The nobles supporting Prince Jeffrey II, including Viscount Fasili, began gathering at the Marquis Degrosis’ mansion one by one.

Those summoned by the head of the Degrosis family stepped into the mansion with displeased expressions.

Even though Degrosis was a Marquis, their traditions and standing were solid. As they quietly withdrew support, Prince Jeffrey’s followers were losing ground.

Additionally, Ashillya’s announcement that connections between Siegfried, the next Hero accused of insulting the royal family and attempting to assassinate the Crown Princess, and Jeffrey had been revealed during the investigation.

Jeffrey and his followers were gradually losing their footing.

Just as the thought that this couldn’t continue was enveloping Jeffrey’s follower families, including Marquis Fasili, contact came from Degrosis.

[I have something to say about the matter of Prince Jeffrey. Gather at the Degrosis mansion.]

That was the gist of it.

While Jeffrey II’s followers, including Viscount Fasili, were pleased by Degrosis’s belated participation, they couldn’t help but feel discontent.

They thought that if Degrosis had continued to help them, things might not have come to this.

Bang.

As Fasili opened the door to the Degrosis mansion’s reception room, he found Degrosis sitting calmly on the sofa, savoring tea.

It was odd to see him sitting on the guest sofa instead of in the seat of honor as he usually did, acting like the master, but they didn’t show their surprise as they took their seats one by one.

“It’s been a while.”

“It’s quite difficult to see your face, Marquis.”

The conversation was mainly between Fasili and Degrosis. The other followers occasionally chimed in but said little of substance.

Fasili was furious at Degrosis’ calm demeanor but tried not to show it as he returned the greeting.

Inwardly amused by Fasili’s reddening face, Degrosis looked at him with expressionless eyes.

“…The tea’s aroma is good. Please have a cup each.”

“This is not the time, Marquis.”

“No matter how urgent the matter, surely we can spare time for tea.”

Fasili couldn’t help but frown at him, who was calmly offering tea as if he hadn’t grasped the gravity of the situation.

“Don’t you understand the situation yet? His Highness Prince Jeffrey is in crisis. At this rate, all our heads might roll.”

“… You’re quite impatient.”

Degrosis sighed deeply at Fasili’s words and put down the tea he was offering them.

As the scent of the black tea he had offered spread through the room, Fasili spoke again.

“Why have you been silent all this time? No, more importantly, what do you intend to do now?”

Fasili knew that confronting Degrosis now wouldn’t change the outcome.

But the situation was endlessly unfavorable to them, so they needed someone to shift the blame to.

“What do you mean? What do I intend to do?”

“Regardless of whether that damned Hero actually tried to stab Ashillya or not, he ended up taking the blame. At the same time, his connection to His Highness the Prince was revealed.”

“Then, we should cut off the tail.”

“Is that possible? Even the Holy Maiden of the Holy Kingdom has turned to Ashillya’s side. Because that crazy Hero imprisoned the Saintess, we now have to deal with the Holy Kingdom and Ashillya.”

Even though politics was a game of biting and being bitten and cutting off the tail was the most basic move, the scale of this situation was extraordinary.

It meant that if they started to be caught on even minor points, burying Jeffrey, who had already been pushed out of the succession race, would be nothing for Ashillya.

“…Viscount.”

After savoring the aroma of the black tea for a moment and wetting his throat, Count Degrosis carefully placed the teacup on the table and called out to him.

“I hear a new wind is blowing.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

Fasili asked with a distorted expression, as Degrosis kept talking about other things without discussing how to resolve the situation.

“Someone I met told me… that a new wind is blowing in the Empire.”

“So what does that…!”

“Don’t go against the wind. If you don’t want to be swept away, the only answer is not to resist it.”

Fasili, who had been shouting angrily at Degrosis’s vague words, finally realized something was off and listened to his words.

But his mind couldn’t understand.

Born as the eldest son of a Viscount family, having finally reached the position of family head through numerous slanders, Fasili ignored his ringing intuition and continued speaking.

“We need to overturn the situation, Marquis Degrosis.”

“…How?”

“Let’s raise an army.”

“You’re mad.”

Degrosis replied calmly, without showing any surprise at Fasili’s words.

Fasili, talking about staging a coup in the heart of the Empire, seemed truly out of his mind.

And he had somewhat expected that they would make such a choice.

“We have no justification.”

“Let’s say that Ashillya is indeed a vampire and that she has bewitched the Saintess. We’ll say that the Hero Siegfried discovered this and tried to stop it.”

“…I hope you’re not serious.”

Degrosis shook his head at Fasili’s words. Fasili flared up at his reaction but soon calmed himself.

“Then what do you suggest we do…!!”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

The one who answered wasn’t Degrosis. Before Fasili, who immediately recognized the owner of the beautiful, clear, but cold voice, Degrosis rose from his seat.

Creeeeak…

The reception room door slowly opened. Everyone’s gaze turned towards it, but only Fasili stared blankly at Degrosis.

Degrosis very slowly, leisurely but politely, greeted the person entering through the door.

“I welcome Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

Ashillya entered, carefully observing the nobles in the reception room with her red eyes. As if to say they couldn’t escape.

“Thou should bow thy heads. If thou want to survive.”

Ashillya finally said, curling up the corners of her mouth after confirming all their faces. At the same time, the Imperial Knights appeared behind her.

Only Degrosis remained frozen in a polite bow.

“These people have plotted treason against the Empire. Arrest them all.”

“Trai…!!”

Only when all the nobles except Degrosis were being dragged away did Fasili grasp the entire situation and stare at the Marquis with bloodshot eyes.

“…You traitorous bastard!!”

“A traitor, thou say.”

Degrosis said nothing. He didn’t even glance at Fasili.

He simply waited silently until Ashillya spoke and allowed him to answer. Like a subject standing before the Emperor.

Ashillya shook her head at Fasili’s words and replied.

“Aren’t thou the ones who plotted treason against the Empire?”

Ashillya, who had been watching the backs of the nobles being dragged away, slowly moved her steps as if losing interest. She sat in the seat of honor in the reception room.

Degrosis still held his position even though Ashillya had taken her seat.

“Sit down.”

“I am honored, Your Highness.”

As Degrosis, who had bowed politely once again, took his seat, the Marquis’ maids appeared in an orderly fashion and placed an exquisite tea before Ashillya.

“It’s a carefully procured black tea.”

“The aroma is good.”

Watching Ashillya leisurely savoring the black tea as if nothing had happened, Degrosis quietly smiled.

His choice had not been wrong. That boy’s advice had not been wrong either.

“…The taste is good too.”

As Ashillya, who had savored the black tea, nodded with satisfaction and praised it, Degrosis bowed his head in gratitude.

Leaning back comfortably in the seat of honor, Ashillya kept sipping the black tea, seemingly pleased with it. Degrosis also quietly drank his tea in a polite posture.

After drinking tea for a while, savoring its taste and aroma, Ashillya suddenly lifted her head as if remembering something and asked him.

“Did that child suggest such things too?”

“…I met him at Your Highness’s coronation ceremony. He told me so.”

“… He’s already supporting from behind the scenes. How admirable.”

Seeing Ashillya smile with satisfaction, Degrosis, confirming that his choice had not been wrong, simply bowed his head silently.

“Marquis.”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

“Thou sent him a gift, I hear.”

“Just a very small doll, nothing more.”

When Degrosis answered, immediately realizing that the gift Ashillya was talking about was Pamela, Ashillya shook her head.

“Don’t send too pretty a doll. I might get jealous.”

“It’s far from enough for the future consort of the Crown Princess, but I sent it with the best intentions. However, it’s just a doll, so please don’t worry too much.”

“This one is not worried. However…”

Ashillya put her empty teacup on the table and rose from the seat of honor as if her business was finished.

Extending her slender index finger towards Degrosis, who was also rising to see her off, Ashillya smiled and continued.

“If he sticks closer to your doll’s side than to mine, I might become a little upset.”

Having said that, Ashillya left without lingering.

In the Degrosis mansion’s reception room, where a storm had just passed through.

“Huhahah…!! Huhahaha!!”

Only Marquis Degrosis’s satisfied laughter echoed.