HTTRPIAO Ch 100-104

As the evening dust settled, the building of the Otis Guild on the outskirts of the capital was turned upside down. The capital’s security force, led by Duke Eckhart, had stormed in without any warning.

The guild members were suppressed by the security force personnel before they could do anything. Although some tried to resist or escape, all attempts failed.

The Otis Guild building, now occupied by the security force, was quickly reduced to shambles. Rishar climbed the stairs, ignoring the screams and various noises coming from everywhere.

The second floor was similar to the first. Rishar passed by the security force members who saluted him. His destination was the guild master’s office.

“You’ve arrived.”

Elvin, who was already there, greeted Rishar. The office, after the search, was a mess. Rishar looked around the disordered office once and then turned his gaze back to Elvin.

“Did you find anything?”

“We discovered a double-entry ledger in a hidden space inside.”

Before Rishar could finish speaking, Elvin handed him something. It was one of the ledgers hidden in the safe within the secret space behind the bookshelf.

“Hmm.”

Flap, Rishar quickly scanned the ledger Elvin had handed him. Unlike the noisy outside, the quiet office was filled only with the sound of pages turning for a while.

As he flipped through the pages filled with transaction dates, items, and prices, he stopped when he discovered something. His dark blue pupils started shining.

At that moment, a security force member entered.

“Your Highness, Sir Jade has just captured Viscount Otis.”

“Really? Bring him in then.”

Rishar gave the order while keeping his gaze fixed on the double-entry ledger. The outside became more chaotic. There were shouts and heavy footsteps.

“Can’t you let go? Let me go, you bastard!”

Viscount Otis had been caught trying to escape through the back door by Jade, and now he desperately struggled to break free. However, Jade didn’t budge. With an expressionless face, Jade threw Viscount Otis to the floor.

“Ack!”

With a loud thud, Viscount Otis fell to the ground and let out a short scream. Rishar looked at him contemptuously and then spoke.

“Viscount Otis.”

“Ugh… Ack!”

Viscount Otis, who had been moaning in pain while lying down, suddenly lifted his head. He looked at Rishar in front of him with wide eyes.

“Grand, Grand Duke!”

“It’s been a while, Viscount. I didn’t expect to meet you like this. I’m truly sorry.”

“Your Highness, what is all this! Why are you…?”

“What do you mean? I’ve come because you’ve violated an imperial law.”

Rishar answered as if asking an obvious question. The ledger found by Elvin contained all the illegal transactions Viscount Otis had committed over the past few years.

“I knew you were meticulous, but I didn’t expect you to write everything down like this. Thanks to this, things will be easier. Much appreciated.”

“That… No! It’s all a misunderstanding!”

Viscount Otis’s face turned pale as he realized what Rishar was holding. He hastily tried to explain.

“I, I will explain everything. So…!”

“I don’t need explanations or excuses. From now on, just answer the questions.”

Rishar cut off the Viscount’s words ruthlessly and slowly approached him. The Viscount moved back in panic but was immediately stopped by Jade.

“Looking at the ledger, you’ve done a lot of brokerage trades. Various items like wheat, fabric, porcelain… and the list goes on. Seems like your commission business was quite profitable?”

“That, uh… I, that is…”

Viscount Otis, with his neck pressed by Jade, stammered nervously. He was completely disoriented after being suddenly arrested and now being interrogated.

“I’ll overlook the tax evasion fraud as it’s not my jurisdiction… What I want to know is the source of the salt written here.”

Rishar held the ledger in front of the Viscount and pointed to the transaction entry he had discovered earlier.

“Tell me. Where did you get the salt?”

“I, I happened to obtain it. In extremely small quantities…”

“You obtained salt, which is managed only by the Empire, just by chance? Do you think that sounds plausible? You’d be more convincing if you said you purchased it through proper procedures and resold it. Although that would also be a serious crime.”

Viscount Otis’s eyes wildly oscillated at Rishar’s words. His gaze couldn’t settle in one place and kept darting around. Unable to decide what to do, the Viscount mustered the courage to ask.

“If I reveal how I got the salt… Will you show mercy?”

“Mercy?”

Rishar raised one corner of his mouth as if he had heard something ridiculous. The relaxed atmosphere suddenly became tense.

“After privately trading salt and even smuggling it abroad, you dare to talk about mercy?”

A voice so low it was almost sinister slipped between his twisted lips. His eyes, filled with murderous intent, turned towards Viscount Otis.

Viscount Otis hiccupped, oppressed by Rishar’s aura. Like facing a predator, he felt suffocated, his legs going numb.

“If you don’t want to talk, then don’t. There are plenty of ways to make you open your mouth.”

Rishar glared at the terrified Viscount Otis and then stood up as if he had no more business with him. He gestured to Jade to take him away. The desperate Viscount cried out in a voice filled with resentment.

“Wait a moment, Your Highness! How can you do this to me! I’ve always been…! I am on Your Highness’s side!”

“My side? You?”

Rishar responded as if he had heard an amusing sound.

“I don’t raise parasites that eat away at the empire.”

“I support the previous Emperor and Your Highness…”

“So what?”

Rishar retorted in a cold voice and approached the Viscount. The Viscount stiffened as a shadow fell over his face. Rishar slowly leaned his upper body towards the frozen man.

“Viscount, it seems you’re mistaken. I became the head of the security force to get rid of the rotten parts of the empire.”

“What?”

“It doesn’t matter what faction you belong to.”

After finishing his words, Rishar smiled softly. In fact, since becoming the security force commander, he had been arresting those who committed crimes, regardless of their title or faction.

Because of this, dissatisfaction was slowly emerging even within the imperial faction. However, due to the clear guilt, they couldn’t openly protest. The people Rishar arrested were all those involved in deals that happened behind the scenes and illegal activities.

Moreover, the Emperor was backing Rishar. The imperial citizens were also enthusiastic about his actions. He was truly acting like a hero, fair and just.

Rishar didn’t care about what people were saying about him. Whether his reputation was declining among the nobility or rising among the commoners didn’t matter. His purpose was solely for Etienne.

By taking down Count Herace, he also wanted to clean up the corrupt nobility. This would make it easier for Etienne to rule when he ascended to the throne.

In other words, what Rishar was doing now was both to strike a blow against Leona and to lay the groundwork for Etienne’s future reign.

“Whether they’re from the imperial faction or the noble faction, scum is scum. They’re all scum that needs to be cleaned up.”

“Scum, you say…”

Viscount Otis’s face flushed at such insulting words. Rishar didn’t even look at him.

“Take him away. Make sure he talks.”

“N-No! Your Highness, Your Highness…”

As Rishar ordered Jade, Viscount Otis, sensing his fate, cried out urgently. Rishar left the room, ignoring the Viscount’s voice. Darkness had already fallen deeply.

“…What did my hyung-nim do today?” Rishar asked Elvin, who followed him, after checking the pitch-black sky.

Elvin recalled the message he had received from Stella and quickly responded, “He attended a banquet hosted by Count Herace. Marquis Miles’ son accompanied him.”

“Tsk.”

Rishar clicked his tongue at Elvin’s report. Ever since Theodore became Etienne’s assistant, Rishar had been in an uncomfortable mood. This was because Etienne had advised him to be cautious and said that they should not meet for a while.

“He didn’t bother my hyung-nim, did he?”

“No particular incidents happened. The young Prince did not give Marquis Miles’s son much room…”

“Good.”

Only then did Rishar’s expression soften slightly. His mood improved a bit hearing that Etienne was maintaining distance from Theodore.

“My hyung-nim has become quite strong.”

Rishar gazed at the moon in the night sky, lost in longing. From when did it start? Whenever he saw the moon, he always thought of Etienne. During his time at the military academy, on the battlefield, and even now under the same night sky.

Slowly, night settled in Rishar’s eyes as he looked up at the softly glowing moon. He felt his chest tighten and sighed. Being at a distance where they could meet anytime, yet unable to, was more painful than he had imagined.

“I hope he doesn’t work himself out.”

Rishar muttered worriedly. Recently, Etienne had been living busier than anyone else. He had been appearing at imperial events, nobility banquets, and reading clubs.

Because of this, people were saying that Etienne had changed. His reputation was gradually improving.

However, Rishar couldn’t be completely happy. The more external activities Etienne had, the more worried Rishar became.

This was because Etienne’s current schedule was too packed for his fragile health to handle. Anyone could see he was pushing himself too hard.

“Is he visiting Grand Duke Bismarck tomorrow?”

Rishar recalled Etienne’s schedule and asked to confirm. He had been sharing Etienne’s daily life and schedule through Stella.

“Yes, Your Highness. In the morning, he will briefly attend a tea party hosted by Her Imperial Majesty, and in the afternoon, he plans to meet with the Grand Duchess Sachsen.”

“Hmm, can I spare some time tomorrow?”

“Eh?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Elvin’s brow furrowed. He quickly went over Rishar’s schedule for tomorrow.

“I think it would be possible to take one or two hours off.”

“Good, then I’ll go too.”

As soon as Elvin finished answering, Rishar added it to his schedule. It was almost a unilateral notification.

Calculating the travel time between Grand Duke Bismarck’s residence and the Security Force headquarters would take an hour, Elvin swallowed the words rising in his throat.

Rishar was worrying that Etienne’s schedule was too packed, but he was equally busy. Especially after taking the position of Security Force Commander, he had become busier than before.

He had intended to step back from military affairs, but when had things ever gone exactly as planned? The military still sought Rishar whenever something happened.

Because of this, Rishar had to attend various meetings as a Grand Duke who served the empire, work as the Security Force Commander, and still occasionally oversee military affairs.

Additionally, he would make appearances at gatherings hosted by supporting noble families, so even ten bodies would barely be enough. In the midst of a relentlessly busy schedule, the mere mention of visiting a patient during hia scant moments of rest inevitably stirred concern within Elvin.

After a brief hesitation, he cautiously inquired, “Won’t it be too much of a stretch for you?”

“Since it’s an elder of the imperial family, shouldn’t I pay him a visit at least once?”

Rishar replied with a sly smile. Elvin thought to himself that it wasn’t Grand Duke Bismarck but the Prince he was going to see, and sighed, realizing Rishar would not back down.

“I’ll get to see him after a long time.”

Whether knowing Elvin’s concerns or not, Rishar was already excited about seeing Etienne. Elvin looked at him askance and then shook his head.

“Understood. I’ll adjust your afternoon schedule a bit.”

“Thank you.”

“Instead, please refrain from personally going to the scene like today.”

Elvin spoke with a stern face. Rishar was the type to go himself rather than give orders to his subordinates.

He was the same on the battlefield. He always stood at the forefront, directing people and slaughtering enemies.

True to form, even after becoming the Security Force Commander, Rishar continued to run around the field personally. And this was one of the reasons he was so busy lately.

“Why do you hate me going to the scene so much?”

“It’s not that I hate it, but dangerous things could happen… Most importantly, Your Highness, you need to rest.”

Elvin spoke in a resolute voice. Even a trained knight gets tired. No matter Rishar’s stamina, it was impossible to keep going without any rest.

“If it’s a crucial operation, it’s right for you to go personally, but for something like today, I think it’s enough to send just us. Viscount Otis is just a rat.”

“Hmm, alright. I’ll try.”

When Rishar nodded at Elvin’s earnest advice, he didn’t give a definitive answer. His attitude was subtly uncertain.

“Don’t ‘try’, do it. Leave the rest to Lord Jade and return.”

“Alright.”

Rishar readily responded after checking Elvin’s back. Since the situation was almost resolved, the rest could be left to Jade. Moreover, if he insisted on staying, Elvin looked ready to lecture him.

“The carriage is ready. Let’s go.”

Elvin guided Rishar to the prepared carriage as if he had been waiting for him to agree. If he let Rishar ride a horse, he was more likely to go to the Security Force headquarters than the Grand Duke’s residence, so he was determined to put him in the carriage. Fortunately, Rishar followed Elvin without objection.

“I wish tomorrow would come quickly.”

Rishar muttered, seemingly thrilled just thinking about it. Elvin clicked his tongue at the voice behind him. He thought Rishar was incredible and was also amazed at how he could be so blindly devoted.

***

“How’s Marquis Miles’s son?”

Leona, who had just put down her teaspoon, asked in a calm tone. Etienne gripped his teacup, thinking, ‘Here it comes.’ They were currently having tea after Leona’s tea party ended.

“Not bad.”

“Really? I heard you quite dislike him though?”

Leona raised one corner of her mouth at Etienne’s response. Etienne had anticipated her bringing this up, so he showed no particular agitation.

“To be honest, I don’t like him.”

“Hmm.Why is that so?”

Leona narrowed her eyes and asked probingly. Etienne hesitated before answering. Leona had already decided to place Theodore next to Etienne.

However, there was room to delve deeper. Leona still did not completely trust Marquis Miles and Theodore. The fact that they still didn’t know Etienne was an Omega was proof of that.

“…He’s lusting after me.”

After some contemplation, Etienne decided to answer honestly. He judged that in such situations, it was better to speak without concealment rather than making up stories.

“What?”

Seeming surprised by the unexpected statement, Leona frowned. Seeing her reaction, Etienne continued.

“What do you mean?”

“As I said, Young Master Miles desires me in a sexual way.”

“Isn’t it good if he’s infatuated with you? It would be convenient to manipulate him.”

“If he knew my secret, it might have been convenient. But he believes I’m a Beta. That’s why it’s troublesome.”

“What is?”

“He keeps releasing pheromones around me.”

“He’s releasing his pheromones to you?”

Realizing the implications of Theodore’s actions, Leona’s gaze became fierce.

“Yes. He’s been doing this continuously since before. As you know, Alpha pheromones are deadly to me. If not careful, my pheromone control could collapse, or a forced heat cycle could be triggered. That’s why I’ve been avoiding him.”

Leona wasn’t worried about Etienne, but she was concerned about the situation where he might be discovered to be an Omega. Etienne decided to stimulate that concern. As expected, Leona’s expression hardened severely.

“I never knew he would do something so outrageous. Why are you telling me only now?”

“I was going to tell you today. Until now, I thought he would stop if I ignored him… But he didn’t. Instead, it’s getting worse.”

Etienne lowered his head with a gloomy expression. In front of Leona, he needed to appear weak and incompetent.

“When he came to greet me after becoming my assistant, I tried to discourage him, butI can only do so much… I hope you can help me, Mother.”

“Understood. I’ll warn him through the Marquis to be careful about that.”

“Thank you.”

“How dare he…”

Leona muttered in a subdued voice. Knowing better than anyone how Alpha pheromones affect Omegas, she was furious with Theodore.

Etienne drank his tea, keeping his senses alert to Leona’s reaction. While this wouldn’t drive Theodore away, he seemed to have successfully tarnished his impression.

“From now on, tell me immediately if such a thing happens again. Avoid working separately with Young Master Miles for a while.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“I’ll be going now. Didn’t you say you’re meeting Grand Duke Bismarck?”

“Yes, I’m going with Duchess Sachsen. I’m set to meet Grand Duke Eckhart at Grand Duke Bismarck’s residence.”

“Hmm, I see. Call me the day after tomorrow.”

After speaking, Leona gestured for him to leave. Etienne bowed politely to her, who was lost in thought, and went outside.

“Good work.”

As Etienne stepped into the corridor, Ben greeted him. Ben approached closely and looked at Etienne with worried eyes.

“Are you alright? Nothing happened, right?”

“I’m fine. We just talked.”

Etienne tapped Ben’s shoulder as if to say not to worry. However, Ben couldn’t hide his concern. Etienne looked particularly unwell today.

“Are you really okay? You look tired. Should I cancel the afternoon schedule…”

“Duchess Sachsen is already here, how can I do that?”

“But still…”

“I’m fine.”

Etienne moved with a faint smile. Ben opened his mouth as if to say something, then drooped his shoulders and followed behind him. He knew Etienne wouldn’t listen to his persuasion.

Ben swallowed a sigh, worriedly watching Etienne’s seemingly more powerless steps than usual.

“Here you are! Your Highness!”

As they came out of the Empress’s palace, Eris, who had been waiting for Etienne, waved happily when she spotted him. Then, she widened her eyes as if surprised by something.

“What’s wrong? You don’t look so good.”

“…Is that really the first thing you say right when we meet?”

Etienne slightly furrowed his brow at the words Eris blurted out as soon as she saw him. Eris then laughed awkwardly and trailed off.

“No, it’s just that you don’t look very well to ask how you’ve been…”

“Is it that bad?”

At Eris’s words, Etienne unconsciously raised his hand to touch his cheek. Hearing Eris say his complexion didn’t look good just like Ben made him self-conscious.

“It’s not just ‘bad’. You look like you should be receiving a sick visit rather than making one to Grand Duke Bismarck.”

“I don’t think it’s that serious…”

Etienne spoke with an uncertain voice. He wanted to refute her, but he also felt that his physical condition was not that good.

“You have deep, dark circles, your lips are swollen, and it seems like you’ve lost some weight…”

Eris looked Etienne up and down and then asked in a worried tone.

“I’ve heard you’ve been busy lately, but aren’t you overdoing it?”

“I’m fine.”

Etienne briefly replied and walked towards the carriage. He thought it would be better to get into the carriage and rest as quickly as possible rather than standing and talking.

“What do you mean you’re fine? Don’t you know what your face looks like right now? Didn’t your attendant or the doctor say anything?”

“Grand Duchess, it’s not something you need to worry about… Ugh.”

“Your Highness!”

While turning his head to respond to Eris, Etienne suddenly felt a strong dizziness and staggered. Eris, startled, quickly grabbed him. Ben, who was following behind, also approached in shock.

“Your Highness, are you alright? I’ll call the doctor immediately!”

“Don’t. It was just a momentary dizziness.”

Etienne stretched out his hand to stop Ben and straightened his body, putting strength into his feet. After composing his expression, he thanked Eris.

“Thank you for catching me. I almost would have fallen quite unsightly.”

“This won’t do. We’ll cancel the hospital visit for another time.”

Eris noticed his complexion had worsened in just a moment, turning pale, and seriously suggested canceling the visit.

If Etienne were to collapse, she could be blamed for forcing him to perform his duties while he was unwell.

“No. I cannot inconvenience others because of my condition. I’m fine.”

“No matter how you say you are, you definitely don’t look fine at all.”

How can you say you’re fine when you look like you’re about to collapse? Eris frowned and clicked her tongue. She wondered why the Empress, who had been with him just a little while ago, hadn’t said anything about his condition.

“I’m just a bit tired from attending the morning tea party. And Grand Duke Eckhart has gone to great lengths to make time.”

“He was the one who suddenly said he’d come this morning. Or I can go alone, and you should rest, Your Highness.”

“I don’t know when I’ll have another opportunity, so let’s just go.”

“Fine, I understand. Do as you wish. But whatever happens, it’s not my responsibility.”

Eris, with a face that said she couldn’t be convinced, lifted her hand that was supporting Etienne. After all, it was Etienne who was sick, not her. She just needed to make sure no blame would fall on her later.

“Let’s depart.”

“Your Highness, perhaps you could have Dr. Celodine examine you…”

“We’re already quite delayed. I can rest during the journey, so it’s fine.”

Etienne forcibly reassured the anxious Ben and got into the carriage. Soon, the carriage started moving. He closed his eyes, feeling the carriage’s motion.

The headache had been getting worse since the dizziness moment earlier. Etienne, assessing his condition, pulled a small medicine bottle from his pocket.

“What, you’re carrying medicine?”

Eris, sitting across from him, frowned when she saw Etienne take out medicine. She couldn’t understand why he was so stubborn when he was in enough pain to need medication.

“Because I’m often not feeling well, I always carry emergency medication when I go out.”

“If you’re at the point of taking medicine, you should really rest…”

“It’s chronic. I’m almost like this every day. If I rest every time I feel a bit unwell, I’ll be just like before.”

“Ah.”

Eris nodded as if she understood Etienne’s explanation. However, her face showed no real understanding.

Etienne ignored her and opened the medicine bottle. He had long given up on being understood by her.

It wasn’t just her. The reaction Eris was showing now was similar to what others had shown before.

Most people were surprised by how much weaker Etienne was than they thought whenever he showed signs of being unwell. They would then recommend that he rest. If he refused, they would think he was being strange or stubborn.

But for Etienne, being sick was everyday life. He had more sick days than healthy days. If he rested every time his condition was poor, the entire day would simply disappear.

It was true that he had been overexerting himself recently, but experiencing dizziness or headaches like today was quite common for him. That’s why Etienne thought Eris and Ben were worrying too much.

Etienne swallowed the painkiller and let out a tired sigh. His body was definitely not in good condition. He had been busy without rest since last week, so fatigue must have accumulated. He rubbed his neck with a weary face and then leaned back in the chair.

Etienne closed his eyes and slowly relaxed his body. He thought it would be good to take a short nap during the journey to the Bismarck Grand Ducal residence. However, Eris kept talking, preventing him from resting.

“Let’s talk during the journey.”

“…Weren’t you the same person who just told me to rest?”

Etienne raised his heavy eyelids at Eris’s voice, constantly addressing him. When their eyes met, Eris smiled with an awkward expression.

“I’m sorry. But I don’t think we’ll have another chance to talk comfortably.”

“Seems like you have a lot you want to discuss with me.”

“Of course. The political situation is unstable these days, isn’t it?”

At her pointed remark, Etienne sat up from his leaning position. He gestured lightly as if to say, ‘go ahead if you have something to say.’

“What do you want to say?”

“I’ll ask directly. What is the Empress thinking? How is it going with Margrave Mathias’s son? Are you really planning to marry him?”

“I’m not sure what Mother is thinking either. Nothing has been decided with the Mathias family, and there hasn’t been any serious discussion about marriage.”

Etienne answered Eris’s questions faithfully. He knew that if her curiosity was satisfied, he could escape her questioning.

“Lately, it seems you’ve been going around everywhere with Margrave Mathias’s son…”

“He’s my social season partner. I’m just doing my duty.”

“Okay, let’s say that’s true. So how is the situation unfolding now? From what I see, both the Emperor and Empress seem to want to settle things within next year.”

“If you’re asking about my mother’s thoughts, your guess is correct. She wants to end things before Grand Duke Eckhart ‘s power grows any further.”

“What about your thoughts, Your Highness?”

“My thoughts?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Etienne tilted his head. Eris smiled slightly at the corner of her mouth.

“To be honest, I’m extremely conflicted these days about which side I should align with.”

“Ah.”

“Choosing the Empress makes me anxious about the future, and I’m not comfortable choosing Grand Duke Eckhart… Honestly, I dislike both, and I just want Your Highness to do well. Because we’re both Betas…”

Eris trailed off, speaking in a subtle tone. The smile had disappeared from her face.

“But choosing Your Highness would upset the Empress. That’s why I was wondering… How about secretly joining hands with me?”

“What?”

“Don’t be so surprised. I know everything about who you’re meeting these days. Aren’t you trying to break free from the Empress?”

This was unexpected. Etienne stared at Eris, who was proposing an alliance, with surprised eyes. He never expected her to take the initiative in seeking an alliance, let alone pinpoint the reasons behind his recent active social activities.

But he couldn’t answer rashly. Etienne fell into thought while Eris waited for his response.

He had considered bringing Eris to his side before, but always stopped for two reasons.

First, Eris hated Rishar. Her deep-rooted inferiority complex towards Alphas and Omegas was also the reason she was hostile to Rishar.

People consider imperial Omegas unfortunate, but in fact, the most unfortunate were Beta women in the imperial family.

While Beta men could mate with dominant Omegas and have Alpha or Omega children, Beta women couldn’t.

Unlike Omegas, Beta women were difficult to use even in strategic marriages and were likely to be ignored everywhere.

The fact that Eris, who had a higher imperial succession right than Rishar, was not even considered as a potential emperor was because she was a Beta.

Therefore, he couldn’t join hands with Eris. As revealed in their recent conversation, Eris’s goodwill towards Etienne was because she believed he was a Beta like her.

If she were to learn that Etienne was an Omega, she would no longer show such favor. She would definitely be angry, feeling she had been deceived.

Secondly, he couldn’t trust Eris. At first, he thought he was being overly sensitive because he was deceiving her, but that wasn’t it. From what he had observed so far, she was an extremely opportunistic person.

Eris would display neutrality outwardly while shifting allegiances according to the situation. That was her survival strategy.

In other words, even if she proposed joining hands with Etienne now, she would turn her back the moment the situation became unfavorable.

He couldn’t reveal his secrets or his secret agreement with Rishar to such a person. Eris was the type who could propose an alliance to Etienne today and go to Leona tomorrow to say that the prince was planning to betray her.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re interested?”

Eris narrowed her eyes, observing Etienne’s expression. Etienne, finally emerging from his thoughts, gave a small cough.

“It’s not that I’m not interested, I’m just a bit surprised. I never expected to receive such proposal.”

“Hmm.”

“As you guessed, I don’t intend to continue being the Empress’s puppet. My recent activities are indeed about building my own foundation.”

“So…”

“But I’m not planning to join hands with just anyone in a haste.”

“Are you saying I’m just anyone?”

Eris hardened her eyes and asked back. Etienne smiled softly at her, who seemed offended. For this type of person, it was better to speak directly rather than hide or speak around things.

“Grand Duchess, you aren’t just anyone, but I won’t deny that I can’t fully trust you.”

“This is disappointing. Is that all you think of me?”

“I apologize if I offended you. Living in a world where today’s enemy becomes tomorrow’s ally, and today’s ally becomes tomorrow’s enemy, I’ve learned not to trust people easily.”

“That sounds like you’re specifically saying I would do that.”

Eris shot back with a forced smile. Etienne looked at her, clearly displeased, and spoke calmly.

“Let’s just say I’m cautious by nature. Grand Duchess, you aren’t making this proposal out of pure goodwill either, are you? What you want is the succession rights to the Grand Ducal title of Sachsen, right?”

Eris’s eyes widened at Etienne’s words. She hadn’t expected him to get straight to the point.

“How did you…”

“When I thought about what the Grand Duchess wants most, the answer came quickly.”

Etienne replied leisurely, crossing his legs. He slightly raised the corner of his lips, deliberately ignoring the throbbing in his temples. Despite taking painkillers, his head still hurt. No, it was actually getting worse.

“Even if you help Her Majesty, she will never acknowledge the succession to the Sachsen Grand Ducal title. You know this, which is why you’re making this proposal to me, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

Eris admitted readily. She revised her assessment of Etienne. She had thought he was a naive prince who only played under the Empress’s protection, but that wasn’t the case.

“In my opinion, the best course would be for Your Highness to ascend to the throne without the Empress. Of course, I don’t have the power that Grand Duke Eckhart or Her Majesty the Empress has. But I can provide the military and financial resources you lack.”

“Do you think if we join hands, we can turn the current situation around?”

“If Your Highness is determined to break ties with the Empress, yes.”

Eris answered as if she had been waiting for this. Her earlier dismissive attitude toward Etienne had completely disappeared.

“It sounds like my role is quite important.”

“While it would be best for Your Highness to ascend to the throne, the ultimate decision lies with His Majesty the Emperor. Since we don’t know how things will turn out until the end, it would be good to build an independent power base so you’ll be safe even if you don’t become crown prince. Even achieving that much would be half a success. I want to be the vanguard of that effort.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t trust the Empress. And when relations between Your Highness and the Empress sour, who benefits most? It’s Grand Duke Eckhart, isn’t it? If there’s discord between you two, his chances of ascending to the throne increase.”

Eris confidently presented her view. Etienne tensed slightly as he observed how coldly analytical she was being.

“It’s a bit annoying if Grand Duke Eckhart takes the throne, but it’s not a bad outcome for us. At least he won’t kill Your Highness and me.”

Eris added, smiling with her eyes curved. Her eyes glinted.

“At the debutante ball, I noticed Grand Duke Eckhart still follows Your Highness quite well?”

Eris said in a playful voice. Though her tone was light, what it contained was sharp as thorns. Etienne silently tensed his lips.

“I’ve felt this for a while, but Grand Duke Eckhart really likes Your Highness a lot. Even real brothers wouldn’t be this close… It’s quite fascinating.”

Eris looked at Etienne with interested eyes. Etienne met her gaze with a composed expression. However, inside he was anxious and uneasy.

Eris probably wasn’t suspicious of the relationship between him and Rishar. If she had been certain of anything, she would be threatening him now rather than making proposals.

But at the debutante ball, she must have noticed how favorably Rishar treated Etienne from his attitude. Just like Theodore had.

“It’s true that Grand Duke Eckhart is favorable toward me. But well… I wonder how long that will last?”

Etienne retorted sarcastically. He couldn’t let Eris become certain. As expected, Eris showed confusion at Etienne’s unexpected response.

“I don’t believe in things like people’s hearts. Before power, there are no family or lovers. In that sense, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

Etienne struggled to shake off his anxiety and maintained the most relaxed expression he could. It seemed best to end the conversation here.

“What is it?”

“As I said earlier, I need someone who won’t betray me. Can you give me that assurance, Grand Duchess?”

“Of course…”

“What if Grand Duke Eckhart offers to let you maintain the Sachsen family?”

“What?”

“Shall we change the question? What if His Majesty the Emperor promises you the succession of the Sachsen Grand Ducal title in exchange for helping Grand Duke Eckhart? Would you still be by my side, with unwavering support?”

“That’s…”

For a moment, Eris’s eyes wavered. Etienne gave a bitter smile seeing her hesitate instead of answering immediately.

“This is exactly why I say I can’t trust you, Grand Duchess. I want someone who won’t turn their back when circumstances change, but who will remain loyal until the end.”

“…”

“Before making proposals to me, it would be better to make up your own mind first.”

“Wait, Your Highness. I…”

“I understand your thoughts well enough for now. Let’s continue this conversation another time. I’ll think about it seriously, and I hope you’ll make a firm decision as well. Without testing the waters like this.”

Etienne turned his gaze to the window without giving Eris a chance to speak. Through the window, he could see the Bismarck mansion.

“We’ve arrived.”

Etienne straightened his clothes as he felt the carriage slowing down. His palms were damp with sweat from the tense conversation.

Meanwhile, the carriage had passed through the main gate and come to a complete stop, and Ben, who had climbed down from the driver’s seat, opened the carriage door.

“I’ll get out first.”

Etienne rose, leaving Eris lost in thought. Suddenly, he felt intense dizziness and braced himself against the carriage wall. His eyelids trembled at the pain that felt like his head would split.

“Prince?”

Ben, who was holding the door open for Etienne to exit, reacted quickly. Etienne gestured to him that he was fine and stepped out of the carriage. As he went out, bright sunlight poured down on his head.

Etienne frowned as if dazzled and turned his head while standing in place. He saw a familiar figure in the lobby. It was Rishar.

Upon spotting Rishar, Etienne unconsciously smiled. Seeing him waiting in the lobby made him feel glad. Just then, Rishar also turned his head toward Etienne.

“Hyung-nim.”

As their eyes met, Rishar greeted Etienne with a smiling face. His cool, sharp eyes curved into a gentle arc. However, Rishar’s smile did not last long.

Rishar’s expression hardened as if he had never smiled when he saw Etienne’s complexion, pale and devoid of any color. He strode toward Etienne with a rigid face.

“It’s been a while…”

“Are you ill?”

Again. Etienne made a weary expression as Rishar, like Eris before him, worried about his condition. He wondered just how terrible his face must look for everyone he met to say the same thing.

“You don’t seem fine.”

Rishar said in a subdued voice after examining Etienne’s face. The excitement of meeting Etienne after a long time had disappeared from his face, replaced by concern.

“Really? I don’t feel that bad…”

Etienne mumbled awkwardly, trailing off. Despite his words, his voice had no energy at all.

“Did something happen on your way here?”

Rishar’s gaze moved behind Etienne. Having confirmed who he was looking at, Etienne quickly answered. It would be troublesome if Rishar and Eris got into another conflict like last time.

“Nothing happened.”

“Are you sure? Did Her Majesty the Empress say something? Or at the tea party…”

“No, nothing like that. I’m just tired because I’ve been busy lately.”

Etienne curled his lips upward to reassure Rishar. Perhaps because of what Eris had said earlier, he was conscious of the gaze he felt on his back.

“It seems more than just a little.”

Rishar’s hand lightly touched Etienne’s forehead, which was beaded with sweat. Etienne stiffened his shoulders and stepped back when he felt the cool fingers on his skin.

“Hyung-nim?”

Rishar’s eyes widened as he watched Etienne avoid his touch. Etienne bit his lower lip, appearing troubled at having unintentionally rejected Rishar.

He felt sorry for Rishar, but it couldn’t be helped. He sensed Eris’s probing gaze from behind.

“Let’s go inside.”

Etienne gestured to Rishar to go in. Perhaps because he had been too conscious of Eris since earlier, his back felt strangely damp. He forced himself to move, feeling cold sweat running down his spine.

“Welcome, Your Highness. I am Owen, the butler of House Bismarck.”

As the two began to move, the Bismarck family’s butler, who had been standing with a tense face, politely greeted them.

“My master has been waiting for the three of you since morning. Please understand that due to his limited mobility, he will receive guests in his bedroom.”

“That’s fine, please lead the way.”

Etienne smiled faintly at the butler and followed his guidance toward the central staircase. Rishar also moved, not taking his eyes off Etienne. Looking at his haggard face that seemed like it might crumble at any moment made him anxious and worried.

“Be careful going up.”

“I told you I’m fine, ah…”

Etienne suddenly staggered greatly while answering. When he turned his head to the side, his head spun, and strength left his body.

“Hyung-nim!”

Etienne blinked, feeling a strong force pulling at his waist. Through his hazy vision, like looking through fog, he could see Rishar’s startled face.

“Are you alright?”

“Sorry, I just misstepped… Thanks.”

Etienne said in a trembling voice. If Rishar hadn’t caught him, he probably would have tumbled down the stairs. A chill ran through him at that thought.

“What was that? Did you almost fall down the stairs?”

“Your Highness!”

Eris, who had been following lost in thought, also rushed up the stairs in surprise. The butler who had been leading the way hurried over as well.

Etienne opened his mouth to tell them he was fine. At that moment, he felt something trickling down, and a red drop fell onto the white marble stairs.

“Huh?”

What is this? Etienne blankly stared at the blood drops falling onto the floor. His face felt strangely hot. A metallic scent lingered at the tip of his nose.

“Hyung-nim!”

“Your Highness!”

Rishar’s and Eris’s startled voices mixed together. At the same time, his swaying body, which had lost balance, was caught. Only then did Etienne realize he was having a nosebleed. The red drops staining the floor were his blood.

“Ah.”

Etienne reflexively raised his hand after realizing his condition. What had been dripping drop by drop soon turned into a steady flow. Covering his nose and mouth with his hands wasn’t enough to stop it. His snow-like white, pale hands quickly turned red.

Something surged up from inside, and his vision inverted. Etienne staggered severely as the world seemed to spin around him. He couldn’t stand at all.

“Get a doctor!”

A panicked Rishar shouted while holding Etienne. His expression contorted upon seeing Etienne’s face suddenly covered in blood. Though he had lived on battlefields where blood and flesh sprayed daily, he had never been this frightened.

“Don’t tilt his head back.”

Rishar supported Etienne’s nape with his hand. He couldn’t tell if it was Etienne’s body trembling or his own hands. He carefully let Etienne’s head rest against his chest.

“Just hold on a little longer.”

“I’m… fine…”

Seeing his blood stain Rishar’s clothes, Etienne tried to force himself up. However, as he felt his body tipping backward, all strength left his legs completely.

Hyung-nim! Etienne hyung-nim!

Etienne’s head lolled back as his lips faintly trembled in response to the sound of the voice. Unable to hold on any longer, he slipped into unconsciousness. The whole world turned red before fading into darkness.

***

Blink. An unfamiliar ceiling came into focus through hazy vision. His whole body ached as if crushed by a huge boulder.

Blink, blink. After opening and closing his eyes a few more times, his consciousness rose from the depths and his sense of touch returned.

“Ugh…”

A groan escaped between his dry lips. Though consciousness had returned, his mind was still foggy. Etienne tried to think about where he was with his dull mind. Then, he heard a low, deep voice.

“Are you awake?”

“Ri… shar?”

Etienne’s fingers twitched at the voice penetrating his ears, and he rolled his eyes toward where the sound came from. Though he could tell who it was without looking, he wanted to see his face. Rishar was sitting in a chair beside the bed.

“Rishar, is that you…?”

Etienne called out to Rishar, straining his eyes. Perhaps because the room was dark, he couldn’t see his face clearly.

“Yes, hyung-nim. It’s me.”

Rishar faithfully responded to Etienne’s call. After confirming it was him, Etienne exhaled a long breath as if relieved. Then he slightly moved his head to look around the room.

“Where’s this?”

“The Bismarck mansion. When you lost consciousness and collapsed, we hurriedly moved you to a guest room.”

Rishar answered stiffly to Etienne’s question.

Etienne narrowed his eyes at the damp and heavy voice that sounded like it was underwater. He was worried because the voice he heard sounded too unwell. But he still couldn’t see Rishar’s face.

He must have been very shocked.

Etienne bit his lip. Remembering the contorted face and the desperate voice calling him before he lost consciousness made him feel pathetic. Even he was bewildered, as this was the first time he had collapsed like this.

“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

When Etienne sighed as his chest felt tight, Rishar rose with concern. With the sound of a chair being pulled, he emerged from the darkness.

“My throat is dry…”

Etienne lost his words upon finally seeing Rishar’s face properly. He was clearly a mess. In just a few hours, he had become gaunt from how much he had worried.

“Besides being thirsty, are you uncomfortable anywhere else? Does your head hurt, or do you feel nauseous?”

With a creak, weight settled on the edge of the bed, and soon a cool hand touched his forehead. Rishar frowned at the slight warmth he felt through his palm.

“You still have a fever. Are you dizzy?”

“I think I’m fine… mmhm.”

Etienne tried to answer while feeling the touch cooling his fever-ridden body, but he faltered. His voice cracked terribly, even to his own ears. His throat felt stinging and rough.

“Really?”

Rishar asked as if he couldn’t believe it. Etienne momentarily lost his words at his blunt response. Although he understood why Rishar was acting this way, he couldn’t avoid feeling hurt.

“It’s much better than before, cough!”

Etienne, who had been forcing his voice out, burst into a dry cough. Seeing this, Rishar reached out toward Etienne. The hand that went behind his back easily lifted his thin body.

“Just a moment.”

Rishar placed pillows between the headboard and Etienne’s back so he could sit comfortably. Then he held a glass of water to Etienne’s lips.

“Drink this.”

Etienne accepted the water without hesitation. Normally he would have said he could drink it himself, but now his fingertips were trembling too much to hold the glass.

“Ahh.”

Etienne exhaled with satisfaction after emptying the glass. He could feel the water spreading throughout his body. As his drowsiness faded, his head, which had been foggy like it was covered in mist, gradually cleared. After checking the sunset through the window, Etienne carefully opened his mouth.

“What time is it? How long did I sleep?”

“It’s about five o’clock. You slept for about four hours.”

“Four hours?”

“Yes. Sir Celodine said it would be better to let you sleep until your fatigue was gone. So we didn’t wake you up.”

Etienne’s face darkened upon confirming much more time had passed than he thought. Then his eyes widened at the name that came from Rishar’s mouth.

“Sir Celodine came?”

“Right after you collapsed, the Bismarck mansion’s doctor took care of you… but I had your head servant call him just in case.”

“I see…”

“He examined you again just earlier. He said it seems like fainting due to overwork. The nosebleed was also due to increased blood pressure and inflammation from hormonal changes while in a weakened state.”

Rishar pressed his lips tightly together to suppress the anger rising up as he relayed Celodine’s diagnosis.

Etienne rubbed his nape awkwardly as he observed Rishar’s noticeably hardened face. An unfamiliar silence fell between them.

…Is he angry?

Etienne glanced at Rishar’s expression while feeling the heavy air. Though it wasn’t the first time seeing him not smiling, somehow he felt unfamiliar. He didn’t seem like the Rishar he knew.

“I’ve troubled everyone… I’m sorry.”

Etienne apologized in a small voice while watching Rishar’s reaction. Rishar showed no response to Etienne’s apology.

“Was Grand Duke Bismarck very surprised too?”

Etienne asked while fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. It was such an inconvenience to collapse during a sick visit. Rishar sighed as Etienne kept glancing at him nervously.

“He was surprised. But I explained well, so it should be fine. Just show your face before leaving to say you’re okay.”

“I should. And apologize too…”

Etienne’s expression brightened a bit when Rishar responded to his words. As he nodded earnestly, he looked around as he remembered someone he had forgotten.

“Come to think of it, what about the Grand Duchess Sachsen?”

“She left earlier. There was a military staff meeting in the afternoon.”

“I should apologize to the Grand Duchess Sachsen later too…”

Etienne muttered with a gloomy face. Eris had already suggested several times that he cancel the sick visit and rest.

However, Etienne had rejected her advice. He had judged it wasn’t serious enough to need rest. Though that had been a complete misjudgment.

“By the way… are you okay?”

After hesitating briefly, Etienne asked tentatively. Rishar tilted his head as if wondering what he meant.

“Me?”

“Mn. I heard you managed to make time today with some difficulty, so are you sure you don’t need to go take care of work?”

At the following question, Rishar’s face crumpled without mercy. For a moment, his demeanor turned fierce.

“You collapsed, and you’re asking if I care about working right now? Are you telling me to leave you here and go?”

“That’s not what I meant, it’s just, you’re very busy these days. I know you made an effort to come today… I don’t want you to suffer because of me…”

Startled by the sharp response, Etienne trailed off. Somehow he felt he had made a mistake.

Rishar, who had been looking reproachfully at the helpless Etienne, took a deep breath in and out as if to calm himself. Then he spoke in a voice that seemed to be suppressing something.

“You don’t need to worry. I cancelled all of today’s schedule.”

“What?”

Etienne’s eyes widened in surprise at hearing all schedules had been cancelled. This was a very important time for Rishar. Etienne opened his mouth with a startled face.

“Is that okay? I’m fine, so even now…”

“Hyung-nim.”

Etienne froze at the voice cutting off his words. The voice, deep like the ocean, contained anger that hadn’t been fully hidden.

Rishar placed his hand on the headboard right next to Etienne’s face and slowly leaned his upper body toward him. The bed creaked under the weight of both people. At the same time, a shadow fell over Etienne’s face.

“You seem to keep forgetting…”

Rishar, who had come close enough for their noses to almost touch, stared intensely into the slightly trembling aqua eyes. His dark blue eyes rippled like fierce waves.

For a moment, Etienne unconsciously hunched his shoulders. Rishar’s gaze was so intense it was frightening. But he couldn’t look away.

Rishar, who had trapped Etienne in his gaze, whispered in a voice containing carefully suppressed anger:

“Nothing is more important to me than you, hyung-nim.”