Prince Christopher raised an eyebrow.

“I see what you’re aiming for. You want to split the Sun Society, but I can’t help you.”

“Why not?”

“This place is like a pearl farm to us. It’s useful, so there’s no need to throw it away.”

“......”

“Shall we end the conversation here, then?”

He smiled faintly and stood up.

Just as he was about to pass by the chair, Erilot said,

“Wouldn’t you rather harvest natural pearls than farmed ones?”

“Not really.”

“The true eldest son of the Kalsoye Empire’s emperor—”

Christopher paused and looked back at the child.

Erilot smiled brightly.

“—would be like a natural pearl, wouldn’t he?”

Christopher’s eyes narrowed and flickered.

‘The real eldest son?’

Does that mean Salvatore is a fake?

Christopher let out a bitter laugh.

“Do you know what you’re saying right now?”

“I’m telling a secret that will turn the world upside down.”

“You...”

“Yes, Your Highness. It’s in my hands. A pearl crafted by nature. A very fine black pearl.”

Erilot turned her head.

Then a sound of movement came from the bushes, and a boy stepped out.

Jet-black hair like the darkest night.

Eyes as clear as the morning star.

Christopher’s face stiffened upon seeing Alexis.

“...!”

When he intercepted the preliminary royal battle transmission, he definitely saw it.

That boy’s blessing.

Others thought it was , but if it’s the power to copy another’s blessing...

“The founding emperor of Kalsoye’s blessing.”

“That’s right, Your Highness.”

“This is unbelievable.”

“So you won’t believe me?”

“......”

Erilot was Duke Astra’s granddaughter.

The pinnacle among Astra’s outstanding 3rd generation heirs.

Would such a child tell such an enormous lie?

‘She must know the impact of my words.’

Erilot smiled gently and said,

“How about you become the first to enter under Alexis’s banner?”

The true eldest son of the emperor, born with the founding emperor’s blessing.

And a girl who owns a dragon.

If they unite someday, his homeland will be in danger.

Christopher muttered with a hollow expression,

“By now, this isn’t a negotiation. It’s blackmail.”

“It’s an opportunity. A chance to be friends with us.”

Erilot smiled brightly.

To others, she might look innocent, but in Christopher’s eyes, he saw

‘Devil’s horns rising above that shining blonde hair.’

Christopher slumped back into his chair.

“Fine, I’ll listen to what you want me to do.”

“You don’t have to do anything.”

“What’s that supposed to mean...?”

“You just stay quiet and don’t mediate.”

“Until the Sun Society falls apart, huh.”

“You’re clever.”

Christopher sighed.

‘Grandfather, it looks like technical exchanges with the empire will be difficult this year.’

I hummed a tune as I walked down the corridor.

Alexis, watching my cheerful mood, furrowed his brows.

“Can we trust that guy?”

“Christopher? Ah, don’t worry.”

I smiled and looked at Alexis.

“You’re the joker. Christopher’s smart enough not to overturn the joker recklessly.”

“......”

“And above all...”

It’d be good to make connections with other countries now.

That would help Alexis when entering the palace.

Christopher is the center of the Sun Society’s boys.

‘If I gain him, the rest of the connections will follow.’

I was planning light revenge, but things are turning out well.

As I smirked, Alexis frowned.

“Not that.”

“Hm?”

“Won’t they bother you using the excuse that they helped with this?”

“Ah...”

I opened my eyes wide and looked at Alexis.

After seeing so many annoying Sun Society jerks recently, Alexis seemed amazing.

“Why do you put me first without calculating your gains?”

“Is that wrong?”

“Not wrong, but...”

“Well, it’s fine.”

Alexis walked ahead without a care.

Then he glanced back and said,

“I’m tired of doubting you since childhood. I’ve just decided not to doubt you.”

“......Since when?”

“Don’t know.”

“Don’t know?”

“I just can’t figure you out. Damn.”

With that, Alexis started walking again.

I blinked in a daze.

Then Alexis sighed as if asking,

“Aren’t you leaving?”

“Uh? Yeah, yeah.”

I hurried over to him.

Matching his pace, I looked at him with my eyes half-closed.

“Did you go somewhere for speech training without telling me?”

“Nonsense.”

“Then don’t say such things.”

“Why?”

“Otherwise I might fall in love or something. That’s why it’s ‘just friendship.’”

Alexis chuckled.

Then pressed one hand firmly on my cheek.

“Go fall for someone else.”

“Am I crazy?”

“They say you go crazy when you fall in love.”

I shook off Alexis’s hand and scowled.

“Who says that?”

“Captain Kali.”

“Talking about that ‘first love’ again?”

“Please, tell him to stop with that story.”

Captain Kali didn’t just have hemorrhoids, but another fatal disease:

The tragic male lead syndrome.

“Love is madness... I met her when I was sixteen. She was too noble for a mere servant to love.”

I think I’ve heard that ‘first love’ story about a dozen times.

I made a sour face.

“It really is madness.”

“......How do you know?”

“I’ve been there.”

‘In my first life.’

I did all kinds of stupid things.

Fell like a fool and devoted myself.

My heart was torn to shreds then, and I never wanted to like anyone again.

‘No one ever looked back at me.’

Because he loved Dalia.

A man who would do anything for beloved Dalia.

Everything I desperately brought for him went to Dalia.

The merits earned through death-defying effort, relics found risking my life...

‘And that wasn’t all.’

I once stayed up all night, excited to meet him, and went to the appointed place.

It was midwinter, bone-chilling cold.

I waited for four hours at the clock tower, but he never came.

‘Because Dalia was sick, he rushed off to her.’

He struggled with pneumonia and suffered a lot.

Even while near death, whenever he opened his eyes, indescribable feelings arose.

Emptiness, misery, self-hatred all mixed.

Thinking about it makes me angry.

I muttered weakly,

“Still, making me wait for four hours was too much.”

Does one break their finger just to send a message?

Is Dalia’s cold getting worse?

Alexis frowned.

“Who made you wait?”

“There was. An annoying jerk.”

“Who?”

“There was.”

As we bickered, Han Ji-hyuk came running toward us.

His expression was unlike usual.

His face was pale and stiff.

I asked, startled,

“What’s wrong?”

“You should go to the infirmary.”

“The infirmary? Why?”

“Liantin got hurt.”

Before meeting Christopher, Liantin was fine. Why suddenly?

‘Could it be...?’

I ran frantically toward the infirmary.

Hurrying inside, I saw Liantin sitting on a bed.

Sebastia was beside her.

Liantin spoke as if nothing happened.

“What? Why did you come looking so surprised?”

“They said you got hurt.”

“I just twisted and fell. Everlyn’s shoes are all good, but too many decorations. I keep tripping.”

I stared at Liantin’s collarbone.

I could see a bandage faintly.

“You fell but have a bandage on your shoulder?”

Liantin flinched and clutched her collar.

“Ah, I, I fell on my shoulder...”

“Lady Astra, it’s better to just be honest.”

Sebastia said, and Liantin swallowed dryly.

“No, I, I mean...”

“Who? Who attacked you?”

“Not an attack, an accident─”

“Prince Salvatore?”

Liantin flinched.

Sebastia sighed deeply.

“There was a commotion in the garden. Looks like she got emotionally hurt. Someone came to threaten your cousin.”

“What kind of threat?”

“Of course. They tried to pressure you through your cousin.”

I immediately started moving.

I intended to confront Prince Salvatore.

Then Liantin ran after me, out of breath, grabbing me.

“What are you doing!”

“Let go.”

“Don’t go to the prince. This was really an accident!”

“......”

“I got scared. So I accidentally lost control of my magic and the blessing activated.”

“......”

“Prince Salvatore doesn’t know my blessing. I thought he was attacking me, so I defended myself, and then...!”

“If he hadn’t come threatening you, none of this would have happened.”

Liantin bit her lip tightly.

“I don’t want to make things harder because of me.”

“It’s not because of you. You got hurt ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ because of me.”

“If I had returned to the Astra estate as you said from the start, none of this would have happened. It’s my fault.”

Liantin was a proud girl.

No matter the prince, she wouldn’t let those who attacked her go unpunished.

At other times, she would have immediately contacted her uncle, crying and fussing.

She was holding back because of me.

People might think I provoked Prince Salvatore and caused this.

“So don’t get excited, Erilot.”

“I’m not excited.”

“Good─”

“I tend to calm down when I get strangely angry.”

It had been a while.

I hadn’t been this angry in a long time.

“Erilot.”

“You can let go. I won’t recklessly charge at Salvatore like a fool.”

“......Then?”

“I have to carry on with the plan.”

Liantin still looked uneasy.

“Please be gentle. Erilot, when you go into attack mode, nobody knows how far you’ll go.”

Sebastia’s eyes went wide.

“Is Erilot really that scary?”

“Erilot was so furious over Lagon that she destroyed the former crown princess, Anatoly...”

While they whispered, the doctor and maid entered.

‘Then it’s time to start working.’

At that moment, I—

“Waaah!”

—burst into tears.

“E-Erilot?”

“Erilot.”

The two ladies who were talking about how scary I was looked startled.

“W-what’s wrong? Why all of a sudden?”

“Waaah...! I’m so sad that sister got hurt!”

When Liantin asked with a bewildered look, I staggered with a “Ah!” and said,

“My blessing control... isn’t working?”

Magic is hard to control when excited.

And I look like a ten-year-old who can’t control her emotions.

Especially shocked because her cousin got hurt.

‘I’m a villain who knows how to use her age.’

The doctor and maid rushed to me, startled.

“Are you talking about the blessing?”

“If the Astra countess’s blessing-trained monster is here...”

Yeah, what else?

People who thought of my dragon Lagon turned pale.

“Ah, Lagon is coming!”

That means Salvatore, you’re dead.

Kalsoye Imperial Palace.

During a grand discussion between the emperor and nobles in the central tower, the chamberlain hurried in.

“Your Majesty! There’s an emergency!”

“What is it?”

The emperor frowned and looked at the chamberlain.

The nobles all looked at the chamberlain at once.

Judging by his pale face, something serious had happened.

“Countess Astra’s dragon is flying toward the border fortress where the Sun Society is held.”

“What!”

The emperor slammed the table and stood up.

Duke Astra’s expression twisted.

‘Erilot’s dragon?’

The emperor urgently asked,

“Why summon the dragon!”

“I-It’s not a summoning but rather an accident...”

“What nonsense are you talking about!”

“Liantin Astra was hit by Prince Salvatore’s blessing, and Erilot Astra got so shocked that she lost control of her magic.”

“What?!”

The nobles gasped.

“Th-The dragon is flying to the border fortress where the Sun Society is?”

Amidst the uproar, Duke Astra’s eyes narrowed.

‘Erilot lost control of her magic?’

Liantin couldn’t be that badly hurt.

If so, he must have been informed.

Erilot was the most rational grandchild.

Even when younger, she never lost control of her magic.

‘It’s a scheme.’

The clever granddaughter must be preparing a gift.

To crush that annoying Sun Society meeting.

The emperor shouted,

“Send the central, southern, and northern armies along with the royal battle mages to the border fortress! Hurry!”

All the heirs of the nations were gathered there.

If the dragon kills even one of them, things would spiral out of control.

Count Camelian of the pro-palace faction said,

“It’s a dragon that wiped out the ancient monster in one blow. Do you think the three armies can handle it?”

“We will!”

“Mobilize all family soldiers in the border fortress area!”

“Yes. Issue an emergency order, mobilize, and evacuate the children in the border fortress immediately!”

The palace was in chaos.

The nobles rushed out in confusion, and the emperor urgently convened a military meeting.

One boy watching the central tower meeting rose.

He was known by many nicknames.

The most famous was ‘Vincent, the genius boy appointed secretary at fifteen.’

The only son of a marquis family asked his father.

“Is Countess Astra’s dragon really that dangerous?”

“Indescribable. Anyone who saw the western preliminary royal battle wouldn’t dare look up.”

“......I’m curious.”

This boy was the man who loved Dalia and was loved by Erilot.

Vincent Edrope.