He opened his mouth wide in disbelief, scanned Arma from top to bottom, and calmly and firmly shook the bell on the sofa table.
The servant who was outside came inside.
"Is there anything you need, Your Highness the First Prince?"
"Yes."
He calmly nodded.
"It seems my youngest sibling is sick. Bring the attending physician here immediately."
"Yes. Your Highness, First Prince..."
"I want to become Emperor, so please hand over the position of Crown Prince."
Arma immediately cut off Silvran's nonsense and snapped out what he had to say.
The Emperor told Arma to get 'Silvran's permission'.
It probably means that he must pay the price for living under the weight of the title of Crown Prince, a title he never even obtained.
"My younger brother must have gone completely insane. Hey! Bring Father's personal physician here immediately!"
“I want to become Emperor.”
Silvran placed his chin and palm on Arma's forehead.
"There is no fever; that is strange. There might have been a problem with the food. Tell the attending physician as soon as they arrive. I want to know if there was anything wrong with the dishes served today..."
"Brother, I'm not joking. I said I want to become the Emperor."
Silvran, who had been making a fuss, frowned at Arma's calm yet firm words.
It was Arma who stepped back from everything happening in the Imperial City and tried not to get involved with it.
“You want to become Emperor?”
"Yes. Therefore, please yield the position of Crown Prince."
He silently swept back the hair that had fallen forward.
"You want me to give up my position because you want to become Emperor?"
"Yes."
"Do you think that is something you should be saying to me right now?"
Sharply raised eyes glared at Arma. Arma quietly met those eyes.
"What got you into all of a sudden to act like this?"
Silvran asked in a much calmer voice.
“I found someone I like.”
Silvran's eyes twitched once.
"Give up the Emperor's throne."
"..."
"It wasn't that I was particularly greedy anyway. I promise a life with no obligations, only rights."
Silvran pressed down on his throbbing chest. It felt strangely unpleasant.
True to his word, he probably had no strong attachment to the throne, yet it felt as though the imperial throne belonged to him.
Then, Arma opened his mouth with a displeased expression.
"From now on, I will always call you 'brother' and will neither avoid nor kill you."
"...Did you try to kill me?"
“Sometimes.”
Arma spoke honestly.
"I'm so disappointed that I need to think deeply about this matter! Don't show your face for a while!"
Silvran, with his mouth wide open, pointed his finger at Arma, trembled violently, turned around, and stormed out of the drawing room.
Arma frowned and let out a sigh.
Arma did not bother to hold onto his brother, knowing full well that even if he had left like that, he would think it over in his own way and try to talk to him again.
"Roselyn, I miss you."
Arma, recalling the dream of an unknown world that he still dreams of these days, tilted his head back while muttering softly with a slightly tired expression.
***
"Good afternoon, Roselyn."
"My good afternoon was ruined from the moment I saw you."
"Oh, dear. That is quite a pity."
"Don't you think the unfortunate thing is that you're sitting here?"
Garen Wilbreed shook his head disgustingly and paused as he was about to pick up his teacup at the interrupted voice.
He raised his head with a smiling face and looked at the man who had squeezed himself into a seat at their tea time.
"I heard the young prince was busy, but that doesn't seem to be the case."
"I have enough time to protect my daughter."
At his father's harsh words, Garen Wilbreed drooped his eyebrows as if feeling quite sorry.
Roselyn tilted her teacup indifferently on that all too familiar, abominable day.
"Anyone watching would think I came here to bully Roselyn."
"I can't leave 'my daughter' alone with a man who has the nerve to propose to a child whose parents are still alive and well, that she become his daughter."
As Cherty Bellion muttered as if chewing on something, Garen Wilbreed let out a low laugh.
"She is such a smart child, so I really want her."
"Roselyn is my daughter. Do not covet her."
"How could I not crave the sweet?"
Garen Wilbreed shrugged his shoulders.
"It’s possible that she might come to me because she doesn’t like you."
"What a joke. Do you think the bond of kinship can be severed that easily?"
At the fierce voice, Garen Wilbreed rubbed his chin and put down the glass he was holding.
"It broke quite easily..."
At the subtle voice, Roselyn quietly raised her head and looked at Garen Wilbreed.
As if sensing her gaze, Garen Wilbreed grinned and shrugged his shoulders.
"You seem to get along quite well."
"Good."
Roselyn answered firmly.
At those words, Cherty Bellion straightened his back with a rather pleased expression.
"It’s a relief that it looks like the button was fastened properly this time, but I’m jealous. What should I do?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm too good for you to be your daughter."
Roselyn shrugged her shoulders and said nonchalantly.
At that audacious remark, Garen Wilbreed paused and then burst into loud laughter.
"It's really a dilemma because the more I look at you, the more I like you."
"I know I'm attractive, but since you have a wife, I'd appreciate it if you refrained from saying things like that."
"Ah, don't worry, I'm not of that kind at all. I'm quite devoted, you see."
"Well, considering that, there were widespread rumors that you sleep in separate rooms."
As Roselyn snorted and smirked, Garen Wilbreed laughed softly and shrugged his shoulders.
At that sight, Cherty Bellion's eyes widened slightly.
"It's such a waste; wouldn't she be my daughter?"
It was because there was a certain atmosphere between the two that he could not intervene in.
"Marquis Garen Wilbreed."
Cherty Bellion lifted his head while tightly gripping his daughter's hand.
"You bastard, if you say such useless things to my child again..."
A thin poisonous mist spread out through the fiercely raised gazes, threatening only Garen Wilbreed.
Garen narrowed his eyes and nonchalantly tilted the cup of black tea with only a few sips remaining.
"With Abyss's control weakening like this, I'm worried that it might kill Roselyn before long."
Garen Wilbreed's green eyes, having murmured softly, settled coldly.
"Is the Abyss the only way you can respond to others when you get angry?"
"...I threatened you."
"Are you sure that your threat won't harm Roselyn?"
Cherty Bellion glared at Garen Wilbreed's words.
Garen did not move even as he met his gloomy and fierce gaze.
"Don't pull any stupid stunts trying to steal another's child. She is too good for a black-hearted snake like you."
"It sounds like you're saying it's not a waste for you."
"Hah, I am Roselyn's father. I am certainly different from your family, which is full of nothing but discord. If you want it so badly, why don't you have a child with the Marchioness?"
"I don't think you are in a position to be saying that, considering you were causing quite a stir in high society with rumors of discord not long ago."
"Hmph, I suppose having children would be a stretch. I heard rumors are widespread that the Marchioness is planning to file for divorce."
"I heard that your daughter intends to leave the Empire."
"No, she's not going."
"You never know how that might turn out."
"This gloomy, pitch-black bastard...!"
"I don't want to hear it from you."
The two people started fighting childishly.
The voices adding comments like "I didn't like it since the Academy days" or "It was the same" were polite, but more childish than a children's fight.
Roselyn opened her mouth with a tired expression.
"Garen, what are you doing acting so childishly? I'll be your child in the next life, so stop being so immature."
"..."
Garen Wilbreed's eyes widened slightly at Roselyn's words.
“Roselyn!”
Cherty Bellion called out to Roselyn with a hurt expression.
"Yes. Dad, what on earth are you doing with a guest sitting here? I have something to discuss with Marquis Garen, so please leave now."
At Roselyn's rebuke, the two of them closed their mouths at the same time.
"...I'll keep my mouth shut here."
Cherty Bellion glanced at Roselyn and spoke softly.
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