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・・・・・

"I can't tell you."

Larry stubbornly resisted, insisting he couldn't answer. No amount of coaxing or urging made a difference. The gaze, trembling nervously in every direction — up, down, left, and right — was clearly visible. Yet, no matter how much he tried to evade responsibility, trying to dodge the issue was futile.

"It seems clear that you met Fel."

If it were the old days, he would have already spilled everything, but it was clear his attitude had changed. I didn’t know the details, but it was highly likely that there had been some sort of conversation between Fel and Larry, possibly involving a deal.

"Think whatever you want. I won’t say anything."

This damn jerk. I sighed and buried my face in my palms. No matter how openly I expressed my sorrow and despair, Larry didn’t say a word. It seemed he had truly made up his mind this time.

I had no choice but to take Larry to the drawing room and listen to the whole story. Not knowing what would happen, I had previously informed both Felix and Larry about it, but it seemed that Constantine had visited while Larry was awake.

"That means, just as I expected, you were caught."

"With that level of divine power, it was bound to be noticed eventually, though it’s a bit earlier than we expected.”

It was almost two weeks since I had arranged the meeting between Lucas and Claudia — the doll. I thought it would take at least a month, so this was surprising. Indeed, it must be because he’s the male lead from the original work. 

"I did as you instructed. It seemed like he was trying not to show it, but he was clearly paying attention."

Larry shrugged his shoulders.

“Honestly, I was a bit sceptical too, but I never expected it to work like that. To think love could be packaged so whimsically — humans are truly unpredictable.”

"You probably can’t understand it now. After all, what you consumed was Fel’s emotion."

In love, he had waited, cared for, and completely sacrificed himself. But after stealing a love that had embodied devotion and sacrifice, how could the devil possibly understand the utterly irredeemable trio?

“…It’s annoying that I can’t refute it.”

They weren’t even his emotions. Larry muttered something incoherent, but I let his words pass as I fell into thought. The three of them had come together to bring Claudia, who longed to soar, crashing down and breaking her legs. As long as they shared the same goal and were allied, none of them was to monopolise or desire her before then. It was deeply frustrating, but this was the unspoken rule among the male leads of the fictional story.

Their alliance had only been possible because Claudia hadn’t given any of them a second glance — until now. But what else could you expect from these selfish guys who only thought of themselves? If Claudia got involved with even one of them, it would be game over. If the chance arose again, they wouldn’t hesitate to break the rules and seize it. They’d end up fighting like mad, inevitably tearing the alliance apart. However, of course, there was always the wild card: Benjamin.

・・・・・

Benjamin slammed the card he was holding down onto the table and spoke.

"Do either of you have anything to say to me?"

He seemed to find his own words funny, twisting his lips and letting out a laugh that resembled the sound of scraping along the floor. Alternating his gaze between Lucas and Constantine, who were glaring at each other as if ready to kill, he muttered while exhaling a hazy cloud of smoke.

"Ah, right. Even if you had ten mouths, you wouldn’t have anything to say."

The reason Lucas, Benjamin, and Constantine met frequently, despite not being on friendly terms and only sharing a common goal, was simple. They all had strong personalities and a significant inclination toward independence. To keep them in check, Benjamin had no choice but to regularly organise gatherings. However, these gatherings amounted to little more than casual chess or card games, where they would discreetly observe each other's behaviour.

But this time was different. Constantine, who had been quietly maintaining his composure while pretending to be meek, suddenly made a reckless move. Of course, it was already a mistake for Lucas to request a private meeting with Claudia first. As soon as Benjamin heard the news, he immediately began nagging Lucas, relentlessly questioning him.

“Your Majesty, as I have mentioned numerous times before, the most important thing for us is balance. Why can’t you understand that if you disrupt this balance and act unilaterally, all three of us will sink?”

“Why would I care? After so many years, I finally have the chance to meet Claudia alone, and I’m not going to let this opportunity slip away. If you interfere, I won’t hold back.”

“...”

Benjamin grimaced, a piercing headache throbbing in his temples as he squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. No matter how much the Chamberlain valued the artist they supported, it was quite suspicious that Claudia had so readily agreed to meet with Lucas.

If it were her, she would typically ignore the Emperor’s nonsensical demands, no matter how unreasonable they were. This wasn’t an opportunity; it was a trap. Benjamin didn’t expect Lucas to see through such an obvious ploy, but why couldn’t he even sense the suspicion? Did he not care as long as he could meet Claudia? Even Benjamin, who had skillfully exploited the Emperor's shortcomings until now, couldn’t help but click his tongue at his foolishness and stubbornness.

‘It was a mistake to allow artists to be sponsored arbitrarily from the beginning.” 

He had let his defences down over a trivial matter and was caught off guard. Reluctantly, he had to admit that he had been outsmarted. Regardless, this issue wasn’t the most pressing at the moment. Benjamin could tolerate it up to that point — until Constantine fell for Lucas’s provocation.

Nobles who failed to visit the temple for more than a month to offer prayers were held accountable by the temple authorities. After all, the Roxitant Empire had no religious freedom; it was a theocratic empire with a state religion. However, this was largely a formality, as many fulfilled their religious obligations by donating substantial sums of wealth. In such cases, the temple authorities would typically turn a blind eye.

But Constantine had done something outrageous. He summoned the Chamberlain, who met their obligations solely through monetary donations, to the temple. This could only be described as an unprecedented and insane act. Most of the worshippers began to voice their doubts and demand explanations. There were even calls to eradicate the growing corruption within the temple and reform it to be reborn anew.

Benjamin gritted his teeth as he turned to glare at the Holy Knight.

“Why on earth did you do that?”

“Why do you think I did that?”

Constantine responded with indifference, turning his head as if he didn’t want to engage in conversation at all.

“I trust you won’t make the ridiculous claim that it was out of jealousy.”

“Am I a fool? There's no way that could be true."

“Ugh…”

There was only one reason why Constantine had acted this way: out of spite. As soon as he heard from Walter that 'Lucas and Claudia are together right now,' he immediately made his way to the location Walter had provided. Although filled with doubt, he felt compelled to check for himself.

But indeed, just as Walter had said, Lucas and Claudia were walking together. At first, Constantine felt a surge of dread, but it didn’t take long for him to realise that the woman beside Lucas was not Claudia herself, but a doll. How absurd. Watching Lucas play with a doll felt ridiculous, yet at the same time, stirred a sense of betrayal.

In any case, the fact that he had attempted to meet Claudia alone remained unchanged. Playing with a fake, was he? Then Constantine would bring the real one to his side. That was exactly what Constantine wanted, and so he did — because he had more than enough ability to make it happen.

“What a lunatic…”

Having seen through Constantine’s true intentions, Benjamin let out a sigh he couldn’t hold back. He forced down his temper and, stretching his patience to its breaking point, asked one final question.

"You’re not hiding anything from me, are you? The way you’re looking at me is filled with quite a bit of suspicion."

"It’s you, isn’t it?"

Constantine then replied.

"Aren't you the one hiding something from me?"

Benjamin was confident that he hadn’t done anything to upset them, so he responded boldly and without hesitation.

"I don’t know where you heard such strange things, but I am innocent."

"If that’s what you say, then I suppose it must be true."

"I'm saying this because I want to clear up any misunderstandings about me. Please speak honestly."

“There’s no need for that.”

“...Should I personally pierce your lips to make you speak?”

“My mouth is already open.” 

Constantine spoke with a mocking tone before tightly pursing his lips like a clam.

Was this what they meant by 'about to explode with anger'?

Constantine seemed determined to maintain this attitude until evidence was presented to him, and no matter how much Benjamin coaxed or threatened, he wouldn’t utter a word about the misunderstanding he was harbouring.

‘Right, he was always like that.’

He was an expert at pretending to be the sole victim as if he bore the weight of all the world’s suffering on his shoulders. 

This unfamiliar emotion, which Benjamin had never felt before, even stirred a murderous intent within him. In disbelief, he laughed heartily for a moment before turning his back on them and walking away.

・・・・・

Surprisingly, a single woman caused the palace and the temple to turn against each other. Of course, this wasn’t openly declared, but they were currently in an unofficial state of cold war. If things continued this way, it seemed likely that one of them might soon bring up the idea of war, ready to act on it.

However, looking back, it was not surprising that their alliance formed over one woman would also collapse because of her. Benjamin was well aware that both men turned completely insane whenever Claudia was involved. After all, he was using that very fact to keep them forcibly tied to him.

However, falling for such an obvious trick seems rather ridiculous. They weren’t exactly wild beasts fighting over territory.

‘Beasts fighting over territory…’

Yes, that expression fits perfectly. In truth, he could not understand why he had been so infatuated with Claudia. Of course, she was undeniably beautiful, unmatched in appearance, but honestly, was that all there was to it? Benjamin recalled that aside from her celestial beauty, there wasn’t a single aspect of Claudia that matched his tastes. It seemed that whenever he looked at her, he became strangely entranced, losing his rationality and composure. Known for captivating others himself, Benjamin couldn’t help but feel considerable displeasure at finding himself in such a position.

Even if Claudia’s spirit magic was unparalleled in the empire, he believed her abilities did not reach a level beyond his control. Furthermore, her previous weak-willed nature might have been manageable, but since meeting Irene Amber, Claudia’s personality had become less compliant and impossible to dominate.

If anything, Irene was more in line with Benjamin's preferences. She had the abilities he desired, which could be managed with consistent effort. Her personality was strong-willed and somewhat arrogant, but her eccentricities were charming enough for him to overlook them. While her looks were relatively plain compared to Claudia's, she had a certain cuteness that shone through when viewed on her own.

Therefore, it only makes sense for him to shift his interest toward Irene. But what had initially drawn him to Claudia? Benjamin concluded that his past blind infatuation, during which he had no time to notice those around him, was mistaken for love.

‘Love isn’t really anything special.’

Instead, it had only led to negative consequences. One could easily see this by observing the Emperor and the Holy Knight, who acted like beasts, disregarding human reason. He hoped they would at least pause for a moment to think before losing their composure.

‘That's enough. It was foolish of me to think I could control them.’

He hadn’t expected much help from them, but he at least hoped they wouldn’t interfere. However, awakening Constantine’s true nature and allowing him to take control of the temple might have been his mistake. He believed that showing someone, who had only ever tasted the hollow honour of power, what true authority felt like, would make them reluctant to let it go. 

How did it come to this despite doing so well before? It seems that for Constantine, whenever he got involved with Claudia, it was all about the woman, not the power. 

Having once held Constantine in high regard, Benjamin’s disappointment was inevitable. Still, he had no choice but to keep both of them close until they ceased to be useful.

With a menacing demeanour as if he were about to pounce on someone, Benjamin rummaged through the list of artists sponsored by Lucas. However, he soon couldn't help but burst into a gleeful laugh.

“Seriously, what a bizarre situation.”

Benjamin found that kind of absurdity somewhat endearing.

・・・・・

"Congratulations on your graduation!"

Liam successfully graduated from the academy, and despite coming from a humble background, he confidently delivered a speech as the representative of the graduates! Oh my, I wonder whose younger brother had turned out so well. I beamed as I handed Liam a bouquet, but he merely scowled and averted his gaze while holding the flowers.

Oh, huh?

"I believe I told you not to talk to me for a year."

"I apologised for a month, though..."

"There's still eleven months left."

"Were you really planning to not see me for a whole year?!"

"Did it seem like I was joking?"

Honestly, wasn’t that a bit much? I knew I was in the wrong. But we weren’t the kind of people who could live our whole lives apart from each other, and I really didn’t want our relationship to fall apart like this.

"What do I need to do to earn your forgiveness?"

"If you had just properly explained what happened that day, I wouldn’t have been this angry."

"...Nothing special happened."

"Then we might as well become people who have nothing special between us."

I found this side of him the most frightening. Sighing, I briefly pondered where to begin and how much I should say. I had planned to share everything after Liam graduated and we went to the Chamberlain mansion together, but he seemed determined not to budge until I clarified things properly. To make matters worse, Claudia, whom I needed to consult, had stepped away to talk with her juniors.

"If you have nothing to say, I’m leaving."

'Hey, wait a minute! You impatient brat!'

I rushed to grab Liam but ended up bumping my face right into his back. I let out a squeal as my nose was crushed mercilessly.

"Who does that guy think he is, looking at you like that since earlier?"

Liam whispered, sounding clearly displeased. I held my reddened nose with both hands and looked up. In the distance, Benjamin was holding up a shopping bag with a mozzarella cheese logo on it.

Upon spotting Benjamin, I nearly screamed and cursed without realising it. It was like the instinctive reaction to unexpectedly discovering a crawling bug in an unanticipated place.

‘Oh, I was really startled. I almost had a heart attack.’

Shouldn’t he put a skull sticker on his face? The danger level was off the charts, like poison. I pressed my palm against my racing heart and glanced at the shopping bag in his hand again. Mozzarella cheese — I couldn’t have misread that... Could it be what I was thinking? There was no way he would have shown up at the academy graduation with cheese in hand, acting like he had something to say without any prior connection.

‘I thought he was really perceptive but…’ 

How on earth did he not find out that I had published works under the name Mozart... no, Mozzarella? 

I had to make a constant effort to manage my expression.

‘It seems like he just came to provoke or test me. Should I just ignore him?’

I didn’t know how he found out, but there was no way he could provide any evidence. However, if he realised that Irene Amber was behind the genius composer Mozzarella, I couldn’t help but feel anxious about how much he knew. He might even be aware that all the artists sponsored by the imperial family were under my influence.

It was better to assume he already knew. I always had to keep the worst-case scenario in mind. The real problem was if he knew even more than that. Benjamin had created a situation where I had no choice but to talk to him, all because of that trivial cheese shopping bag. Even though I was aware of this, I planned to play along with his intentions.

'Damn it.'

As he got closer to me, all I could do was mutter a short curse under my breath.

"Now that I look closely, it’s His Grace the Duke of Lamberg, isn’t it?"

Liam whispered to me quietly, clearly on high alert. I looked up at his suddenly serious face, throwing him a bewildered glance.

"You only just realised that?"

Even without looking closely, it was Benjamin Lamberg. Although he had a terrible reputation among the Chamberlains and myself, he was a celebrity well-known throughout the empire. No matter how far away, his flamboyant appearance was hard to miss.

I had wondered if Liam was out of his mind for openly saying, 'Who does that guy think he is?' in front of the empire's second-in-command. I couldn’t believe he hadn’t recognized him right away. Had he been so focused on studying that he completely shut himself off from the world?"

"No, it was his rude gaze that bothered me before I even recognised him..."

Liam mumbled an excuse.

"What gaze?"

He parted his lips, but I didn’t get to hear his answer, as Benjamin had come too close.

“It seems like quite some time has passed since we last met in person, but you remain as graceful as ever, my lady.”

He stood before me, briefly scanning me from head to toe before speaking. His hand, holding a cigarette, lingered near his chest, as if to indicate my height.

‘I'm not that short, you bastard.’

"Is that so? You seem to have aged quite a bit since we last met. For a moment, I almost didn’t recognise you."

Despite smoking such harsh cigarettes all day, his skin remained as smooth as porcelain — perhaps it was some ‘male protagonist’ enhancement. Still, I exaggerated my concern, pretending that Benjamin had aged significantly.

"That’s why I had hoped you would quit a long time ago."

At the mention of 'aged,' one of his eyebrows briefly arched before settling back down.

"With you worrying about me so much, I can’t possibly quit."

Benjamin smirked, twisting his lips, then rubbed the tip of his cigarette against the wall behind my shoulder. Our eyes locked, his gaze glimmering with mischief. At that moment, I started to grasp what Liam had meant by that rude look.

His gaze, once purely filled with curiosity and interest, had subtly shifted. It felt less like I was merely an amusing toy to be played with and discarded and more like he finally recognised me as a person.

Benjamin was showing genuine interest in me. I couldn’t determine the nature of that interest, but either way, it felt unpleasant, disgusting, and dirty. The sudden, overwhelming stench made my stomach churn, and I couldn’t help but grimace.

“I’d like to ask what brings you here. We aren’t exactly on friendly terms to be exchanging pleasantries.”

"Hmm, becoming friends wouldn’t be so bad after all."

“...”

I silently rolled up my sleeves, revealing the goosebumps crawling up my arms, as if to imply: 'Can you see how my body's reacting? Every time your filthy breath brushed against me, a wave of revulsion rises within me. Can you step back a bit?'

At that, Benjamin squinted his eyes, let out a stifled laugh, and replied.

"You're acting cute."

"Ah!"

I screamed out loud, trembling violently. It felt as if chills were rising all the way to my chin.

'What’s wrong with him? He must be insane...’

I knew he was overflowing with confidence in his looks and charm, but I had confirmed last time that his pathetic attempts at seduction didn’t work on me. To me, he looked like nothing more than a mass of corruption that needed to be purified through death. Still, I couldn’t just ask him outright, “Why did you bring a mozzarella shopping bag?” That would be admitting that I was wary of him. Thus, ignoring him seemed to be the right choice. I felt foolish for letting myself get flustered and wasting time.

Benjamin had pinned me against the wall with one arm, not moving an inch. Liam, whose expression showed he was on the verge of exploding with irritation, finally couldn’t hold back anymore. He reached out and grabbed Benjamin's arm.

"Your Grace, my sister dislikes this.” 

His voice was strained with effort, trying to keep his anger in check. Liam might not know everything, but he definitely recalled the time Benjamin had sent an assassin to kill me. I had made sure to tell him that much.

However, Liam didn’t know what had happened afterwards because I hadn’t explained it, worrying that it would distract him from his studies. Benjamin looked down at Liam, gripping his hand tightly as if to crush it. He shook it off roughly, then lazily narrowed his eyes and responded as if he were openly provoking him.

"It's quite amusing to watch you squirm and say you don't like it."

So, you meant you were acting like this because you found it amusing that I absolutely hated it?

At those words, Liam's golden eyes, which had been burning with fury, gradually cooled to a chilling glare. That was a seriously bad sign. My brother was usually calm and composed, but once he exploded, no one could stop him.

It seemed I had no choice. Was it time to use the ultimate technique I had honed for years since that incident? I took a deep breath to steady myself, then gathered strength in my knees to kick between his legs. Unfortunately, Benjamin wasn’t as easy to deal with as Arasa Moore, [1] and as I swung my leg, he quickly stepped back. As a result, my knee only sliced through the air, creating a whooshing sound.

"Tsk."

What a shame. With this level of intensity, I could have definitely broken it. I clicked my tongue openly, and sensing Benjamin’s gaze on me, I smiled innocently as if nothing had happened.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't stand the cramp in my knee.”

It was a warning that I would make him incapable of having children if he did that again. He seemed to grasp the hidden meaning in my words and nodded seriously in response.

"I’ll have to restrain your legs first next time."

"There won’t be a next time, mutt... Your Grace."

"Mutt?"

"My tongue must have gotten twisted; that’s why I misspoke."

"What an uncomfortable body you must have; tripping over your words and getting your tongue tangled."

"May we take our leave now? I’m afraid my fists will feel stiff next.” 

At my absurd comment about being anxious over what mistake I might make next, Benjamin laughed again. What on earth was wrong with him? Did he have a hole in his lung or something? His laughter didn’t seem to carry any clear intention, which only made me feel more uneasy. Even if he had suddenly found amusement in tormenting me, was it really necessary to go that far?

Suddenly acting like a madman felt worse than when he used to lure me in with a charming smile. At least back then, his intentions were clear.

The real problem was that I had ventured into a deserted alley just to have a private conversation with Liam. After asking for permission, I didn’t wait for a response and pressed against Liam's back, trying to escape from the tense situation. Just as I was trying to leave, Benjamin called out to me from behind in a relaxed voice.

"I knew that my relationship with my lady had soured to the point where reconciliation would be difficult."

...Reconciliation? Please, I was currently considering your grave site. I think the middle of the town square could be a fitting spot, and I had already decided what to engrave on the tombstone.

‘Here lies non-burnable trash that can't even be recycled. Please throw stones.’

As I quickened my pace, trying to think of a more creative way to express it, he started talking to thin air again.

"So, I have no choice but to use my own method. I’m sure my lady will dislike it quite a bit, though."

When had he ever not used his own method? Just as I felt a surge of disbelief and turned to leave the alley, Benjamin's voice reached out to me like a hand grabbing my ankle.

"I didn’t realise you had such a deep understanding of art."

“...”

"You must be curious about how much I’ve uncovered in my investigation... I’ll be sending you a letter soon."

"I trust you’ll accept it." Saying this, Benjamin approached me leisurely and forced the shopping bag into my hands. Just the touch of our hands made me shudder in disgust, which seemed to please the perverted bastard, as he grinned wider.

Damn it... I could only glare at Benjamin’s retreating figure, feeling frustrated and powerless after he got the better of me…

...What the hell?

‘Why does that guy always warn me before he stirs up trouble? I don’t understand where his baseless confidence comes from.’

He even hinted that he would give me a clue soon. In an instant, I returned to a calm expression as if I had never trembled with anger. I tightly grasped the hem of Liam's clothing, trying to soothe him as I fell into thought.

I glanced down at the paper bag I wanted to throw in the trash immediately, feeling a mix of frustration and confusion.

"Should I throw this away...?"

"Throw it away at once!"

At my softly muttered words, Liam shouted loudly. I looked up at him with wide, startled eyes, resembling a frightened rabbit.

"What are you going to do if he’s done something strange to it?"

Upon reflection, I realised he was indeed the type of person who could do something like that. However, at first glance, it didn’t seem particularly suspicious.

"I have a friend who specialises in magic."

Liam even called over a friend who was skilled in magic.

"I don’t really sense any traces of magic here, though?"

"Then burn it for me."

"What on earth is in there that you're treating it like it’s cursed? Did the cheese go bad or something?"

The sorcerer-friend looked puzzled but readily set the shopping bag ablaze with a fire spell. Having been summoned unexpectedly while enjoying his graduation ceremony, he stared in bewilderment at the blazing flames consuming the bag beside me. It felt like some sort of exorcism ritual.

I suddenly wondered if Benjamin had left some sort of message in that bag after all.

But even if he had, checking it would only aggravate me further, so burning it seemed better for my peace of mind.

The one silver lining to Benjamin showing up at that moment was that all of Liam's anger had shifted toward him. Liam completely forgot to question me in his fury, sparing me from an immediate explanation. As a result, he quietly followed behind me instead.

"Didn’t he once say he wanted to kill you because you annoyed him, Sister? Wasn’t he head over heels for Lady Chamberlain? Why is he suddenly interested in you now, flirting like a maniac…"

I let Liam’s nagging wash over me, only half-listening as I walked. Along the way, I ran into Claudia and hopped onto her carriage. Thanks to that, it was much easier to bring Liam back to the Chamberlain mansion.

'This is what I call a smooth kidnapping.'

It was only after Liam climbed onto the carriage on his own accord that he began to look around in a panic.

It was too late now. You fool.

I nestled snugly in Claudia's arms and gave Liam a small wave. He shot me his usual "I can't believe that's my sister" look as he saw me comfortably settled there with Claudia expertly petting my head.

"...I wasn’t planning to stay in the Chamberlain mansion just yet."

"Why not?"

"Well, I’ve just graduated from the academy, and I haven’t inherited the family title yet..."

Liam's reluctance to accept help from the Chamberlain estate stemmed from his sense of responsibility. He hadn’t yet repaid the opportunity he was given to study at the academy, and it felt burdensome to keep receiving favours without giving back. It was admirable, really. No wonder he had been refusing to come here all this time.

In contrast, my perspective was quite different. When Claudia paid off my debts, all I could think about was how to be useful, like a loyal dog. By the time I realised the Chamberlain family treated me like a beloved little pet, I had already embraced that role and was playing along.

Well, in the end, I was repaying their kindness in my own way, but it seemed that neither my brother nor I was destined for an easy or carefree life.

"No, you’ll stay at the mansion for a while. You were under the academy’s protection back then, but that's no longer true. If anything happens to you, Rin will worry, and that concerns me even more."

Claudia finished speaking in a way that left Liam no room to refuse, then gently scratched my chin. I blinked slowly, feeling drowsy, and added my own remark.

"While you can enter freely, leaving is another story."

Welcome to the Chamberlain Kingdom.

Translator's Corner:

[1] Arasa Moore is the creepy guy (also Lucas' lackey) who appeared in chapters 21-22. He tried to flirt with Rin so she kicked in the nuts in self-defense.

(We’re halfway through book 4 now!!)

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