Katchian, who had silently been staring at his reflection in the mirror, finally turned away when the ceaseless knocking from outside finally stopped.

"At last, some peace."

The gaze of the boy, slowly moving away, was noticeably colder and darker than before. He stared at the now silent door for a moment before shortly directing his order to his servant.

"I have a headache. Bring me the cold tea brewed with Ponegri."

"B-but your highness, you've had nothing else, if you drink the potent Ponegri tea again..."

"...You."

Already seated, Katchian called out to the servant with a blank expression.

"The sole reason I let you in here wasn't for your trivial concerns. Just do as I say."

"..."

In the end, the servant could not respond, retreating to bring the Ponegri tea, the only thing the Crown Prince had sought since yesterday. Ponegri was a substance made by diluting the potent narcotic components of the Ponesa plant to edible levels, famed for its ability to subdue severe pain instantly. The cultivation and distribution of Ponesa were strictly controlled and naturally illegal, but the aristocracy secretly procured it, adding it to tea or alcohol for its mood-enhancing effects.

And Crown Prince Katchian was one among them, seeking Ponegri whenever he felt discomfort. With a long sigh, he closed his eyes after gulping down the tea laced with Ponegri, smuggled from the Diarca Duchy. The muscles of his face, which had been tense, began to relax as the effects of the drug kicked in, his eyelids quivering slightly.

"... How in the world did they find out?"

The servant, startled by Katchian's low, muttered question after a few more sips, bowed his head.

"What are... what are you referring to, your highness?"

"The powder made from the Dudureli mushroom you brought from the Western Valley."

With his eyes still closed, Katchian murmured vaguely, gently touching his teacup.

"There's no way any of the aristocrats knew about its effects... How did they catch onto us so quickly? I've thought about it over and over since that day, but I still can't figure it out."

How did they find out? Who revealed to Duke Peletta the nature of the not-so-toxic poison and helped exonerate him from the false accusation of killing Lenore? Ever since Kishiar appeared at Lenore Shand Apeto's funeral and turned everything upside down, Katchian had been locked in his room, incessantly pondering over this.

"No matter how much I think about it, there's no way they could've suspected anything from the letter I sent to Lenore Shand Apeto. Nothing happened on the day of the party either. Everything concluded just as expected, except for a few fools fainting upon meeting the armored knight..."

In fact, a few of them had fainted due to being hit by the button of Yuder, but Katchian did not know that all of it was bundled together as the fault of the armored knight that appeared afterward. As he kept tapping the end of his teacup and gnawing his lip, he soon succumbed to the dizziness induced by the drug and sprawled out. The servant, surprised by his state, approached cautiously and lightly grasped his shoulder.

"... Your Highness, are you alright? Your Highness."

"Quiet... Don't touch me."

Despite his slightly slurred speech, his eyes were still fiercely intimidating. He harshly brushed off the servant's hand and slumped down, burying his face in his palms. With every deep breath he took, his head became increasingly foggy.

There was nothing more comforting than this tea when he did not want to think about anything. Especially when he wanted to escape from the noisy world outside and hide away inside his shell.

"Did I start things too early?"

No matter what he thought, the end was always the same. It was regret for the recent incident when he decided to step forward for the first time to put Duke Peletta away.

"I was certain it would be successful."

After becoming the Crown Prince, Katchian was always behind the Diarca family, no matter what happened. It was only natural, since Diarca had put him in that position. But, in reality, he had faith in the immense power of Duke Diarca. He always observed everything from behind Duke Diarca and learned political maneuvers over the Duke's shoulder that would be useful when he became the Emperor.

However, ever since Duke Peletta created a ridiculous Cavalry and took the lead, the influence of Duke Diarca, which he believed would remain unchanging, began to wobble strangely.

New winds blew into the capital continuously since he successfully retrieved the Red Stone. Duke Diarca, who had a lot, talked about passing it over as if these matters weren't significant, but it wasn't the same for Katchian. For him, there was only the precarious position of the Crown Prince. The feelings he began to experience after the Cavalry was formed were different from the irritation he had felt occasionally from the Emperor and Duke Peletta until now.

"His Highness may be worried, but if we act excessively, it may rather give them a chance. Now, the answer is just to wait. Victory will come to you if you just stay still."

What did he know? To Katchian, these words only sounded like a relaxed caution of someone whose footing was stable.

On the festival day when Duke Diarca failed in front of Katchian for the first time, the young Crown Prince was greatly disappointed inside. He began to think for the first time that Duke Diarca, who always seemed so immense, might actually be nothing special. The plans for that day were not prepared over a long time according to Duke Diarca's way. It was a messy plan hastily created to soothe Katchian, who was wary of Duke Peletta. It was impossible for it to be successful.

Even afterward, Duke Diarca's plans continued to fail throughout the festival. Each time he heard news that the accusations he tried to frame on the Cavalry had come back to them, Katchian was not amused.

Yet, Duke Diarca chose to step back again.

It's regrettable, but it can't be helped. We can find a better opportunity next time based on this incident.

When Katchian heard these words, he finally showed the discomfort he had been holding back in front of Duke Diarca.

"You always say the same thing."

"Your Highness?"

"If you always step back, when and how can we bring down Duke Peletta? Will it be possible only after I'm dead?"

Dismay flickered in Duke Diarca's eyes at Katchian's words, who had always just smiled and listened. However, the emotion that appeared in his wrinkled eyes a moment later was a deep disdain and irritation that was bone-chilling.

"Yes, you might think that way. You're still young, so it can't be helped. But, Your Highness, please think carefully. Think about the incidents before the Crown Prince was appointed... and who held your hand and brought you to this capital."

In an instant, Katchian felt the color draining from his face. It was a story that resembled a forbidden tale between them.

"Lately, others have often been talking about whether the Crown Prince position should be chosen again. The important thing is not just the Emperor or Duke Peletta, but rather, isn't it about this very fact? I am truly worried," said the aged duke, looking at the pale face of the young Crown Prince.

The old Duke stood up from his seat, smiling kindly. "I shall withdraw. Rather than concerning yourself with such complicated matters, wouldn't it be better for Your Highness to focus on imperial studies for a while and turn a blind eye to external affairs?"

Katchian carefully kept the emotions he had never revealed to the Duke, who had always defeated him. Even long after he had left, the coldness in his heart remained unhealed.

After the forbidden barrier was broken once, the emotions between Duke Diarca and the Crown Prince began to rapidly escalate. It grew so intense that it felt as if the past had forcibly glued together shattered fragments. A stifling frustration and anger seized Katchian in an instant.

He had never intended to hold hands with Duke Diarca for a lifetime. His life had been a series of desperate struggles to survive. So, what would change if he made the same choice once again?

He couldn't stay behind Duke Diarca. It was too late to start distancing himself after becoming Emperor. The time was ripe to gradually expand his influence both inside and outside the palace, and to thoroughly examine the relationships between nobles. The incidents involving Duke Peletta, the Cavalry, and Duke Apeto happened to be the perfect catalyst for Katchian's determination.

He would show Duke Diarca that he was right. He would thrust a sword into the heart of Duke Peletta and the Cavalry and join forces with others who possessed power equal to Diarca. It would be a dangerous tightrope act, but he believed it was better to be on that side than to trust just one person like Duke Diarca.

Alone, he planned and organized everything using only his own strength, utilizing the paths and information he alone knew. The mushrooms were part of that scheme as well. However, Katchian had failed in an unexpected aspect, and he couldn't figure out the reason.

"No, perhaps it was an anticipated failure from the moment I didn't know that Lenore Shand Apeto had passed a letter to his younger brother...?"

Even now, there were continuous contact requests from Apeto Duchy and Diarca Duchy, but Katchian didn't want to meet them.

He judged that it would be better to meet and talk, even if it meant playing dumb. However, the fear that arose from shattered pride and the lack of experience in facing a proper failure made it difficult for the immature young Crown Prince to accept it immediately. With even Duke Diarca not visiting, Katchian found it hard to determine how to overcome this obstacle.

And Katchian La Orr couldn't face such a fragile side of himself.

"...In the end, I should lower myself to Diarca's level, reveal the truth, and ask for his help. I will have to give up on building a good relationship with Apeto Duchy from now on."

Just the thought alone sent chills down his spine. If he considered that even Duke Diarca would not come to visit Katchian, his heart grew even colder.