Episode 3

Four days later, I met Duke Vitrain Kidmillan at the same location.

Known as the Eagle of Belfator, he was the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army and the protector of the Empire’s outer walls.

A giant of a man, with a physique so muscular it seemed made of steel, I had to crane my neck to see his face.

At 26 years old, with silver hair and deep blue eyes reminiscent of the night sea, he was the complete opposite of Lian, known for never smiling.

According to Tito, he was taciturn to the point where comparing him to a wooden statue wouldn’t do justice. Though straightforward and bold in his actions, he was said to harbor twelve snakes within his heart.

Additionally, he was known to change lovers with each season.

What could women possibly see in a man like this? I despised people who scattered their affections without any sense of loyalty.

“Duke Kidmillan, I hear you have a lover. Isn’t proposing to me an insult to both her and me?”

“If Your Majesty wishes, I will end it immediately.”

“No. It’s not about what I wish. You should have ended it before proposing to me.”

“…I didn’t think it would be an issue since it’s not a relationship of the heart.”

His expressionless response only made me feel worse.

He wasn’t wrong. Even if I ended up marrying Vitrain, or any of the other two dukes, it wouldn’t be out of love.

Furthermore, I had no intention of marrying any of them, so his lover wasn’t an issue.

Still, his way of treating people, especially women, didn’t sit well with me.

It might not be an issue for him, but it would be different from his lover’s perspective.

“You must be mistaken, Duke. My first marriage was a political one, and though I was fortunate to have a good partner, it was not of my choosing. If I marry again, I want it to be with someone I am genuinely drawn to.”

For the first time, an expression appeared on Vitrain’s face.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and tilted his head, gazing at me.

I couldn’t tell if the blue eyes held admiration or mockery.

Having spent 20 years in the Dirmeil palace, I prided myself on being perceptive, but these beasts were difficult to read.

Ignoring his gaze, I lifted my teacup, took a sip of the now lukewarm tea, and prepared to ask the same question I had asked Lian.

“Duke Kidmillan.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He responded, quickly masking his expression with a respectful demeanor.

“Did you assassinate His Majesty?”

“I did not.”

He answered much faster than Lian. There was no hesitation in his blue eyes either.

“Do you intend to assassinate Crown Princess Lothania?”

“I do not.”

Since he answered so quickly again, I took a breath and asked another question.

“Then why do you covet the throne that must be relinquished in a few years?”

This time, Vitrain took a moment before responding calmly.

“Because Her Highness the Crown Princess might not awaken.”

“What?”

“There have been instances where the master of the beasts skipped a generation. The Crown Princess might not awaken, but her child might.”

“So, you might occupy the throne for decades instead of years. But, regardless of the duration, you will still have to relinquish it eventually, correct?”

“Her child might not awaken either. This is the first time in history that the master of the beasts has died before the heir has awakened, so it’s difficult to predict the future.”

Typically, the heirs of Luminel awaken their power around the age of fifteen.

The beasts cannot harm or oppose the heir and must obey the heir’s commands unless they conflict with the emperor’s orders.

This was the first time in the Empire’s history that the master of the power had died before the heir could awaken.

He was suggesting that the lineage of the oath might be severed.

If Lothania fails to awaken, the imperial lineage of Belfator could change.

I resolved once again that I must avoid marriage at all costs.

When I fell silent, Vitrain did too.

A long, silent time passed, but Vitrain showed no intention of speaking.

Not being very talkative myself, I didn’t know how to continue the conversation with someone who kept their mouth shut.

Growing weary of the prolonged silence, I asked Vitrain,

“They say you have many suitable women. How do you spend your time with them?”

“They usually talk, and I listen.”

“And if they don’t speak?”

“Usually, we do other things.”

I almost asked what those other things were.

I opened my mouth but quickly shut it, glaring at Vitrain. He continued to stare at me with the same unchanging, emotionless expression.

Other things to do with lovers in silence.

Was he trying to mock me?

I turned my head sharply, ignoring Vitrain’s nonchalant gaze. I kept my focus on the table, refusing to speak.

The stifling reception room, devoid of any breeze, made me drowsy as I sat on the plush sofa after finishing lunch.

I forced my eyes open, but Vitrain quietly stood up.

He walked to the window, stood with his back to me, hands clasped behind him, and remained silent.

I glanced at his broad back, wondering what he was up to, but soon found myself dozing off.

When I woke with a start, the golden sunset was casting long shadows into the reception room.

It seemed I had slept for quite a while, slumped against the sofa’s backrest, while Vitrain stood in the same position, back to me.

Flustered, I straightened up and adjusted my appearance. Vitrain turned and approached.

As he moved, the sunlight he had been blocking hit my face.

I squinted against the glare, and Vitrain stood in front of me, shielding me from the sun, and spoke.

“Let’s conclude for today, Your Majesty.”

“Very well.”

“It was a productive time.”

Vitrain placed his right hand over his chest and bowed before exiting the annex. I sighed, shielding my eyes with my hand.

I must have slept for at least two hours. And for all that time, Vitrain stood there, blocking the sunlight.

How could I fall asleep like that?

With such a dangerous man nearby.

His silent presence had made me let my guard down. The recent late nights spent studying Belfator had left me sleep-deprived as well.

I decided to adjust the timing of my nighttime political science lessons, wrapping up my first “date” with the Eagle Duke.

* * *

Five days later, today was the day to meet the Dog Duke, Aiden Tilender.

Recalling his brazen demeanor and lack of effort to hide his displeasure, I reluctantly made my way to the annex.

Unlike Lian and Vitrain, who waited in the reception room, Aiden stood outside the annex.

Tall with jet-black hair and eyes that burned like flames, Aiden reached out to me with the same deeply dissatisfied expression he had worn before.

His fierce expression and wary eyes.

A man like a wild dog, or rather, a noble wolf resisting domestication.

Aiden Tilender.

At the young age of twenty-four, Aiden Tilender had taken on the role of Captain of the Imperial Guard, responsible for maintaining order throughout the Belfator Empire.

Moreover, he led the emperor’s intelligence agency, the “White Shadows,” which kept a watchful eye on all the noble families, making him the most feared figure in the aristocracy.

According to Tito, he was a man who was quite literally “like a dog.”

Aggressive towards everyone except his master, and likely to bite first if provoked, he was an unpredictable individual. Despite this, he was the least likely of the three to have assassinated Emperor Nerian.

The reason was as dog-like as his reputation.

‘A trained dog doesn’t bite its master.’

If that were true, it was a relief, but the problem of how to leash a dog that had lost its master and turned feral remained unsolved.

I stared into Aiden’s insolent red eyes, ignored his outstretched hand, and entered the annex alone.

In the dining room, where a meal was prepared, I took a seat and gestured to the chair opposite mine.

“Sit, Duke Tillender. Let’s eat first.”

Aiden sat down and began eating in silence.

After a wordless meal, my impression of him was that he had a hearty appetite.

Compared to Lian, who picked at his food, or Vitrain, who ate with a disturbingly expressionless face, Aiden was much better.

Having finished a relatively satisfying meal with this voracious dog, I moved to the reception room.

I posed the same questions to Aiden that I had asked the other two dukes.

“Duke Tillender, did you assassinate His Majesty?”

Aiden glared at me with eyes that looked ready to devour, and growled his answer.

“No.”

To be honest, I was a bit scared.

His blatant display of displeasure made me worry he might get angry at my next question, but I pressed on.

“Do you intend to assassinate Crown Princess Lothania?”

“No!”

Aiden replied loudly, almost shouting, then rubbed his face as if to suppress his irritation.

He glared at me with those unnerving red eyes.

I lowered my gaze to the teacup, pretending not to be frightened, and repeated the same words to myself.

He’s just a dog. A dog that eats well, with fierce eyes, but still just a dog.

I liked animals, and self-assurance was quite effective.