Suddenly, Valen was reminded of Diana coming with a letter on a previous occasion.
Only then did he let out a brief sigh.
“Ah, you’re talking about the matter related to the joint subjugation effort.”
“That’s right. It seems Your Highness has been giving it some thought as well.”
He had completely forgotten about it, but instead of replying, Valen raised the champagne glass he was holding and took a sip.
Diana pressed close to him in an affectionate manner.
“Valen. Couldn’t you help the East just a little?”
“With what?”
“I’m not asking for much. It’s just that… Princess Liselotte has been putting too much pressure on us…”
Liselotte?
Valen frowned.
In the past, it would have been a story he accepted without question.
From what he vaguely remembered of Diana’s explanation, this was clearly Liselotte’s fault.
And yet, despite that, she had shamelessly demanded money, which made him click his tongue at how brazen and cruel she remained even after marriage.
Wasn’t that why he had hosted this banquet in the first place?
Diana lifted her head as if pleading.
“Couldn’t you just mediate a little?”
“Mediation…”
“If Your Highness verifies the facts and makes a decision, what could be more fair and just than that?”
At a single word from him, even the Senate would have no choice but to read the room.
Especially when it came to matters related to subjugation, there were so many differences from region to region.
As a result, the outcome was difficult to predict by law alone.
At times, it was vague enough to draw criticism, so it wasn’t uncommon for the Emperor or the Crown Prince to make a unilateral decision.
Diana’s request was understandable to a certain extent.
Strangely, Valen felt his insides burn as he took another drink of champagne.
Diana, looking up at him with moist eyes, seemed unbearably pitiful.
But—
‘Did she really interfere in the joint subjugation effort however she pleased?’
The Liselotte he had seen recently at the trial hadn’t acted like someone that unreasonable.
Her tone and attitude were still irritating.
But if one set aside personal feelings and listened carefully, with proper attention, what she said wasn’t entirely wrong either.
Unexpectedly, it didn’t seem like complete nonsense.
In fact, he had had the same impression back when he read the letter Diana had shown him.
‘Even then, I was surprised that the joint subjugation letter was more reasonable than I expected.’
Liselotte soon returned to the banquet hall together with Eren.
Even now, the Grand Duke couldn’t take his eyes off her.
‘Someone who was always so intimidating seems like a different person in front of Liselotte.’
He was someone who always stared through others with cold, chilling golden eyes.
That was precisely why Valen had invited Eren to the banquet.
If he saw it for himself, he would be able to tell at a glance whether Liselotte had really been acting on a whim.
Valen knew that Eren had nomadic blood, but that fact had never bothered him.
His father had taught him that way, and he himself believed it was right.
Even so, Eren had always been cold and never revealed his emotions.
Even when the marriage order had come down, he had dismissed it with a simple acknowledgment.
‘If the Grand Duke entrusted the joint subjugation effort to her, then there must have been a reason.’
He recalled Liselotte defending herself at the banquet.
Rolling the champagne glass slowly in his hand for a moment, he replied bluntly,
“Hmm. It’s better to follow the law.”
“Ah…”
Diana visibly sank, clearly disappointed.
Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, Valen quietly added an explanation.
“As a rule, the Central authority intervenes as little as possible in matters related to subjugation between Houses.”
“I know. I do know, but this has been so hard on us…”
Her eyelids trembled as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
His heart ached for her, but since he didn’t know exactly what had happened during the joint subjugation, it would be difficult for him to intervene.
“On top of that, the recent rumors about the East haven’t been good. People might even start saying that I used my position to force a mediation.”
“Wouldn’t things settle down instead if you mediated, Valen? Since it would be a decisive outcome?”
“My relationship with Liselotte isn’t good. People might say I’m being biased instead.”
“…I didn’t think of that. I’m sorry, Valen. I brought this up needlessly…”
A loud voice from a Palace attendant rang through the banquet hall.
“His Majesty, Emperor Larde Perida is entering!”
Seeing Diana press her lips tightly together, Valen quietly turned his head away.
***
The doors of the Great Hall opened, and Larde, wrapped in a red cloak, strode in.
The loosely worn smile, the gentle eyes, even the light-colored pupils resembled Liselotte.
In contrast, aside from their violet hair, he seemed even more distant from Valen, whose impression was sharper, due to the difference in their overall air.
Toward those who bowed their heads in unison to pay their respects, he raised one hand and lightly accepted the greeting.
As he headed toward the throne set upon the dais, he spotted Eren and stopped in his tracks.
“Well now, Grand Duke. It’s been a while.”
“I greet the sun of our vast Empire.”
Larde lightly patted Eren’s shoulder with one hand and tilted his head.
“Hoho, have you grown taller since I last saw you?”
“I am the same as ever.”
“Then has my back already begun to stoop?”
“Your Majesty is unchanged as well.”
“Your way of speaking feels familiar somehow. Are you starting to resemble Liselotte?”
Only then did the two men’s gazes turn toward Liselotte, who had been standing quietly beside them.
Since she had gone to the North, this was the first time they had faced each other in an official setting.
Liselotte bent her knees just enough to offer a greeting.
“It has been a while since I last saw the father of our Empire.”
Just as she was finishing—
The knee that had been about to bend further was pulled back upright by a force at her waist.
“My wife’s ankle is not in good condition, so we will offer our greetings today and withdraw early.”
“We’ve barely seen each other’s faces, and you’re already in a hurry.”
“We already met at the court, did we not?”
“That was merely running into each other by chance. It doesn’t count as having met.”
“That is sophistry.”
The same shameless nonchalance he had shown over his so-called injured little finger came through in his voice.
Even so, Eren didn’t yield.
As the Head of one of the Four Great Houses, he must have had frequent opportunities to have audiences with the Emperor.
‘Surprisingly, are they not on bad terms?’
When she subtly lifted her head, her eyes met Larde’s, who was looking at her with a calm smile.
The casually worn smile and the gaze that seemed gentle yet sharp made his expression difficult to read.
He was neither acknowledging her greeting nor reproaching Eren for his discourteous behavior.
That made it all the more frightening, because she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
‘Honestly, Valen was easier. He’s an idiot, but his father is a fox.’
Not just any fox, but one that had swallowed a thousand-year-old sly serpent.
That much was evident from the way he had watched Liselotte under the guise of noninterference, then sent her off to the North the moment she crossed the line, as if it had all been prepared.
Suddenly, Liselotte grew curious.
What the true reason was for deliberately postponing the banquet.
And what his intention had been in having so many nobles witness the trial.
“Your Majesty.”
At her call, Larde nodded, signaling for her to speak.
“Thanks to you, there were many eyes watching at the court, and it was quite enjoyable.”
Liselotte expressed her gratitude with a bright smile.
Thanks to that, unlike the first day of the banquet, she had been able to exchange greetings with many people, so all things considered, it wasn’t a bad outcome.
It was something she could say only because the trial had ended safely.
If she had lost the case, the one who would have had to endure harsh words here would have been Liselotte.
So it was difficult to judge his actions favorably when she didn’t know his intentions.
Perhaps her words were unexpected, because he blinked. Soon after, Larde, wearing a faint smile, calmly tilted his head.
“It seems the Princess has become more petulant after going to the North. Is this because I didn’t attend the second hearing? Did you miss this father of yours that much?”
‘How do you listen to someone to come up with an answer like that?’
So absurd was it that Liselotte’s voice rose slightly.
“How is that petulance?! I told you very clearly that I enjoyed it!”
If she had her way, she wanted to write down exactly what she had said, hang it on the wall, and explain it piece by piece.
But Larde raised a hand to stop Liselotte and once again gave Eren’s shoulder a few light pats.
“I understand what you are saying. For today, return early, and we shall meet again another time.”
Before any rebuttal could follow, he left his place.
It was a clear sign that he didn’t wish to continue the conversation.
Watching Larde offer greetings to the other nobles one by one, Liselotte turned her steps toward the exit.
