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‘That bastard knew.’

The Crown Prince’s reaction to my report wasn’t one of surprise from the sudden event. It felt more like the amusement one gets from watching a victim squirm after being caught on a hidden camera.

The imperial family already knew I was bringing the club members to the territory. To be more accurate, it wasn’t just something they knew; they probably had a hand in it.

‘I thought it was odd.’

Up to now, Mother had never reached out or sent a letter. But now, she sends me a letter asking me to go to the territory and bring the members in a situation where I was with them? Why now?

Of course, seeing how the butler defended Mother, she might’ve had a change of heart. Maybe she was concerned about her eldest son, who was steadfastly heading towards bachelorhood.

But even so, her wish would have been limited to inviting me and Erich. The territory’s true master was the Patriarch. Inviting royals without his consent was impossible, even for his wife.

That meant that the decision to invite the members was made by the Patriarch and not Mother. And the only person with enough influence to sway the Patriarch was—

‘The Emperor.’

There was no one else but the Emperor. Even the Crown Prince couldn’t directly meddle with the Dukes, who were under the Emperor. If the Crown Prince had initiated it, he would have mocked me to death before I even received the letter.

As my suspicion from when I first saw Mother’s letter was confirmed, I decided to drop it. If the Crown Prince had been surprised, I would have known my guess was wrong and canceled my trip. But since the Emperor was involved, it’d best to keep my mouth shut.

It’s not like I was given direct orders, and I was just tangled in something the Emperor was orchestrating. There was no need to dig further.

‘Damn it.’

I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed. Someone who’d been in politics for decades usually developed a perspective that the average person couldn’t understand. The Emperor? He had that, plus a hefty dose of paranoia to top it off.

Questioning the Emperor’s actions would just tire me out. Besides, digging too deep might burn me instead.

But what’s really going on? I don’t really want to know, but it’s making me curious.

***

We arrived at the territory, which I hadn’t really missed. It was close to the capital and since there was a teleportation magic circle installed, we got there quickly. I only packed lightly since I planned to stay just a few days.

I didn’t want to come with the idiots, but Mother personally sent a letter. Ignoring it would make it look like our house was in chaos. Plus, it had the Emperor’s fingerprints all over it, so what could I do? I’d have to obey.

“You’re here.”

“It’s good to see you, Patriarch.”

When we reached the mansion in the center of the territory, the Patriarch, who had been waiting, greeted us. Given the VIPs in my group, it made sense for him to greet us in person.

I bowed to the Patriarch and noticed that not just Mother, but also the head butler and head maid were there. All the key figures of the territory were present.

“I am Wilhelm Krasius of Tailglehen, the Count of the Tailglehen territory. It’s an honor to have such esteemed guests.”

“How could I miss the chance to see one of the pillars of the Empire? I’ve always wanted to meet the renowned Count. We’re grateful to the lady for her invitation.”

After exchanging brief greetings, the Patriarch turned to greet the club members. He first bowed to Ainter. Honestly, a prince from our own country took precedence over a foreign prince, even if he was without real power.

“Carl.”

“It’s been a while, Mother.”

When I shifted my gaze from him, Mother began to speak. In contrast to the Patriarch, who was decked out in black, she was a woman with light brown hair and blue eyes, looking young enough to belie her age—a common trait of nobles.

In response to my greeting, Mother nodded and took a few steps closer, silently staring into my eyes.

“I’m glad you seem healthy.”

Mother looked like she had something to say and kept moving her mouth as if she was about to speak. But in the end, she settled for a casual greeting. She would probably tell me later if there was something important.

She glanced awkwardly here and there until she spotted Erich and gestured to him. Come to think of it, that guy should be greeting his parents now that he’s home, and yet he’s just standing there. I get the awkwardness, but still.

“Erich, how have you been?”

‘No.’

I almost closed my eyes at the sight of Mother, who was awkwardly trying to make conversation. Why was a mother feeling awkward with her own son? A teenage son could at least use puberty as an excuse.

“Ah, yes.”

Even Erich got caught up in Mother’s awkwardness and committed the mistake of giving a curt answer.

The conversation ended abruptly, with the both of them clearly struggling to find what to say next. Mother, already stiff, seemed even more at a loss.

“It seems we’ve kept our guest standing for too long. You might have a lot to talk about, but let’s go inside first.”

The stifling silence was finally broken by the head butler’s intervention. True to his title, he really was the pillar that supported the county.

I gave the head butler a thankful nod, and the small, reassuring smile he returned was more comforting than anything.

“Alright, let’s go inside.”

Mother, not wanting to miss the opportunity, quickly agreed to the head butler’s suggestion. Her retreating figure somehow looked pitiful… or was it just my imagination?

“Brother.”

“What?”

“Did something happen to Mother?”

“That’s for you to find out, not me.”

I left the territory way before you did. You were at the house until a few months ago, weren’t you?

So, Erich and I blankly watched Mother’s retreating figure until the Patriarch started walking towards the mansion.

I don’t know why Mother was acting that way, but we would probably find out after staying together for a while. Since we’d be staying in the territory, we probably have a lot to discuss, especially about the marriage issue.

***

After exchanging greetings with the guests, I headed straight to my office. Although I greeted the guests as the lord of the territory, the main host was my wife, so she could take care of it.

“Wife, how about inviting everyone?”

“Everyone? Even the imperial prince and the royal princes?”

“Yes, that’s right. Please do that.”

Of course, this was a sudden request for my wife, who had intended to call only our two sons. Thinking of her flustered expression still makes me uneasy, but I’m grateful she followed through with the request.

And thankfully so. I’m glad I was able to follow His Majesty’s wishes.

— I intend to send them outside the Capital. Since the Prosecutor’s Executive Manager is their advisor, the Count’s territory should be suitable.

The day my wife was composing a letter to send to our son, His Majesty himself issued the order through the communication crystal. He wanted the foreign princes and the saint candidate to leave the Capital, and the chosen location, to our honor, was the County of Tailglehen.

Thus, we were hosting guests at the castle after a long while. It had been some time since we had guests, but how could a servant refuse the command of their master?

Since it was His Majesty’s wish, all I could do was to dutifully follow it.

‘No one is here.’

I started walking, and I was in the office before I knew it. After confirming that no one else was around, I activated the communication crystal. What I was about to say was not for anyone to hear.

— Count Tailglehen.

“Your humble servant, Wilhelm Krasius, greets the Sun of the great Empire.”

I fell to my knees, not daring to look up at the face of the Emperor. Even if it’s just a projection from the communicator, how could a mere servant look directly at His Majesty without permission?

— Lift your head.

Lifting my head at His Majesty’s command, I saw the one and only legitimate ruler of the Empire. He might have aged and lost his health compared to the past, but he was undeniably the Empire’s ruler.

His once-golden hair had turned white and wrinkles marked his face, but his purple eyes, a symbol of the Livnoman imperial family, still shone brightly.

— Have they arrived?

It was a short question, but anyone too dull to grasp what it meant didn’t deserve to serve the Emperor.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

— Krasius, you always work swiftly.

“I’m humbled.”

I bowed again at the undeserved honor. It was only natural for a servant to quickly carry out the Emperor’s wishes. Being praised for doing one’s duty felt surprisingly rewarding.

— The Ministry of Intelligence will keep an eye on them from now on.

The Emperor meant that the notable figures who had arrived in the County of Tailglehen would now be monitored by the Intelligence Department. Since those people were handpicked by the Emperor, there would be no accidental exposures. Some might have already infiltrated the territory.

It was simply a heads-up about the agents’ activities within the territory and a reminder to cooperate if needed.

— We’ll soon know if they’re guests or thieves.

Though His Majesty’s voice was soft, the underlying message wasn’t. He had been on guard since he heard that key figures from other nations chose to stay in the Empire instead of returning to their home countries.

Why did the foreign royals enroll in the Empire’s Academy? Why did they choose to stay during the vacation instead of going home? Why did they even come to the Capital? Why did they want to tour the entire Empire under the guise of a trip?

There were a lot of whys.

Then, the Emperor concluded that they must be spies. With the Empire swaying due to the aftermath of the Great War and disputes over the throne’s succession, they might be aiming for the Empire’s vulnerable moments, challenging the Empire’s mandate.

That’s why they stayed in the Empire and gathered information as spies. The reason for the spies being of royal blood was to exploit the fact that even foreign royals couldn’t be treated carelessly.

Though His Majesty was suspicious, he had no concrete evidence. That’s why he sent them out of the closely monitored territory. If they believe they’re not being watched, they might reveal their true intentions, and that would provide the evidence.

— Aren’t you curious about the outcome?

I simply bowed my head in response to His Majesty’s words.

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