After the festive banquet ended, the Small Council officially concluded.

  Remesis never thought she would leave the Imperial Palace and the capital with such enthusiasm. These two weeks were truly eventful. The memories of this trip, though not the most positive, would stay with her for life.

  The next morning, Remesis, along with her escort, set off on the return journey north.

  Before that, as was proper, she paid a final visit to the Emperor to inform him of her departure. But it turned out that Alexis Cezar Ashelot was feeling unwell again, so the girl only managed to meet with his chamberlain. What was happening sowed doubts in her. "Why is the Emperor unwell so often?"

  The consequences of alcohol poisoning or indeed some illness... Remesis wasn't very knowledgeable in medicine, so she could only speculate. But Asil's father's condition was indeed strange. She had heard before that this man led an idle lifestyle and denied himself no pleasures. Therefore, how sharply the real picture diverged from her expectations caused bewilderment.

  "Perhaps everything is not as simple as I thought..."

  At least, Remesis had no desire to delve into this. The intrigues of the Imperial Palace and its inhabitants were the last thing that should concern her. The girl decided not to bother her head with things that didn't concern her. "The Emperor's well-being is clearly not my business."

  It seemed that this time they traveled a bit faster.

  After a week and a half of non-stop travel, the snowy hills that she felt she hadn't seen for an eternity opened up before the girl. Remesis was a bit excited before her return. Hannes also noticed some changes in her usual behavior and inquired:

  "Your Highness, is something wrong?"

  "Oh, no..."

  During the journey, they stopped briefly to water the horses, and then the knight's gaze caught something strange.

  "Your Highness, you have a new handkerchief? I haven't seen it before."

  The girl had carried it with her ever since they left. It was a very beautiful thing, and judging by the gold embroidery, very expensive. The commander wondered: where could it have come from for the princess? They certainly hadn't stopped at any shop with such items.

  "A friend gave it to me..."

  "The one you met last time?" The knight's eyes narrowed.

  Hannes guessed very quickly.

  Remesis sighed and didn't deny the obvious.

  "Yes. Actually, he lent it to me, but I didn't have a chance to return it."

  This was true. The Astrological Order delegation had left the Imperial Palace even earlier than them. So when Remesis woke up, Iliana had already left. But even without that, returning the handkerchief to her in public would have been difficult. So she just left things as they were.

  The knight tensed a bit.

  "Your Highness, this..."

  "It's nothing. We won't see each other again anytime soon anyway. So I can just throw it away."

  The knight sighed.

  "Alright, as you say."

  Fortunately, Hannes was also smart enough not to ask unnecessary questions. He turned away and continued checking the equipment. The girl felt relieved.

  "Good thing I didn't say the friend I met was a girl..."

  Although Remesis's age was too young for such suspicions, she could still be misunderstood. So just in case, it was better to be safe.

  She really intended to throw away the handkerchief later. But the girl still couldn't understand: what then was the point of her words? Their last conversation with Iliana Alseid had been on her mind for some time. The girl was confused, trying to understand what she meant.

  "Maybe she was talking about the wedding ceremony? Does she want me to attend her and Katrina's wedding so badly?"

  Remesis frowned: this noblewoman's thoughts were too complicated for her to understand.

  Although, perhaps, in this way Remesis was simply trying to dismiss thoughts of the real reason that had involuntarily crept into her head at that moment. But the girl resolutely didn't believe it and even chuckled to herself: "How could I have thought that? It's nonsense. Definitely nonsense."

  For the rest of the journey, the girl tried not to return to thoughts of the order's heiress.

  They rode quickly through a dense coniferous forest. The sky slowly turned from purple to light pink. Dawn was breaking. Along the way, they periodically had to fight off monsters and other creatures, resulting in several guards being wounded. But, fortunately, there were no serious consequences.

  When they reached the fortress gates, the girl's heart involuntarily beat faster. The watchman on the guard tower recognized their detachment at first glance and rejoiced:

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  "Her Highness has returned!"

  This exclamation informed the inhabitants of the northern castle of the long-awaited return of the Princess Consort.

  After a while, the gatekeepers opened the gates, and then Remesis met the person she hadn't seen for a long time.

  Asil stood before the gates and looked at her. She had run out as soon as she received the news.

  Remesis smiled and climbed out of the carriage.

  "Hello, Your Highness."

  "…"

  Asil was silent and seemed a bit agitated.

  Since she remained in place, Remesis began approaching her wife herself, and with each step, surprise grew in her eyes. "I was gone for just over a month. What has happened to Asil during this time?!" Remesis was truly amazed: the girl had changed greatly, and not for the better. More precisely, she looked not much more presentable than during their first meeting at the Imperial Palace.

  Her silver hair was in complete disarray, as if crows had built a nest in it. The princess herself looked gaunt and had lost a lot of weight. Only her amber eyes still burned with a living fire.

  When they were face to face, Remesis couldn't help but ask:

  "Your Highness, what happened? Have you been eating poorly? Have you fallen ill again?"

  At Remesis's questions, Asil shook her head.

  "Then what is it?" the girl continued questioning, and the princess just looked at her.

  Asil's condition was truly disheartening. It was like leaving a flower for a month and not watering it. That's what would happen to it.

  The princess blinked. Since she said nothing, Remesis had to question her for a long time. Finally, Asil looked at her, tilting her head, and brushed her hair away from her face with her hand, exposing her forehead.

  "Ha? What is it?"

  "…"

  When Remesis tilted her head in bewilderment, not understanding what the princess meant, she frowned as if upset, and also leaned her head forward. She pressed her forehead right to Remesis's lips.

  "Huh?" the girl was surprised.

  Remesis stared at the princess. A coldness suddenly appeared on her lips. Asil also glanced at her, her face flushed and even darkened a bit. The princess silently opened her mouth in embarrassment. Then she stepped back and ran away.

  Remesis blinked a few times, looking after her, but soon realized what had happened and laughed.

  "If she wanted me to kiss her forehead, she could have just said so," she thought ironically.

  On the way to the castle, the girl kept giggling about this. Sometimes this little animal really did some cute things. All previous anxiety and worry vanished as if by hand.

  ***

  In Duke Carter's study, it was unusually cold. Even colder than usual. The overcast weather outside was accompanied by raindrops drumming on the window. Silence reigned in the room.

  Until it was broken by a weak knock.

  "Father, you wanted to see me?"

  The door creaked slightly. The duchy's successor stepped inside.

  With his back to him stood the imposing figure of the Grand Duke. He stood by the window, looking at something. Soon the man cleared his throat and uttered abruptly:

  "Do you know why I called you?"

  Michel lowered his eyes.

  "Father, I..."

  "It seems that after living under my care for so long, you have forgotten your place." The youth shuddered. His brown eyes trembled.

  "F-father..." the boy stammered. "If you mean that incident, that girl attacked me first...!" Michel tried to make excuses, but the look the Duke gave him made the boy fall silent.

  "Fool!" losing his former restraint, Michael Carter growled. "I don't care what you do. You can do it as much as you want on our territory. But how dare you disgrace me in the palace?!"

  The boy sharply paled. He was completely unlike his usual self.

  "You are the family heir, yet you managed to create such a mess right under the Chancellor's nose. What do you think he thinks of me now?" the Duke's cold voice cut sharper than any knife. "Now everyone knows that you have neither restraint nor manners. You have made our family a laughingstock."

  Michel Carter became like a limp doll. His lips trembled. He fell to his knees to beg his father for forgiveness.

  "F-father, it was my fault! Forgive me!"

  He repeated this, banging his head on the floor. Michael Carter silently watched this.

  Soon he approached and crouched down so as to be at eye level with his son. The man ordered:

  "Lift your head."

  "…"

  Michel slowly did so. He was afraid to look his father in the eye, but under the latter's pressure, he gave in. Cold blue eyes, with not a drop of warmth, stared at him. They seemed scarier than the storm outside.

  The Duke grabbed his son by the chin and turned it with his hand, as if he were a puppet.

  "You do know that I never keep useless trash around, don't you?"

  Michel, after hesitating, nodded.

  "Even if you are my son, that is no exception," the man said. "I have already invested so much in you. All that is required of you is to perfectly play your role. But even with that, you cannot cope."

  "I... I will do everything in my power!" the heir answered in a thin voice.

  Duke Carter looked at his successor for a long time. A variety of emotions mingled in this gaze. Soon he heartlessly turned his face away.

  "You... You are our first child with Catherine," the man's voice trembled slightly. "That is the only reason I allowed you to take this place."

  "…"

  "You know this well, don't you?" Michael asked quietly.

  "Y-yes..." he swallowed convulsively.

  The twelve-year-old teenager trembled like an aspen leaf.

  "Otherwise..." the Grand Duke chuckled in an icy tone. "Could such a cursed outcast as you have climbed so high?"

  Michel looked at him in fright. His throat went dry, and he couldn't utter a sound. The Duke understood everything. And so did he.

  At that moment, thunder rumbled outside. Wind and rain heavily battered the tree branches. This only worsened the already gloomy atmosphere.

  "Do your best," the Duke touched the boy's shoulder and leaned close to his ear. "Don't make me regret keeping a cursed bastard in my house."

  This was said very quietly, almost in a whisper, but the person accidentally outside the door heard it. He nearly staggered on his own feet.

  "What... What did father say?!"

  Livius's pupils dilated. The boy with dark hair and blue eyes, very similar to the Duke, had accidentally heard what he shouldn't have. It stunned him.

  Silence reigned in the study, and the boy could hear nothing more. Frightened, he heard footsteps behind the door and quickly hid. After a couple of moments, Michel came out and headed to his room. Although he tried to walk straight, his legs trembled slightly.

  Livius Carter followed his brother with his gaze until the very end. Until he disappeared into the corridor. He was in complete confusion.

  "What was that... What was that at all?" the nine-year-old boy muttered in despair.

  While Livius was lost in conjecture about what exactly he had managed to overhear, a terrible truth slowly unfolded before him. Perhaps... Brother Michel might not be who he pretended to be at all. This realization made Livius rethink everything he had lived by before.

  "If this is true, and father knew about it, then why... Why did he do it?" In the empire, concealing, let alone falsifying, a natal chart was considered a terrible crime. The whole family could be held accountable for this.

  If the public found out that Michel had become the family heir illegally...

  Ah!

  In an instant, hope was born in the soul of the Carter family's youngest son.

  "So, I still have a chance...!"

  From this tiny hope, a very strong fire flared up in the previously very calm boy.

  "If I can become the successor, then... Then I can take my sister away from that terrible place!"

  Livius's heart pounded at the mere thought of this.

  "Remesis, please wait for me... Your brother will definitely bring you home."