-70-
“Just as I thought… Lucius felt the same way. There really is no one else, right?”
I nodded in agreement with Lucius’s answer. The only person who could intercept letters and willingly gather hard-to-obtain evidence was none other than Emperor Rayel himself.
If that was the case, it meant he had stepped in personally to suppress the rumors. But why choose this particular method?
“You don’t think His Majesty intervened just to cover up the rumors about Angelica, do you?”
“No. If that were the case, he would have acted as soon as the rumors first appeared. He wouldn’t have taken the trouble to pause official duties and buy time.”
“So, you’re saying he knew the situation between Angelica and Count Werner’s family, deliberately bided his time, and even helped gather evidence? To strike at the most appropriate moment?”
“…It seems so.”
He confirmed silently. Seeing him lost in thought, I asked cautiously,
“Why didn’t he stop the rumors sooner?”
“I believe he was aiming for the ripple effect.”
“To bring Count Werner’s family issues fully to the surface and resolve them definitively?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm… so the reason he went through all that trouble… could it really be just one thing?”
The reason Rayel had intervened despite all the hassle. Lucius, meeting my gaze, let out a deep sigh, his expression subtly complicated.
“It seems His Majesty is quite interested in Count Werner’s daughter.”
“More than I expected.”
“…Yes.”
At this point, that was the only explanation. His slightly furrowed expression reflected a complicated mindset. Even though he was pretending not to care, he must have been quite concerned about the two of them.
I didn’t know exactly why Rayel had helped Angelica and the Werner family, but it was clear that whatever his reasoning, he was more interested in her than anyone had realized.
I watched his eyes quietly, fixed on the stars in the night sky, and asked carefully,
“If His Majesty… I mean, if he has feelings for Angelica, what do you think that would be like?”
“…I don’t know.”
He blinked slowly and shook his head.
“His Majesty has never shown this kind of interest in any lady before… Of course, if he were to find a suitable companion, it would be something to celebrate and welcome… but…”
“Do you feel conflicted as his younger brother?”
“‘Conflicted’ seems accurate. I still don’t know much about Count Werner’s daughter. I know she’s a good person, but whether she’s suitable to be by his side… I can’t judge that yet.”
“I understand, Lucius. I get how you feel.”
I, knowing the original story, knew she was Rayel’s destined partner—but he didn’t. As a younger brother, his concern for his elder brother and various personal standards must have clashed, leaving him conflicted.
“Still, don’t worry. I believe His Majesty will make an honest choice based on his own heart.”
“I think so too. And soon enough, we’ll hear from him directly, so there’s no need to worry so much.”
“Why?”
“Do you remember what the steward said when we previously sought an audience with His Majesty? About something he left behind?”
“Oh, the part about it wouldn’t take long?”
That’s what the steward had relayed. Was that the message Rayel had left? I looked at him quietly, and he smiled softly.
“He said we’d receive a report soon. So I think we’ll hear from him shortly.”
Lucius’s prediction came true. The next day, a letter arrived at the palace, and we couldn’t help but laugh at how quickly it came.
“Just as Lucius predicted. But I didn’t expect it so soon.”
“He was likely waiting for the right timing. By now, the situation has somewhat stabilized.”
Smiling faintly, he picked up the letter and stood.
“We should prepare and go immediately.”
“Got it. I’ll get ready right away.”
Hearing him, I rose from my seat. I quickly called the maids to prepare, and he summoned Warren to ready himself as well.
Once all preparations were complete, we stepped outside, and he was already waiting by the carriage. We got in together, and the carriage set off.
Leaving the Grand Duke’s mansion behind, the carriage entered a familiar route. I had traveled it many times before, but today, somehow, the tension felt stronger.
Inside the quiet carriage, I carefully asked,
“Do you think His Majesty will say anything about Angelica today?”
“Since he called us separately with Tiana, he’ll probably say something. I’m not sure what it will be.”
His expression darkened slightly as he turned his head. I gently took his hand, sensing his worry, and he smiled back reassuringly.
The carriage quickly reached the palace. After passing the checkpoint at the entrance, we soon saw the Emperor’s residence.
“Welcome. Grand Duke, Grand Duchess. We’ve been waiting.”
The steward, who had come to meet us at the palace entrance, guided us inside immediately. With a precise yet quick pace, he led us to the audience chamber and carefully opened the door.
“Please enter. His Majesty is waiting.”
Following his words, Lucius and I stepped inside slowly.
‘Come to think of it, this is the first time the two of us are speaking with Rayel properly.’
It was also my first time entering this audience chamber. The overwhelmingly luxurious atmosphere made me grip his arm tightly.
He glanced at me and smiled reassuringly, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.
“Don’t be nervous, Tiana. I’m here.”
“…Thanks, Lucius.”
The warmth of his hand calmed me, and I smiled back. Swallowing the last of my tension, we moved further inside, where Rayel lounged on a long sofa, greeting us.
“…You’ve arrived.”
“Meow~”
Rose, who had been with him, jumped down from his lap and ran to us. I greeted the child with a glance, and together with Lucius, we paid our respects to him.
“Your Majesty…”
“That’s enough with the formalities. Sit here. I’m sure you have many questions, so let’s get straight to the point.”
Rayel waved his hand, cutting off Lucius mid-sentence, and gestured to the sofa across from him. Lucius, looking slightly troubled, led me to the seat.
“Meow~”
As soon as we sat, Rose squeezed in between us, taking the narrow space. Seeing the child settle herself there, Rayel chuckled.
“She couldn’t stay still when she heard you were coming and ended up taking that spot.”
“Meow~”
“If you like it that much, I suppose I can’t help it. Sorry if she interferes between you two.”
“…It’s fine.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m happy to see her like this too.”
Seeing her greet us so affectionately after so long brought a natural smile to my face. Lucius, easing his stern expression slightly, petted Rose. Watching him play with her for a moment, Rayel spoke softly.
“You must have many questions about this matter. Ask, and I’ll answer.”
Leaning comfortably on the sofa, he invited Lucius to speak first.
“Did you deliberately avoid stopping the rumors about Count Werner’s daughter?”
“I never intended to stop them from the start. I didn’t need to, but given the situation, it was necessary to resolve it properly.”
“You knew everything about the Werner family and the young lady’s circumstances?”
“Yes. I’ve known for some time that the Werner family’s situation wasn’t good.”
“…You knew about Count Werner’s daughter too?”
“Of course.”
His firm and quick reply caught me off guard. So he revealed it so openly? I had expected it, but hearing it simply like this left me a bit breathless.
Lucius, likely expecting it, immediately asked the next question.
“You intercepted the letters sent by my wife to the Werner family, didn’t you? I sensed traces of Your Majesty’s magic at the family’s entrance.”
“That’s right. You noticed.”
“Really?!”
So the letters I sent had been magically intercepted? Shocked, I looked at Rayel, who shrugged nonchalantly.
“It would have been too troublesome to steal them from the post office, so I enchanted the courier entering the Werner estate. Sorry for taking the letters without permission. I’ll return them to you later.”
“You intercepted the letters to delay my knowledge of the rumors, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I wanted the rumors’ impact to be as large as possible.”
“Why?”
He lifted the corners of his mouth and replied,
“For the best outcome. When the rumors peak, interest in the Werner family also peaks. While the rumors spread, I gathered evidence of Count Huizette’s corruption and waited for the right moment.”
“The right moment being after the Werner family had prepared their new product launch and witnesses were ready?”
“Exactly. After all preparations, I struck at the optimal time. The result: the harmful rumors disappeared, and both the young lady and the family were able to recover. The family regained its honor, and their business will soon stabilize again.”
“Why help Count Werner’s daughter and the family in such a way?”
“You can probably guess why. You know why I did it.”
Leaning back slightly, he brushed his hair aside roughly. I swallowed and asked,
“Because… you have feelings for her?”
As if waiting for that question, his eyes lit up, and he spoke with a fervor he had hidden until now.
“You are correct.”
