"The first son of Apeto has arrived."

Upon hearing the awaited fish had bitten the bait and come, Kishiar's eyes shifted.

"Indeed... he arrived at a perfect time. Has Revlin been informed of his arrival?"

"Yes. He was notified right before the guest arrived. He said he would wait within the lodging to come at your immediate call."

The youngest of the Apeto house, the third son Revlin, was living freely within the Cavalry as a temporary member, but he never forgot his original place. Kishiar had already warned Revlin, anticipating Aishes from the Apeto House would visit the Cavalry sometime.

"Good. It's unlikely I'll need to call him, but just in case."

Kishiar, satisfied, nodded and headed towards the Cavalry quarters.

Aishes Shand Apeto, the first son of the Apeto House, arrived, his face concealed by a cape, accompanied only by a single servant. The young man waiting in the guest reception room, unable to hide his tension, jumped to his feet at the sight of Kishiar in training attire entering the room, flanked by Nathan and Yuder.

"I apologize for visiting so suddenly, Your Highness. Due to avoiding the gaze of my family, I found it difficult to notify you in advance."

"That's fine. It's rather I who should apologize for greeting a guest in such attire due to training. Please, come in."

Yuder followed them, scrutinizing Aishes' face discreetly. His features didn't much resemble his other brothers', but his noticeable golden eyes and sensitive demeanor made their shared bloodline instantly apparent.

He had seen his letters and heard much about him, but this was the first time he had seen Aishes in person, in this life or the previous.

'So this is eldest sibling Aishes... He does look frail indeed. The servant he brought seems quite strong... probably not an Awakener, maybe a disguised knight.'

Though Aishes was trying his best to climb the stairs with dignity, to avoid being underestimated by Kishiar, his increasingly labored breath could not be hidden. It was pitiable to see the noble youth struggling even under the weight of his expensive cape. Yuder, taking his eyes off him, quietly continued his stride.

"Firstly... I'd like to inform you that, upon our independent investigation of Lenore's body, our Apeto family has concluded that there was no discrepancy with what Duke Peletta stated at the funeral."

Finally arriving at the Commander's room, Aishes, looking considerably more tired than before, drained a cup of water before opening his mouth.

"In fact, before Lenore ended up this way, the Bright Palace had sent commemorative gifts for the harvest festival separately to my residence where I stay and to the Apeto main residence. Since the gifts were sent secretly, both my father and I were unaware that the other had received such a gift."

Inside the gifts sent from the Bright Palace, where the Crown Prince resided, was a poem subtly implying a desire for a good relationship regardless of the surroundings and expensive medicinal herbs for the body.

Aishes naturally assumed the gift was sent by the Diarca family using the Crown Prince's name. If they were favoring Aishes over Lenore, his competitor, then it was only right to join hands with them.

Duke Apeto also harbored similar thoughts. The only minor difference was that he had perceived his involvement in the trial linked to the Apeto family as a promise of significant assistance from the Diarca family in the future. But circumstances changed following Lenore's funeral.

If the person who had killed Lenore was Kishiar, as initially suspected, they could have exerted pressure on the Emperor by joining forces with the Crown Prince and the Diarca family, tilting the trial in their favor. However, Kishiar himself appeared at Lenore's funeral, dramatically revealing that he was not the killer and presenting irrefutable evidence that the real culprit was the Crown Prince, who had plotted against him.

The funeral attendees were loose-lipped, and rumors spread rapidly. Some still suspected Kishiar, but the majority believed that the Crown Prince had conspired with the Diarca family to deceive Apeto.

As Duke Apeto thought the same, he was understandably furious. Repeated examinations of Lenore's body only proved Kishiar's innocence. The Crown Prince, whom he had contacted to ascertain the truth, only denied any involvement and did not provide any solid evidence. Even though the Diarca family claimed they were not involved, Duke Apeto did not believe them.

'Of course, Lenore's death might have given me some advantage in the trial! But I cannot accept the fact that that young Crown Prince has belittled Apeto to such an extent! How dare the Diarca family pit us against the Emperor openly? If not for them, this wouldn't have happened.'

Duke Apeto, who had always criticized the arrogance of the Diarca family, especially after the Crown Prince's coronation, hardened his heart against them after Lenore's funeral. His temporary tolerance, thinking that Diarca might assist during the trial, froze over completely.

'How much of a laughingstock must we have been for them to pull something like this?'

Rationally, even after this incident, it might have been right to collaborate with the Diarca family or the Crown Prince. But the Crown Prince's cruel and humiliating assassination of Lenore, and his subsequent casual contact with the Apeto family as if seeking an opportunity for friendly relations, added insult to injury for the already fiery Duke Apeto.

The undercurrent of conflict surrounding the Crown Prince's nomination had already severely upset him years ago, and this incident opened those wounds again. Duke Apeto was adamant that the issue was directly tied to the family's honor.

'How can we trust their words when the foundation of our trust has been shaken? Rather than focusing on winning this trial, Apeto should aim to minimize losses. Fighting fiercely would only drain our energy and benefit Diarca! Preserving our strength for the future should be our priority.'

Aishes, the heir to the family, agreed with Duke Apeto. But at the same time, he saw the family decision to not confront the trial head-on as the perfect opportunity to overthrow his father.

Following Lenore's funeral, there were discussions within the Apeto family about revitalizing the family atmosphere through this incident and adopting a healthy heir from outside the family.

The apparent reason was the frail health of Aishes and the absence of Revlin, which were deemed inadequate to secure the succession. But everyone knew the real reason - Duke Apeto had pulled strings to promote his illegitimate child.

Feeling pleased with the established succession, Aishes was deeply unsettled by this maneuver. He knew the Duke of Apeto had no affection for any of his children, but he didn't expect him to strike him in the back like this, especially when the succession was practically decided.

In the end, it seemed both parties had used the trial as an excuse to attack each other. Upon learning this, Aishes resolution quickened.

His perennial weak body was always a hindrance. He felt a sense of urgency to claim the dukedom as soon as possible when his body was in better shape. What came to mind then was the healthy-looking Revlin he saw at the funeral, and Duke Peletta standing beside him.

'After all, considering teaming up with him was part of my initial plan.'

Aishes briefly reported this situation to Kishiar.

"My father has been greatly affected by this incident, and his judgment has declined considerably. He is constantly worried about my health and speaks oddly. As his child, it is quite distressing. Therefore, if the Duke remembers the letter I previously sent, I'd like to offer some help on this matter."

"I've always thought so, but you really are a filial son."

Kishiar responded with a soft smile. Aishes was momentarily mesmerized by his smile before he frowned and regained his senses. That skinny duke certainly had extraordinary looks.

"I appreciate your sentiment. Seeing you again reminds me of the funeral day. Even when the Emperor expressed concern about the incidents that day, the Duke of Diarca refused to stop spreading false rumors, despite being asked to halt."

"I have already heard about this from Apeto."

Aishes nodded, furrowing his brow. Yuder, who had not known about this matter, listened carefully.

"If you intend to apply the old saying that silence is the closest brother to oblivion here, I would disagree. Apeto's pride won't go down that easily. How could Duke Peletta, whose honor has been damaged, just bury this matter?"

"If it's your wisdom, I believed you would come to such a conclusion. I have no doubts about your intentions."

He was convinced that they could continue to have a good relationship. Kishiar extended his hand to the side, and Nathan Zuckerman, as if waiting, respectfully placed a small box in his hand. It was one of the two boxes Yuder had seen the day before, the one containing the thirst-inducing poisonous mushroom.

"Do you know what this is?"

"No."

"It's a mushroom that a servant of the Bright Palace smuggled in the day before the party. If you dry it, grind it, and dissolve it in water, it's absorbed into the body and induces thirst."

Aishes's eyes narrowed at Kishiar's words.

"I see. This is... We tried to find the ingredient, but the news was slow and it was frustrating."

"I'll give this as a gift in celebration of today's meeting. Will you accept it?"