“Are you here?”

“Yes, my lord.”

In the estate of the Marquis of Giore. The lord’s office.

As soon as dawn broke, Jer Giore reported to his lord after completing his mission.

“It seems that the leader and most of them have vacated the premises. Only the Sword Master with the crimson greatsword, the silver-haired sorceress, and the fool from Lute remain to guard the estate.”

“And?”

“They said that the Order of the Golden Knight attacked the Fael family.”

“Attack?”

The lord frowned at the repetition.

“Yes, since they referred to it as an attack rather than an investigation, it appears the count and the knights did not meet.”

“In that case, they must have killed them all.”

“Yes, the sudden imperial proclamation is likely a consequence of that.”

“Tsk, useless fools. To be caught so quickly?”

Though aware of their incompetence, the Marquis of Giore was still dismayed at how swiftly they were ensnared.

“What will you do?”

“They must not be discovered yet. Did the Order of the Golden Knight claim the counts were slain in the Fael  territory?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Alright, understood. You may leave.”

With the lord’s dismissal, Jer bowed respectfully and exited.

Left alone in the office, the lord pondered for a moment before speaking.

“I don’t want to do this… but I still need them for now. Kan.”

“Yes, my lord.”

At the call of the marquis, a voice echoed from seemingly thin air.

“Lead the First and Second Units to the Fael territory and kill everything alive.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Then manipulate the corpses to appear as the work of the Demon King worshipers.”

“Yes.”

It was a command to exterminate the subjects of the eastern territories he governed, yet both the giver and receiver remained utterly calm.

“Everything is for Giore.”

With that final phrase, the man known as Kan melted back into the air.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yes, what is it?”

Having just announced the treason of the Lute faction, I returned to my office to resume my work.

Damn them, how dare they kill a Golden Knight?

For a brief moment, I lamented feeling a greater loss over the blade I had lost rather than the life taken. Shaking off those thoughts, I returned to my tasks.

I hadn’t yet completed the investigation, so I’d need to wait for further reports before making any judgments.

“Her Highness the Princess has come to see you.”

“Rael?”

“Yes. She requested an audience, so I’ve brought her to the reception room.”

“Well done. If my sister has come, I should go see her.”

Sister.

It hadn’t been long after my ascension when she went to live with our maternal family and hadn’t visited since. What could have brought her here?

Ah, perhaps it’s related to the investigation into the treason.

She’s a timid child, so she might have come to explain herself directly.

After a short walk, I arrived at the reception room and immediately noticed Rael, her face pale with anxiety.

“I-I greet Your Majesty.”

“It’s been a while, Rael. You can speak freely with me, just like before.”

“Ah… Thank you, Your Majesty, no—Brother.”

Seeing her stammer out the words, I felt a pang of sympathy. The Rael I knew from the game, known for her gentle yet resolute nature, seemed so changed.

I had never raised a hand against her, yet she was so frightened. It was frustrating.

“So, what brings you here?”

Figuring that small talk would only make her more uncomfortable, I got straight to the point.

My question, though pure, must have sounded like a reprimand.

Rael trembled as she replied.

“I’m sorry for not visiting more often. I…”

She looked so tense I wondered if she might faint, making me curious about what she wanted to say.

“I’m sorry! Actually… Zen Lute and Jena Lute came to see me…”

Ah, so it was about that.

I gave her a look encouraging her to continue, and Rael hastily added, “They spoke such outrageous nonsense that I chased them away immediately. I didn’t think it worth your concern, Brother.”

“Right, I suppose that makes sense.”

She must have thought that mentioning it would only raise suspicions. There was no need to point that out, though.

“What did they say that was so outrageous?”

“That is…”

“Feel free to speak. By the way, I heard they told Duke Triell that she might want revenge against our father’s enemies.”

“That… their words were so blasphemous I feared dirtying Your Majesty’s ears…”

“Don’t worry about that. Just tell me.”

“I… They asked if I wanted revenge and to ascend to the throne…”

Well, that’s the only proposal they could have made to her.

It was so predictable that I felt a bit let down, and seeing my expression, Rael became flustered and hurriedly added, “I’ve never had such a dreadful thought! Revenge? I’ve never once considered it. Not even for the throne! With you, my rightful sovereign, here…”

It was quite endearing to see my sister ramble like this after so long, so I decided to tease her.

“You’ve never thought about it? Not even once?”

In truth, their threats posed no danger to me, so I held no ill will. It was simply a joke, but perhaps it didn’t come off that way to Rael.

“W-What? N-No…? What do you mean…?”

Seeing her face, I realized that if I said one more thing, she might actually faint, so I let her go.

The story of a princess fainting after meeting the emperor would be quite the scandal.

“Well, it was just a joke. Anyway, I appreciate your honesty in reporting this now. You can go.”

“Yes… Thank you, Brother…”

Princess Rael Arhan was utterly terrified of Emperor Rios Arhan.

From a young age, her brother had displayed exceptional qualities, but ever since he ascended to the throne, it felt as if he had completely transformed.

When she witnessed his emotionless demeanor, moving as if he knew everything, fear overshadowed any sense of awe she might have felt.

When the survivors of Lute first came to her, she initially intended to welcome them. They were old acquaintances, and she felt pity for them, having lost their territories overnight due to war.

However, when they spoke of treachery, she was shocked and had no choice but to chase them away.

After that, she hesitated, unsure whether to report to her brother, worried that her report might draw suspicion upon herself, until she heard the royal family would announce Lute’s treason.

Well, it would be more accurate to say it was the emperor’s announcement.

Aside from her brother, she was the only remaining royal with no real power.

The moment she received that news, she was so startled that she dropped everything and rushed to the palace.

The palace was as beautiful as ever, but it filled her with dread.

Every step toward the reception room to meet her brother felt heavy, yet she struggled not to show it.

After a brief wait, her brother, the emperor Rios Arhan, entered.

Upon seeing his face, she almost froze but managed to force out a greeting.

“It’s been a while, Rael. You can speak freely, just like before.”

He smiled at her, just as he had in the past, as if nothing had changed.

If only he had glared at her or treated her coldly, perhaps she wouldn’t feel so afraid. His calm smile was terrifying.

That day, after he had slaughtered all her noble followers, he had worn the same smile, and she couldn’t help but recall that moment.

“So, what brings you here?”

Should she speak honestly?

Perhaps it would be better to say she was just here to catch up.

No, if she did that, her brother would never forgive her when he later learned that the survivors of Lute had come to see her.

With a deep breath, she decided to confess.

Her brother’s reaction was completely indifferent, as if he had expected nothing less, even asking her in a calm tone, “What did they say that was so outrageous?”

Could she really say this?

Though she didn’t want to, she knew she had no choice.

The moment her brother’s expression shifted—showing what seemed like disappointment—she was taken aback and stammered out an explanation.

But then…

“You’ve never thought about it? Not even once?”

Huh…?

She had thought she might have gotten away with it since he had shown no reaction, but apparently not?

“W-What? N-No…? What do you mean…?”

What should she say? Was he testing her?

Should she run away right now? From the palace… from the emperor?

She felt so overwhelmed with fear that it was hard to breathe, but her brother simply smiled and said, “Well, it was just a joke. Anyway, I appreciate your honesty in reporting this now. You can go.”

He was letting her leave…?

In a daze, she hurried out of the reception room without fully processing her words.

The guards noticed her pale complexion and expressed concern, but she didn’t have the energy to respond.