"The atmosphere is so unsettling, it ruins my appetite."

"Is that all Your Grace, Duke Peletta, has to say after hearing the contents of the letter?"

The voice that questioned him came from a man standing closest to Crown Prince Katchian. He was the third son of a noble count family, a knight affiliated with a rather well-known order. Although he had a reputation for his fiery, justice-driven nature, those who knew him were well aware that this was simply a faade to mask his violent temperament, which often entangled him in brawls.

Most of those remaining in the room were eager, young men, with little inheritance and great ambition. They saw their future in the prince who was to be the Empire's next ruler, and they were desperate to gain his favor. Hoping to seize this opportunity to make a name for themselves, they loudly expressed their opinions with barely concealed intentions. In response, Kishiar pretended to be ignorant and tilted his head.

"What should I have said then?"

"Just a few days ago, Your Highness proclaimed a thorough investigation into the Apeto family, ensuring they would face the judgment of the law. And yet, it has been revealed that you secretly invited the young Lord Lenore here. How can you say that you have nothing to say? Shouldn't you clarify the true nature of your relationship with him?"

The young knight brazenly raised his voice.

"So, you seem quite certain that I invited him."

"Are you saying you did not?"

The young knight thought that Kishiar was lost for words, hence his pretense of composure. The rumor that Duke Peletta, who lived solely by leaning on the Emperor's generosity, was merely a pretty face who could hardly read a book, was well-known.

This was his first time seeing the Duke up close, but looking at his appearance, sans the cloak that had somehow been lost from his formal attire, he thought the rumor was indeed accurate.

Seeing the eyes of those observing the situation, regretting that they didn't act first, bolstered his confidence.

"Aren't we still unsure if the letter is genuinely from the second prince of Apeto?"

"There are circumstantial pieces that one could reasonably deduce from, are there not? If Your Grace fails to give a convincing explanation and continues to avoid answering, some might think that the death of Lord Lenore was more than just a coincidence."

"Circumstantial conjectures, is it? Alright, let me try my hand at that."

A strange smile appeared on Kishiar's face as he echoed the young knight's words.

"Let's concede for a moment that, as you suggest, the second prince of Apeto did come to meet me. However, the letter only promised a meeting. His death was an accident, so by your logic, shouldn't I be quite surprised that the person I was supposed to meet suddenly died? I think my conjecture makes more sense, what do you think?"

"What are you saying? This situation is entirely different..."

"Oh? So you still believe that I deceived the second prince of Apeto into coming here and that his death is closely related to me? If you want to believe what you want to believe, then there's nothing more I need to say."

"I... I didn't exactly say that."

Although he was indeed leaning towards that notion, the young knight didn't want to be cornered by directly stating it, so he took a step back.

"What I am saying is... given that Lord Lenore's death is related to the failed assassination attempt on the Crown Prince, we shouldn't overlook the shadows of doubt in this case. It's with this in mind that I felt the need to advise...!"

"You make such allegations without any suitable evidence, even though my name is not even written in the letter. You should also be prepared to take responsibility for the words you have spewed. Do not call irresponsible statements advice. You might regret it later."

The young knight was silenced by the Duke of Peletta's sarcastic rebuttal, laced with laughter and cutting through his speech. The thought of being pushed back verbally by a Duke he had just mocked sparked a surge of unbearable shame and anger.

"It seems... you're forcing me to close my mouth."

"Force? This is advice, much more practical than what you've given. If you can't differentiate, make sure to learn."

Momentarily speechless, the young knight tightly clenched his fists, his face turning beet red.

"Your words are too...!"

"Step back."

Then, the Crown Prince, standing behind the young knight, raised his hand and spoke with weight. As all eyes were drawn toward Crown Prince Katchian as he slowly spoke to Kishiar.

"Exactly as you said, any argument without solid backing, no matter how plausible, is nothing more than an irresponsible falsehood. I understand your displeasure entirely. But, considering he said it out of concern for me, could you, Duke of Peletta, possibly let it slide?"

The Crown Prince protected the young knight. The atmosphere, once again, seemed to lightly ripple. Kishiar directed a friendly smile at the innocent face of Crown Prince Katchian, who seemed to be in a slight predicament.

"Of course. I wasn't that bothered in the first place."

"I'm relieved. However..."

Katchian's gaze shifted towards the chamberlain who was still politely holding Lenore's letter.

"The Duke said this letter might be a fake, but I don't think so. We should find out through this letter who that poor soul was summoned by. Wouldn't the family's grief be lifted then? Hence, I'm considering ordering a more detailed investigation... Would that be okay?"

His rhetoric was sophisticated. By implying that Kishiar had some hidden agenda with the letter and skillfully asking for his consent, he made a high-class move. As a result, the surrounding gazes became sharper, but Kishiar examined the prince's face with a deep smile, completely unfazed by their stares.

'Indeed. Is that the real claw you've been hiding all this time?'

Crown Prince Katchian had never openly displayed his feelings towards the Emperor or Kishiar since he ascended to his position four years ago. All the attacks were always through the Duke of Diarca.

However, the prince today stood alone, not hiding behind anyone. The undisguised hostility of the prince who stepped out alone for the first time without hiding behind the Duke of Diarca appeared strikingly clear to Kishiar.

'It was worth pricking his nerves during the festival.'

The reason Crown Prince Katchian attacked so promptly was probably because he had concluded he could no longer solely rely on Diarca. Kishiar didn't expect him to take such a bold step as killing Lenore, but this audacious attack was oddly satisfying to him.

If it were Duke Diarca, he wouldn't have stirred himself over such a trivial matter, but Katchian was still a teenager, and at that age, even a slight tremor can feel like an earthquake. A daring method of attack is good for puncturing the opponent's defense, but it can also leave you open to a counter-attack. He was going to learn this fact slowly over time.

Kishiar, trying not to give Katchian any cause for suspicion, made an effort not to appear too delighted as he nodded his agreement.

"An in-depth investigation... Of course, if needed, it must be done. We can't halt the ongoing investigation of the Apeto family by the Cavalry due to this issue, but if you request cooperation, I'll gladly provide it."

As he drew out his answer in a reluctant manner, the people surrounding Prince Katchian couldn't hide their excitement, as if Kishiar's guilt was already confirmed.

"In that case, I must retire early, for my head is starting to ache. I won't be able to attend the meal we had scheduled for today, but I plan to spend the night in the palace, so if you need me, please contact me."

Kishiar, leaving behind those who reveled in foreboding his misfortune, exited the hall. Shortly after, the Empress followed him out of the hall.

"Duke! Please wait."

"Yes. I knew you would come, so I've been waiting."

Seeing Kishiar standing nonchalantly just outside the hall, the Empress appeared briefly taken aback. However, she quickly regained her composure and lowered her voice.

"What are you thinking, exactly? You didn't really summon Apeto' second son, did you?"

"You still don't know me well. Of course, I did not."

At Kishiar's straightforward reply, the Empress's eyes flickered.

"Then why on earth are you acting like this...?"

"One must take a hit to figure out the opponent's purpose."

Of course, in reality, he had not taken a hit, and had managed to gauge all of Katchian's maneuvers as he had wanted. However, Kishiar swallowed these words, flashing a smile instead.

"Please tell His Majesty the Emperor that I'm sorry I cannot join him for dinner. I'll be going to the Eternal Palace where I spent my princehood."

"Are you really going just like that? Since you came all this way, wouldn't it be better to meet and talk with His Majesty directly?"

"That won't be possible today. There is someone waiting for me."

Normally, for his brother's sake, he would have chosen to have dinner with the three of them, but today was different. As he pictured Yuder Aile's pale face, still suffering from the pain of a manifestation, he shook his head. At this, the Empress's brow furrowed.

"Is it someone related to your lost cloak?"

His sister-in-law occasionally had an astonishingly sharp intuition. Kishiar hesitated for a moment before admitting it.

"How did you guess?"

"I couldn't say it earlier, but somehow, ever since you returned without your cloak... you've seemed a bit different."

"Different, you say...?"

"How should I put it? You seemed like someone eager to get up and leave. If it's not because of the Crown Prince, there can be only one reason left."