“Here you go, Dear Younger Master, your tea.”
Ivena set an exquisite porcelain cup in front of El.
El took it and sipped gently.
A rich fragrance blossomed in his mouth, the tip of his tongue enveloped by sweetness—Ivena’s skills were always top-notch.
“This is the fruit tea popular in the Lower District. Raspberry flavor this time.”
Ivena naturally moved behind El and began to knead his shoulders, though an unnatural blush tinged her face.
Since there was no way to avoid it, she decided to adapt to the changes in her body and take the initiative to approach Dear Younger Master more.
Otherwise, if the same thing as before happened a few more times, Dear Younger Master would definitely become suspicious.
“Thank you, I really like it.”
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the office, in the garden, the star-blue flowers Ivena cultivated emitted a faint glow in the night.
Beautiful scenery, a beautiful woman, delicious tea…
But a troubled look crossed El’s face.
“Dear Younger Master, are you still worried about that matter?”
“Yes. I think it’s important, and I want to do it well.”
***
Rewinding to the evening, El had just finished dinner.
The communication stone on the table rang. El got up to answer—it was Cielsa.
“El, you’ll never guess how funny this afternoon was! It’s such a shame you missed it. Maybe I should’ve recorded the whole scene—”
She spoke excitedly.
“What happened? Duke Stuart… don’t tell me…”
El’s curiosity was piqued.
“It was Rogna! Remember him? I couldn’t find proof that the Stuart family colluded with the Demon Cult, but with my wits, I dug up evidence that they embezzled imperial tax funds.”
El remembered that guy.
He and Cielsa had attended school in the capital as children, around age eight.
Rogna was their classmate—Cielsa was three years older than El, and Rogna was three years older than Cielsa. Back then, Rogna was like the king of the children, nearly a head taller than El.
El’s father had died early. Cielsa hadn’t been acknowledged by the old emperor yet and had no princess status. They had no backing in the academy.
The memory that stood out most was the time he fought Rogna—he thought it was over Cielsa, though the details were fuzzy. He did remember getting thoroughly beaten, bedridden for a month.
After that, El and Cielsa returned to the county and rarely visited the capital.
During his time in bed, Cielsa had seemed especially gentle, granting his every request.
“This crime, of course, couldn’t fall on the Minister of Finance—Duke Stuart. Rogna became the scapegoat and was exiled.”
Even through the communication stone, El could feel her excitement, as if she was asking for praise.
“He knelt on the ground, snot running down to his heels, crying, ‘Please, have mercy on me!’ like a clown. I found him too noisy, so I had Wald throw him out.”
“Haha…” El couldn’t help himself and burst out laughing.
“He’s not that stupid, though. There’s no way they’d really exile him…”
Cielsa continued, “Of course not! I crushed him like an ant. Just like that—splat, he’s gone, hehe…”
She still maintained a tone of showing off to El, but her words sent chills down his spine.
El was startled. “Isn’t that a bit much? I’ve more or less forgotten about that. Was it really necessary, Cielsa?”
Only then did Cielsa realize she’d let her true feelings slip. Was it because she was too happy? She should really be more careful.
“Just joking! El, your courage is so tiny. Did that really scare you?”
Of course it wasn’t a joke, she told herself.
Cielsa wasn’t good at forgetting—neither grace nor grudge.
Those who bullied them, she kept in mind. In the future, she would take it all back, bit by bit.
Once she ascended to the highest throne, no one would boss them around anymore—no one would dare bully them again.
Patience, Cielsa. You must be patient. Now isn’t the time to reveal yourself before him…
“Phew… That really gave me a shock. Anyway, you must have had another reason to call me, right?”
Feeling a vague unease, El took the initiative to change the subject.
“Ah, of course. This weekend, my dear brother is hosting a banquet at an estate on the outskirts of the capital to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the North’s victory over the Orcs.”
“It’s a great opportunity—maybe we can probe for their connection with the cultists.”
“Soon, word of this will spread across the capital. To avoid being left behind or to clarify allegiances or search for allies, the nobles of both our factions and the neutrals who haven’t taken sides yet will all attend.”
“I’m telling you all this because, little El…”
“Don’t go!”
Her sudden reversal caught him completely off guard.
“Why? Isn’t this a great opportunity?”
El asked.
“Because it’s dangerous, obviously! You might not be afraid of death, but your big sister is! And as an eastern count, what could you possibly find out in the capital?”
“I want to give it a try. Don’t worry, I know my limits. If things go wrong, I can escape.”
“You’re really something…” Cielsa nearly cursed, “Whatever, I knew I couldn’t talk you out of it before I even called. Now I just hope the elves can keep you safe.”
“…Cielsa?” Realizing she hadn’t replied for a while, El asked tentatively.
“You’re going to be the death of me. Let’s stop here for today. Really, you’ve ruined my good mood.”
“I’m sorry, but…”
El wanted to apologize, but she had already hung up the communication stone.
“How annoying, that guy.”
Cielsa puffed up her cheeks like a little pufferfish.
“Pfft…”
Wald, standing in the corner, couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hey! You think that’s funny?” Cielsa shouted.
“Forgive me, Your Highness. I just remembered something funny.”
That scene had been just too cute—it reminded him of when he was courting his wife. Though a bit disrespectful, part of him really did think of the princess as his own daughter.
“Then, as we agreed, you’ll go to the banquet as well. Don’t let anything happen to him.”
“My side doesn’t stop moving without you, you know. You’re just my most useful SSR card among many, but my pool isn’t that shallow.”
Though there were some terms he didn’t understand, Wald quickly caught Cielsa’s meaning.
Well, Cielsa was too smart to need his reminders anyway.
“Mark my words, if he dies, I’ll make the whole world pay for it.” Cielsa said fiercely.
If El truly died, she wouldn’t mind bringing about a “lost love, everything in ruin” until she reunited with him.
“As you command.”
Wald couldn’t help but mutter in his heart, El, my young friend, do you realize how many lives are tied to yours?