The next day, we boarded a carriage heading to the capital.

Since we departed early in the morning, we would arrive before the sun hung directly overhead.

Upon arrival, we would meet the Crown Prince for a meal and then visit the garden in the afternoon before returning.

The weather was exceptionally sunny.

After days of gray skies and constant snowfall, the sky had finally cleared, revealing a long-lost blue hue.

Ania seemed to enjoy the weather as she hummed softly while looking out the window.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Of course. It’s lovely.”

Seeing Ania looking forward to our date after such a long time brought a small smile to my face, but it was short-lived.

Once again, the anxious feeling returned, and I found myself fidgeting.

‘Why did the Crown Prince invite us…?’

Ever since Eldrigan mentioned inviting us to the dining table, a strange unease had crept in.
It was an inexplicable, instinctive anxiety.

Of course, Eldrigan Lionheart had a personal fondness for Ania, so inviting her wasn’t unusual.
But this invitation was ostensibly for me.

Under the pretext of acknowledging my capture of the dark sorcerer Yuren in the Brontë territory.

But inviting the son of a mere viscount to the palace for capturing just one criminal—albeit a wanted one—seemed rather peculiar.

Of course, I knew the Crown Prince was interested in me.
As his beloved sister’s husband, he would naturally worry about me and develop an interest in me.

However, the focus of that interest should be Ania, and I should be secondary.
That’s how it should be… but I can’t shake the feeling that Eldrigan’s attention is directed towards me.

“Is there something bothering you?”
“…No, nothing at all.”

Lost in thought, Ania lightly leaned on my arm and asked.

As the gentle spring breeze flowed through the carriage window, Ania’s golden hair fluttered, carrying a sweet scent.

Ania smiled lightly.

“There’s no need to worry. Eldrigan is not a scary person.”
“I know that too, but…”

Eldrigan clearly holds favor towards me.
That much is certain.
I’m confident that he won’t pose any threat to me.

But Eldrigan is also cunning and wise.
He sees through people’s hearts,
He seems to see something others can’t,
He anticipates things that others haven’t even considered.

So, I couldn’t predict his thoughts even a step ahead.
That was what was frightening about it.

***

“Are you sure about this man?”
“Yes, I am.”

At the same time.
Capital city of Calebar, Imperial Palace.

Leaning against the window where the sun was setting, Eldrigan Lionheart sighed softly as he looked down at the document.

“The statement matches exactly what Yuren claimed.”
“I see… Was interrogation magic used?”
“Yes, it was.”
“And the result?”
“He spoke the truth.”

Eldrigan gently placed the document he was holding onto the desk.

As he looked at the face and name on the document, Eldrigan closed his eyes briefly, lost in thought.

He deliberated.

What was the right choice for him to make?

However, no matter how much he thought, Eldrigan couldn’t determine the right choice.

“Conduct the investigation once again.”

Ultimately, all he could do was postpone making a decision.

“Your Highness, no matter how often we’ve done it, the result remains the same.”
“Still, one more time. I implore you, Gerard.”

In response to the prince’s earnest expression, Gerard sighed heavily as if he had no choice and bowed his head.

“…As you wish.”

After Gerard left, Eldrigan lightly picked up the document on the table and looked at it.

He wanted to believe he had seen it wrong…
He wanted to think he was mistaken…
But no matter how many times he looked, it was still the same.

The identity of the one who threatened Edward Radner and Ania from behind Yuren was…

Johann Radner, the younger brother of Edward Radner and the illegitimate child of the Radner family.

He had amassed a considerable fortune through business, but no one knew the details.
Therefore, he had been marked as a suspect.

However, with Yuren’s confession, the evidence against him had been perfectly revealed.

The man in the underworld causing chaos in the Empire by selling drugs… The fact that it was none other than Johann Radner…

Despite wanting to deny it, Eldrigan also knew.
No matter how many times they reassessed, the culprit was Johann Radner.

Interrogation magic was a school of magic that could perfectly distinguish between truth and lies.
In the face of its accuracy, there could be no room for a single falsehood.

“Hmm…”

With all the evidence in place, all that remained was to go and arrest him.
Lock him up in a deep underground prison to repent for his sins.
But if he were arrested, his identity would inevitably be revealed.

The fact that the one who had secretly distributed drugs in the Empire’s underworld was Johann Radner, a child of the Radner family, would become known throughout the Empire.

If that were to happen…

“The Radner family will never escape the disgrace he created.”

And neither would Ania, who married Edward.

Eldrigan leaned his head against the window in his office and closed his eyes.

Just thinking about it made his head throb.

The justice and peace of the Empire, or the family of his most cherished sibling and her husband…
Both were precious things that Eldrigan could not give up.

But he could only choose one, as he couldn’t save both with his power.

“… O God, guide me to make the right choice.”

The Bronte family’s carriage began to appear outside the window.

Eldrigan took a deep breath, straightened his clothes and hair, then clenched the documents on the desk with both hands.

“Sigh…”

A decision had to be made.

As the Empire’s Crown Prince,
Or, as Eldrigan Lyonheart, who cherishes Ania Bronte…

***

“Ania, it’s been a while! Thank you for coming, Edward!”

Upon arriving at the palace and undergoing a body search, when we headed towards Eldrigan’s reception room, he greeted us with a bright smile.

As we embraced lightly to celebrate our reunion, Eldrigan began to walk towards the dining hall even before saying anything.

“Have you eaten yet? Let’s have a meal first.”

It was the same during the meal.

He welcomed us with a friendly attitude,
And he didn’t forget to exhibit etiquette by bringing up the topic of Yuren and praising my efforts during the meal.

However, none of it felt like calculated behavior.

Eldrigan Lionheart was just that kind of man.

He was born as the Emperor’s son and raised to be the man who would lead the Empire in the distant future.

To him, all actions that seemed like noble etiquette were as natural as breathing.

So, my efforts to find the answer to my uneasy intuition were in vain.

“How’s married life? Is Edward treating you well?”
“Yes, of course. He’s treating me exceptionally well.”
“That’s good to hear. Looks like my advice has been somewhat effective.”

The meal continued with mundane discussion, and even during tea time with dessert, I couldn’t discern anything from Eldrigan.

With that, I began to wonder if it was simply my misconception.

Eldrigan was such a proactive person that he would have been one of the first in the Empire to recognize the usefulness of a firearm, so perhaps he didn’t see the need to distinguish between social ranks and personal relationships.

However, as we finished the meal and returned to the reception room, Eldrigan, who had stopped in his tracks, lightly placed his hand on Ania’s shoulder.

“Ania, wait here in the reception room first. I have an important conversation I want to have with Edward.”

Ania nodded silently and headed to the reception room with the knights while Eldrigan motioned for me to follow him.

The place we arrived at was his study.

Bookshelves lined both sides of the room, a red carpet spread straight on the floor, a desk and a chair placed at the end, and a long window at the back.

It was a luxurious and tidy study.

Eldrigan, who had taken a seat at the table first, suddenly had a serious expression as he looked at me.

“Edward.”

He spoke heavily, and I responded with a bow.

At that moment, I realized why Eldrigan had called me.

The contents of the novel I had read three years ago.

The information I had lived with for a while but had forgotten suddenly came to mind.

“Is it true that your brother, Johann, is involved in troublesome business?”
“Yes…”
“You already knew.”

Johann Radner’s arrest.
And… the crisis faced by the Radner family.

“I don’t think you stood by knowing about Johann’s actions. You simply couldn’t intervene.”

Eldrigan asked, stroking his chin, “What do you want to do? Should I bury this case for your sake… or should I apprehend Johann Radner for the future of the Empire?”

If Johann is caught, the Radner family will suffer a significant blow. It’s an unimaginable disgrace for a noble family to have a drug dealer among them.

Still…

“Please act for the future of the Empire, Your Highness.”
“I thought you would say that.”

This is the right choice.