The Grand Duke remained silent, bowing his head, and the Crown Prince slightly twisted his lips and continued.
“The North cannot be blockaded unless it’s a state of war. Even if it was for a short while due to a minor incident, the North has violated the Imperial Family’s covenant.”
Today’s prey was the North, which was teetering on the edge of the line drawn by the Imperial Family.
“What do you think, Count Vizel? Come on, plead on behalf of the Grand Duke. You must give me a proper answer. Otherwise, the person you all support as your king will be in a difficult position.”
The Crown Prince, who aimed for the heart to get what he wanted, was persistent. The meeting, which was proceeding under the Crown Prince’s command, smelled of blood.
On that day, the image of the successor, who had revealed his hidden claws, was deeply etched in everyone’s minds.
While those who attended the meeting were being thoroughly grilled by the Crown Prince, Silbert’s carriage entered the Imperial Palace.
Everyone in the Imperial Palace thought that Silbert’s carriage would head to the Empress’s palace. The friendship between the Dowager Countess Silbert and the Empress was a known fact.
Whenever the Silbert carriage, used only by the Dowager Countess, entered, it would head to the Empress’s palace. However, this time, the carriage turned and moved toward the Second Imperial Palace.
The smoothly moving wheels stopped, and the person who got out of the carriage first was the much-rumored third son of Silbert. His beauty was so great that it instantly stopped the steps of those passing by. The man smiled warmly and held someone’s hand.
Naturally, everyone’s gaze followed his hand and focused on the inside of the carriage. The person who got out holding his hand was a noblewoman they had never seen before. However, she was also someone everyone knew by rumor.
‘That’s the woman who captured Lexion Silbert!’
‘Wow, she looks like she has a strong will, for sure.’
‘That’s why she’s called ‘the Queen.’ She tamed that playboy in one go.’
The administrative nobles, maids, servants, and even knights were all whispering to each other.
Their mouths were sealed by the small child who came out later. The black-haired boy’s eyes were shining as if the Imperial Palace was a magical place. Unsurprisingly, no one knew that it was a fabricated expression.
“Welcome.”
The chief of staff, who assisted the Crown Prince, came out and greeted them.
“It is an honor to serve you. His Highness the Crown Prince is still in a meeting, so we have prepared a place nearby.”
“The meeting still hasn’t ended?”
At Lexion’s question, the chief of staff just bowed his head without a word.
“Please lead the way. My wife, shall we go?”
At Lexion’s polite attitude, she smiled and took care of the child.
“Shall we go, Ash?”
“Yes!”
The three of them entered an empty reception room in the Second Imperial Palace, guided by the chief of staff. In the Second Imperial Palace, where all the departments were located, there was naturally no space for the Crown Prince. Despite the rushed preparations, everything was perfect.
They were looking at the steaming tea and looking around for a moment. Before the tea even cooled down, the Crown Prince entered.
“His Highness the Crown Prince is entering. Show your respect.”
When the door opened and the Crown Prince entered, it felt as if the surroundings brightened up. He was a man who was like a symbol of the Imperial Family, spun with golden threads.
“Oh, you must be Lexion’s wife.”
The Crown Prince didn’t sit down at a distance but took a big step toward Millena.
“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince. My name is Millena Silbert.”
“I am Lauren de Lucifer Venesio. I am Lexion’s friend and also the Crown Prince. I hope we can become close as well.”
The Crown Prince lifted her hand and kissed it. The way his eyes narrowed gently resembled someone.
Lexion’s eyebrows twitched at the smacking sound of the kiss. Enjoying Lexion’s reaction, the Crown Prince looked at Millena’s elegantly tied-up hair.
“What beautiful blonde hair, you have.”
The Crown Prince said, still not letting go of her hand.
“Do you know this, my wife?”
His golden eyes looked at her green eyes as if to see right through her.
“How the Imperial Family’s unique golden hair became so common.”
“Pardon?”
“The people of the former Imperial Family spread their seed far and wide, and the tradition was thinly spread to even the distant collateral families, making golden hair common in the Empire. You might even be my distant relative.”
Her hair was a very light blonde. When her expression hardened because she didn’t know how to react, the Crown Prince smiled faintly and let go of her hand.
“Oh, I went too far with my joke.”
“No, Your Highness.”
“Hmm, but it’s strange. I feel comfortable with you. Is that why the Duke fell for you?”
“Your Highness.”
Lexion, who had been quietly watching, stepped forward. ‘That’s enough,’ his eyes warned.
The Crown Prince backed away smoothly. And then, he turned his gaze to the child who had been quiet.
“Oh, it’s the Young Duke. The child Lexion took it upon himself to be the guardian of.”
“I greet His Highness the Crown Prince. I am Ashdel Luxen.”
The child’s greeting, which used Imperial Palace etiquette, was surprisingly natural. The Dowager Countess’s crash course education was shining.
“Yes, Luxen. The young Luxen has arrived.”
The feeling of seeing the young Luxen was not bad at all. He had put considerable pressure on the North in the meeting. He had taken a step forward in weakening the North’s military power. The future seemed to be smooth.
“I can’t stand kids usually. But maybe it’s because he’s your wife’s nephew. I like him.”
The Crown Prince said to Lexion, but Ashdel, with a good sense of reading the room, just bowed his head. The Crown Prince, who was quietly looking down at the child, offered them a seat.
“Now, sit. I’ve specially procured tea and refreshments from the Saffron Kingdom. Have a taste.”
The tea time with the Crown Prince flowed smoothly, belying the initial tension. The topics of conversation were ordinary, but occasionally, the Crown Prince would flaunt his friendship with Lexion to Millena.
“This friend of mine bragged about his wife so much. It made me quite jealous, you know.”
“If you’re so jealous, Your Highness, you should take a consort.”
The one who spoke mostly was the Crown Prince, and Lexion would only give short replies.
“Haha, you’re good at joking. I’ll think about it when I become the Emperor. Though you’ll have to put in some effort for that.”
Lexion barely managed to stop his expression from hardening and smiled subtly.
She, reading the subtle atmosphere between the Crown Prince and Lexion, just added a few words here and there.
A not-so-short time passed in a warm atmosphere, and then,
“Your Highness, the meeting has ended.”
At the chief of staff’s whisper, the Crown Prince smiled brightly and ended the gathering.
“Shall we get up now? I just remembered something I haven’t finished yet. It was nice to meet you, my wife. Oh, and Young Duke as well.”
Millena and Ashdel greeted him, and as Lexion was about to leave with them, the Crown Prince stopped him.
“Young Duke Lexion. You’re staying. We have something to do, don’t we?”
“…Understood.”
The Crown Prince laughed charmingly, receiving Lexion’s displeased gaze.
“Please guide my wife and the Young Duke to the carriage. Oh, my wife. I’ll send the Duke’s nephew right away, so please wait in front of the carriage.”
After Millena and Ashdel left, the Crown Prince ordered the refreshments to be cleared and alcohol to be brought out. As if it had been prepared beforehand, a table with alcohol was quickly set up. The Crown Prince swirled the glass containing the amber liquid and opened his mouth.
“The child shows quite some promise.”
“He is a smart child.”
“Hmm. It wouldn’t be bad to secure the next Grand Duke in advance. Here, take this. I felt that mine wasn’t enough, so I had the Emperor’s seal stamped on it.”
He took the guardianship papers he had entrusted to Lexion earlier. It was a misuse of the Emperor’s seal, but neither of them felt any hesitation.
“Was the meeting to your satisfaction?”
“Hmm, I’m just a small-minded person who’s only interested in luxury and pleasure, aren’t I? On top of that, I enjoy women and blood. When such a person appeared, everyone’s faces were a sight to behold, keke.”
‘He seems to be satisfied.’
Lexion poured his share of the liquid into the glass on the table and took a sip. The bitter, high-proof liquid felt like it was scorching his throat. There was nothing better to get one’s head straight. It was something the Crown Prince and he often used.
“Now that the Grand Duke is away, it would be great if you could just get rid of him and expand the territory.”
“If a war breaks out, who will fight?”
There were plenty of people who could step in. Lexion’s face turned cold as the Crown Prince shrugged his shoulders.
“Are you planning to put my sister in charge? If Silbert’s influence grows, then our ducal family will become the next target.”
The Crown Prince made a slip of the tongue in front of a person who cared about his family more than anyone else. He immediately admitted it.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Lexi. I was rude.”
“I told you not to use that name.”
The Crown Prince laughed nonchalantly as Lexion’s eyes gleamed as if he was about to kill him.
“Haha, it’s okay for my brother, but not for me? You really only care about your brother and your family, Lexi.”
The Crown Prince was even more persistent when told not to do something. Lexion didn’t even bother to reply.
“So.”
The Crown Prince raised his glass as if proposing a toast and looked at Lexion. His golden eyes, seen through the glass, shimmered fiercely.
“Who is the reckless blood relative of mine who’s been crawling around?”
“The tenth.”
It was also Lexion’s job to manage the Emperor’s illegitimate children. He had been even busier lately due to the unexpected actions of an illegitimate child.
“Number 10. Oh, you mean the one from a slave background.”
“He’s been organizing mercenaries.”
“Why do they all squirm around like worms? Don’t they have a brain? It seems they forget the fear etched into their bodies so easily.”
“I agree.”
Thanks to that, the time he could spend with Millena had also decreased, which made Lexion even more displeased.
“I have the head of the information guild on my side. It’s a shame for that side. So, which family did he side with?”
He pulled out a thick stack of reports from his magic pouch and put it on the table. He gave a slight nod, as if to say, ‘Take it.’
