Valdina Administrative Palace.
"Lord Sissair. Duchess Claudio entered the palace again yesterday."
Hearing the aide's report, Sissair squeezed his tired eyes.
"The crocodile is looking for food."
Recently, under the orders of the Queen Mother, several privileges of the Duke Claudio family were restored. The Duchess was probably thinking of coaxing the Princess to bring back those conveniences.
'How long are you going to play with them?'
Sissair sighed and stood up.
"I have to go to the Princess's palace. Get ready."
The aide hesitated.
"What are you doing?"
"That is... She's already here."
"Who?"
"The Princess is waiting."
Sissair raised his eyebrows.
It was very rare for the Princess to visit him in person.
It was only after he found the Princess sitting in his office that he was able to believe his aide's words.
"Her Royal Highness."
"Lord Sissair."
Silver hair, like pieces of shattering moonlight, caught his eye first.
Next, round eyes like those of a young deer, a strong look that does not match, and a slightly raised chin. Even the small, puffy lips stubbornly closed.
'I heard that the Princess has changed a lot these days.'
Although he was relieved that she was still the same as he knew her, he somehow sighed.
"How did you come here? If you're talking about Duke Claudio, I'll pretend I didn't hear about it."
"Are you going to not even give me a cup of tea?"
Medea asked calmly. She could understand his cold attitude of not welcoming her.
'Because I was like that too."
Medea did not like Sissair. No, she hated him.
When her brother Peleus left the royal palace, he entrusted the seal of Valdina to Medea and the state affairs to the chancellor Sissair.
The goal was to facilitate document processing by entrusting final approval to Medea and detailed management to Sissair but in reality worked exactly the opposite.
Sissair rebelled against Medea's handling of affairs at every turn.
"You know, Medea, your status is not perfect. So, Sisair shows that he cannot acknowledge you."
"That's right, Sister. It's different from us who care about you. He doesn't want to accept your very existence."
As subtle differences were added, the one-sided misunderstanding became stronger.
She thought that she was ignored even though she was a direct descendant of Valdina.
In the end, when Medea processed documents without permission by stamping them without going through a civil service, the relationship between the two came to a breakdown.
"Bring the tea."
"Yes, Master."
Sissair looked at the Princess for a moment with a feeling of mockery.
From head to toe, she looked just like the childish Princess he knew. But something was different.
The posture of sitting firmly like the owner of this room was as natural as flowing water.
There was not even a wave of shaking in her calm expression, so her intentions were completely unreadable.
The maid quietly came in and made tea.
There was no conversation while the kettle was pouring tea.
The Princess who was holding the teacup paused for a moment.
Then, after smelling the scent, she immediately put down the glass. Sissair frowned.
"The person who asked for tea speaks. If you don't want to drink, I would appreciate it if you could just leave. I'm sorry, but God hasn't finished construction yet."
"..."
For a moment, the Princess was filled with jealousy as she looked at him with her blank gaze.
It was something uncharacteristic of him but he couldn't bear it.
With those mean eyes, the Princess always made the worst choice, stabbing him with a rusty sword.
"What is it again this time? What did Duke Claudio ask for?"
He was sick of it. A deep look of regret appeared on his monocle.
"Ha, Her Royal Highness. Even animals can tell who is on their side. Do you know how your every word or action affects your master?"
"..."
"What do you mean there are people who are targeting Your Majesty's vacant position, and even Valdina itself? Who is behind the Prince Regent?"
"I know. The Katzen Empire is behind my uncle."
The Princess was the first to answer.
"What the Lord is most concerned about right now is that my uncle will be active under the protection of the empire."
Sissair paused.
"You know. There is? Then even though you know..."
"Sissair, is that why you chose the facade?"
Medea suddenly asked a question.
"You want to attract a wolf and fight a lion at the same time? Then I also have a question."
He was surprised for a moment when the Princess read his intention, and then a question came to his mind.
"What if the wolf doesn't leave even after the lion is chased away? What are you going to do then?"
"Then, is there any other way to suppress the Prince Regent in the current situation when His Majesty is away?"
Sissair responded with a frustrated feeling as if his limbs were tied.
It wasn't that he didn't think about the Princess's point, either. However, in order to avoid the worst, he had to choose the lesser evil.
"And, I know the head of Facade personally. He will not covet Valdina."
"You believe in an abyssal weapons dealer that even the Katzen Empire is wary of? It's not like a scripture."
Neither of those words were words befitting a prime minister boasting of iron-blooded reason.
'Yes, you were weaker than I thought. So, I left you alone too.'
In fact, Medea was no match for Sissair, who was seasoned in politics. He was indeed able to take Medea's seal and turn her into a helpless scarecrow.
'But even though you clashed with me on everything, you treated me as an equal.'
At least so that he can maintain the minimum presence of a Princess.
'Yes, you do what you are.'
Sissair is one of the few loyalists left in Valdina. Neither he nor Peleus need to change.
Because Medea can handle the risks that arise from their weaknesses.
"It's not like you... Ha, since when did Her Majesty the Princess name herself like this?"
Sissair asked bitterly.
"Then please tell God how we can resolve this difficult situation."
"What is most necessary is to regain control of the inner palace."
When the wise answer that he had not even expected came to him, Sissair swallowed his breath without a sound.
"Well, you know."
Has anyone he knows ever been like this? It was a remark that felt ironic.
The arrogant Princess, who should have rushed out as usual, questioned him again.
"Sir, wouldn't it be better to cut off the enemy's arm than to use a new weapon?"
"Now, what..."
"My uncle lost his left arm when the royal maid changed from Cuisine to Pinatelli."
She had a relaxed attitude as if she was not the one involved in the incident that had recently turned the palace upside down.
"Then, if the Minister gets away from my uncle, things will be much easier for you."
"..."
It took some time to understand what Medea meant.
Sissair soon realized that the series of events that occurred after Medea fell from the horse ended with exactly one person being cut out.
"I wonder if the person behind the former head maid's kicking out is. Have you told me?"
Medea grinned instead of answering.
"The Queen Mother sent Duke Claudio away and Monte brought in the Margrave..."
"You already know the answer. Let's stop with the outdated verification."
A ray of goosebumps ran up Sissair's back.
Was it not a coincidence that the Princess collapsed and suffered from a fever while guarding the chapel for five days?
Was it really her arrangement that the Queen Mother changed her attitude and that the royal maid was replaced by Madame Pinatelli?
Can people change like this?
"Are you hiding it, or have you changed?"
"Well. Let's just say I came to my senses. They say that once you wander through death, the world turns upside down."
"..."
In an instant, an eerie sensation struck Sissair's head.
Is this something a seventeen-year-old girl who has just awakened can do?
A dull puppet is a headache, but a puppeteer who controls the strings is more dangerous.
'If her heart turns towards His Majesty, will I be able to deal with it?'
Moreover, Peleus was surprisingly withdrawn from his sister. If Medea is truly targeting him, she is a great person who will willingly take her sword even though she knows it.
... Did she change her stance?
His delicate eyes narrowed as if gauging Medea's intentions.
'Why did the Princess suddenly...'
Two series are out now! If you like mystery, horror, and historical genre, you can check it out!
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