"Is it really true that there is a slave inside the castle?"
"Do you really think the Emperor of Blanche would lie to me? Look again, carefully. The slave must be hiding somewhere like a rat."
Veloa irritably tapped her fingers on the table.
Her escort, wearing a troubled expression, kept a wary eye on her mood.
He had hoped, however faintly, but the self-absorbed princess hadn’t changed one bit after arriving in Schwarhan. If anything, the restrictions on her movement only made her more sensitive, and her bouts of irritation grew more frequent.
"But no matter how hard we search, we can’t seem to find anything. Could it be that the Grand Duke’s side made the first move..."
"Say one more word against me, and I’ll tell Father everything."
Veloa snarled with irritation, glaring intensely.
If her personal maid from back home had been here, she would have worked hard to flatter her like the tip of her tongue. But the escort her father assigned was completely useless in that regard.
"...I will search again."
"You should’ve said that sooner. Honestly, you always make me repeat myself."
Veloa clicked her tongue in annoyance and let out a dismissive snort.
At first, the endless expanse of snow had felt somewhat romantic, and the grand castle had delighted her, but now, everything felt boring.
There were no parties in Schwarhan.
No matter how lavish the dress or how heavily adorned with sparkling jewels, there was nowhere to flaunt it.
If Cabelenus hadn't been such a handsome man, she probably would have left this ridiculously dull land by now.
"But what do you plan to do once you find the slave?"
"Naturally, I must demonstrate the virtues expected of the lady of the house."
Veloa raised her chin like a graceful noblewoman, her chest pushed proudly forward.
"The lady of the house? But, I'm sure that when you met the Grand Duke..."
"That was obviously just something I said."
"Pardon?"
"Easy women aren’t fun, you know?"
Veloa nodded as if it were obvious.
Whenever she blinked, her long, lush eyelashes fluttered softly like the wings of a butterfly.
"No matter what, the opponent is the Wolf of Schwarhan. If you mistakenly offend him..."
"I think his notorious reputation is exaggerated."
"Exaggerated? That can’t be true."
There was more to Cabelenus than just dark rumours.
He had countless achievements that backed up those rumours.
The notoriety of the Wolf of Schwarhan was not something to be taken lightly.
Of course, it was something Veloa couldn’t understand, being ignorant of war.
"No, it’s definitely exaggerated. It’s strange to think someone with such a pretty face would do something like that, right?"
Veloa, smiling as she gently touched the ring on her finger, was truly calm and composed.
She didn’t know what it meant to lack anything, nor did she want to.
Things like war and politics were nothing but unrealistic stories.
Like most nobles her age, she simply liked pretty things and had no desire to think about complicated matters.
Even without getting caught up in complicated issues, she knew better than anyone that the world was full of pleasures to enjoy.
"The Wolf of Schwarhan is pretty?"
“He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. Tall and well-built.”
Honestly, she didn’t have high expectations, but the so-called Wolf of Schwarhan was surprisingly handsome.
Though he wasn’t on her level, standing beside him wouldn’t be embarrassing.
“It would be better if only he didn’t have such filthy tastes.”
Of all the women, it had to be a slave.
Veloa openly clicked her tongue.
From the standpoint of someone sharing noble blood, it was an inevitably regrettable matter.
“Your Highness, are you truly intending to marry the Grand Duke of Schwarhan?”
“Of course. I’m no fool — there’s no way I’m going to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity just because of a vulgar slave.”
“I heard you said this place was boring.”
“Even if it’s boring, what choice do I have? I have to endure it for the sake of the future.”
With a haughty smile, Veloa snapped her fingers dismissively.
She had no intention of remaining just the lady of this frozen land.
What Veloa desired went far beyond that.
“With just one marriage, I could become the ruler of that vast Blanche Empire. Of course, it’s a profitable deal.”
No matter how much love she received from her father and the kingdom’s people, it didn’t change the line of succession.
The next monarch of the Christie Kingdom had already been decided, and she was destined to remain at the bottom. But Veloa refused to accept that fate.
She always wanted to be the centre of attention more than anyone else and loved being admired by all. Becoming Cabelenus’s wife was the perfect way to achieve that — if only there weren’t a slave foolishly coveting the title of Grand Duchess.
“Enough with the nonsense. Find that slave as quickly as possible. It’s better to get rid of annoying things sooner rather than later.”
“But, is it really okay to mess with that slave?”
“Is it okay? Are you seriously asking that?”
Veloa burst into loud laughter as if she’d heard something utterly ridiculous.
“A slave is just an object. No matter how much it’s treasured, he can’t be angry over something so trivial. Even if I laid a hand on that thing, the Grand Duke wouldn’t say a word to me.”
“But seeing how tightly it’s been hidden like this, I can’t help but be a little concerned.”
“Doesn’t that just mean he wants to keep it hidden from me? The Grand Duke must consider that slave a shameful secret.”
‘Would the Grand Duke really make a woman he sees as a disgrace his Grand Duchess?’
The escort had that thought but wisely kept his thoughts to himself.
He knew that beautiful face was no different from a dazzling poisonous mushroom. After all, King Christie had always been lenient toward Princess Veloa.
Whether it was true or not, it was never wise to offend her.
“I am Veloa. Veloa Christie. Do you think there’s any man who would reject me? The very idea of comparing me to that vulgar slave is laughable.”
"But..."
“If you’ve got time to spout nonsense, then go out right now and either find some trace of that slave or bring back something entertaining. Being trapped in a land that only holds two parties a year is driving me nearly mad with boredom.”
"Then, how about calling a tailor?"
“The clothes in a dump like this are predictably shabby. Why bother having a dress tailored?”
Veloa shot a sharp look at her escort with a haughty expression.
The escort, his face burning red, stammered as he continued.
“In that case, how about a jeweller...?”
“There’s no party happening — what’s the point of buying jewellery?”
Veloa clicked her tongue loudly, clearly exasperated.
“Then, should we call a jester?”
“Are you telling me to enjoy the entertainments of lowborn scum?”
No matter what, nothing was good enough for her.
As Veloa growled with fierce eyes narrowed, the escort broke out in a cold sweat.
“Ugh, honestly. I don’t like this at all. How can you be so bad at reading my mood?”
“Alternatively, how about asking the Grand Duke to hold even a small party?”
"A party?"
“If it’s held, even a modest one—”
"I dislike modest things. If we’re going to do it, it has to be grand."
Veloa rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and then smiled sweetly.
"Bring me paper and a pen right now."
"Paper?"
“I need to test just how far the Grand Duke is willing to go for me.”
With a smug nod, Veloa grabbed the pen her escort brought.
・・・・・
"Please hold a celebration banquet. That’s just the kind of idea the princess would come up with."
"I’ve heard she always enjoyed parties back home, so adapting to Schwarhan’s culture must have been difficult. Still, even with that in mind, this is quite a demanding request."
Gazeff lightly waved the paper listing Veloa’s demands.
"Is it true they always throw parties like this in the Christie Kingdom?"
Cabelenus let out a sneer as if mocking the absurdity of it.
"That’s impossible. Even if the Christie Kingdom is powerful, holding parties like this every time would drain the treasury."
He was well aware of the Christie Kingdom’s financial situation.
Holding grand celebrations every time, as Veloa demanded, was practically impossible.
"So?"
"This is a clear insult to Schwarhan. She’s convinced she has full control over the marriage."
"Your thinking is far too short-sighted."
Cabelenus clicked his tongue briefly.
"It’s probably because she lacks nothing."
"What do you mean by that?"
"According to the reports, King Christie is utterly devoted to Princess Veloa. He granted her every wish and even quietly overlooked her misdeeds."
"Misdeeds?"
"She supposedly killed a teacher she disliked."
Gazeff sighed deeply as he recalled the princess, filled with boundless arrogance.
No matter how kindly he tried to see her, she didn’t fit the image of the lady of Schwarhan he had in mind.
"Killed?"
"It’s said she secretly planted a diamond necklace in the teacher’s bag to frame her. The necklace was an extremely valuable birthday gift for the princess, and although it was theft, the teacher was sentenced to death."
"That’s a reckless act."
"She committed the act at the tender age of thirteen, so calling it reckless just doesn’t quite cover it. However, the real problem is that despite what she did, the princess faced no punishment. In fact, most people don’t even know if the princess actually committed the deed."
Gazeff gave a bitter smile.
It was hard to say she acted out of ignorance when, even after sending the teacher to the gallows, the princess drove countless others to their deaths.
And that hadn ’t changed much, even up until recently.
"His love for his child must be extraordinary."
"She’s the daughter of the king’s most beloved queen, and because she resembled the late queen closely, she was especially cherished."
"Such special treatment often becomes poison."
A sudden memory flashed through Cabelenus’s mind, and he fell silent for a moment, pressing his lips tightly shut.
He thought he had forgotten everything, but sometimes the events of that day would come back to him.
"So, what do you think we should do about this banquet issue?"
"Hmm... Gazeff, what kind of person did Princess Christie seem to you?"
"She didn’t strike me as particularly impressive. She’s obviously young and inexperienced. That also matches what I found from my own investigation."
"Is that so?"
Cabelenus tilted his head slightly.
"Yes. So, I think it wouldn’t hurt to flatter her a little while attempting to negotiate. From what I can see of Princess Veloa, dealing with her is much like coaxing a child. The issue might be resolved more easily than we expected."
Gazeff quickly nodded.
The important thing wasn’t Veloa’s personality, but how they could use her.
Now that they confirmed she was inexperienced, the next steps would be much easier.
"I wonder if that’s really the case."
Cabelenus muttered while stroking his chin.
"Why do you say that?"
Gazeff tilted his head in puzzlement.
"As you said, Princess Christie is clearly inexperienced. But why her, of all people?"
"Well, His Majesty must have been in a hurry to find a match for Your Highness. Besides, Princess Christie is famously one of the most beautiful women on the continent."
Gazeff nodded lightly.
Although he wasn’t particularly pleased with how clueless Veloa behaved in front of Cabelenus, he couldn’t deny she was an incredible beauty.
Though somewhat youthful, Veloa was the most beautiful woman Gazeff had ever seen.
"His Majesty, the Emperor, wouldn’t make such a mistake."
"Are you saying you don’t think it's a mistake?"
"Isn’t Princess Christie just one of several unmarried princesses?"
"Yes. The second princess, right above Veloa, is unmarried. But I’ve heard she doesn’t come close to Veloa in beauty."
Cabelenus lowered his gaze slightly, tapping his chin thoughtfully.
No matter how he thought about it, it still seemed strange.
"His Majesty already knows that beauty isn’t the priority. Besides, from his perspective, it’s only natural to favour the second princess, who holds a stronger claim to the throne."
"So it’s possible that Princess Veloa was chosen deliberately."
"That’s very likely."
Cabelenus knew Zerpheus well enough to think he wouldn’t make a real mistake — he’d rather make it look like one.
There was clearly some ulterior motive behind putting forward such an unskilled princess.
"Then, why of all people was it Princess Veloa?"
"It’s one of two things. Either she’s deliberately acting, or there’s something about her worth exploiting."
"From what I’ve seen, she doesn’t seem to be pretending."
Gazeff furrowed his brow slightly.
"We can’t be sure."
"Does Your Highness think Princess Veloa is pretending?"
"No."
Leaning back in his chair, Cabelenus answered briefly.
Honestly, even to him, Veloa didn’t look like she was pretending.
But behind her was none other than Zerpheus.
This wasn’t something to take lightly.
"Even so, it’s unwise to jump to conclusions."
"Then..."
"For now, give the princess most of what she wants. Flatter her and coax her gently. But don’t put too much trust in anything. Don’t miss any opportunity, and keep a close eye on her at all times."
Cabelenus's eyes gleamed sharply.
He was a born predator — not the type to just sit back and take it.
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