Chapter 29
“If you’re done here, please leave.”
Elruana had decided to get rid of the cockroach.
“Are you crazy? Telling me to leave? Ha, wow. Just because people keep calling you pretty, huh?”
Agitated, Regis pushed Elruana’s forehead with his index finger.
Her head was pushed back, but Elruana glared and resisted. This was a matter of pride. Maybe it would have been wiser to stumble back and pretend to be weak, but she didn’t want to. Even though the pressure on her forehead increased, she chose to endure until her neck stiffened.
Her legs, hidden under her skirt, were trembling, but she gritted her teeth and endured. Regis smirked as he watched Elruana’s determined resistance.
“Still holding out, huh?”
Dave, who had been standing behind them, couldn’t take it anymore and stepped forward.
“Everything that happens in this drawing room will be reported to His Grace. If you go any further, you’ll be making the entire Duke’s household your enemy.”
“Are you threatening me?”
Regis’s tone was threatening, but Dave calmly stepped closer and replied politely,
“Not a threat. Just a fact.”
Despite Dave’s words, Regis didn’t withdraw his hand. Instead, he pressed on Elruana’s forehead again. Then, as if amused, he repeatedly pressed—once, twice, three times.
Just as Dave took another determined step forward, a chillingly low voice interrupted.
“I suggest you remove your hand.”
“And who the hell are you?”
Regis was about to yell but choked on his words when he saw the man who had entered the drawing room.
“…Duke Spes?”
Regis quickly withdrew his hand.
“W-What? I thought you were in the Imperial Capital.”
Duke Spes swept back his tousled golden hair and spoke with icy authority.
“His Majesty passed through the teleport gate to our duchy, so I returned immediately. You may not have been invited, but a guest must still be received properly, no?”
His mention of “receiving guests” was laced with a chill. The Empress’s warning not to provoke the Duke echoed in Regis’s ears.
“Th-thank you for the warm welcome.”
Sweating nervously, Regis was clearly rattled. Of all times, the Duke had to return now. How unlucky. All because of that girl.
As Regis awkwardly stepped back, Duke Spes looked at him with a cold, piercing gaze.
“If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, it looked like you just committed violence against someone of my household.”
“Violence? It was just a joke.”
Blurting out the first excuse that came to mind only made the Duke’s expression darker.
“A joke, you say?”
Duke Spes, who had been standing like a statue by the entrance, strode toward Regis. Then, raising a single finger, he pressed Regis’s forehead firmly and then let go.
“That was a joke as well, Your Highness.”
Regis, stunned, stared at the Duke. Duke Spes pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his finger, as if something filthy had touched it.
Regis clenched his teeth.
‘Did he push me?’
A duke daring to lay a hand on royal blood—it was unthinkable. But this was all because the Emperor and Empress had surrendered influence to the Spes family. The duke was just a noble, after all.
‘Once I become Emperor, the Spes family will be the first to go.’
Regis swore to bring the arrogant Duke Spes to his knees someday. But outwardly, he forced a smile.
“Ah… ha ha. Funny.”
As Regis awkwardly chuckled, the maids, who had been holding their breath, let out soft sighs of relief. Dave gestured toward the suffocating staff, and they quickly fled the room.
Duke Spes placed a hand on the table and leaned casually.
“I assume you must have something urgent to say. Why else would you visit so suddenly, without notice, and wait for me? Must be quite important.”
His tone suggested that unless it was very important, Regis wouldn’t get away with it.
Regis figured it might actually work out better this way. As annoying as this was, negotiating with the Duke was easier than talking to a stubborn girl.
“I came to resolve things peacefully. I imprisoned her by mistake, so I intend to compensate her properly. That’s why I offered her the position of Crown Princess. It’s the highest honor for someone like her.”
Crack.
The corner of the table under the Duke’s hand snapped loudly. He threw the broken piece to the floor and sneered.
“Your Highness, that’s not compensation. Becoming the spouse of someone who beat you—how is that compensation? That’s closer to punishment. In fact, even sharing this space with you now must be painful for her.”
Regis glanced at the broken table piece, then back at the Duke. Normally, he’d reach for his sword—but this time, he replied meekly.
“Hmm. It seems I failed to consider her feelings.”
“And furthermore, Your Highness just claimed it was a joke. A proposal made as a joke—are you mocking the Spes family?”
“No, that’s not—”
“Or are you saying that what you did to her moments ago wasn’t a joke?”
Regis hadn’t expected the Duke to twist his words so thoroughly. He hurried to explain.
“It’s just… She’s been imprisoned for a while. I felt responsible because she’s been damaged.”
“If that’s the issue, there’s no need to worry. Her Majesty and I have already discussed it. No need to bring up something that would tarnish both our reputations.”
At the mention of the Empress, Regis’s expression briefly flickered with triumph. So the Duke was worried about how it would look.
“Tarnish both our reputations? You really believe that?”
His mocking tone didn’t faze Duke Spes.
“More accurately, it would reflect worse on Your Highness. Ah, you may not have heard yet. Last night, I located Ron Vita.”
Regis feigned ignorance.
“Ron Vita? So you found your cousin. Congratulations.”
“Our knights located him, but unfortunately, he had already passed. I’ve completed the process of adopting his two children under my name. So if it spreads that Your Highness struck one of my children… that would be quite the scandal, wouldn’t it?”
Caught off guard, Regis was speechless. He thought the adoption was just for show, but the Duke spoke so freely of them as “my children.”
Meanwhile, Elruana, listening from the side, was conflicted.
‘Hmm. Is this when I’m supposed to look shocked?’
Technically, she’d just learned of her father’s death. She should act sad. After darting her eyes dramatically, Elruana covered her face with both hands. She considered shaking her shoulders for effect when a warm hand touched her back.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to hear about your father like this. But don’t worry. I’ll protect you and your brother.”
Not revealing Ron’s whereabouts had turned out to be the right decision. Elruana leaned into the warmth, hiding her face against the Duke’s chest. It was nice not having to control her facial expression, though it still felt awkward.
Duke Spes patted her back and continued.
“Now then, Your Highness. Please return safely. Be very careful.”
His blatant warning made Regis’s face twist.
“Duke! Are you really going to make me your enemy?”
“For your safety, my knights will escort you all the way back to the capital. I hope your journey is peaceful.”
With that clear dismissal, Regis had no choice but to retreat.
Later
From his study window, Duke Spes watched the carriage recede. Regis’s coach was speeding away from the estate, flanked by imperial and Spes knights.
Having heard everything Regis had said to Elruana, the Duke’s mood was foul. That the prince had entered uninvited and dared to touch his child?
“Maybe I should’ve just killed him.”
“In that case, we’d go to war. But honestly, I wouldn’t mind. We can deal with the consequences later.”
Noah replied without hesitation.
It was rare for the two to agree. Normally, Noah would’ve protested war, but this time, he was in full support of the Duke’s rage.
“Yes. War.”
The word itself gripped the last shred of his rationality.
If not for Stella and Elruana’s opposition to war, Regis’s mouth would already be hanging from the estate gate. How dare he say such foul things to his child.
And Regis hadn’t acted alone.
“Seems the Empress thinks little of me. Cut off all our business with the Marquess of Pegimule’s family. Withdraw all funds. From today, ban their merchants from entering our domain.”
“Yes, sir. Also, it’s about time they came to buy grain. Should we just refuse to sell?”
“Good idea. Do it.”
The Marquess’s territory was mountainous and lacked farmland. Every year, they bought massive quantities of grain from the Spes domain. If the supply stopped, they’d have to buy at inflated prices from elsewhere.
“If you find any other pressure points, take action. You can report later.”
“Understood.”
Noah nodded, eyes blazing as he jotted down notes. He was eager to show the Marquess what true pettiness looked like.
Watching him, Duke Spes asked,
“Have you selected the children’s personal guards?”
“For Louis, I recommend Alex Rotten from the 1st Knight Order.”
“He’s a decent fellow. Proceed.”
“And for Elruana… There’s one person in the 1st Order who fits the role and can pass as a maid—but… it’s Sing.”
Duke Spes frowned at the mention.
“Pick someone else. Why not Riana Miel?”
She was one of the few female knights in the 1st Order—strong, and with a good character.
But Noah looked troubled.
“She and the other candidate are already well-known in society. Nobles who became knights—special cases. If you allow us to look into the 2nd Order, we have two more options.”
That wouldn’t do. The Spes Knight Orders were sorted strictly by skill. The 1st Order, made up of 12 elite aura users, could each handle 3–4 knights from other houses.
“Choose from the 1st Order. Skill is the priority.”
“Then… it has to be Sing.”
Noah’s tone was resolute.
