Clang.

A sharp sound rang out as a fork suddenly fell onto the neatly arranged plate of soft pastries meant to accompany tea.

“Your Majesty?”

The Empress, who had been quietly enjoying tea with the Emperor, blinked in surprise. She had long since realized that even when the Emperor appeared relaxed, countless streams of information flowed through his mind. Her voice lowered as she asked cautiously.

“Has something happened? Did something bad occur somewhere...?”

“No, nothing like that.”

Emperor Keillusa shook his head and sighed as he picked the fork back up.

“It’s a bit abrupt, but... it seems the Duke of Peleta has just entered rut.”

He hadn’t sent any direct messages to his younger brother, but that didn’t mean he had removed all his eyes and ears nearby. As a result, he had a fairly comprehensive grasp of what was going on in Peleta Castle, what his brother and his aide were doing.

The abnormal rift in the North, the follow-up measures, the full-scale analysis of rifts emerging across the Empire—he was tracking all of it.

“I... I see. Is he going to be alright?”

“Of course. He’s overcome it on his own before, hasn’t he? And this time... Baron Aile is with him.”

“Ah... yes, that’s right.”

Color returned to the Empress’s cheeks, which had gone pale with concern for Kishiar.

“How fortunate Yuder is there...”

“I feel the same. It seems we’re once again indebted to that remarkable man.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?”

“I had already been considering intervening, since the Duke has been working even while supposedly on leave. Though this incident was unexpected... in some ways, perhaps it’s for the best.”

A faint smile flickered across Keillusa’s face.

“In the Cavalry, those in rut are usually quarantined {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} and prevented from doing anything during that time. If the Duke is suddenly absent, Peleta will certainly suffer a labor shortage. I intend to send some of my people there. With replacements on hand, things should run more smoothly. And as a mild punishment for the impudent Duke and Baron who dared to ignore a royal order, I’ll issue a few days of extended seclusion. That way, by the time they return, their tasks will be finished. A mix of discipline and assistance.”

“That is a wonderful idea,” the Empress clapped her hands. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

“The Duke is far too clever—he probably predicted how I’d respond to his sudden disappearance. But he likely didn’t anticipate being officially grounded. I look forward to seeing his disgruntled face when he hears of it.”

“As Your Majesty said, the Duke always resented any order to rest.”

The couple smiled simultaneously, as if recalling a moment from the past.

“Your Majesty, may I send along some of my candles and tea with the team going to Peleta?”

“Of course. Though I do feel a twinge of guilt, giving such fine gifts to a younger brother who won’t even heed my commands... But don’t be too surprised if word comes back that your candles suddenly smell like spicy pepper upon arrival.”

The Empress burst into laughter. Keillusa savored the sound of her clear laughter and slowly closed his eyes. His focus, which had remained open toward Peleta Castle, shut, and his network of watchers and listeners elsewhere in the Empire began to awaken.

Did Big Brother really hire those assassins?

In a luxurious lodging in the Capital—unable to return to his family’s estate—Kiole la Diarca stared down at the results of the investigation, unable to hide his shock.

Why... why would he target me? No, more importantly, how the hell am I supposed to tell Father...

But Kiole didn’t need to worry about that.

The Duke of Diarca had already begun investigating on his own, ever since his youngest son saved the Empress from an ambush and was appointed as a special investigator by the Emperor.

Kiorne, you idiot. How could you try to kill your own brother at a time like this—and make such a mess in the process, all because you were blinded by greed.

The old man’s lips, wrapped around a long-stemmed pipe, trembled with fury.

This is why I can’t pass the title to him. So much greed for such a fool. Just who the hell did he inherit that from...

“My lord, what should we do now? The Emperor has boldly redefined the incident as an assassination attempt on the Empress. Sir Kiole’s refusal to return home—could it be a trick orchestrated from their side...?”

“Kiole has the Diarca blood stronger than anyone. Do you really think he’d do such a thing?”

“...”

“The truth is, he was the real target—but it just looked like he happened to be there to save the Empress. Who’s to say that wasn’t exactly what he intended?”

“W-what? You mean Sir Kiole planned it that way...?”

“Yes. If not for this incident, I never would have known how that idiot Kiorne was acting on his own, ignoring my every command. Absurd.”

“Ah...”

A cold smile appeared on the Duke’s face.

We may not be able to avoid the disgrace of having a Diarca investigate another Diarca, but if I can at least figure out who’s been blinding my eyes and ears, this disruption might be worth it.

“What about resolving the Empress ambush?”

“Just find some scapegoat. Whatever the Emperor says, that part is easily taken care of. What, does he really think he can brand Diarca as traitors? Never. But internal threats are another matter. From today on, Kiorne is to be removed from all responsibilities and confined. Publicly, say he fell ill. And scrutinize everyone around him. If even one of them shows the slightest suspicious movement, report immediately—and deal with it.”

The Duke’s long-harbored doubts toward his household. His trust in his youngest son. His arrogant belief that the Emperor could never become his true enemy.

All the elements the Emperor had carefully manipulated now shrouded the old fox’s eyes and ears. The same held true for his children.

Father ordered me into seclusion? And I’m under investigation starting tomorrow? Ha...!

“What do we do, brother? He’s really going to throw you away just because of that fool Kiole’s words? This is insane!”

“That damn sword-wielding bastard. If only he’d died instead of the Empress, he could’ve at least been fertilizer for Diarca’s soil!”

“This is too much. What’s important right now is solving the external threats, not infighting... Haven’t you heard? The other ducal houses are planning to depose the Crown Prince and instate a new one!”

“I’ve heard those rumors too. And yet, the Duke isn’t even worried...”

The Emperor had spread endless false rumors throughout House Diarca. Convinced that only their own knowledge was true, they bickered and blamed one another. There was no familial affection—only the aristocratic pride of belonging to a once-great house. But now, even its roots were shaking.

And they didn’t even realize it.

Emperor Keillusa’s focus shifted away from House Diarca. His vision next landed far to the southwest, in the homeland of a Cavalry member named Marin, who was there on leave.

“Marin, and Sir Knights... thank you so much for saving our village from those bandits. This isn’t much, but please accept it.”

“No need. It’s simply what we’re supposed to do as members of the Cavalry.”

“Even so... after Maiki died, we didn’t look after you properly. And now you’ve returned as a Cavalry member and helped us... I just feel ashamed.”

“We’re sorry, Marin.”

Marin watched the bowing villagers with a strange look, then let out a soft chuckle, her face light.

“...It’s alright. I know you had no choice back then. I’ve been handling things fine on my own. It’s okay now.”

After the villagers left, Marin turned her head. Her expression didn’t falter at all, even among the hulking knights.

“Well then, I suppose we can speak plainly now. You’re from Peleta, aren’t you? Did our commander predict yesterday’s attack or something?”

“Close. To be precise, we received intel that it might happen—so Duke Peleta and His Majesty sent us. Marin, the bandits who attacked yesterday weren’t targeting the village. They were after you. And the one who sent them... we think you already know who it was.”

“...Ah. I figured.”

Marin laughed, and Emperor Keillusa felt like her eyes—burning with a pure thirst for revenge—were looking straight at him.

“Kachian. That bastard must’ve finally learned about me. I knew this would happen once I joined the Cavalry—but he’s fast, I’ll give him that. So... what do I do now?”

Her eyes were full of understanding and vengeance, but she wasn’t being reckless. She trusted them—that much was clear.

But not everyone was handling things as calmly as Marin. As the Emperor blinked again, his vision shifted from the Solar Palace to the Radiant Palace beyond.