I found myself overwhelmed by a suffocating pressure at the banquet I attended with a light heart.

Someone, anyone, please get me out of here.

Right now, I'd even smile and endure the Crown Prince's tea-bagging.

"Baby, would you like a drink?"

"Ah, that..."

Next to me, the Mage Duchess lifted a glass of white wine as I trembled with fear.

I had no idea why a person of high status such as a Duke would be near me instead of the Crown Prince or another Duke. Thanks to that, all eyes were on us.

"I’m sorry, but Carl doesn't really like to drink."

Before I could say anything, Marghetta interjected. She declined the Duke's offer politely but firmly, a bold move she wouldn't have dared to do if she weren't part of a ducal family. It was enough to scare even me.

"Right, Carl?"

Her smile was gentle as usual, but her eyes were piercing, urging me to respond correctly.

"That’s—"

"Really? That’s strange. He was drinking just fine at the New Year's Ball."

Again, I only managed to open my mouth slightly before closing it without being able to say anything.

How odd. The question was clearly directed at me, but the conversation continued without waiting for my answer.

Did I even really need to be here in this conversation? Couldn't I just go somewhere else?

"Carl, are you planning to leave your partner behind?"

"Baby, I'm still talking."

However, they clutched at me like ghosts as soon as I tried to escape and seek freedom. It was hard to believe that they were subtly opposing each other just moments ago when they displayed such unity.

Of course, things returned to normal afterward. They continued the clash between two ducal families with me, the heir of a mere county, caught in between them and shedding tears inwardly.

Help me.

I looked desperately at the dukes who were maintaining a safe distance away.

I'm powerless; only you can end this war.

But despite my fervent hopes, the Invincible Duke quietly averted his gaze. The betrayal by someone I considered a reliable adult hurt a bit.

...No, it was okay. It could be overwhelming, even for the Invincible Duke.

Instead, I turned to the Iron-blooded Duke, who was next to him.

Only you can do it now.

My real hope was him. The Invincible Duke might step back as he had no stake in it, but the Iron-blooded Duke, who was Marghetta's father, wouldn't just stand by while his precious daughter was caught in a skirmish with the Mage Duchess, would he?

It seemed that my plea reached the heavens. The Iron-blooded Duke, who had been fiercely looking at me as if he was going to devour me, made a resolute expression.

And then, he left the scene with the Invincible Duke.

...?

What?

Where are you going? What am I supposed to do if you leave like that?

Was he abandoning me because I was an unwelcome son-in-law? But his precious daughter was here, too.

I trusted you.

I had believed that Iron-blooded Duke would not yield to the Mage Duchess...!

"It's probably because he didn’t want to be isolated at the New Year's Ball. He was just fitting in with the atmosphere."

"That’s right. Baby is that thoughtful, so he should do the same now."

The arguments around me grew fiercer before I could even wallow in the betrayal.

What started as heavily veiled comments became blatantly obvious over time. Now, anyone could tell that it was a confrontation.

Why exactly...?

It was starting to give me a headache. I could try to fix it if I knew the reason they were being like this, but I couldn't intervene because I didn’t.

Marghetta wasn't normally one to pick fights, and the Mage Duchess wasn't soft enough to excuse such rudeness.

And yet they were suddenly opposing each other, and the conflict continued as if it were the most natural thing…

Damn it.

This was driving me insane.

***

After much deliberation, I finally turned away. This wasn’t a matter for me to get involved in.

"Iron-blooded Duke."

Then, the Invincible Duke whispered quietly, as if asking if I was okay with this.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it; there won't be any issues."

"I hope so."

Despite my words, the Invincible Duke still seemed uneasy and shifted his gaze.

I inadvertently followed his gaze towards Marghetta, the damned bastard next to her, and to the Mage Duchess beside him.

What's going on here?

I felt a frown coming on, but I managed not to show it. Today was a banquet for the Crown Princess. It wouldn't be proper to express my personal emotions at such an event.

And it seemed like the Mage Duchess had no intention of causing a disturbance, either. If the conversation wasn't audible from this short distance, then she had to be using her magic.

That’s somewhat relieving.

Magic made things convenient. While you could see people passionately engaging in conversation, you couldn't hear their words.

Because of that, there would be no accurate guesses even if society was rife with speculation.

No. Since a duke was involved, people wouldn't dare gossip about it carelessly.

The Mage Duchess didn’t want to cause a major disturbance at the Crown Princess’s birthday banquet. It was a situation where I would only get hurt if I intervened.

...Nothing will happen.

Since I couldn’t just step in, I forced myself to think that way and turned away.

Yes, nothing would happen. It didn't look like the Mage Duchess intended to escalate the problem.

If something were to happen, it would have happened by now.

I couldn't hear the conversation, but I could see their interactions. Thus, I could sense that something unusual was brewing between Marghetta and the Mage Duchess.

Yet, nothing had happened so far.

That's enough.

The Mage Duchess wasn't known for wielding her authority, but she wasn’t particularly merciful, either. If she was being that calm, then it meant that Marghetta must be keeping within the boundaries.

I forced myself to think so as it seemed like it was the only way that would allow me to leave them be.

Mar.

What the hell is going on?

With a heavy heart, I looked at her again. That delicate and kind child who always strived to maintain her dignity—why was she acting this way?

Then, my discomfort turned into anger as I looked at the man next to her.

It must be because of him.

I didn't know the exact reason, but it was clear that he had something to do with it judging by their interactions and the way she grabbed him when he tried to leave.

It was infuriating. How dare the future son-in-law of the Valenti family not only fail to protect Marghetta but cause problems instead?

You damned idiot.

I couldn't hold back and clicked my tongue. To be so different in public and private required a certain skill.

He was certainly satisfactory as a nobleman and an official. But in private settings, he was utterly unpleasant.

He rejected Marghetta’s proposal and then showed up with her again. He even ignored my instructions to come and kneel if he wanted to marry her. It was all annoying.

I would have ignored him if there was any other candidate.

It was lamentable. The empire was vast, and there were many nobles; why was he the only match suitable for Marghetta?

A young man of high stature, youthful, capable, with a decent personality, outstanding achievements, and someone Marghetta liked. Was that too much to ask for?

Of course, it was difficult. It was even stranger that he was the one who became a candidate.

If only there had been no one at all.

I might have lowered my expectations one by one if no candidates were meeting the criteria, but how could I ignore him when he met all the requirements? He was truly insufferable.

***

Oh.

Is this a dream?

I blinked several times to make sure that I was seeing it correctly. It wasn’t a dream, it was reality.

The sight of the Iron-blooded Duke's daughter standing up to the Mage Duchess and the Mage Duchess taking it casually was all real.

Amazing.

I had never seen anything like it, so it took me a while to understand the situation.

Initially, I was pleased to learn that the Mage Duchess had come for the Crown Princess's banquet. After all, the higher the status of the attendees and the rarer the guests, the greater the prestige of the event.

And the prestige of the banquet also reflected on the Crown Princess. So, while it was surprising, I was happy about the Mage Duchess's participation—

So there was a reason.

It wasn’t just for the Crown Princess, which was actually reassuring. It would have been stranger if the Mage Duchess had come without any reason.

Good. I nearly lost sleep trying to figure out why she had come.

I barely stifled the laughter that was about to burst out.

Executive Manager, it's you again.

I would have laughed long ago if no one was watching. His life was like a play that was so fun and amusing to watch.

Though this would make a poor play in real life.

It was unimaginably funny to the point that it didn't make any sense.

That the Mage Duchess, of all people, would...

Harbor feelings for the Executive Manager—

I bit my lip gently, trying not to laugh.

Obviously, I didn’t realize it from the start. I only suspected some connection because the Executive Manager was involved. Who would have connected it to a love affair just from that?

But I watched closely, keeping all possibilities open—not just spectating, but observing. Besides, it was a serious matter involving two ducal families, which wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

The lady is standing up to the Mage Duchess.

It was an incomprehensible act.

And the Mage Duchess isn’t reprimanding her for such rudeness.

That was also incomprehensible.

Then there’s the Executive Manager, who is involved in all of this.

Where wasn’t he involved?

Everything was like random puzzle pieces. The situation made no sense at all. Just when I was wondering what the heck was going on, I remembered an incident from a few years ago.

Back when I was still the First Prince and the succession dispute was still going on, the Crown Princess proposed to me. I couldn’t understand it, so I asked her why she was doing it and why it had to be me.

Her answer was a masterpiece.

"Your Highness. Even the most incomprehensible matters become understandable when you use love as the reason."

She then gave me a look that implied to just accept her proposal and stop worrying.

Anyway, remembering those words made me see this situation differently.

The reason the lady was standing up to the Mage Duchess and why she remained calm even when subjected to rudeness. When you considered love as the reason, it all made sense.

Now I understand.

It was surprisingly clear now. If it was for a reason other than love, then that would be truly astonishing.

This peculiar case was not an ordinary matter. The Mage Duchess’s love life wasn’t just a personal issue, but something that involved the succession of a ducal family.

The emperor himself had been worried that the ducal line might end because the Mage Duchess had been living alone for over a hundred years.

Honestly, I wondered which would come first: the Mage Duchess dying of old age or the empire collapsing.

There’s no need to worry now.

The Mage Duchess would surely not stand idly after having found a match. Thus, the issue of succession for her duchy would disappear.

Instead, a new concern arose.

Krasius, Valenti, and Catoban.

Those were the Executive Manager and the lady's houses, as well as the Mage Duchess's.

What kind of power would be formed if these three families became united by marriage? Even the smallest outcome I could think of could turn the imperial political scene upside down. It would even be enough to make the emperor rise from his bed.

This was no ordinary matter at all...

I shouldn’t worry about it.

I was here today to enjoy the Crown Princess’s birthday banquet and the Executive Manager's love life.

Let the me of tomorrow handle tomorrow’s work.