The third princess consort.
Diana’s smiling face was briefly reflected in the window. With a smirk, Ludwig turned to Rebecca.
“Your Highness.”
“Hmm?” Rebecca, deep in thought about Duke Findlay, flinched at the call and raised her head.
Ludwig tilted his head slightly in curiosity at her reaction but soon composed himself and continued. “What about the matter regarding the second princess?”
Originally, after the hunting competition, there was supposed to be a discussion about punishing the second princess, Carlotta. However, that had been postponed due to Elliot’s collapse.
Rebecca clicked her tongue at Ludwig’s question. “Even after all this time, the third prince hasn’t lowered his guard. It would have been better to deal with her before the hunting competition ended.”
Rebecca’s face was cold as she spoke of her failed attempt to kill Carlotta. Although Carlotta had merely been used by her mother, it would be troublesome if she were swayed by Kayden and revealed any information to his side. Though she hadn’t been given any critical information, she might have seen or heard something.
“Still, thanks to the fall of the first prince, we can take our time with this. Besides, the second concubine has taken the burden of proper justification upon herself.”
Rebecca was imperial. A member of the imperial family, no less, and until recently, no one had doubted she would be the next sovereign. Moreover, her maternal family was Duke Findlay’s. To bring her down required solid justification. And Kayden had not yet secured that.
“During this period, we must find a way to shake the third prince’s faction. Once their internal unity solidifies, it won’t be easy to break them apart.”
“You’re absolutely right.” Ludwig smiled as he agreed, running a hand through his hair as he shared his thoughts. “Your Highness should focus on acquiring the ownership of the Opera Diamond Mine through Lord Sudsfield, as we discussed earlier. However, since he’s not very clever, you need to be careful that Viscount Sudsfield won’t realize it’s our doing.”
“I know. No one knows better than me how foolish that man is.” Rebecca snorted and nodded, but then her expression shifted to one of surprise at what Ludwig said next.
“I’ll handle the third princess consort.”
“…Who?”
“The third princess consort,” Ludwig spoke as casually as if commenting on the pleasant aroma of tea.
Rebecca, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected name, muttered with a furrowed brow. “…Of course, if we manage to remove the third princess consort, it would greatly shake the third prince, and we could cut off the funds flowing to his side.”
“With the end of the year approaching, if they can’t make significant donations at the numerous charity events, their reputation will suffer greatly.”
At that point, Kayden’s strategy of spending large sums on charitable causes to overshadow Rebecca would backfire. However, Rebecca still looked skeptical.
“But how do you plan to do that?”
“If they were a couple bound by political interests, I’d take a different approach… But there’s only one way to put a rift in a deeply affectionate relationship, right?”
“…Are you planning to become the third princess consort’s lover?”
“If necessary, yes.” Ludwig shrugged nonchalantly. A confident smile played on his lips as if it were only a matter of course for him to secure the position of her lover. It wasn’t arrogance but confidence, for Ludwig was known for his cunning. Moreover, with his remarkable beauty, renowned even within the empire, this wasn’t mere bravado.
Though we’ll have to see how it plays out.
Even to Rebecca, who didn’t understand the concept of romantic relationships, Kayden and Diana appeared to be a picture-perfect couple. Separating them might not be easy, but it was a task that had to be accomplished.
“Fine. I trust you’ll handle it well.”
“Thank you for trusting me.”
Rebecca sighed and nodded. Ludwig responded with a cheerful smile and a slight bow.
At that moment, Duke Findlay’s face flashed through Rebecca’s mind. She hesitated as she looked at Ludwig. Should I tell him? Should she mention that Duke Findlay seemed to have spread mutant beasts in the forest?
…No.
Her hesitation was brief.
Duke Findlay was as cunning, if not more so than she was. If Ludwig began investigating him, the duke would undoubtedly catch wind of it. Besides, if he finds out I witnessed such a scene, he might try to impose restrictions on me.
For now, she decided to hold off. That was the conclusion Rebecca reached.
* * *
It was a sunny morning. Diana let out a quiet groan as she looked at the invitation Bella had handed her.
“…I was hoping she’d just forget about it.”
The invitation in her hand was rather crude for something from the imperial palace. Even the handwriting seemed to reflect the sender’s personality, bold and careless.
[When are you coming? At this rate, the tea leaves will rot.
—Miaena]
Does she lack awareness, or does she just not care? Diana glared at the invitation as if it were the fourth concubine’s face.
With Elliot’s collapse, the overall mood in the palace was bleak. Those aware of the close relationship between the third prince, the third princess consort, and Elliot refrained from sending them invitations to parties or tea times, understanding their current reclusive lifestyle. But the fourth concubine, Miaena, was as unpredictable as ever.
I asked Mizel if there was any leverage we could use against her, but she said there wasn’t. Not only was there nothing to hold against her, but the fourth concubine also had no fear or attachment to life. Such a person was impossible to manipulate. She was like a force of nature, unstoppable and unpredictable.
In the end, Diana sighed and stood up. “Help me to get ready. Since the fourth concubine has invited me for tea, I suppose I should go.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
With Bella’s help, Diana changed her clothes and did her hair, chatting about various topics as they worked.
After expertly combing Diana’s hair, Bella set the brush down and asked, “The hair ornament that the third prince gave you would go well with today’s dress. Should I finish your hair with that?”
Diana’s shoulders flinched almost imperceptibly at the suggestion. She quickly composed herself and smiled at Bella through the mirror. “I’ll choose the hair accessory myself. But could you fetch Mizel for me? I have something to ask her.”
“Are you sure you’ll be alright on your own?”
“Putting on a hair accessory is something I can handle. We need to leave soon, so please hurry.”
“Understood. I’ll be back shortly.” Bella bowed her head and left the room.
As the door clicked shut, Diana let out a deep sigh. After a moment of hesitation, she reached out and opened the jewelry box on the side. In the center, taking up the most space, was the hair accessory Kayden had first given her.
“…” Diana touched the ribbon of the hair accessory with a conflicted expression.
Kayden hadn’t shown himself for days. Aside from being preoccupied with Elliot’s situation, Diana could sense that he was deliberately distancing himself from her, which bothered her.
…I want to make sure he’s really okay.
As the days passed with Kayden spending his nights away, worry began to gnaw at her. She wanted to check on him and offer comfort. But doing so would be cruel to Kayden, who was trying hard to distance himself.
With that thought, Diana closed the jewelry box, a bitter expression on her face. The weight of her previous refusal felt heavier now.
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