84.

“Brigitte.”

Brigitte, who was sitting, turned to look at me as if she had been waiting.

Our eyes met.

“Lady Lepherian, the surrounding garden is quite beautiful.”

Brigitte stood up with a bright smile.

“If it’s alright with you, would you like to take a stroll with me around here?”

“I would be delighted, Countess Martin.”

I responded politely.

* * *

Brigitte and I walked into the garden as darkness fell.

Only the occasional chirping of insects could be heard.

The surroundings were peaceful.

In the distance, the lights of the cocktail party tent glowed faintly.

Brigitte, who had been quietly watching the lights, suddenly spoke.

“What can I do to help you?”

“……”

For a moment, I looked at Brigitte with a heavy heart.

Brigitte never questioned me.

She never worried about the conditions or her own safety.

She only wanted to know how she could help me.

No one had ever shown me such pure goodwill before.

“I promise, Brigitte.”

I spoke with a choked voice.

“You will never be in danger.”

“Of course.”

Brigitte smiled warmly at my words.

“We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“……Brigitte.”

“Elze would never put me in danger.”

Seeing the firm trust in her eyes, I felt my throat tighten.

Brigitte’s smile deepened.

“I’d like to hear more details, if possible.”

* * *

The Crown Prince and Dante.

The place they entered was the Crown Prince’s office within the imperial palace.

“Have a seat.”

The Crown Prince gestured.

Dante lounged on the sofa without a hint of respect.

‘…So rude.’

The Crown Prince’s face hardened slightly.

It was, after all, an extremely arrogant attitude to show to the heir of a nation.

But the Crown Prince did not blame him for his insolence.

Well, more accurately, he could not blame him.

‘Fine. I have a favor to ask him this time.’

The Crown Prince soothed himself and took out a bottle of brandy.

He casually showed the bottle to Dante.

“Would you like a drink?”

“No.”

Dante shook his head.

He remembered drinking too much during an auction.

It brought back memories of nightmares about his mother that he never wanted to face again.

…And clinging to Elze like a child.

“We’re not close enough to share drinks. Just state your business.”

Dante spoke indifferently.

“Cold as ever.”

The Crown Prince feigned a hurt expression.

But Dante didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.

“Well, I think this is quite a generous reception.”

“Considering my brother, perhaps…”

The Crown Prince poured himself a glass of brandy with a bitter smile.

After savoring the aroma and taking a sip.

He looked at Dante with serious eyes.

“I’ll get straight to the point. I need you to take care of the smugglers in the south.”

He didn’t even ask if Dante knew about the smugglers.

He was sure Dante could handle them easily.

But Dante still looked unimpressed.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Your Highness.”

“To feign ignorance, when you’re the boss of all the underground.”

The Crown Prince’s eyes sharpened.

“Isn’t that too shameless?”

Dante smiled faintly.

“The shameless one is you, Your Highness.”

“…”

At that moment.

The Crown Prince stiffened.

He felt a strange pressure, as if he had stuck his head into a predator’s mouth.

“You speak as if you’ve already assigned me to handle the smugglers.”

Chick.

Dante struck a match.

He lit a cigarette and took a long drag.

Exhaling smoke, Dante shrugged lightly.

“Isn’t that the nation’s job?”

“…Marquis Offenheir.”

“Honestly, it’s annoying that my time with Elze is being interrupted.”

Dante glanced at the Crown Prince with only his eyes.

“Not only do you want to use me, but you also accuse me of being shameless.”

“…”

The Crown Prince swallowed dryly.

At the same time, Dante’s lips curled into a smirk.

“This is quite amusing.”

His eyes were crescent-shaped with laughter.

But his blood-red pupils held no mirth.

“Do I look that easy to you?”

“…No, not at all.”

The Crown Prince quickly retracted.

“I wasn’t planning on asking for your help without compensation.”

“What kind of compensation are you talking about, that you’re dragging it out like this?”

“Lady Lepherian.”

At that moment.

Dante’s indifferent eyebrows twitched slightly.

“If you take care of the smugglers, the imperial family will officially acknowledge your relationship with Lady Lepherian.”

Dante asked mockingly.

“I wonder, does the Crown Prince’s acknowledgment mean anything to me?”

“Of course not to you, Marquis.”

The Crown Prince forced a smile.

“But Lady Lepherian’s position is different, isn’t it?”

“…”

Dante’s expression remained cynical.

The Crown Prince instinctively sensed that Dante was genuinely interested in his proposal.

“Truth be told, Lady Lepherian’s reputation in the social circles isn’t very good right now.”

“……”

“Wouldn’t it be better for the Imperial Family to show respect to the Lady? It would significantly help in restoring her reputation as well.”

As he spoke, the Crown Prince discreetly observed Dante’s reaction.

‘Is the Marquis surprisingly serious about Lady Lepherian?’

Now that he thought about it, Dante had been quite attentive to her ever since they arrived at the palace.

The Crown Prince continued to persuade Dante.

“Honestly, it’s not a difficult task for you, is it? I assume you already know the locations, scale, and routes of the smugglers.”

“……”

Though Dante had firmly refused earlier, he now seemed to be seriously considering the offer.

After a moment, Dante looked up and stared directly into the Crown Prince’s eyes.

“Isn’t there something more substantial than the trivial recognition of the Imperial Family?”

“Something more substantial?”

“Yes. Make Elze’s status so high that no one can oppose her.”

For a moment, the Crown Prince doubted his ears.

“…Raise her status? What do you mean by that?”

“Tell the Emperor to grant Elze a new title.”

Dante shrugged and continued.

“It’s perfect timing. Elze detests the Lepherian Viscountcy. This would allow her to legally leave the family.”

“No, that’s…!”

“Why not?”

Dante tilted his head.

“Can’t you do it?”

A fierce smile spread across Dante’s face, which resembled the Crown Prince’s late sister, a face crafted by the gods.

The Crown Prince’s face twisted in frustration.

But.

“…Alright.”

In the end, the Crown Prince agreed.

“In that case, we should depart immediately…”

“No, you’ll have to wait until October.”

At Dante’s arbitrary response, the Crown Prince finally lost his temper.

“Are you even serious right now!”

“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to ask me to do it, do you?”

Dante replied without even batting an eye.

‘Damn it.’

The Crown Prince quickly weighed his options.

It was already the second week of September.

Dante was suggesting a date in early October.

Though it was nearly a month later than he had planned…

‘Still, it’s better to wait and ask the Marquis of Offenheir.’

Having made up his mind, the Crown Prince gathered the last of his pride and asked.

“Then at least tell me the reason. Why the delay?”

“Oh.”

For the first time, Dante’s sharp expression softened.

“There’s something Elze and I want to see.”

The Crown Prince was momentarily surprised.

‘…This guy can talk like that?’

It wasn’t his usual sarcastic tone that grated on people’s nerves, but a genuinely gentle tone.

With a skeptical look, the Crown Prince asked Dante again.

“Something you want to see?”

Dante’s smile deepened.

“Yes. The fireworks at the Harvest Festival.”