“Papa, wouldn’t it be better to just apologize to the emperor?” Ingrid suggested.

Her father had just returned from the high court after rumors spread that he had been spitefully cursing the emperor’s name. But just like Elias predicted, they couldn’t find a credible witness to prove the truthfulness of the rumors, and the case was dismissed.

Elias had already explained to Ingrid that it was all pretending to not make her worry. But she’s still worried. She doesn’t know what her father is planning, but she knows things will be disastrous regardless of whether her father’s plan works or not. The empire will surely fall apart if this ends in an all-out war.

“I’m afraid it’s already too late for an apology, sweetheart,” Grand Duke Rasmus said softly. “It’s not that I don’t want to apologize to my brother.

However, someone had already fanned his anger before I got the chance to. So regardless, if I don’t do anything, things will still turn out as they are.”

Ingrid’s lips formed a thin line. She began to unconsciously comb her hair as she thought of a way to remedy the situation.

“If there is someone instigating the emperor, it’s probably the empress,” Ingrid said, not realizing that she had said it out loud until the grand duke responded.

“I think so too. There is also a high chance that she is the one helping the men of King Oliver in their attempt to abduct you.”

But the Grand Duke's face turned solemn when he noticed Ingrid’s reaction to his revelation. “You knew.”

Ingrid looked away.

Grand Duke Rasmus heaved a deep sigh. “Ingrid, we’ve already talked about keeping secrets, especially when it involves your safety.”

Guilt was written all over Ingrid’s face, but she kept her silence.

"Ingrid," Grand Duke Rasmus called in a stern voice.

She squeezed her eyes shut out of helplessness as she began to speak. “When I was in that ugly Farts castle, I saw him holding a pair of golden pheonix earrings. I later saw it on the empress’ ears.”

A heavy atmosphere enveloped the entire audience chamber. Ingrid hung her head low, afraid to see the anger in her father’s eyes. She brushed her hair with her hand more forcefully, causing some strands of her hair to fall off.

But a knock on the door broke the tension in the air.

“Your highness, you have visitors.” Elias, the Grand Duke’s secretary, carefully peaked through the small opening of the audience chamber’s door.

The Grand Duke frowned. “Didn’t I say that I wouldn’t be accepting any visitors today?" He asked, annoyed, thinking it was one of their relatives again. He already had enough of the whining of those greedy fools.

"Your Highness, I cannot dare turn this guest away," Elias replied, anxious both from the grand duke's dismissive attitude and the fact that the ducal palace might not be ready for the sudden visit.

After ushering the visitors in, he would have to rush to the kitchen to see if they had suitable food and beverages prepared.

Thinking about how he even mistaken their guest for a mere lackey of the branch house made him want to kill himself in embarrassment. He wanted to make it up by doing his best to accommodate their needs.

“You are the secretary of a grand duke; who in this world can you not turn away?”

‘The emperor?’ Elias wanted to answer but decided otherwise. “It’s the crown prince of Aradhya, your highness.”

Ingrid stiffened at the mention of the person she had dreaded encountering.

Their last interaction had left her heart in turmoil, and she wasn't ready to confront him again. But before she could think of an excuse to leave, the door opened, revealing a handsome man with an infuriatingly arrogant grin.

Ingrid and the grand duke were a bit surprised when they saw Crown Prince Aleric and his company both wearing commoner clothing. No wonder Elias looked flustered when he came in. He must not have realized who the visitors were until the last minute.

"Your Highness, it is an honor to have you in our abode. I wonder what prompted your visit?" the grand duke greeted, bowing as he spoke. "Please, have a seat," he ushered the crown prince to the sofa. “And, sir Esher, I didn’t expect to meet you again this soon.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“As did I, your highness,” Sir Vernon Elsher said, bowing elegantly.

Vernon was quite the handsome man. His face is like that of a gentle river—beautiful and pleasing to look at.

“Greetings, your royal highness,” Ingrid said sarcastically while bowing towards Aleric. “I’m surprised that our servants didn’t make a fuss with your sudden arrival.” There was a hint of resentment in Ingrid’s voice, which made Aleric’s grin grow wider.

"Well, it was an unplanned visit.”

Ingrid glared at Aleric when she chose to sit on the seat beside hers.

“I heard that Lennox’s dukedom is the biggest and most prosperous among the lands in the empire, so I decided to take a look," he said after he had taken his seat.

“And? Like what you saw?” The grand duke asked, pleased that someone had taken an interest in the land he had cultivated through years of hard work.

When the grand duke inherited the dukedom from her grandfather, it was already in decline. Yet, within a few years, he managed to rebuild it and make it more prosperous than ever before.

Although the grand duke would often say that he was only doing it for her, Ingrid knew that he loved being the grand duke and helping those under his rule. That's why she always wondered how much her father must have loved her mother for him to give up everything for her.

“I did. The people living in your dukedom seemed very happy and content. That’s why I couldn’t help but pay its ruler a visit,” Crown Prince Aleric said, his face filled with genuine awe.

“I’m quite flattered, your royal highness.” The Grand Duke chuckled. Then his eyes proceeded to his daughter, who doesn’t seem to be planning to leave. “Ingrid, don’t you have some other things to do?”

“Father, my only job is to read books all day; I don’t mind postponing it for a while.” Despite her disturbed heart, she still did not forget to do her part and looked at the crown prince with a not-so-hidden interest.

The Grand Duke coughed at his daughter’s unusual display of boldness. This daughter in front of him was far too different from the daughter who shows indifference in front of any man. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of hopelessness and worry.

“Well, I’d like to speak with the Crown Prince alone,” said the grand duke.

"Oh," Ingrid said, disappointed. “Well then, can I invite him to my palace afterwards? I still haven’t thanked him for saving me that day.” She looked at the crown prince expectantly.

Before the crown prince could respond, the grand duke cut him off by saying, “No!” in a voice louder than he had intended.

“No?” Ingrid repeated, her face contorting as though she had heard a word foreign to her.

“I mean, no, you can stay here and listen to us talk," the grand duke explained in a more softer tone, helpless.

Ingrid’s face quickly brightened, her beautiful face becoming even more dazzling. “Thank you, papa! You’re the best!” She exclaimed happily and gave the grand duke a peck on the cheek.

Meanwhile, the grand dukes sagged and were defeated. He planned to cut their conversation short before his daughter could develop any more relations with the crown prince.

Aleric smiled, amused at Ingrid’s cleverness in establishing her so-called growing interest in him. She really is serious about wanting their secret marriage deal to push through.

“Speaking of interest, I heard some nobles have pulled out their investment in the grand duke’s various businesses. But the dukedom doesn’t seem affected at all.”

The Grand Duke's face suddenly darkened.

Ingrid shifted in her seat at the sudden change in the atmosphere. What is it this time? Why does her father look angry?

"Before I answer your question, your highness, may I know what this interest of yours means?"

Crown Prince Aleric chuckled lightheartedly. "Please, Grand Duke, the ‘interest’ I am having is out of genuine curiosity. As you would have already known, this place is not the type that would make me have that kind of ‘interest’.”

Ingrid looked back and forth between her father and the crown prince. She couldn’t quite follow what they were talking about. What is this 'interest' that they are talking about?

It looked like she was the only one who was in the dark, as Vernon and Elias, who had just returned earlier after running off somewhere, looked as though they didn’t have a problem following their conversation. That annoyed her a bit.

As a woman who prides herself on her extensive knowledge, she hates being left out.

“That is why, despite your terrible fame, you still have my respect, your royal highness.” The grand duke laughed heartily.

“As I respect you, grand duke.”

For some reason, Ingrid could feel that some sort of friendship was forming between her father and the crown prince. Ridiculous!

“Well, to answer your question, your royal highness, whether those nobles stop investing in my businesses or stop trading with us hardly matters. To put it simply, they are investing in my businesses that I don’t mind cutting off,” Grand Duke Rasmus explained.

“I call it my lizard tail. I’ve learned from my mistakes six years ago and have a thick grasp of who I should and should not trust. But of course I have to keep up pretenses for the sake of peace; that’s why I couldn’t completely alienate them.”

“Six years ago,” Crown Prince Aleric muttered to himself.

Six years ago, he was busy building his empire, conquering one kingdom after another with little to no rest. He had neither time to learn about the political turmoil in the faraway empire of Learia nor the resources to investigate it deeply. His knowledge of Learia's past was limited to what was publicly known.

Aleric felt a hand tugging at the cuff of his sleeve. He looked down, then up to the owner of the hand, giving her a questioning look.

Ingrid glared at him, warning him not to speak, as if she knew what he was about to ask.

Since it was his future wife who had asked him to be silent, he obliged.

Based on recent events and the way the Grand Duke and Ingrid reacted, Aleric could already conclude what might have happened anyway. And the crux of it all, most likely, was the King of Serus.