I hadn’t heard before.”

“What rumor are you referring to?”

“It was about you, but well…”
I had a rough idea of what she was going to say. Ever since I appeared at the train station with Celeste, the tabloids had been churning out all sorts of gossip daily.

“You’ve got a woman now.”

“That’s certainly a new kind of rumor.”

“Exactly. That’s why at first, I thought it was nonsense.”

“You thought right.”

“But there’s not entirely no basis for it, Karl.”

“…”

“Don’t you have anything to say to me about that rumor?”

“What would you have me say, Aunt?”

“Whether the rumor is true or not. And if it is, to what extent.”

“Well, I’m not quite sure about the veracity myself.”

“Ah, such an exasperating fellow. Do you enjoy teasing your old aunt who’s out of energy?”

Karl smiled faintly. It wasn’t exactly the place for smiles, but Pulcheria’s playful complaint sounded quite amusing.

“I’m not sure what you’ve heard, but…”

“But?”

“It’s true.”

“What?”

“Yes. Everything you’ve heard in those rumors.”

Pulcheria barely managed to keep herself from jumping out of her seat. Her mouth agape, she turned to look beside her, but Karl sat there calmly.

“So, you mean…”

“Yes. That’s why I plan to marry.”

“What, marry?”

“The funeral service restricts any other ceremonies for a while, but I’m thinking about when would be appropriate.”

“That… the person involved, is it who I think it is?”

“If you’ve heard the correct rumor, then yes.”

Karl was always very deliberate before making a decision, but once he reached a conclusion, he never looked back. This trait was why he rose to head the royal investigation.

Pulcheria stuttered, repeating exclamations like “ah”, “well”, “I mean”, clearly at a loss for words.

Why had Karl, who seemed indifferent to women, suddenly changed like this? Pulcheria couldn’t understand his abrupt behavior.

When she heard that he had appeared at the train station with the young lady of the Louizete household, or rather now a Countess herself, Pulcheria initially thought it was just a business-related matter.

However, as time passed, the rumors she heard began to diverge into different kinds.

The whispers claimed that Karl had volunteered for a business trip as an excuse to engage in an affair, and that he and his lover were irreversibly entangled…

Well, that was fine until she learned that the woman was one of those involved in a scandal with Franz.

Karl, who seemed uninterested in women, getting involved with a woman not known for her chastity, and moreover, one who had been entangled in rumors with the detested Franz, was something Pulcheria couldn’t accept.

Glancing to the side, she saw Karl staring intently at someone. Following his gaze, Pulcheria saw a strikingly noticeable person and fell deep into thought.

Karl was like a son to her. An impeccable, bright, and rational young man, but naïve about women. The fact that he was involved with a woman of bad repute was disconcerting.

What to do about this? Pulcheria frowned deeply.
The long funeral service was finally reaching its end. Given that it was the emperor’s state funeral, the ceremonies were to continue for two more days. Relieved that I wouldn’t have to attend every day, I let out a sigh of relief, which Hanna quickly noticed and asked if I was uncomfortable. Not wanting to appear disrespectful by complaining about mere discomfort at someone’s funeral, I awkwardly shook my head.

14 years old. In Korea, that would have been just a first-year middle schooler. What could have caused such a young life to end so abruptly? I took a moment to quietly mourn the young emperor, whose face I didn’t even know.

“Lady. It seems we can start moving now.”

Except for a few noblewomen, most people had already left their seats. Those remaining appeared more interested in approaching Lady Pulcheria than in mourning the late emperor.

I casually scanned the noblewomen gathered around Lady Pulcheria and glanced at the seat beside me. Karl had been sitting there until the ceremony ended, but he had left as soon as it was over.

I had hoped to exchange at least a few words or a distant greeting with Karl, whom I hadn’t seen in days. However, in a brief moment when my attention was elsewhere, he had disappeared.

“He’s so busy.”

“Are you referring to the Duke? Indeed. He seems very occupied, especially now that he’s acting as the emperor’s regent.”

Hanna seemed to notice my disappointment and offered a sort of explanation for Karl’s busyness. She then helped me tidy up my dress again.