Captain! Where is the Battlefield?

  There was an obvious look in the eyes of the nobles who were looking at Rosalie and Derivis. They seemed to want to catch their attention while also wanting to find their weaknesses.

  “I have something important to tell you, Your Highness.”

  Feeling the need to escape from those gazes, Rosalie turned to Derivis, who was already looking at her.

  “Oh, a conversation between His Highness and the Duchess. Can we join in, too? The more people there are in a conversation, the more enjoyable it is!”

  At those words, Derivis stood between Rosalie and the man, looking down at him. A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes were as cold as a frostbite in the dead of winter.

  “Why are you here?”

  Even his voice was so cold that it made one’s ears feel numb.

  “Sorry…?”

  “I don’t know why you’d want to get involved in my conversation with the Duchess. Are you trying to be friendly just because I’ve been so quiet lately?”

  Derivis’s cold gaze contained a warning that he wouldn’t let it go if they didn’t leave immediately. Rosalie took a step to the side and fixed her gaze on the nobles.

  “A conversation between me and His Highness is a private matter. There is no reason for others to interfere.”

  The nobles, who faced the intimidating and cold gaze of the both of them, fell silent and exchanged glances with each other.

  Among them, the most tactful nobleman smiled cheerfully and spoke up.

  “Haha! We shall excuse ourselves and leave. I hope a good opportunity arises later.”

  He said with a friendly tone, leading the other nobles as they left the place. Once they were far enough away, Derivis turned around and quickly scanned Rosalie before asking. 

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Oh, I just noticed that Your Highness didn’t look happy about the conversation. Was it presumptuous of me?”

  “No, not at all. I was actually asking about your condition.”

  Rosalie tilted her head as Derivis looked her up and down with concern.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You don’t look well. Do you have a cold?”

  “…How did you know?”

  Although she tried to conceal it as best she could, Rosalie couldn’t hide her surprise when Derivis quickly saw through her. Derivis continued to study her, frowning.

  “I can tell just by looking at you. It’s obvious that you’re not feeling well.”

  Derivis carefully placed the back of his hand on Rosalie’s forehead. The slightly cool touch on her forehead made her feel somewhat comforted.

  “Oh, you have a fever…”

  “It’s not a cold. It’s poison.”

  Her casual tone made it sound like she had caught a mild cold, but Derivis’s expression quickly hardened.

  “Poison? By whom?!”

  Not expecting Derivis’s furious anger, Rosalie hastily made an excuse.

  “An assassin came last night. Nathan took care of him, and I will find out who’s behind it as soon as my body recovers.”

  Derivis’s expression didn’t ease up even with Rosalie’s explanation. On the contrary, it grew even graver.

  “And the antidote?”

  “It’s not perfect, but I can move without major problems.”

  “I can’t believe you came all the way to the palace in that condition…. You should have rested, even if it meant postponing the audience with the Emperor to a later date.”

  Derivis spoke with a heavy voice, but Rosalie firmly shook her head.

  “I was able to move around. Besides, it wouldn’t have been beneficial to postpone it.”

  Derivis’s expression became complicated at the answer. He wanted to send her back and make her rest immediately, but he knew better than anyone that he couldn’t break her stubbornness.

  “Then let’s move up the appointment time. Poison becomes more painful as time passes.”

  Derivis walked away, gesturing for her to follow. As they walked together, he quickly headed towards the audience chamber and went in without hesitation. When he noticed Rosalie looking at the door with a puzzled expression, he went back to her.

  “Let’s go.”

  “Can you just move up the appointment time?”

  “Yes. Come in quickly.”

  Rosalie, who had already felt the effects of the painkillers wearing off, did not refuse his consideration and passed through the door opened by Derivis.

  A red carpet was laid out on the white marble of the audience chamber, and at the end of that carpet was Emperor Patrick Vlodik of the Misha Empire, sitting in a splendid unmatched throne. 

  Rosalie walked straight ahead and bowed to Patrick.

  “Greetings to His Imperial Majesty, Emperor of the Misha Empire. May endless glory be with you…”

  Patrick stroked his chin, his dark eyes slowly scanning Rosalie. She was currently the most prominent noble in the capital.

  “Hmm… lift your head.” 

  Rosalie lifted her head to meet his gaze. He looked gentle and didn’t bear much resemblance to Derivis, but they shared the same dark hair color.

  “I saw you with the previous Duke when you were young. But now, you’ve grown into such an elegant Duchess… I heard that when the Imperial Knights arrived, the Duchy’s forces had almost wiped out the Marquis’s knights.”

  “Yes, that’s true.”

  Patrick’s eyes sparkled with interest at Rosalie’s neat response.

  “So, it was the Duchess’s victory no matter what others say. With that level of power, you could have handled the Marquis’s reinforcements even without the Imperial Knights.”

  “No, not really. It would have been dangerous if the reinforcements had come.”

  Rosalie shook her head and spoke flatly, and Patrick smiled at her. He liked her straightforward, uncomplicated answers.

  “Is there anything you specifically want? I’ll give it to you unconditionally.”

  “I want to have the Dita mine that Marquis Windell had.”

  “A mine… and what else?”

  “That’s enough.”

  Rosalie replied with an impassive expression. She knew that Patrick despised greedy people and the miserable life he led, tied to the palace as a product of that greed. Since her goal was only the Dita mine, she had no intention of disturbing his peace of mind.

  “…One mine is not enough. There might be rumors against the palace, so I’ll give you some of the confiscated property from the Marquis as well.”

  “Thank you. I will accept it without hesitation.”

  Patrick looked at her curiously. Most nobles would flatter him to get even a little bit more, but Rosalie remained impassive.

  And most importantly, there was no greed in the eyes that met his own. They were simply eyes that seemed sincere and straightforward.

  “The Duchess’s manner of speaking is very stiff.”

  “I often hear that. I’ve never heard anyone say that I’m an easy person to talk to.”

  Patrick burst into a small laugh. He found Rosalie’s straightforward nature to be quite appealing. Engaging in conversations with nobles who often coated their greed with lies was cumbersome and exhausting.

  “Not at all. The Duchess is quite interesting and a very good person to talk to.”

  “Thank you.”

  Patrick smiled in satisfaction at her straightforward answer. It was the first time he had seen Derivis take an interest in someone else to the point where he, who usually did not make requests, came in and asked to bring forward the appointment time.

  ‘Hmm…did Derivis kneel before this woman?’

  Patrick knew that Derivis was not one to create scandals and rumors. He also knew that the rumors surrounding Derivis and Sonia were created and spread by Sonia herself.

  “Do you, by any chance, have any thoughts of becoming the Empress?”

  Rosalie was taken aback by the sudden question. However, Patrick merely smiled and added:

  “You can be honest.”

  “Is that a position one could climb to if they wanted to?”

  Patrick let out a small laugh at Rosalie’s question, which was filled with nothing but curiosity. It seemed that his son had a long way to go.

  “If you could climb… Well, hypothetically.”

  “Can I be honest?”

  “Yes. I promise not to say anything, no matter what the Duchess’s answer may be.”

  “I don’t want to get busier. Besides, I don’t think that the position would suit my temperament.”

  It was an immediate response. It felt as if she was declining an unappetizing cookie without any hesitation.

  “Pfft… Puhahaha! I see!”

  A hearty laugh burst out of Patrick’s mouth. Unable to understand what was so funny, Rosalie couldn’t laugh along.

  Struggling to suppress his laughter, Patrick’s voice was tinged with a hint of amusement.

  “Hmm… I think you would do very well, though…?”

  “You’re mistaken.”

  Rosalie’s response was firm, and her expression remained indifferent.

  “Pfft… Puhahaha!”

  Patrick couldn’t stop laughing. He continued to show a joyful expression even after Rosalie left the room.

  “My son will have to try very hard. He seems to be attracted to strong and charming women.”

  He playfully muttered while tapping his armrest.

  “Hmm… I don’t know if he’s going to get married at this rate…”

  As he closed his eyes, the encroaching darkness brought melancholic and sorrowful emotions to him.

  ‘Power, how insatiable…’

  He was sick and tired of sacrificing his happiness for his position, and he wanted to end it with himself. Both Derivis and the second prince, Radinis, were more than qualified to become emperor.

  However, Patrick was so appalled by the greedy Empress that he refused to give Radinis a chance and instead urged the vengeful Derivis to take the position of Crown Prince, which he never wanted.

  He was always worried that Derivis and the still-young Radinis would later resent him for being a terrible father.

  “Ha… Really… what is power for?”

  The only reason he could endure being in the palace was because of his lovely sons. Patrick wished for nothing but the happiness of his children.

   ⊱⊱⊱────── {.⋅ ✧✧✧ ⋅.} ──────⊰⊰⊰

  After finishing her conversation with the Emperor, Rosalie saw Derivis leaning against the wall. Unlike before, he was now wearing a black robe and was standing with a blank expression as if he was deeply contemplating something.

  ‘Why does he feel so unfamiliar today…?”

  Rosalie felt the same sense of strangeness that she had felt from Derivis since earlier.

  “Derivis.”

  At Rosalie’s call, Derivis turned his head, smiling faintly as he always did.