“…….”

The Emperor remained silent. And Seth interpreted this as a positive sign. Thus, he continued with his words.

“All I desire is one thing, Ariadeline. Just her.”

“You want that woman?”

The Emperor spoke as if he hadn’t expected it. To think he would go to such lengths for that one woman. Is his life not worth anything?

“To receive a love that risks one’s life, one must risk their own life in return.”

“I don’t see what’s so special about her. Before she was freed from her criminal status, she was just a woman who faced hardship.”

“That’s because he was too foolish to see her brilliance.”

Seth Dolorante smiled crookedly for the first time.

“But now you want to have her? That doesn’t make any sense.”

The Emperor quietly watched his expression change. And he read his desires. Yes, he has such ridiculous ambitions.

But this wasn’t necessarily bad for the Emperor. While it was irritating that he was trying to extort something from him using a secret, there was a piece on the board that approached him, flaunting its own weaknesses.

It was something he could tolerate.

“What exactly do you want?”

“Well, first, it would be good to separate Lady Ariadeline from Carlothian. I want to take her without a single blemish.”

“To do that, you need something, don’t you?”

“Well…”

He smiled brightly.

“A little bit of a stimulating incident would be necessary.”

The Emperor gripped the armrest of his chair tightly. And a golden ring sparkled on his finger.

“Let’s hear the details.”

“Of course. I need Your Majesty’s help, after all. Anytime.”

Seth shrugged his shoulders. The attendants remained silent.

The Emperor leaned back in his chair, gazing at the ceiling.

When did he start harboring such hatred for the Denaves family? He chuckled to himself.

Yes, that’s why. His brother. The former Duke of Denaves is already dead. That fool ruined him like this.

‘Brother, you probably won’t meet someone you truly love.’

The arrogant gaze that looked down on him was filled with pity.

Just thinking about those eyes made the Emperor’s teeth clench. Love, yes. He ended that ridiculous love game with that sword.

Stupidly, how great could love be that he would end his own life for it? Ha, the Emperor chuckled, then stopped, remembering that his brother was dead, no longer there to hear it.

“What a foolish man.”

And there’s no one to hear this sigh either. The Emperor rested his chin on his palm. In the dark room, only his eyes gleamed strangely.

Seth Dolorante certainly didn’t miss that light.

“You’re twisted.”

“You’re annoyingly perceptive.”

“If you can’t even do this, how would you hold your ground in high society?”

“A useless fool who can’t even exert proper power in politics.”

“Such places aren’t to my taste.”

Seth Dolorante crossed his legs. It was incredibly audacious.

Should I kill him?

The Emperor thought this expressionlessly. There would be a fuss since he was a marquis, but if an appropriate charge were attached, it could somehow be handled. And then, this quick-witted rat smiled slyly.

“If you kill me here, information will leak that Your Majesty deliberately bestowed a cursed sword upon the former Duke of Denaves.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“I’m making a request.”

The Emperor quietly gazed at his face. Seth Dolorante did not avoid the Emperor’s eyes.

The Emperor bared his teeth in a fierce smile. For a moment, Seth Dolorante thought he looked less like an emperor and more like a beast. A beast with deep resentment.

“I have an order.”

“Anything.”

“Lure the mistress of the Denaves family.”

At those words, Seth Dolorante’s face hardened for the first time.

“… Lure her?”

“The only one who can draw him out alone is that woman.”

“Are you going to harm her?”

“Now you’re starting to be less annoying.”

Seth Dolorante asked in a stiff voice. The rigid tone was clearly sharpened. The Emperor scoffed.

“I have no business with her. My only target is Carlothian Denaves, who will come along with her.”

“Please swear you won’t harm her.”

“Swear?”

The Emperor stood up. He approached Seth Dolorante and leaned down. The Emperor spoke in a chilling voice.

“That’s something you need to do for me.”

“…….”

The low, splitting voice clearly carried a sense of coercion.

Seth Dolorante had to admit it. He had somewhat underestimated the Emperor.

He is the emperor. The one sitting at the highest point in the world.

“Think carefully. If that information gets out, it would be troublesome for me. But you will lose your life here.”

“…….”

“I won’t say much. Ariadeline Denaves. Lure that woman. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Seth Dolorante looked up at the Emperor with a face devoid of a smile. The Emperor’s eyes glinted ominously. Still, Seth stubbornly said,

“Swear that she won’t be harmed.”

The Emperor laughed at him. A promise made with mere words—how light it was.

He looked down at the foolish young man who spoke of love like his brother. And he arrogantly replied,

“I will do that.”

But this is not his true prey.

The Emperor passed by Seth Dolorante and left the room. The details would be conveyed to him by his attendants.

The Emperor walked down the corridor.

He felt the footsteps of his attendants trailing behind him, but he maintained a brisk pace.

“I wonder how you will respond…”

Would he throw himself into the name of love like his father? That would be nice. It seemed it would be quite amusing for the father and son to be so alike.

Once his brother’s bloodline disappeared, that insane woman who sang of love would be dealt with by Seth Dolorante himself.

Love, he thought, recalling his late daughter, Yermondi. His daughter, who hadn’t inherited a single trait from him.

She seemed so lacking, doing foolish things in the name of love.

“Yes, it was better that she went that way.”

Such beings should meet their end so easily.

The Emperor clicked his tongue. His long tail soon disappeared beyond the corridor.

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

I heard rumors that a strange trend has emerged since I held the party. For a while, I was completely unaware until Dorothy, who visited the mansion, brought it up.

“So, my circlet is trending?”

The painkillers I took every morning were quite effective. Perhaps because I felt pain while singing last time, the therapist increased the dosage a bit.

‘There may be signs of addiction, so I’m worried.’

[It’s fine. I’m not prone to addiction.]

That’s roughly how the conversation went. I quietly sipped my tea and set the cup down. Dorothy then spoke with dissatisfaction.

“Are you listening, Duchess?”

“I’m listening. My circlet is trending. To be precise, it’s the letters floating in the air that are in vogue.”

“Yes. There are circlets, corsages, and anything that can be worn on the head; they’re all wearing them.”

“Let them do as they please, no matter the shape. It would be good for the magic tower too. They’ll get to handle some money for a change.”

“Honestly, every time I see you, I feel like you’re so cynical.”

“Well, I can’t exactly claim that as mine, can I?”

“Why not? If you run to your brother and whine that it’s yours, wouldn’t he listen?”

“Dorothy, you really have no filter.”

“That’s what you like about it, right?”

“You’re quicker on the uptake than I expected.”

I exchanged smiles with Dorothy. She turned her head with a huff but eventually burst into a soft laugh.

These days, I was refusing all invitations and enjoying conversations only with Dorothy.

Since she apologized to me in the hall, she treated me a bit more comfortably. I preferred this over being uncomfortable.

Of course, if she crossed the line, I would get angry too, but she wasn’t foolish; she maintained an appropriate boundary while showing me friendliness.

‘That friendliness is good, except it easily leads to misunderstandings.’

I rested my elbows on the sofa’s armrest and said to her, “It’s fine for friends and me, but don’t say that to others.”

“That’s a given.”

Dorothy proudly lifted her head. She resembled a chihuahua that had just perked up. I smiled slightly and asked again, “So what exactly are you going to use that for?”

“I think it’s used for greetings and simple conversations or sharing foreign languages. The price is astronomical, which is why the nobles are so enthusiastic about it.”

As she spoke, Dorothy leaned slightly towards me and added, “Would you like to go see it in person?”

I nodded shortly. It seemed better than anything here.

“That wouldn’t be bad.”

I twisted my lips into a smirk. Seeing that, Dorothy quietly whispered, as if she knew my feelings, “You’ll see everything if you go to the banquet happening tonight.”

“Should I?”

“The issue is how to get an invitation to that banquet happening right away….”

At those words, I looked at Dorothy with eyes that said she was so innocent. Then, I rang the bell to summon a maid.

“Go and bring me the invitation to the largest banquet happening tonight.”

“Understood, my lady.”

Dorothy chuckled at this exchange.

“This is the taste of power.”

“You’re not incapable of doing this either.”

“Well, I don’t think it would turn out this way.”

As the two of us were having this light conversation, the maid returned with the invitation in less than 30 minutes.

“Which invitation is it?”

“It’s the invitation to Count Berlante’s banquet. It arrived with a letter stating it would be an honor if you could join.”

“That makes sense.”

As I stood up, Dorothy followed suit.

“Well then, we should prepare for the banquet.”

“Is there anything special to prepare? I put a lot of thought into coming here. I could go just as I am.”

At that, I playfully asked, “Did you dress up thinking of me?”

“… No, I didn’t.”

“Right, no wonder you look pretty today. Thank you.”

“Ugh…”