“My lady, you’ve returned. I didn’t realize you had arrived, as I was inspecting the storage room.”

Oliver efficiently lifted the bundle of letters.

“There are quite a few letters today.”

“There’s a bit more than usual today. Shall I bring you your letters first?”

Eliana stared at him, silently. Her gaze was so intense that Oliver blinked, trying to gauge her thoughts.

“Is something wrong, my lady?”

He didn’t seem to be involved in any malicious intent, hastily gathering the letters to hide anything from her.

“No, just bring them when you can.”

As she moved toward her room, a loud voice pierced through her ears.

“I’m telling you, I’m handling it!”

“I just want to hear exactly how you’re handling it! Is it so wrong to ask? You won’t even let me ask that?”

Matilda’s voice, full of stubbornness, echoed through the house. Even the butler and two nearby maids flinched at the sound.

“I told you I’ve got it under control, mother! I’m not a child, so leave me alone.”

“How can I just leave it alone? The broker is out of contact! Do you know how much money we invested? Even for a count’s family, it’s no small sum!”

Matilda, in a rare moment, was genuinely furious with Paul.

“Your father asked me to check the progress and the flow of funds. You said everything was going smoothly, so now explain to me what’s happening with the 10 million gold!”

Her voice was so loud that their argument could be heard through the closed door.

It seemed they were finally realizing that they were at risk of losing a significant amount of money.

‘You figured that out fast. I told you not to do it, didn’t I?’

Eliana clicked her tongue inwardly.

“How long have they been arguing?”

“Not long. It seems the madam has some urgent matters to discuss with Master Paul.”

“It’s more than just a discussion—it sounds like there’s a big problem.”

Eliana’s pointed comment made Oliver visibly uneasy. He seemed to have some idea of what was going on but wasn’t comfortable answering directly.

“Is this something I’m not supposed to know about? A secret just between the three of you?”

“It’s not like that. I just don’t know enough to tell you without asking the madam first.”

“Oh, I see.”

‘As if she’s going to tell me.’

Even if Oliver didn’t tell her, Eliana already knew. She had known for quite some time.

“It seems the plan to import alcohol from the Tempton Kingdom isn’t going well.”

Eliana spoke bluntly.

“The intermediary must have taken the money but didn’t handle the job properly, right?”

Eliana’s sharp insight widened Oliver’s eyes in surprise.

“How did you know, My Lady?”

“Does it make any sense to trust a broker with no credibility and hand over such a large sum of money? Just from listening to a bit of the conversation, I could tell everything. Does the Count know?”

“The Madam… hasn’t wanted to inform him yet.”

“Make sure to tell him, Oliver.”

Eliana sternly pointed out.

“Tell him everything—starting with today’s quarrel and how things are going wrong, without leaving anything out. If you don’t inform him, it means you’re not doing your job properly. Isn’t it your responsibility to handle these matters when he’s away?”

“That’s correct. The only reason I haven’t told him yet is because the Madam said she could handle it. The problem only surfaced today.”

‘Yes, she probably intends to resolve it.’

In her previous life, Matilda had covered for Paul’s mistakes by secretly using the family’s assets. She discreetly diverted funds without the Count’s knowledge to hide Paul’s failures.

She didn’t want Count Austin to find out that his son had made such a huge blunder and think of him as incompetent. Eliana had been fully aware of all the details at the time, yet she had never revealed that she knew.

‘Back then, I believed families shouldn’t expose each other’s flaws.’

But now, she sees things differently. If Paul deserved criticism, the Count would know every detail.

‘That fool is probably scheming to drive me away to some infamous institution.’

“Why not wait and see, My Lady?”

“Waiting will only make things worse. Once he finds out later, it’ll just raise his blood pressure even more.”

Oliver flinched at Eliana’s cold, unwavering response.

“Well, if you don’t want to tell him, then don’t. I’ll just do it myself.”

“That’s not what I meant. It’s just that the Count is still recovering, and I thought it would be better for his peace of mind. If the Madam resolves it, wouldn’t that be for the best?”

It was true that the Count had been away from home more often due to his treatments. Though he was improving, he wasn’t completely back to his old self.

“True peace of mind doesn’t come from being unaware of the schemes happening behind his back, does it?”

Eliana’s remark was as sharp as a blade.

Oliver couldn’t help but tense up. The Eliana he had known since childhood had always been different from this. Paul might have found her difficult, but Oliver had never considered her the same way. Now, his own complacency had been called out.

“I’m sorry. I was thoughtless.”

“Hiding things won’t solve anything.”

Eliana threw out her final remark and turned away, while the sound of Paul and Matilda’s argument still echoed behind her.

* * *

In front of Emperor Davon sat Empress Heather and their three children: Cedric, Elesio, and Cynthia. Emperor Davon’s face had remained tense for some time, making it clear he was in a bad mood. Everyone was watching him cautiously.

Cedric knew that his sour mood was due to the article that had been published the day after the party. Though the emperor had instructed him to lay low for a while, Cedric had gone ahead and released the article, knowing the emperor wouldn’t be pleased.

‘I’m not going to sit around waiting any longer.’

“Cedric.”

Empress Heather called out to him.

“His Majesty is deeply displeased by the article—because of that Slonian girl. You should tell him immediately that the article is false.”

Her words carried an implicit order: Deny the truth because they had to match him with another noble’s daughter. But Cedric had no intention of complying with what the Empress wanted.

He had already made it clear to Christina Norte that he wasn’t interested. He would act the same way if the same situation arose again.

“Cedric.”

The Emperor called out in a hoarse voice.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I told you to remain quiet for a while, didn’t I? And now, after the article about your broken engagement, there’s a story about another noble’s daughter. Have you forgotten my words? I emphasized it so clearly.”

Cedric turned to the Emperor, bowed his head, and raised it again.

“I haven’t forgotten, Your Majesty. But I couldn’t wait any longer—regarding having the remarkable Lady Rachel Slonian by my side. I wish to marry Rachel. No other noble lady satisfies me, and none ever will. My resolve is firm, so instead of asking me to remain quiet, please grant me permission to marry her.”

Emperor Davon frowned deeply. He liked it when everyone followed his commands to the letter. Opposition to his orders was never welcome. Especially when the Crown Prince, his designated heir, went against his will, it was unforgivable.

“Your firm resolve doesn’t give me a significant reason to change my decision.”

“…!”

“If I were following my original plan, I would have had you establish a couple more notable accomplishments within the next two years before your marriage, demonstrating to all that you are the rightful heir to lead this great empire. Although you are already the acknowledged successor, there’s a substantial difference between simply being acknowledged and having such achievements. But instead, you want to forgo all that and get married right away?”

“Your Majesty—”

“On top of that, you want to marry the daughter of a lowly noble family, who wasn’t even considered as a match for royalty? Tsk.”

The emperor clicked his tongue, and Cedric’s expression hardened. Both the emperor and empress were making it blatantly clear that they didn’t approve of Rachel.

“Your Majesty, was Eliana Leiberte, the first choice for marriage, truly exceptional? She was just as inadequate. Despite everyone claiming she was a suitable match, she was of no help to me. I can determine who is the right partner for me. Please, trust me just this once. My resolve is firm.”

Cedric’s resolute assertion made the Empress clench her lips tightly. She shot him a look that clearly said “stop,” but Cedric had no intention of halting.

Cedric looked at the Emperor.

“I have no intention of marrying anyone other than Rachel Slonian. Rachel Slonian is a far superior woman compared to Eliana Leiberte.”

The Emperor, who had been leaning to one side, straightened his posture. He beckoned with his finger.

“Come closer.”

Cedric took a few steps forward, approaching the Emperor. The Emperor’s gaze pierced through Cedric.

“Prove it. What benefit will Rachel Slonian bring to you and the royal family?”

“…”

Cedric’s mind raced, but no immediate answer came to him. Apart from his feelings, there were no objective reasons he could present.

“Is my question one that requires such long contemplation?”