🔊 TTS Settings
~CHAPTER 87~
Maybe that’s why.
There was nothing remotely charming about Duke Wentworth himself, but the fact that Amelia was the daughter of the Wentworth family bothered Vincent.
After all, her surname was still “Wentworth.”
At the very least, she should be able to hold her head up in society…
Vincent froze mid-thought.
Since when had he started worrying about Amelia’s reputation?
Wasn’t her humiliation in society exactly what he had once wanted?
While Vincent was lost in confusion, the Emperor voiced the thought he had been about to express.
“The crime of purchasing the slave auction house is grave, but since he hasn’t actually operated it yet… and considering the Wentworth family’s contributions to the Empire…”
The Emperor paused for a moment before continuing.
“I’m thinking of banning his entry to the Imperial Palace for three years and stripping him of his post as Chief Financial Supervisor. What do you think?”
It sounded light at first, but the blow was significant.
The Duke would keep his title and wealth but lose his real power.
He would also be unable to attend events held in the Imperial Palace, effectively curtailing his social activities.
Three years wasn’t long, but it was long enough.
Duke Wentworth had already taken a hit once before, during the vote on the tax reform bill.
This new punishment might not cut off all his limbs, but it was close to losing his right arm and left leg.
“That should be sufficient.”
Vincent had actually considered a harsher sentence—banishing the Duke from the capital, seizing all his illegal assets, and nationalizing his hidden businesses.
But if Duke Wentworth fell that low, Amelia, as his daughter, would lose all justification to remain in the Crown Prince’s Palace as his fiancée.
Then she would have no choice but to return to the Wentworth estate.
That can’t happen…
Vincent had no intention of sending Amelia away from the palace.
Whether it was for his revenge, curiosity about her changed demeanor, or some other reason, he wasn’t sure. But that was how he felt.
“Then we’ll conclude the matter of Duke Wentworth here…”
The Emperor hesitated.
“Please, go on, Your Majesty.”
At Vincent’s prompt, the Emperor spoke again, more cautiously.
“Do you also plan to send Lady Wentworth away from the palace?”
Vincent frowned. That was precisely what he had tried to avoid by agreeing to the Emperor’s proposed punishment.
“No, Your Majesty. Why do you ask?”
“Hmm. I heard she brought a magician from that slave auction house. They say the woman is quite beautiful.”
“That… has nothing to do with her looks. She’s a mage who escaped from the Mage Tower. Useful in several ways and in need of protection, so I agreed to take her in temporarily.”
In truth, it was Amelia who had suggested bringing Sylvia in. That had surprised Vincent.
He couldn’t tell what Amelia was thinking.
Still, it was true that he needed Sylvia, who had once been close to the Master of the Mage Tower.
“Well, the palace is certainly the safest place for protection.”
Even so, the Emperor’s expression remained unconvinced. Leaning back in his chair, he absently stroked the short beard he had just started growing.
“But Vincent, even if that’s true, people will misunderstand. They’ll say you’re trying to drive Lady Wentworth out of the palace. Even I can’t help being a little concerned.”
All three of them were unmarried, which was enough to spark gossip.
Amelia’s name would surely come up often—mostly in ridicule, though a few might pity her.
Either way, it would bring her no benefit.
Had Amelia thought about that when she suggested bringing Sylvia into the palace?
Lost in thought, Vincent asked quietly,
“Your Majesty, do you think it’s all right for Lady Wentworth to remain my fiancée?”
“Hmm.”
Given the Duke’s crime and his offense against the Imperial Family, it wouldn’t be strange if the Emperor annulled the engagement.
“She seemed like a wise girl. Much like your mother.”
It was a compliment no one could have imagined for the old Amelia.
“And if we broke off the engagement just because her family’s fallen into disgrace, how cold-hearted would the Imperial Family appear? It may be a political union, but a bond is still a bond.”
“……”
Vincent agreed silently.
“Be careful in your behavior. And… the young lady must be deeply distressed, so treat her with kindness.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Vincent bowed his head lightly to the Emperor.
***
After their conversation, Vincent walked slowly down the long corridor.
The sunset cast long streaks of light through the windows, and his footsteps echoed softly across the floor.
My fiancée…
That word lingered in his mind.
The engagement had been nothing but a political maneuver.
No, it was worse than that—it had been a shackle tying him to the Wentworth family.
Yet somehow, it had begun to mean more than that.
Is it strange that having Amelia in the palace feels natural to me now?
He shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought.
But he couldn’t ignore how every little thing she did caught his attention.
And then, there was Sylvia.
The Emperor was right—she was strikingly beautiful.
Her beauty was the complete opposite of Amelia’s.
If Amelia was a dazzling rose, Sylvia was a pure white lily.
Come to think of it, Amelia’s allergic to lilies.
Vincent smiled faintly as he kept walking.
By his usual standards, Sylvia was much closer to his ideal type.
Not just her looks, but also her gentle yet bold manner, and the fact that she had no real ties to the nobility.
Of course, she didn’t seem the least bit interested in him, so even thinking this way felt disrespectful.
What really intrigued Vincent wasn’t Sylvia herself—but Amelia’s reaction to Sylvia’s presence in the palace.
Even if it had been her suggestion and even if there was strategy behind it, how did Amelia truly feel living under the same roof as another woman?
Would she… be jealous?
Once, he would have assumed so without a doubt.
But now, he wasn’t sure at all.
Amelia no longer liked him the way she used to.
Still, she stayed by his side as his fiancée, helping him with various matters.
And sometimes, just for a fleeting moment, she looked at him with the same admiration she once had.
Those moments were brief—but he found himself missing them.
More than anything, what puzzled Vincent most was himself.
Being swayed by this changed Amelia was unlike him, and by his own standards, unacceptable.
“Hoo…”
He had chosen to walk instead of taking a carriage, but before he knew it, he had reached his residence—the Crown Prince’s Palace.
Naturally, he began to wonder where Amelia might be.
At this hour…
She had probably finished her work by now, which meant she was likely in the library.
Lately, Amelia had been spending every spare moment there.
Vincent’s steps turned toward the library.
His slow pace quickened once he entered the building.
Then, he noticed a knight disappearing at the end of the corridor.
It was Derek.
If Derek had gone that way, Amelia must have too.
Vincent changed direction and followed where Derek had gone.
He eventually arrived at a small sitting room used mainly by the staff for breaks and casual meetings.
Amelia was sitting on a sunlit chair, looking quietly radiant.
He found himself pausing for a moment, struck by how lovely she looked—until something unpleasant caught his eye.
There was Derek, standing far too close beside her, looking down at her as they talked.
“Amelia.”
Without wasting another second, Vincent called her name and strode into the sitting room.
