The king immediately understood that she was asking for help so that the conversation between the Crown Prince and the prince could not be overheard. 

 

He raised one hand and signaled the musicians once again.

 

Soon, music filled the frozen hall.

 

“Now we can speak a little more comfortably. Shall we continue this cozy brotherly conversation?”

 

“…Ha, now I see. You really know how to act like a fox.”

 

“At this age, isn’t it pathetic to act without considering the consequences? Ah, I wasn’t insulting you, brother. You know that, right?”

 

The environment was now such that their voices could only be heard if someone was standing right next to them. 

 

Renata lifted her head to express her gratitude.

 

The king, who had been staring at her intently, gave a slight nod with his chin.

 

It meant take the prince and leave, then sort out the situation.

 

When the king’s and the prince’s requests conflicted, what was the right choice for a mere aide like herself?

 

‘I’m sorry, Your Majesty.’

 

For some reason, the Crown Prince losing his reason and acting violently in front of everyone was an opportunity that would not come easily.

 

For the sake of the prince gaining power, and for her own sake as someone under his protection, she had to carry out her original intention.

 

If anyone asked where she got the nerve to act so boldly, she could answer that she had two powerful backers.

 

Theodore was standing right behind her, and the Magic Tower Lord was watching this side from afar with clear interest.

 

At the very least, her life would be safe.

 

‘…I just hope I don’t get fired, if possible.’

 

She lowered her face again, clearly showing that she could not obey the king’s command.

 

“Hey, calm down and listen to me first. I remembered Father complaining that the Bargardt family’s trading power had grown too strong. So I created a justification.”

 

At the suddenly started banquet, the nobles couldn’t figure out how to behave. 

 

Some bowed their heads in confusion, while others retreated far from the dais to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

 

“After today, that stupid eldest son will probably try to cut off trade with the royal family based on the worsened relationship. That way, the balance of power will be restored. Wow, doesn’t this mean I helped you blow your nose without you having to lift a finger, brother?”

 

“No one asked you to play that role. Why would you interfere with a problem I could have handled on my own…!”

 

“You’re busy saving face, and Father only speaks gently. So when exactly were you planning to do it?”

 

Truly, the only saving grace was that the prince’s silver tongue flowed like a clear stream.

 

Renata lightly tapped the hem of her blue-tinted dress with her toe and let out a small sigh.

 

‘Instead of getting dragged around by the prince and playing doll, I should have interrogated him about any crimes he committed behind my back.’

 

That’s right.

 

Ever since she arrived at the castle, Theodore had demanded she report even the smallest details, so she hadn’t had any time to ask him questions.

 

Once her report was finished, he looked visibly upset and asked why she was wearing that damn uniform again, then handed her the dress she was now wearing.

 

Moreover, the comfort and warm gaze he had shown her earlier kept lingering in her mind, so she had followed his lead as if enchanted.

 

And this was the result … her body and mind utterly exhausted.

 

‘In the end, it’s my own fault…’

 

She gave up on regretting it and decided to fully support “our wonderful prince,” who was spouting flawless sophistry without yielding an inch to the Crown Prince.

 

“For someone who can act with such thoughtfulness, the fact that you’ve lived like a mess until now means one of two things. Either everything coming out of your mouth right now is just a script written by your oh-so-capable aide…”

 

Sensing that this might end up dragging her into the fire as well, Renata straightened her posture and glanced at the Crown Prince to gauge his reaction.

 

“Or you’re a dark and dangerous bastard who’s been pretending to be an idiot to hide your true self.”

 

She had only planned to observe quietly, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Karlheinz for a long time.

 

‘…What is that?’

 

She had seen something like a black shadow flickering in the Crown Prince’s blue eyes.

 

When Karlheinz noticed her gaze and seemed about to turn his attention toward her, Theodore took a few steps closer to the Crown Prince, casually positioning his body to shield her.

 

“Now that I think about it, where has your aide been and what has he been doing to only show up now? The Crown Prince’s chief aide looks like that? As expected, I chose my aide well.”

 

Just as she had seen through the Magic Tower Lord’s barrier, if the Crown Prince’s strange energy worked on a similar principle, she must not show any sign that she had noticed it.

 

Revealing that she was an alchemist who could discern the essence of magic would be as good as admitting it outright.

 

Realizing she would have been in danger without Theodore, Renata lightly tugged on his jacket as a way of saying thank you.

 

The moment Theodore turned around at the faint pull, she caught sight of Karlheinz’s eyes narrowing fiercely as he received some report from his own aide.

 

Moreover, the dark energy that had lingered around the Crown Prince’s eyes was now clearly flowing down his face, neck, shoulders, and all the way to his hand.

 

“Your Highness, be careful!”

 

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince, you mustn’t!”

 

In that instant, several things happened simultaneously:

 

The Crown Prince’s right hand shot toward the prince’s cravat. Renata pulled Theodore into her arms and dragged him backward, and Jaderic stepped forward.

 

A dull thud echoed through the banquet hall.

 

“You bastards, get out of my sight right now!”

 

Immediately after, the king’s thunderous roar rang out. 

 

Without even confirming who the victim was, everyone was driven out of the hall.

 

💫

 

The Crown Prince and the prince left in response to the king’s summons. 

 

In the now-silent corridor, only the two aides remained.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“Will Lady Renata be okay?”

 

“I’m… not sure.”

 

Renata couldn’t bring herself to say she was fine, even as empty courtesy.

 

A moment ago, the Crown Prince’s fist aimed at Theodore had been blocked by Jaderic. 

 

As a result, Jaderic had taken the blow, and one side of his cheek was swelling up bright red.

 

Compared to him, Renata was unscathed, but she had clearly shown that she prioritized the prince’s orders over the king’s. 

 

It was obvious that her future would be far worse than Jaderic’s.

 

‘But… is this only visible to me?’

 

Renata kept stealing glances at the faint black trace left on Jaderic’s cheek when she spotted Marex standing at the corner of the corridor.

 

When their eyes met, he gave a slight nod, signaling her to follow him, and began walking slowly.

 

She had a mountain of questions anyway, and she also needed to return the core he had entrusted to her. 

 

She wanted to ask whether the strange thing that had suddenly become visible to her was a phenomenon caused by carrying his power, and if so, what exactly the mysterious energy surrounding the Crown Prince was.

 

Feeling urgent, Renata quickly spoke up, afraid she might lose him.

 

“May I excuse myself first?”

 

Instead of a formal reply, an unexpected suggestion came back.

 

“You seem anxious, so I’ll be direct. I would like to continue the conversation we had last time. Could you spare me a moment after today’s schedule is over?”

 

Her insides were already in turmoil. She didn’t feel like creating another uncomfortable situation, so Renata politely expressed her refusal.

 

“Well… there are still quite a few things left on the schedule, so it might be difficult.”

 

“I see. That’s unfortunate.”

 

Despite his calm tone of acceptance, Jaderic stared at her with an unreadable expression, as if he couldn’t understand.

 

To avoid that gaze, Renata hurriedly moved her feet and followed after Marex.

 

Only after they reached a secluded area did Marex stop. He immediately held out his hand to Renata, who had followed behind him.

 

The gesture clearly meant “Return the core first.” She cupped both hands like a bowl and concentrated.

 

“What did you see in the Crown Prince?”

 

Reading the look in his eyes that wanted only the main point, Renata held out the sphere … its black energy now slightly faded … and answered in a daze.

 

“I saw something like a black shadow flickering in his pupils.”

 

“You saw black mana coming from the Crown Prince?”

 

“…You’re saying that’s mana? Is it possible for the Crown Prince, who isn’t even a mage, to freely gather mana to any part of his body and wield it like sword energy?”

 

“I won’t take miscellaneous questions.”

 

With his arms crossed as he listened to Renata’s explanation, Marex’s expression gradually darkened.

 

Renata was quite displeased with his attitude … he only wanted to hear what he wanted, with zero regard for conversational etiquette …but since he looked quite serious, she obediently continued.

 

“…The same energy remained on the Crown Prince’s aide who was injured.”

 

The moment she finished speaking, Marex drew a long oval in the air with his finger and summoned a small glass vial, holding it out to her.

 

“You, go back to that aide right now and collect even the slightest trace. I have business with the Crown Prince, so I’ll be leaving.”

 

As Marex tried to leave hurriedly, she was about to press him for a reason when his next words stopped her.

 

“Think about how you’re going to thank me for raising you to the position of Crown Princess.”

 

“…Excuse me?”

 

What on earth was he talking about now?

 

Renata let out a deep sigh as she watched Marex’s back quickly receding into the distance.

 

Today had truly been an endlessly exhausting day.