Chapter 73

“Isn’t she cute?”

 

Melanie, perhaps overwhelmed with resentment from the public display of affection, teared up and disappeared into the distance with her group. I found her exit, like the protagonist of a tragic love story, ridiculous.

 

“What was that, seriously?”

 

“Don’t worry about her. People like that are just coveting the Weiss name. Why didn’t you just call me right away instead of listening to such harsh words because of me?”

 

“Why bother? When I can handle it myself?”

 

“I just don’t like you being criticized because of me.”

 

Evan murmured with a melancholic look. I smiled faintly and ruffled his hair.

 

“I’ll call you anytime I’m in danger, so don’t worry. Come on, let’s eat something delicious. They say couples often come here. Maybe…”

 

Since the atmosphere was heavily off-putting for men, Evan was the only male I saw.

 

I laid out various desserts on the table, and Evan and I ate them happily together. We paid no mind to the glances around us. In fact, we acted openly for them to see.

 

“Here, ah!”

 

Evan opened his mouth with a bright smile.

 

‘How cute.’

 

I looked at him with eyes full of affection. A pink aura surrounded us, and I heard people murmuring that the newspaper articles must have been all wrong.

 

‘So don’t even try to covet him.’

 

I smirked. But Evan was rubbing his chin in front of me, seriously contemplating something.

 

“Let’s definitely come again next time.”

 

Evan said, his clear eyes curving into an arc. He was slouched over the table, propping his chin with his hand, like a person comfortably nestled in a cozy bed.

 

“Let’s always be like this. Even if things like this happen occasionally… you mustn’t dislike me.”

 

A small sense of unease was visible in his violet eyes. He blinked sadly, like an abandoned kitten. I leaned forward and chuckled.

 

“That won’t happen anymore.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Well… if you’re worried about that time… it happened because I was mistaken about something. And Evan, you said it yourself. You won’t let what I fear ever happen.”

 

“…You still don’t plan to tell me what it is?”

 

Evan gently took my hand and asked with a worried expression. He scrutinized me with fierce eyes, determined to resolve my anxiety and nip the problem in the bud.

 

I chewed on my fork and pondered.

 

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”

 

Evan looked slightly disappointed but smiled gently, understanding.

 

“As long as you don’t leave me, either way is fine.”

 

His gaze was kind, but an intense, sticky feeling tangled in the air.

 

Truly… how can he be so devoted? I sighed at my foolishness for not realizing it sooner.

 

 

***

 

 

Hedeis, calming his indignation, made his way to see the Empress.

 

“That arrogant little brat, so much like Teorus…”

 

Veins popped out on his jaw, strained with resentment.

 

“The Empress is supporting me, and he dares to defy me?”

 

He believed that even though the current Duke Weiss was keeping him in check, the connections he had built up over the years were just as strong.

 

He couldn’t give up at the moment when the chance to take House Weiss was faintly within his grasp. It was the regret of a lifetime that he was forced to marry into the House of Count Peralt as a son-in-law, having been expelled without inheriting the Weiss name.

 

Moreover, he thought it was the opportunity of a lifetime when the only son became terminally ill, but why did he have to regain his health now?

 

Hedeis firmly believed that with just a little more effort, House Weiss would be his.

 

“Your Majesty the Empress!”

 

Hedeis burst open the door to the reception room. Rishana was leisurely drinking tea. However, her expression was far from pleased. It was the look of someone bothered by an unwelcome visitor.

 

“That Evan is running rampant, relying on his position as the Young Duke. Your Majesty must surely empower me…!”

 

“Count Peralt. Do you intend to waste my time with just such a trivial matter?”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

He was taken aback by Rishana’s cynical reaction. Rishana clicked her tongue briefly, finding his demeanor pathetic. The fierce winter wind would not be colder than her words.

 

“How old is Young Duke Evan? Around Bastian’s age, I believe… And you were ignored without being able to utter a sound?”

 

His face flushed red and purple, feeling insulted. His supporters were the Empress’s people. That meant his disgraceful behavior had already been relayed to her.

 

Rishana’s sharp critique didn’t stop there.

 

“I am not your mother bird. I am not one to catch prey and feed it into your mouth. You seem to have come to demand more power… What have I been doing all this time? If I have invested this much in you, shouldn’t you show a commensurate result? Instead of showing results, you whine.”

 

“B-But…! The vigilance of House Weiss is…”

 

Rishana let out a short sneer and glanced at him with an expression of contempt.

 

“Did you think what you desired would come so easily? I have empowered you to the best of my ability. Yet, you are still cleaning up messes. You probably weren’t even aware that the Dukedom had begun pressuring me, were you?”

 

Rishana shook her head, seeing Hedeis’s wide-eyed surprise.

 

“Indeed, the caliber is different. Young Duke Weiss boldly presented a warning to me. While effectively shutting me up.”

 

Rishana motioned, and the maids ordered Hedeis to leave.

 

“Handle your own affairs from now on.”

 

Rishana’s words were close to saying that she no longer had expectations and that she was cutting ties.

 

“Y-Your Majesty the Empress! I was hasty. J-Just a little more time…!”

 

However, Rishana didn’t even look at him. His sobbing voice gradually faded away. She fell into thought.

 

“Tsk, I just wasted effort.”

 

“No one could have imagined this, Your Majesty.”

 

“Yes. Lady Clies has achieved the unimaginable. And she is receiving the Duke’s deep affection. Ah, yes. How is that little boy doing?”

 

Rishana thought of Fedeshar. Whenever they encountered each other by chance, he would politely bow his head, but his eyes revealed his hostility, unable to hide it.

 

It was only natural. They had consistently sent assassins and attempted poisoning. Conversely, Bastian also faced assassination attempts and poisoning attempts.

 

Rishana laughed cheerfully. She didn’t see it as audacious. Rather, it was a good sign. Ultimately, the superior one will win. All that struggle will only make Bastian stronger. And she believed Bastian would win in the end. Why? Because he was her son.

 

“I heard he’s holding meetings with the Emperor’s faction of nobles.”

 

“His Majesty is also a difficult person. If he followed my advice, he could establish an empire as strong as when he ascended the throne.”

 

The maid bowed her head, pretending not to hear Rishana’s confident remark. She slowly set down her tea.

 

However, one never knows how things will turn out. A superior person can also be defeated. By a very small mistake or change.

 

“But the result is unknown until the very end. Just as I engineered it.”

 

“Your words are correct.”

 

Many people comment that the current Emperor, who had little recognition in the empire, was placed on the throne because of the current Empress.

 

That statement was truly accurate. She had eliminated all competitors. The desire and craving to rise to the top made her strong.

 

Rishana wiped the lipstick mark from the teacup with her finger.

 

“Lepina Clies… What should I do… She’s the kind of child who has the potential to thwart my plans, just like the current Duchess.”

 

It would be quite bothersome if such a person became the future Duchess. Rishana was not the type to give up just because Evan had warned her. Especially at this moment, when the Dukedom’s support is still ambiguous.

 

But conversely, she found it a shame. Sharp mind, crisis management skills that didn’t falter in perilous situations, charm that attracts people, and a young lady who is loved by the public.

 

“It would have been better if she had been paired with Bastian. Isn’t she perfect as the Crown Princess?”

 

“Her actions are reminiscent of Your Majesty the Empress in your younger days. Of course, she is still an unripened fruit compared to Your Majesty.”

 

Rishana smiled at the maid’s pleasurable reply. What she wanted was a powerful empire that no one could covet. For that, the person who ascended to the position of Empress must also be intelligent.

 

“Shall I hold a tea party at the Imperial Palace after a long time?”

 

“I shall send an invitation to Miss Lepina Clies.”

 

Rishana chuckled.

 

“I often thought about it. I was so worried about who Bastian took after, as he showed no interest in women. If he had a woman he loved, he could have been motivated to covet the throne using her…”

 

The maid realized that Rishana was considering Lepina as the Crown Princess.

 

“Your Majesty the Empress, the newspapers reported their separation, but recent rumors suggest otherwise.”

 

“Rumors are meant to be turned into facts. It depends on Bastian’s capability, of course. I heard Bastian once visited the young lady’s mansion.”

 

“Yes. That is correct.”

 

“Since the day after that… the child has changed a little. For better or for worse. And my intuition whispers that Miss Clies caused that impact. If the young lady chooses Bastian, the Duke won’t be able to do anything about it, will he? Even if that doesn’t happen, it will be a sufficient motivation for Bastian.”

 

The maid nodded, understanding. Rishana’s plan was not limited to just that.

 

“Furthermore, I plan to entrust the Delta family’s affairs to the young lady. The young lady will handle it well. Shouldn’t I use her in ways other than just heeding the Young Duke’s warning or killing her?”

 

“I see. Since it’s a matter of the state, the young lady will find it difficult to refuse, and if the young lady moves, the Dukedom will also move. To the outside world, it will appear as if His Highness and the Dukedom worked together to resolve it.”

 

Rishana burst into a pleasant laugh.

 

“Drop a hint to Bastian as well. I need to see how he reacts.”