It wasn’t good for the empire or the crown prince. When was the last time Juno saw someone make a stupid decision?
“Have you thought about what to do with the crown prince?” she asked.
“Do I need to be concerned?”
“You’re just going to leave him alone?”
“Juno, you’re already working with Prince Argos.” Seeing her frown, Jupiter patted her head. “I heard the crown prince is still the same.”
While he was active in politics when he was the official heir of House Trish, he didn’t know Anton.
“He is.”
Jupiter nodded. “I have no interest in worrying about useless things. It’s a waste of time.” To him, the crown prince meant nothing.
Juno didn’t like his response. “But because of him, you…” She trailed off. It was presumptuous for her to continue when Jupiter expressed no interest.
He grabbed her hands. “Say it.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s fine.”
Jupiter grinned. “Juno?”
As she kept her mouth closed, Jupiter’s smile continued to widen. The more beautiful the smile, the more intimidating Jupiter was.
“…I don’t want to let it go.” She snuck a glance and saw his cheerful expression.
“Oh? We can do that then.”
“What?”
“Why don’t you help His Highness Prince Argos more actively? In exchange, you can ask him to hand over the crown prince when everything’s all said and done.” Seemingly ignoring Juno’s surprised expression, he continued, “Of course, His Highness will think that is dangerous, so you’ll have to negotiate—”
“Wait a moment, Jupiter.”
“Hm?”
“You said you didn’t care.”
“Mm-hmm, I want to focus on you and not on a poor excuse of a person. But you said you wanted revenge. I just woke up from a nap while you’ve been waiting for me for eight years. Don’t you also have a good reason to take revenge against the crown prince?”
Juno slowly nodded. “…Yes.”
“Your revenge will be worthwhile. For the empire’s sake, Prince Argos must be the next emperor.” With a troubled expression, Jupiter added, “The empress is also an issue.”
Juno just realized he was saying this to lighten the mood. It was probably why he held her hand and asked for her opinion. No, maybe he knows how I feel.
It wasn’t enough to intervene in the war against the Kingdom of Darnan.
Eight years was too long. Until now, Juno hadn’t made a move against the crown prince or the emperor because the time wasn’t right. There was a reason why she waited for Jupiter to wake up. If I took care of them earlier, I was afraid I was going to fall apart. If there wasn’t anyone left to be a target of her revenge, she would’ve had nothing else to live for. Maybe she wasn’t waiting for Jupiter to wake up.
Maybe I would have put it behind me. So Juno held onto her anger, her revenge, and waited. It wasn’t time to take her revenge and insisted it was up for Jupiter to decide. I no longer have to tolerate it.
Her anger was like a fire forcibly kept alive, burning so that she could live. Even Jupiter was aware of it. To the point where he knows what I’m thinking. And now, he was saying it was all right for her to make them feel her wrath. She deserved it.
I like him. She liked that he held her hands despite knowing they were dirty and covered in mud. When she looked at him again, she smiled; it was a real smile that revealed her own twistedness. Jupiter had a relieved expression on his face.
“…His Highness is trying not to rely on the empress.”
“That’s good to hear,” Jupiter said, tilting his head. “There’s still a lot I need to know.”
It was difficult to learn what happened these past eight years in the span of a few days, but Jupiter was a so-called genius.
Juno scoffed. “Aren’t you already aware of what’s happening?”
“I am.” He chuckled. “But I want to know more about you. Is there anything you want to tell me?”
Smiling, he approached her.
Juno let him caress her cheek. “Sure, let’s find out together.”
Jupiter played with a lock of her hair before leaning in. Then, they heard a knock.
“I am sorry, my lady, but it is time to leave.”
Jupiter sighed and backed away. “Have a safe trip. We can continue after you return.”
“All right. Wait for me.” Juno kissed him on the cheek and opened the door.
John was waiting outside the room. “My lady.”
“Let’s go.”
She had to concentrate on her revenge first. It was time to be Juno Sergien.
***
“Hello, Peter.”
“Did Juno leave already?”
“Yes.”
Peter watched as Jupiter approached slowly him. “What do you want to do?”
It was annoying. Since John was helping Juno and Hebe was in charge of Lily, that left Peter to take care of Jupiter. Peter and Jupiter’s conversation continued from the one they had the day before when Juno was away.
“I need to claim the title of marquis.”
“Of House Trish?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Jupiter walked around the table to stand next to Peter. “Did you not say Juno would accept that girl eventually?”
“I did.”
“I feel the same way. Even now, I’m surprised to hear that child laugh.”
“…You plan to become the marquis?” Peter didn’t understand how Juno’s affection for Lily was related to Jupiter becoming the marquis. Peter had no intention of staying still if Jupiter planned to use Juno to pursue his own goals.
“As I expected, Juno wants revenge. I wish to provide assistance.”
“She’s not someone who needs your help,” Peter said.
They were words that hurt Jupiter’s pride, but he only nodded. “I know; however, I want to be officially by her side.”
“Do you need a noble family to be legitimate?”
Even without House Trish, Jupiter can become Juno’s husband. Indeed, he hated Marquis Robert and Lilith like Juno. Yet unlike Juno, Jupiter wasn’t softhearted. With a smile that revealed his own twistedness, Jupiter said, “I don’t want to give the child a family. I also don’t wish for Juno to be seen as an easy opponent.”
“She does appear to be easy pickings.”
“I’m certain she’s still working behind the scenes.”
Jupiter heard John was gathering a lot of information from time to time. However, he didn’t think they would know certain things only on.
Peter replied, “The nobles of the empire know Juno will use the girl to support Prince Argos.”
“…Perhaps. At the same time, others are beginning to look down on her.”
“Their opinions do not matter.”
Jupiter gazed at the window. “They say a pebble can cause an avalanche if it falls in the wrong spot. I don’t want Juno to get hurt.”
Peter put down the object in his hand. “That prince won’t even use the child.” He wasn’t happy about it either.
“Juno won’t use Lily unless the circumstances call for it. Some nobles are bound to underestimate the alchemist.”
As Juno’s influence on the continent grew, the forces that kept her in check continued to grow. Once Juno was revealed to have a weakness, they’d take advantage of the opportunity to come out on top.
Jupiter continued, “It will be difficult for her to appear as Juno’s weakness.”
The child was already likely to be her weakness. Not now but in the distant future.
Peter asked, “So?”
“Regardless, we must have a reason for letting Lily live here.”
“Is that where you come in?”
Now that Juno was caring for her half-sister, what would happen if Jupiter Trish, said to have died, reappeared in high society with Juno’s support? What would happen if he became the family head of House Trish?
Everyone would think this was part of Juno’s plan to control House Trish.
