"Father..."
The word escaped him unbidden, trembling terribly upon his lips.
He had believed that everything would change once his father read the diary. Conrad had been certain that the terrible emotions he himself had experienced would reach his father as well.
Yet in the voice he had heard just moments ago, there had been no trace of inspiration whatsoever.
No—surely his ears had deceived him. Because Father was not that sort of person.
Cold-hearted, yet fair. Distant, yet warm beneath the surface. That was the father Conrad had always known—Duke Giovanni Madeleine.
---
And now—the Princess had surrendered that mine to Olivia.
The Empress felt the world tilt before her eyes. It was fortunate beyond measure that the Emperor had retired early tonight. If this confession had been made in his presence—
Meanwhile, the Princess approached the Empress's side, as though seeking space to prostrate herself in supplication.
"Your Majesty—Mother. Please, I beg you, save me. If His Majesty the Emperor were to discover this..."
The Princess was genuinely terrified. The Supreme Emperor's wrath would not conclude with mere thunderous reprimands. Every privilege she currently enjoyed—all of it bestowed through the trust she had cultivated—would shatter in an instant.
Tears streamed down the Princess's lovely face.
"Princess. Enough—do not cry. You must conduct yourself as befits royalty. Tears will solve nothing in this situation."
When the Empress beheld her daughter weeping, the dizziness that had been clouding her mind dissipated. Mastering the anxiety that had parched her lips, she posed the most critical question.
"Olivia—does she comprehend the mine's true value?"
"Perhaps... I do not believe she does."
"Princess. You must answer with certainty."
The Empress's voice cut like a blade. The Princess, overwhelmed by fear, shook her head in vehement denial.
"She cannot possibly know. It is a secret known only to the royal family—how could Olivia have discovered it? Had she already known, she would have exposed everything at tonight's banquet."
The Empress released a brief sigh. There was truth in the Princess's reasoning.
But considerable time remained until the banquet's conclusion. The secret could be revealed at any moment if its value became known. Should word spread that ownership of the mine had been transferred, it would inevitably come to light that Olivia—once the Crown Prince's fiancée—had claimed it as compensation for performing the Princess's duties.
The Emperor must never discover this.
No matter what transpired, Olivia had to be made to return quietly to the Crown Prince's side at tomorrow's banquet. The Crown Prince had indicated his intention to keep Olivia close during the Heferti delegation's visit—there should be nothing to concern herself with.
He mentioned that today she had nearly rejected even her nickname... but she was a child who had endured countless indignities while remaining steadfastly by the Crown Prince's side.
Everything was coalescing in her mind. As the Empress exhaled, something her brother—the Duke of Elkin—had said flickered through her memory.
"What are Your Majesty's thoughts on establishing Lady Ethel as the Crown Princess?"
"An entertaining proposition. If she demonstrates results, I might be persuaded."
The Duke of Elkin had smiled brilliantly at her response and instructed her to anticipate the banquet's final day.
The final day of the banquet.
The Empress remained uncertain of what would unfold, but Maria Ethel had now become a useless pawn. The Empress swiftly pulled her strings.
Soon, the head maid who had been waiting outside entered.
"Summon the Duke of Elkin to the palace immediately."
If her brother received her call—regardless of the hour—he would arrive without delay. However, the maid who had always served her with unwavering loyalty hesitated, her expression troubled.
"If it is the Duke of Elkin, Your Majesty... he is spending the night at the outer palace in order to attend to the delegation."
Of course. The Empress's brow furrowed with urgency. Now that she considered it, she recalled hearing something to that effect at tonight's banquet. As the official representative hosting the delegation, departing his post would prove exceedingly difficult.
The Princess's expression grew even more despondent as she observed her mother's barely concealed anxiety. The Empress forced a smile, attempting to calm her daughter. After dismissing the maid, she spoke with gentle reassurance.
"Do not fret, Princess. You will be kept safe."
"But, Mother—"
"I had already suspected the Grand Duke harbored sinister intentions in taking Olivia, so I dispatched someone to Vikander territory some time ago."
"Then..."
"No matter how she rampages now under the Grand Duke's protection—how could she possibly refuse to return to the Crown Prince's side?"
The Empress spoke with melodious confidence. Only then did the Princess blink, as though experiencing a measure of relief.
Observing this, the Empress smiled radiantly.
In any case, based on her brother's words, Maria Ethel's machinations would occur on the banquet's final day. For now, the pressing priority was to discern the Grand Duke's true intentions and restore Olivia to the Crown Prince's side.
The Empress relaxed her brow. The corners of her alluring lips curved upward. The Princess, her face so reminiscent of the Empress's own, mirrored that brilliant smile.
---