“Second Prince.”

I lifted my head and looked up at the man in front of me.

Dressed in a neat and flawless uniform, he looked down at me with a smile on his face. The tail of his eyes, which went down slightly and looked gentle, was folded into a half-moon shape.

Contrary to his pretty face, his wide shoulders and tall height were intimidating.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. How have you been?”

“I’m fine. How have you been, Your Highness?”

“It’s worth living except that I’m busy with work. I’m a little tired, but my capital life is definitely better than my battlefield life.”

“I see. I am glad that you are doing well.”

Despite my blunt reaction, the second Prince did not seem to have any intention of going back. He quietly sat down next to me. I could feel people glance at the two of us sitting next to each other. The second prince’s gaze was also felt occasionally. Even if I tried not to care, I couldn’t help it. In the end, I couldn’t stand it and asked.

“Second Prince, do you have any business for me?”

“That.… ”

The second Prince was bewildered for a moment, and then took something out of his pocket. It was a small box.

“This is….”

When I looked at him with a puzzled face, he answered.

“It’s the handkerchief you lent me last time.”

Belatedly, with a bewildered face, I accepted the small box the second Prince had given me.

Come to think of it, I vaguely remember the last time at Count Evans’ residence I lent him a handkerchief because he was wet.

“I forgot…. Anyway, thank you.”

I opened the box and looked inside.

Inside was a washed handkerchief, folded neatly. And there was a pair of earrings on it.

The jewels embedded in the snow-white platinum earrings were bright blue.

The large sapphire, reminiscent of the blue eyes of the second Prince, was very expensive at first glance.

iI was a little perplexed, but I tried my best to keep a calm face.

“Second Prince, I cannot receive such a precious gift.”

I closed the box again and held it to him.

However, he had a strong will.

“I heard it’s your birthday soon. It’s a return gift for lending me the handkerchief. It’s not expensive and I have no use for it.”

“Even so…”

“Please accept it.”

It was in front of many eople.

If time went on like this, strange words would surely come out again.

I had to be conscious of people’s gaze, and I couldn’t hurt the second prince’s pride. In the end I thanked him to finish things quickly.

“I’m grateful for the gift.”

“No. It’s a little late, but congratulations on your father’s victory. Then have a good time.”

Fortunately, the 2nd prince withdrew.

After he left, I had to feel the hot gaze of many people for a while.

In particular, the jealous gaze of young girls was almost piercing the back of my head.

I once heard that the second Prince was very popular in social circles, but now I see that it was true.

He left me with a lot of trouble, and he looked carefree.

He must have acted without much thought, but I had a strong foreboding that I would be tired for a while because of today’s events.

As time passed, the night grew deeper and the banquet ended. I got into the carriage with my exhausted body.

‘What?’

Feeling someone’s gaze, I turned my head out the window. It felt so chilly that it gave me goosebumps in my arms.

There were many people there, but there was nothing unusual about it.

Was it because of my mood?

I turned my head back to the front with a sullen face.

“What’s wrong?”

The Duke asked me with a puzzled face. I shook my head.

“It’s nothing.”

***

“You came back earlier than expected.”

When Elvin returned to the Hermes, Noah greeted him.

Elvin draped his coat over the back of the sofa. Then he sat down on the sofa. Noah took his coat and hung it on a hanger. Elvin turned his head and glanced at his own reflection in the window.

After that, indifferently instructed.

“Send someone to Viscount Willis. She is now imprisoned in the Imperial Palace.”

Recently, Elvin had someone keep an eye on the Dana’s mansion. Thanks to this, he found out that Viscount Willis, Princess Lillian’s nanny, visited and interacted with Lady Dana. There must have been some reason for the meeting of two people who did not get along at all. As expected, the meeting between the two had a purpose to frame someone.

“It is not easy to infiltrate people into the Imperial Palace. Don’t you know?”

Noah said in a slightly dissatisfied voice. Recently, Elvin has continued to intervene in the affairs of the princess. He had never liked to meddle in other people’s affairs. The relationship between Alvin and the princess seemed to be quite close. Didn’t he receive a gift from the Princess?

At that time, Noah thought that spring had finally come to him, but it turned out it was an illusion. There was no change between the Princess and the Crown Prince.

Elvin was helping the Princess from behind without showing any regrets. If so, isn’t it the case that he only does good things for others?

He (Noah) understood his master’s desire to go out for the woman he loved. It could be clumsy because it was his first time, but his master would be able to win the beauty that way. When Noah reached this point, he became dissatisfied with the Princess. He thought she had feelings for Elvin too, but she was just getting help.

‘Is it not like playing with the man’s heart?’

To be honest, it was true that it was difficult to find someone like the Princess, but his master was outstanding too. Even compared to the Princess, if she excelled, his master was excellent, and he never lacked anything. His character was outstanding, his influence was high, and he was overflowing with wealth. If there was one flaw, his arrogance and pickiness was a bit of a problem. But who in the world is flawless?

It will be difficult to find a better groom than his master in the Empire.

“You are already busy with your work, so you don’t need to worry about trivial things. Viscount Willis has already been abandoned by the Princess.”

Noah added bluntly. Elvin glanced at him like that and gave an order indifferently.

“Send someone anyway, or increase the guards. I think someone will get rid of her soon.”

No matter how dissatisfied Noah was, he could not disobey his superior’s orders. Noah couldn’t help but nod his head.

“All right.”

****

Inside the prison.

Claire was crouching down.

The weather outside was hot, but at night it was cool. Not to mention the dark inside the prison where there was no sunlight.

During the day, the humid and hot air made her chest stuffy. And at night, the cold energy permeated her body. A haystack in a corner and a thin blanket covered by prisoners couldn’t keep the cold away.

Claire stared blankly at the floor with a confused face.

Her plan for today was perfect.

However, everything went wrong when Young Master Croix intervened in the middle. He had a heartless and cold personality. Rumors had it that was so cold-hearted about other people’s affairs that even if he saw injustice in front of him, he wouldn’t interfere.

However, his intervention today ruined all the preparations. The reason he intervened in this matter was probably because of the Princess. Claire wasn’t sure how, but there was definitely something between the two.

She couldn’t believe that the Princess could possess that cold young master.

Claire realized she had underestimated Roxana once more. At that moment, the sound of someone sick was heard from the other room.

“Ummm…”

In the room opposite Claire’s, Viscountess Willis was imprisoned.

Together with the maid, she became a prime suspect and was interrogated. However, due to her old age and frailty, she could not hold out for long and fainted. The guards threw Viscountess Willis into the cell at random. It had been a while since then, but now she seemed to have come to her senses.

“Here is… … ”

Viscountess Willis blinked and stood up.

She frowned at the fiery pain she felt all over her body. The interrogation was conducted in a very cold and stiff atmosphere, and severe torture was also conducted in between.

The imperial investigators who interrogated had no mercy in their hands.

The pain she felt all over her body right now was due to that.

“Are you awake now?”

“Lady Dana?”

Viscountess Willis was happy to find Claire standing in the cell.

The distance from her was a little far, but it was a great comfort to find a familiar person in a strange and fearful place.

She plotted things out with Claire and endured harsh interrogations and remained silent for Claire.

If she betrayed her in the middle, the alliance would end at that moment.

After all, Lady Dana was the Crown Prince’s lover, and soon he would help her.

Eventually, her eyes became accustomed to the darkness and her vision brightened. Viscountess Willis realized that Claire was also imprisoned in a cell just like herself.

Viscountess Willis, who discovered this, darkened her complexion.

“Is the Lady imprisoned too?”

Viscountess Willis asked curiously.

Claire’s face hardened, noticing the strange impression in her words.

“Yes.”

Claire nodded coldly.

Her gaze on Viscountess Willis also became cold at the same time.

To Claire, what Viscountess Willis just said meant why the Crown Prince wasn’t coming to save her.

It sounded like a mockery.

But there was nothing Claire could say.

Up until now, if anything happened to her, the Crown Prince did not stand by and always helped. She had no doubts that it would be the case this time as well.

But hours had passed since she was imprisoned, and there was no news from him.

The maid, who was brought along after the incident, was in a different room because she was a commoner. At first glance, the guard’s resourcefulness was so cruel and heinous that the maid was already in a state of disrepair.

Judging by her (the maid) condition, she probably wouldn’t last more than a few days.

Claire almost vomited at the first brutal scene she had ever seen in her life.

Fortunately, there was no evidence anywhere that she had anything to do with this.

There would be nothing wrong with it as long as Viscountess Willis or the maid didn’t involve herself with useless words.

However, there was no guarantee that the two would not betray her. It was still okay, but the situation could change at any time. So Claire wished the two of them would die. Then she would be clear.

“What did the Crown Prince say?”

Viscountess Willis asked without notice. Claire’s face hardened even more.

But it was dark all around and Viscountess Willis, already anxious, did not see Claire’s expression.

“I don’t know what will happen, so please wait a little longer.”

“Has His Highness not spoken to you yet?”

Claire couldn’t say anything.

Viscountess Willis’ eyes trembled with anxiety at her silence. Viscountess Willis walked up to the iron bars and grabbed them with her hands. Then she asked Claire with a distorted face.

“Is it possible that the Crown Prince doesn’t know what happened?”

“…”

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be sitting in the cell like this.

“It hasn’t even been a day since things happened and we became like this. But you’re already making a fuss?”

Claire coldly cut off Viscountess Willis’ words.

At the sound of Claire’s cold voice, Viscountess Willis shut her mouth and looked at her.

For Viscountess Willis, who had been completely abandoned by Roxana, now Claire was the only one she could rely on.

Lady Dana was unlikely to get out of prison on her own, but if there was the Crown Prince behind her, it wouldn’t be that difficult.

However, after Claire got out of the prison, there was a high possibility that Claire would pretend that she didn’t know anything and abandon her (Viscountess) too. If so, she (Viscountess )would not die alone.

Viscountess Willis swore to herself.