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Chapter : 26
“Even though Your Highness must be terribly busy, you personally saw me out… I am truly moved by your kindness. Next time, I shall come visit you first!”
After climbing down from the carriage, the Grand Duke bowed repeatedly to the Crown Prince, then disappeared into the duke’s mansion following the butler.
The Crown Prince could do nothing but watch him leave.
But that did not mean there was nothing he could do.
“Well, then, I shall take my leave, Your Highness Crown Prince Abel. Please have a pleasant night…”
The owner of the mansion, Duke Heim, happened to be present.
The Crown Prince called out to him.
“There is something I need to discuss, Father-in-law.”
“Very well, hoho.”
The two men walked—not in the direction of the bathhouse museum the Grand Duke had gone toward, but toward the glass greenhouse.
The Crown Prince spoke bluntly to the duke, whose expression remained cheerful.
“We must provide Grand Duke Rikesis with a separate residence.”
As Tower Master and the wealthiest man in the Empire, Duke Heim could accomplish that easily.
As expected, the duke nodded readily.
“Of course. Her Highness the Crown Princess has already instructed me to pay the contract fee the moment an agreement is signed with House Rikesis. I planned to make time to search for a residence suitable for a Grand Duke.”
Listening to his explanation, the Crown Prince felt relieved.
‘I can trust Duke Heim.’
To be precise, he trusted the duke’s rigid sense of propriety.
‘No way he’ll let any scandalous rumors arise from inside his mansion.’
Meaning he would never allow Grand Duke Rikesis to make advances toward Rietie.
And yet, for some reason…
“So worry not, Your Highness! Hohoho!”
The Crown Prince felt something strange in the duke’s hearty laughter.
As if the old man might cough up boiling blood at any moment.
But there was nothing more he could do.
The Heim estate was outside his jurisdiction.
“Hohoho…”
The duke’s laughter receded into the distance as the Crown Prince drifted back into thought, then returned to reality.
He dismissed the matter.
Evening fell.
‘Why hasn’t there been a report that Rietie returned?’
He briefly considered sending someone to check the status of the Crown Princess’s palace, but dismissed the idea.
‘She must have already returned.’
He immersed himself in paperwork, and before he knew it, night had arrived.
He made his way to his chambers, bathed, and prepared for bed.
Everything proceeded as smoothly as flowing water.
And yet—
‘My throat is still dry.’
He had drunk plenty of water throughout the day.
Rubbing his neck for a long moment, he finally decided to ring for an attendant and walked toward the table.
But then—
[…A rift between the Crown Princely Couple?! Where is this relationship headed…?]
‘Why is a tabloid magazine in my bedroom?’
He frowned, then realized the reason.
‘Ah. I did tell them to gather all gossip relating to the Imperial Family.’
But why leave it in his bedchamber?
“…”
He resisted the urge to summon all his aides for a scolding, and instead unfolded the magazine.
[Muscular Northern men lodging at the Crown Princess’s palace…]
“….”
Just from the headline, he knew Grand Duke Rikesis had become gossip fodder.
But that, too, was now over.
The Grand Duke had finally left the palace, and Rietie must have returned to her residence by now…
He was about to tear the magazine apart without hesitation when—
Knock, knock, knock.
“Your Highness? This is Aide Kawes!”
“Come in.”
He had been about to call for water anyway, so he permitted entry at once.
Kawes entered—ashen-faced.
As the Crown Prince stared silently at him, the aide squeezed his eyes shut and shouted:
“Her Highness sent an urgent message saying she will not be returning tonight!”
‘…An urgent message?’
It was now 11 p.m.
The Crown Prince strode forward, ice in his expression, and snatched the note.
[I will return tomorrow – Crown Princess]
‘That’s it? Just that short message—and she’s staying out?’
Soon, though, he understood.
The Crown Princess had chosen to stay at Duke Heim’s mansion—the same moment Grand Duke Rikesis moved there.
There could only be one reason.
‘She intends to participate in the negotiation process between House Heim and House Rikesis.’
She might even intend to fan the gossip flames further.
‘If Her Highness and the Grand Duke appear to be having an affair, the nobles will be too distracted to scrutinize the business negotiations.’
If one chooses to employ gossip, then it must be done boldly—he agreed.
He understood her intention.
He would not reprimand her.
And yet the dryness in his throat persisted.
“Bring water.”
“Y-Yes, Your Highness!”
Kawes brightened and hurried away.
The Crown Prince lay on the bed in his bathrobe and shut his eyes.
Moments later, Kawes stumbled in with a glass of ice water.
“Here it is!”
“…”
He sat up, quenched his thirst, and tossed out his next order casually:
“I will escort Her Highness home tomorrow.”
“Sir? Tomorrow’s schedule is full!”
“Is that a problem?”
“…No problem at all.”
Kawes was aghast, but dared not argue.
He fled in panic before more orders descended.
‘Flustered fool.’
Again the Crown Prince felt the urge to summon every aide and chew them out, but resisted, and tried once more to sleep.
But sleep would not come.
‘Insomnia again?’
Morning came.
“Your Highness—!!!”
A scream-like shout echoed through the Crown Prince’s palace.
“What is that commotion?”
His voice—made harsh by a sleepless night—was perilously low.
“Heek!”
Kawes froze when their eyes met.
‘That aide never brings good news.’
Naturally, the Crown Prince’s glare was not kind.
“May I give my report?”
“Speak.”
He ground his teeth.
He disliked the aide’s flustered manner, but curiosity won out.
And just as expected, the report ruined what little remained of his mood.
“Word is that a message was sent from the Crown Princess’s palace asking when Her Highness would return—but the reply was that she would return tomorrow evening. And now Her Highness and Grand Duke Rikesis’s party have appeared together in the capital’s luxury district…”
The aide sped through the rest of the report.
The Crown Prince understood every word.
‘Tomorrow evening.’
He checked the sunlight streaming through the window.
Bright morning.
But she wouldn’t return until tomorrow evening?
‘Another night out?’
He stared into space briefly.
“Sigh…”
He truly was not bothered.
‘It isn’t an “overnight stay,” strictly speaking.’
Duke Heim’s house was her family home.
And hadn’t she told him her grand plan involving Rikesis just two days ago?
‘My aides know nothing of that conversation, so of course they’re panicking.’
He clearly thought so.
But then—
“Prepare to leave.”
There was no room for anything else.
‘I should give that Grand Duke a proper warning.’
Otherwise he’d lose sleep again tonight.
“Prepare… now?”
“Problem?”
“…None at all.”
The day’s schedule was shattered. As the Crown Prince strapped on his sword, Kawes had only one thing left to say:
“I’ll summon the Royal Guard.”
Thus began a rather ominous escort mission.
“Aahh, what lovely weather! Don’t you agree?”
I adjusted my hat, and Luak and the head maid nodded beside me.
I smiled and glanced back.
‘My goodness, my beauties.’
Behind us, Grand Duke Rikesis and his henchmen were staring wide-eyed at the luxury shops of the capital.
‘We’ve walked around plenty together—now I need alone time with the Grand Duke…’
“Luak.”
He flinched as I called, then turned toward me with tragic resignation.
“What.”
“It’s time to start the plan. Begin.”
Yes—the romantic one-on-one date operation.
“…”
Luak’s expression grew darker and darker.
