"I really don't understand what the Crown Prince is thinking."
Devan spoke in a tearful voice.
Olivia spoke briefly to his brother, who was hanging around the room without holding back his anger.
"What's the idea, it's obvious. Rather than that, brother, please take your seat."
Devan clenched his teeth and turned to her.
"I didn't agree for you to marry him from the very beginning. Unless our father ordered you-"
Olivia smiled.
"It's a virtue to be sold off to the best place since I was born as a woman with the surname of a Miro."
"Via!"
Devan shouted and went to sit in front of her.
"Sell, what are you talking about. You're the Crown Princess. You'll soon be the Empress. It is the pinnacle of women in the Empire. Is there anyone who's being sold for a job like that?"
Devan snorted.
"No matter how frantic the Prince is, you are the only Crown Princess. In the end, he must also need the power of a Duke Miro. At that time, he will know how helpful it will be to be good to his wife."
'I wish he had that mind.'
Olivia swallowed the word with tea water. She remembered the Duchess of Lazia for a moment.
'I understand why that idiot fell for her.'
But that woman wasn't a woman who that idiot could handle. A smart, clever woman wouldn't run over the Crown Prince.
She has something she didn't have. So, Olivia wanted to be friends with her, and on the contrary, she wanted to crush her flat.
But she won't be a friend. Olivia thought so.
As long as I don't make sure Ran is my subordinate.
"The Duke of Lazia is a woman who doesn't even know where she came from."
Devan spoke in an irritated voice. Imperial nobles had great pride in their families.
This was especially true for the family, which was awarded the title directly by the first emperor.
That is why the Duke of Miro and the Duke of Usla have traditionally tabooed the Duke of Lazia.
They were neither bloodthirsty companions with the first emperor nor given a family name. They see it just as a rolled stone. The trend remained 300 years later. Even so, it was a bit awkward to attack Lazia, with a thought, there is no fundamental.
A thousand-year-old family. Ice walls, sky castle, doors.
Lazia stood firm with all that, and not everyone could attack the Lazian family as the basis, even though they would show respect and timing there.
Until the present Duke of Lazia appeared.
Of course, although she is famous in society for her wealth that has been rolled in by ice modifications, their assessment of "Ran Romia de Lazia" was not high.
Devan also pointed that out.
"Even if she has the surname of Lazia, the moment that Young Master Lazia becomes the next Duke, her name is also over. Then she'll be the prince's toy and she'll be thrown away. She's just that much of a woman. You don't have to care."
He comforted his sister.
Olivia smirked at her brother's consolation. Devan, who was older than her, was more of a father than her real father. Olivia briefly recalled her life as a princess.
The Duke Miro was basically close to central politics and had similar aspects to the court nobles.
There was no way that Olivia, who grew up in the midst of numerous formal and political statements, could not be ambitious. However, she is a woman, and there are limits to the ambitions a woman can have.
"I, don't even know if I envy the Duke of Lazia."
"What? What do you envy from such a lowly woman?"
Devan asked with his eyes wide open. Olivia giggled.
"That's what I mean."
I was envious and jealous of her being a lady and a duke and showing her ability.
'I'm supposed to be the best.'
Like a nail scraper, Ran's presence counteracted Olivia's planting. Outwardly, she softly says that she's envious, but if someone agreed with it, Olivia would never leave her alone.
And Devan said.
"Let me say something to the Crown Prince. Don't worry too much."
"Alright."
She have some more tea, and Olivia poured tea into the teacup.
You can't be like the Duke of Lazia.
'I have my own way.'
And the Duke of Lazia cannot be superior to her.
Thinking so, she laughed. Devan felt relieved that she felt a little better. Then, the displeasure was extinguished in the sample way.
The prince's rudeness in the ballroom was beyond imagination. If the Duke of Lazia hadn't fallen there, he might have thrown his gloves at him.
Devan was lost in thought for a moment.
'The Crown Prince is more stupid than I thought.'
And if he ignores the Duke Miro like this.
'The next emperor would be better off being someone else.'
Thinking so, he squinted his purple eyes.
And the Duchess of Lazia, who hurt his sister's pride, should do something about it.
'I didn't think she was a fool who couldn't understand.'
The brothers and sisters were lost in such different thoughts.
********
The Viridescent Shadow looked at the Lord, concealing some uneasiness. Eustaf looked at the paper and asked.
"People?"
"Yes, the Count of Illuminati looking for people with old connections."
Although it is already written on the paper, The Viridescent Shadow answered faithfully.
It was first Viridescent Shadow report after Eustaf ordered Viridescent Shadow to investigate what Count Illuminati was doing.
Eustaf had a conflict between the desire to command a deeper investigation and the desire to let go of his hand.
After a moment of thought, he asked.
"Do you know who he is?"
This is not in the report. The Viridescent Shadow bowed and delivered ambiguous information.
"I guess he's a low-ranking person anyway. He said he wandered around places like a slave auction house."
"Slave·····."
Why is Count Illuminati looking for such a man?
'If it's Ran's request, why? Who's Ran looking for?'
In addition, if she is simply looking for people, it would be more efficient to use the Viridescent Shadow together. But is someone who doesn't want to let himself know.
'Is it something of the past?'
Eustaf thought about the past of Ran which he didn't know. Before coming to the Duchy of Lazia, Ran must have had friends and ties.
I felt bad.
Eustaf thought for a moment and said, burning the paper on fire.
"You don't have to look into it anymore."
The Viridescent Shadow looked at him surprised and bowed his head.
"Respect."
"Instead-"
Eustaf pounded on the look armrest and spoke low.
"You'd better attach an escort."
The Viridescent Shadow bowed his head again and slipped into the darkness and disappeared like melting.
Eustaf breathed out a long breath.
He reached out and stole documents that were hard to see. But even if he read the same page several times, it didn't even get into his head.
He got up from his seat, wondering if he would swing a sword.
It was late at night and the mansion was quiet. The thin silver crescent moon was floating high, and the rustling of the leaves in the garden was the loudest.
While crossing the night garden where everything was blue and black, Eustaf found an unexpected figure.
"Noonim?"
As he approached with surprise, Ran was also surprised and got up from her seat.
"What are you doing here alone? How about an escort?"
"I'm inside the mansion anyway. Why do I need an escort? What's the matter with you at this late hour?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd swing a sword."
"Shall I learn too...?"
Ran muttered, and Eustaf asked again without knowing.
"Sword?"
"Yes, I think I should be able use it for self-defense."
"Why don't you learn to ride properly first, Noonim?"
"I...I can do it."
Eustaf smirked as Ran felt embarrassed. Ran looked at his smiling face and asked.
"Can I watch your sword exercise?"
"Why Noonim can't sleep?"
"Just because of one thing or another."
Eustaf nodded.
"Alright. Let's go to the training center..."
He immediately stops talking and groaned.
"How come you're barefoot?"
"Huh? I like to tread on grass and stones with bare feet."
They say it's good for your health.
It's used to be barefoot before, right? There's something like that-
Thinking about it, Eustaf held her in one arm. Ran spits out a small sound in surprise.
"Lord?"
At that time, Blaine hurried out from the back of the grass and looked embarrassed when he saw Eustaf and Ran.
Eustaf's eyes narrowed.
"What's going on here?"
"No, I-I have a personal matter..."
"At this dawn in the garden?"
Blaine turned into an even more perplexing look and bowed his head.
Eustaf ordered him.
"Go get slippers."
"Respect."
Blaine stepped back and left. Ran looked around his head. This dawn? Blaine here?
'Oh.'
Did he make an appointment to meet someone? Is he having a secret meeting with one of the maids in the mansion?
'Oh, Lord Blaine, that's pretty good.'
Ran thought so, but Eustaf began to walk and asked.
"Who did you have an appointment to meet?"
He didn't want to ask if it was an appointment with Blaine.
"Huh?"
Ran blinked and slightly put his arm around Eustaf's neck. It was a bit stiff when she did this.
"No, I don't."
Eustaf's stiff face has loosened. He went all the way to his personal training center and carefully laid her down on a nearby marble bench.
"Aren't you cold?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
It's early summer now.
Eustaf nodded at Ran's words. He approached the weapon stand and picked up a practice sword.
"Then I'll show you from the beginning."
"Huh?"
"You said you wanted to learn."
Ran's face grew serious at the remark. She nodded her head deeply.
"Then the first page of the basic textbook."
Eustaf said so and divided it one by one to show the movement. The action itself was simple. In Ran's eyes, however, every move fell neatly and looked elegant.
'Uh-'
Even if it seems easy, if she does it, it will never come out that way. When he was half-moving, Blaine arrived at the entrance to the training center with a slipper in his hand. He couldn't get inside and went to him, so Eustaf picked up slippers.
With Eustaf's wistful eyes, Blaine seemed to be sweating on his back. But Eustaf didn't say much and just said, "Go."
Blaine quickly stepped down.
Eustaf returned with her slippers and boiled his knee in front of Ran. Then he grabbed Ran's ankle and took out his handkerchief and began to wipe her feet.
"Eu..Eus?!"
She was embarrassed and tried to pull her foot back, but he was holding tightly and she couldn't move.
"You shouldn't wear slippers like this."
"It's okay! I can wear it like this!"
Ran said as if she had no idea what to do. He put slippers on her feet and said, "Is that so?"
"Don't walk around barefoot from now on. No matter where you are even if it's the mansion, it's not polite."
"Y-yes."
Ran answered briefly, feeling her heart shaking. And he said to build the dignity of a sister.
"Don't do this to anyone, either. Really, Eus, you're unexpectedly flirtatious."
When she tried to hide her embarrassment, Eustaf stood up and said.
"I'll be crazy if I'll be doing this to anyone."
In response, Ran became a dumb with shame. Then, then what am I?
Noonim?
Because I'm your Noonim?
You don't usually treat me like that.
No, can you do this for me even if I'm your Noonim?
Whether Ran was in chaos or not, Eustaf lifted the sword he had laid down again.
"I've shown you this far, but would you like to take a look at it one more time? Or shall we move on?"
"I-I'll look one more time."
"All right."
Eustaf repeated the move from the beginning one more time without saying much. Ran looked at it and managed her heart which had been beating quietly.