What?
Ilya froze, unable to even open her mouth. It felt as if time had stopped.
"...What?"
Viscount Jackinson asked incredulously. It was difficult to nod in agreement when he heard that he had killed a fellow nobleman, not a slave or a commoner.
“He was serving hard labor in a quarry anyway, so who would suspect me if he died in an accident?”
Malone boldly confessed his crime to his father, shamelessly, without any hesitation or fear, saying that he had killed his father-in-law.
“No matter what, you can’t do something so dangerous without consulting me!”
Viscount Jackinson snapped.
“Don’t you know that there is already competition between the Second Prince and the Third Prince? If you find fault with them for no reason...!”
Just as Viscount Jackinson was about to raise his voice, Malone opened his mouth with a grin.
“On this issue, even Grand Duke Burnett and others will be on my side.”
Malone squared his shoulders as he spoke. Even through the small gap between the doors, the peacock-like figure was clearly visible.
“What does that mean?”
Viscount Jackinson asked because he didn't think Eden would get involved in such a personal matter. He was never that type of person.
“I learned from a letter bearing the Grand Duke's coat of arms that Ilya was embezzling money from the Count’s family.”
Ilya's eyes rolled slowly.
Eden Lobana Burnett. The man who was indignant at her insult to his wife. He knew that she despised him and was wary of him.
“The Grand Duke does not want the Count Nova to be rebuilt.”
But she didn't know that he would push her life to the edge of a cliff until the very end. He was so kind, so gentle.
"Ha..."
Ilya let go of the doorknob she was holding onto and started to walk unsteadily. With every step, a hollow laugh escaped her lips, and tears fell down her face.
The conflict with Cecilia. Eden's contempt. The downfall of the family. Malone Jackinson, who approached her with false love. She was ridiculed throughout her married life. Her father was killed by his son-in-law.
“Ugh.”
Ilya's thin legs gave way as she reached the outer garden. She should not have answered Cecilia's letter. She should not have come up to the system and become Cecilia's maid.
'Ilya, come with me. We need to get used to each other's faces.'
Above all, she should never have met Eden.
If that was the case, then she wouldn't have tried to seduce him. If that were the case, then she wouldn't have destroyed the Eden family and persistently interfered with its reconstruction. It all seemed like her fault.
“...”
Because of me. Because of me!
'This is how it is. I'm going to get rid of all the men in that family, put Ilya in a mental hospital, and then take the countship.'
'The Grand Duke does not want the Count Nova to be rebuilt.'
Dry fingers, like bare tree branches in winter, clutched the grass.
“Eden Lobana Burnett...”
Ilya laughed while crying.
“Ahaha. Ahahaha...!”
A fierce hatred rose in her heart. She wanted to die. But she could not die without killing Eden.
Ilya froze, unable to even open her mouth. It felt as if time had stopped.
"...What?"
Viscount Jackinson asked incredulously. It was difficult to nod in agreement when he heard that he had killed a fellow nobleman, not a slave or a commoner.
“He was serving hard labor in a quarry anyway, so who would suspect me if he died in an accident?”
Malone boldly confessed his crime to his father, shamelessly, without any hesitation or fear, saying that he had killed his father-in-law.
“No matter what, you can’t do something so dangerous without consulting me!”
Viscount Jackinson snapped.
“Don’t you know that there is already competition between the Second Prince and the Third Prince? If you find fault with them for no reason...!”
Just as Viscount Jackinson was about to raise his voice, Malone opened his mouth with a grin.
“On this issue, even Grand Duke Burnett and others will be on my side.”
Malone squared his shoulders as he spoke. Even through the small gap between the doors, the peacock-like figure was clearly visible.
“What does that mean?”
Viscount Jackinson asked because he didn't think Eden would get involved in such a personal matter. He was never that type of person.
“I learned from a letter bearing the Grand Duke's coat of arms that Ilya was embezzling money from the Count’s family.”
Ilya's eyes rolled slowly.
Eden Lobana Burnett. The man who was indignant at her insult to his wife. He knew that she despised him and was wary of him.
“The Grand Duke does not want the Count Nova to be rebuilt.”
But she didn't know that he would push her life to the edge of a cliff until the very end. He was so kind, so gentle.
"Ha..."
Ilya let go of the doorknob she was holding onto and started to walk unsteadily. With every step, a hollow laugh escaped her lips, and tears fell down her face.
The conflict with Cecilia. Eden's contempt. The downfall of the family. Malone Jackinson, who approached her with false love. She was ridiculed throughout her married life. Her father was killed by his son-in-law.
“Ugh.”
Ilya's thin legs gave way as she reached the outer garden. She should not have answered Cecilia's letter. She should not have come up to the system and become Cecilia's maid.
'Ilya, come with me. We need to get used to each other's faces.'
Above all, she should never have met Eden.
If that was the case, then she wouldn't have tried to seduce him. If that were the case, then she wouldn't have destroyed the Eden family and persistently interfered with its reconstruction. It all seemed like her fault.
“...”
Because of me. Because of me!
'This is how it is. I'm going to get rid of all the men in that family, put Ilya in a mental hospital, and then take the countship.'
'The Grand Duke does not want the Count Nova to be rebuilt.'
Dry fingers, like bare tree branches in winter, clutched the grass.
“Eden Lobana Burnett...”
Ilya laughed while crying.
“Ahaha. Ahahaha...!”
A fierce hatred rose in her heart. She wanted to die. But she could not die without killing Eden.
***
The day of the third competition arrived. Unlike the previous two rounds, the Emperor did not give any words. There were only various guesses.
“The third competition begins.”
The Emperor rose from his seat and solemnly declared. Everyone stared up at the Emperor. Since this was the final competition between the Second and Third Princes, each of whom would win once, everyone couldn’t help but wonder what the topic would be.
“As you all know, I didn’t announce the topic in advance this time.”
The Emperor's voice was low but clear enough for everyone in the room to hear.
“The Emperor never takes only prepared questions.”
“...”
“You will be asked unexpected questions, face unexpected situations, and encounter unexpected challenges.”
The Emperor smiled leisurely. His gaze toward his two sons was warmer than usual. Damon thought it was trust in him and straightened his back with a proud face.
“So, if you are going to be the Emperor, you must always be thinking about something and preparing. That is the virtue of a Crown Prince.”
The Emperor took his eyes off his two sons and looked back at the nobles.
“I know that you have made decisions fairly and impartially so far.”
It was a lie. No matter how anonymous it was, the nobles were always divided in half according to what they supported. In the end, the Emperor's opinion was the deciding factor.
“Today’s results will determine the future of Wyatt for at least the next 30 years. Think about that and make your decision.”
The nobles unanimously agreed with the Emperor's words. Only after hearing that answer did the Emperor sit down.
“The third competition is about social issues.”
“...”
“But there is no topic.”
A look of confusion briefly crossed the faces of those gathered. Damon cheered inwardly as he recalled the crazy woman who had been giving him advice.
“Put out a topic you’ve been thinking about and convince the people here.”
The Emperor gave orders to Eden and Damon.
“A person who speaks out of touch with the times is not fit to be a Crown Prince, much less a Prince himself.”
The attitude was that anyone who was not fit for the position of emperor would be mercilessly kicked out.
“I’ll go first.”
As with the first competition, Damon went first. It was a bit more advantageous to be proactive, as the topics might overlap.
“What I’ve been thinking about is...”
Damon stood up from his seat and walked around the table where the nobles were sitting, carrying his luggage behind his back. Naturally, everyone's attention turned to Damon.
“It is legislation.”
Damon, standing still, smiled coolly and began to speak.
“What kind of legislation do you mean?”
But there was nothing important. Count Jackinson cautiously questioned Damon.
“Recently, there has been a steady increase in economic crimes such as embezzlement, gambling, and tax evasion. Count Nova and Count Casper are examples.”
Damon opened his folded fingers one by one. Everyone's eyes were drawn to the three spread fingers.
“Up until now, we have resolved it through customary law. But we cannot resolve it that way forever.”
Damon lifted his foot from where he was standing and put it down. There was a thud as the sole of his shoe hit the floor.
“We must clearly legislate on this matter and enforce it. Those who do not follow it must be severely punished.”
He is good at attracting attention. The Emperor narrowed his eyes and watched his youngest son closely.
“What I am arguing is simple.”
“What is it?”
The Emperor asked a question. Damon smiled and looked at his father.
“First, anyone who squanders his fortune through gambling and sells his lands, thereby tarnishing the honor of his nobility, will have his title taken away.”
The nobles exchanged glances in silence. None of them had set foot in a gambling house, but none of the families the Emperor kept close to him were so wealthy that they would sell their family fortune.
“Second, any money earned through tax evasion or embezzlement will be returned to the national treasury, and half of the property will be unconditionally confiscated.”
But when they talked about the second one, there was a silent cry in the room. Since there was no clear law in the past, if you asked for leniency and pleaded, it could be passed over to some extent.
“We already handle it similarly under customary law. But if someone claims that this is excessive, we can suspect them of guilt.”
Damon, who noticed it, looked back at the nobles with a cold face. The Emperor's eyes, who was watching them coughing and avoiding Damon's gaze, became interested.
“It’s pretty good.”
It was a topic that perfectly matched what he had been thinking. The Emperor was secretly impressed that he was such a good guy if he could just get rid of the prejudice that he was pathetic.
“Eden, what do you think?”
This time, the Emperor's gaze turned to Eden. Eden's eyes, which had been looking down as if he was listening to whatever Damon was saying, finally turned to the Emperor.
“...”
But the words didn't come out right away.
“Eden Lobana Burnett.”
The Emperor called Eden's name as if he was reprimanding him. Eden moved his lips with a calm face. However, his inner feelings were more complicated and dizzying than he could have imagined.
There was a topic he had been thinking about for a long time. Even if someone was brought in as a suspect, it was an example of giving them two chances instead of concluding with just one trial.
"I am..."
But that wasn't the topic he was thinking about right now. Eden recalled his memories from the short time before he arrived at the palace.
'I'll be back.'
He turned around and kissed Cecilia gently with his usual face.
'Let's go.'
However, from the moment the carriage wheels started rolling toward the palace, he became expressionless. In fact, Eden was not okay all along. Eden stared blankly at Cecilia's face, who was still watching him through the window.
Even as they got further and further away, Cecilia’s expression did not change. She smiled with a gentle and affectionate face, and only when the distance became too far to discern her expression did she turn around.
'...Your Highness.'
Enon, who knew that Eden's gaze was following Cecilia outside the window the whole time, opened his mouth with difficulty.
'Be honest.'
Eden replied briefly. Enon, who had tried to postpone the conversation until after the competition was over as much as possible, sensed failure.
'...That's what Owen Casper said.'
There was no other way than to tell the truth. Since Eden's outward appearance was indifferent and the same as usual, he only hoped that his inner feelings were the same.
“What I thought was.”
“...”
“We seek to ensure social stability by making divorce impossible if even one member objects.”
But Enon's wish was useless. A sneer appeared on Damon's face, and a faint look of bewilderment crossed the Emperor's face.
'In Lederick, it is said to be used as a contraceptive or for women who do not want to become pregnant, as an abortion drug.'
His insides were already rotting and collapsing with anxiety, despair, and resentment.
'Have a nice day, Your Highness.'
Cecilia's face as she saw him off with a smile. Thinking of a woman who doesn't love him, who deceives him, and who might want him to leave.
“The third competition begins.”
The Emperor rose from his seat and solemnly declared. Everyone stared up at the Emperor. Since this was the final competition between the Second and Third Princes, each of whom would win once, everyone couldn’t help but wonder what the topic would be.
“As you all know, I didn’t announce the topic in advance this time.”
The Emperor's voice was low but clear enough for everyone in the room to hear.
“The Emperor never takes only prepared questions.”
“...”
“You will be asked unexpected questions, face unexpected situations, and encounter unexpected challenges.”
The Emperor smiled leisurely. His gaze toward his two sons was warmer than usual. Damon thought it was trust in him and straightened his back with a proud face.
“So, if you are going to be the Emperor, you must always be thinking about something and preparing. That is the virtue of a Crown Prince.”
The Emperor took his eyes off his two sons and looked back at the nobles.
“I know that you have made decisions fairly and impartially so far.”
It was a lie. No matter how anonymous it was, the nobles were always divided in half according to what they supported. In the end, the Emperor's opinion was the deciding factor.
“Today’s results will determine the future of Wyatt for at least the next 30 years. Think about that and make your decision.”
The nobles unanimously agreed with the Emperor's words. Only after hearing that answer did the Emperor sit down.
“The third competition is about social issues.”
“...”
“But there is no topic.”
A look of confusion briefly crossed the faces of those gathered. Damon cheered inwardly as he recalled the crazy woman who had been giving him advice.
“Put out a topic you’ve been thinking about and convince the people here.”
The Emperor gave orders to Eden and Damon.
“A person who speaks out of touch with the times is not fit to be a Crown Prince, much less a Prince himself.”
The attitude was that anyone who was not fit for the position of emperor would be mercilessly kicked out.
“I’ll go first.”
As with the first competition, Damon went first. It was a bit more advantageous to be proactive, as the topics might overlap.
“What I’ve been thinking about is...”
Damon stood up from his seat and walked around the table where the nobles were sitting, carrying his luggage behind his back. Naturally, everyone's attention turned to Damon.
“It is legislation.”
Damon, standing still, smiled coolly and began to speak.
“What kind of legislation do you mean?”
But there was nothing important. Count Jackinson cautiously questioned Damon.
“Recently, there has been a steady increase in economic crimes such as embezzlement, gambling, and tax evasion. Count Nova and Count Casper are examples.”
Damon opened his folded fingers one by one. Everyone's eyes were drawn to the three spread fingers.
“Up until now, we have resolved it through customary law. But we cannot resolve it that way forever.”
Damon lifted his foot from where he was standing and put it down. There was a thud as the sole of his shoe hit the floor.
“We must clearly legislate on this matter and enforce it. Those who do not follow it must be severely punished.”
He is good at attracting attention. The Emperor narrowed his eyes and watched his youngest son closely.
“What I am arguing is simple.”
“What is it?”
The Emperor asked a question. Damon smiled and looked at his father.
“First, anyone who squanders his fortune through gambling and sells his lands, thereby tarnishing the honor of his nobility, will have his title taken away.”
The nobles exchanged glances in silence. None of them had set foot in a gambling house, but none of the families the Emperor kept close to him were so wealthy that they would sell their family fortune.
“Second, any money earned through tax evasion or embezzlement will be returned to the national treasury, and half of the property will be unconditionally confiscated.”
But when they talked about the second one, there was a silent cry in the room. Since there was no clear law in the past, if you asked for leniency and pleaded, it could be passed over to some extent.
“We already handle it similarly under customary law. But if someone claims that this is excessive, we can suspect them of guilt.”
Damon, who noticed it, looked back at the nobles with a cold face. The Emperor's eyes, who was watching them coughing and avoiding Damon's gaze, became interested.
“It’s pretty good.”
It was a topic that perfectly matched what he had been thinking. The Emperor was secretly impressed that he was such a good guy if he could just get rid of the prejudice that he was pathetic.
“Eden, what do you think?”
This time, the Emperor's gaze turned to Eden. Eden's eyes, which had been looking down as if he was listening to whatever Damon was saying, finally turned to the Emperor.
“...”
But the words didn't come out right away.
“Eden Lobana Burnett.”
The Emperor called Eden's name as if he was reprimanding him. Eden moved his lips with a calm face. However, his inner feelings were more complicated and dizzying than he could have imagined.
There was a topic he had been thinking about for a long time. Even if someone was brought in as a suspect, it was an example of giving them two chances instead of concluding with just one trial.
"I am..."
But that wasn't the topic he was thinking about right now. Eden recalled his memories from the short time before he arrived at the palace.
'I'll be back.'
He turned around and kissed Cecilia gently with his usual face.
'Let's go.'
However, from the moment the carriage wheels started rolling toward the palace, he became expressionless. In fact, Eden was not okay all along. Eden stared blankly at Cecilia's face, who was still watching him through the window.
Even as they got further and further away, Cecilia’s expression did not change. She smiled with a gentle and affectionate face, and only when the distance became too far to discern her expression did she turn around.
'...Your Highness.'
Enon, who knew that Eden's gaze was following Cecilia outside the window the whole time, opened his mouth with difficulty.
'Be honest.'
Eden replied briefly. Enon, who had tried to postpone the conversation until after the competition was over as much as possible, sensed failure.
'...That's what Owen Casper said.'
There was no other way than to tell the truth. Since Eden's outward appearance was indifferent and the same as usual, he only hoped that his inner feelings were the same.
“What I thought was.”
“...”
“We seek to ensure social stability by making divorce impossible if even one member objects.”
But Enon's wish was useless. A sneer appeared on Damon's face, and a faint look of bewilderment crossed the Emperor's face.
'In Lederick, it is said to be used as a contraceptive or for women who do not want to become pregnant, as an abortion drug.'
His insides were already rotting and collapsing with anxiety, despair, and resentment.
'Have a nice day, Your Highness.'
Cecilia's face as she saw him off with a smile. Thinking of a woman who doesn't love him, who deceives him, and who might want him to leave.
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