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On the western side inside the imperial palace located in the center of this empire.

Prince Claude Bergen Elihu, the third prince, was returning to his own palace after completing his schedule.

He had sparkling silver hair and dazzling blue eyes as if they contained the vast universe.

The palace servants deliberately took detours, just to catch a glimpse of his face from afar.

“Claude.”

“Brother Kyle, Brother Chris.”

Prince Kyle, the first prince, and Prince Chris, the second prince, called out to Claude and stood before him.

They also had silver hair and blue eyes, but they were not as vivid as Claude’s.

“Claude, how is the welcome party for the Fenet Empire delegation that His Majesty entrusted to you going?”

“We heard a rumor that you still haven’t found a person in charge, but that can’t be true, right?”

At the provocation of the elder brothers who pretended not to know even though they already knew everything, Claude replied with a smile.

“That’s true. I still haven’t found a person in charge. It’s a task entrusted to me directly by His Majesty, so I want to do it well and it’s taking some time to find the right person.”

“There’s only about three weeks left, you know?”

“Yes.”

“You’re being too cautious. You’re not going to find the person in charge the day before the welcoming party, right?”

Kyle raised one corner of his mouth and openly mocked Claude.

“If you ever need our help, feel free to ask. Kyle and I have been responsible for many parties, so we can provide you with the information you need.”

Chris also took turns to degrade Claude’s abilities.

“Thank you for your concern. However, I want to do it on my own, so you don’t have to worry too much. Please look forward to the party, too.”

Claude kept smiling until the end. It wasn’t until they were far away. The smile disappeared from his face and he shook his head.

“Tsk.”

Claude was referred to by many as the unfortunate prince with no chance of becoming the emperor.

The two elder princes, the first and second, were born from the empress, but Claude was the son of the mistress.

To the emperor, who already had two sons, Claude was just a child in name, and his older sister and younger sister were more loved.

When he became an adult, Claude received the Western palace, which was the farthest from the imperial palace. 

In the midst of it all, the delegation welcoming party personally assigned by the emperor was a great opportunity. He had to seize this chance somehow to establish his position.

“Your Majesty, have you arrived?”

When he returned to the Western palace, his aide, Chase, was waiting for him.

His ash-colored hair was swept back five inches to reveal a round forehead. The corners of his eyes were upturned, but so were the corners of his mouth, making him look even more gentle.

“Chase, you said you sent a letter to a suitable person for the position of envoy party coordinator. Did you hear back from them?”

“Yes, I’ve been sending them continuously, but there’s still no reply.”

“There are only three weeks left. It’s getting hard to wait any longer.”

He became more sensitive as his brothers touched the part that he was already concerned about.

“I’ll try to get a response as quickly as possible.”

“Find out as soon as possible.”

“Yes, Your Highness. There’s a change in tomorrow’s schedule. The outdoor training with Captain Ray has been postponed.”

“I know. Ray wanted a holiday, so I gave him an extra day off.”

Ray and Claude were childhood friends who knew each other better than anyone else.

“Is that so? Let me check the schedule first. Is there something wrong with Captain Ray?”

Chase knew well that Ray, who liked discipline and rules, rarely changed his schedule. He was worried that something happened to him.

On the other hand, Claude’s expression, which had been sensitive at the mention of Ray, softened a bit.

“He said he has a date.”

“Ah, is that so… Wait?! A date? Are you saying Captain Ray went on a date!?”

Chase raised his voice in surprise.

“With whom is he going on a date? No, does the Captain have an interest in dating?”

A date!

It was the most incompatible word with Ray in the world.

“Haha, I don’t know who it is either. I will hear about it after the date. Maybe we’ll find out next week?”

“I always thought the Captain would remain single for life.”

Chase was still unable to believe it and was taken aback. Then, he began to imagine who could have moved Ray’s heart.

“In my opinion, the Captain would like someone similar to himself.”

“Is that so?”

“A calm and quiet person would go well with the Captain. Since the Captain doesn’t really like noisy things.”

“Haha, that could be true.”

Claude also tried to think of someone who would suit Ray well. Only a Young Lady similar to what Chase said came to mind, so he just nodded in agreement.

“What about me?”

“What? Does Your Highness also have an interest in women?”

“Do I seem uninterested in women like Ray?”

“Yes, it seems like both of you will only focus on work for life. Remain alone for life.”

Chase spoke sincerely.

“Is that so? If I find a good woman, I would want to promise her a lifetime.”

“Then, what kind of Young Lady does Your Highness have your eyes on?”

“Well, what do you think?”

Unlike when mentioning Ray, Chase pondered very carefully. Since it was about His Highness Claude, whom he served, he put his utmost effort even in mere imagination.

“I think Your Highness’s preference would be similar to the Captain. A calm and quiet person would suit you well.”

“Are you implying that I would develop an interest in the Young Lady, whom Ray likes?”

“Oh, no! That’s not what I meant.”

Chase shook his hands in denial.

“Haha, I’m just joking. There’s no way I would develop an interest in someone who Ray likes.”

Claude joked with a smile, and Chase felt relieved, thinking that his mood had lightened.

“Still, I never thought Ray would go on a date before.”

“I thought the same, too.”

“At this point, I’m even more curious about the person Ray went on a date with.”

“I hope their date goes smoothly.”

“Yes, me too. Since training with Ray got postponed, there’s no afternoon schedule, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Where are you planning to go?”

Claude approached the window and looked outside the palace.

“Well, let me think.”

His mouth curled up slightly.

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