Prince Adin glared at Salvatore and said,

“Let go of that hand.”

“Why don’t you just mind your own business and keep walking?”

“I said let go.”

Adin confronted Salvatore sharply.

I didn’t want to miss the moment, so I decided to grease the wheels a bit.

“Your Highness...”

The classic “calling while on the verge of tears” move.

With a look like, “You’re my hero.”

‘Most people want to meet expectations when they’re hoped for.’

Besides, I’m someone Adin ‘has feelings for.’

And Adin is going through puberty.

‘Perfect recipe for causing trouble.’

Sure enough, Adin roughly twisted Salvatore’s wrist.

“Can’t you hear me? Let go of that hand!”

“This is an internal matter. I clearly warned you not to interfere, Adin.”

“In your country, threatening girls must be official business, huh?”

“Don’t insult the empire.”

“Oh, that damn empire again.”

That really lit the fire.

I smirked inwardly.

“Adin.”

As expected, Salvatore’s expression changed.

Magic flickered around Adin.

Sharp thorn-like spikes began to sprout from his skin, and magic started emanating from Salvatore too.

‘Isn’t Salvatore’s blessing stronger than Adin’s?’

Salvatore’s blessing was .

It was a special offensive blessing that caused the touched area to corrode (paralyze or weaken).

‘If they clash, Adin might lose.’

That was what I thought.

Clang─!

A vase on the display cabinet missed Salvatore and smashed against the wall.

With a sharp shattering sound, glass fell down.

Salvatore looked toward Avino.

“Avino.”

“Erilot is in pain.”

‘Oh.’

Avino’s blessing was .

I thought Avino wasn’t the type to be aggressive, so I wondered if he would step in.

‘It’s good to build connections on the positive side.’

As Adin and Avino glared fiercely, Salvatore’s eyes darkened.

‘If Avino joins in, fighting Salvatore might be worth it.’

I held back my urge to laugh and put on a scared face.

‘Yes. Fight, fight.’

Honestly, I hoped Salvatore would get hurt properly!

Just then,

“What’s that noise...! Oh my, Countess Astra!”

“Ah!”

Startled by the sound of the vase breaking, all the nobles looked our way.

Among them, Prince Mercedes and other Sun Society boys strode over.

Prince Christopher frowned.

“What’s going on?”

“......”

“......”

“......”

Salvatore, Adin, and Avino did not respond, and Christopher sighed deeply.

Finally, Adin floated up.

“I thought I told you not to use blessings on me, Christopher!”

The force that caused Adin to float seemed to be Christopher’s blessing.

“You all should calm down a bit.”

Christopher spoke wearily.

‘Damn. I just thought he was a carefree flirt.’

Being the oldest brother at the Sun Society, he seemed to act as a mediator.

Salvatore released my wrist.

Then the momentum of Prince Adin and Prince Avino faded.

“You okay, Erilot?”

Avino, who had been fiercely confronting Salvatore, suddenly spoke with a worried expression as if nothing had happened.

“Yes. Thanks to both of you. Thank you.”

“No problem!”

Avino chuckled.

“I’ll escort you to your room.”

“Am I not causing too much trouble...?”

Then Prince Adin glared at Salvatore and said,

“You shouldn’t let the mad dog bite again.”

“Ah...”

“Let’s go.”

I turned my back and left with Prince Adin and Prince Avino.

Behind me, Prince Salvatore’s cold gaze stuck to me.

Adin and Avino insisted on escorting me all the way to my room.

“Thank you, Your Highnesses.”

Adin cleared his throat and glanced at me.

“No matter how much of a dragon you have, alone you─”

“You’re fragile, so be careful!”

Avino cut in sharply, and Adin frowned.

But he soon spoke to me again.

“Salvatore is dangerous. He might target you─”

“Don’t be alone!”

“......”

Adin glared at Avino again and then turned his gaze to me.

“When are you going back? Well, if you want, I’ll stay until you do─”

“I’ll stay with you!”

“Let me say something too!”

Watching the two bicker, I thought,

‘I have to keep fueling this hostility against Salvatore until the very end.’

I clasped my hands and looked at them with sparkling eyes.

“I really respect how you rescue the weak without calculating benefits!”

“R-r-respect?”

“Respect......?”

Adin and Avino blinked.

‘They’ve probably never heard anything like this before.’

Avino was naive but arrogant as a prince.

When we first met, my Astra cousins tried so hard to impress him but he didn’t even care.

And Adin was very fierce.

Where would those two have ever heard such words?

Avino smiled brightly, and Adin blushed despite pretending not to.

“Well then, I’ll go into my room now.”

“Okay! Rest well, Erilot!”

“Y-yeah.”

I greeted them and returned to my room.

As soon as I entered, there was a knock at the door.

“Sebastia. If you’re okay, I want to talk for a moment.”

I opened the door and Sebastia came in.

I asked the maid for some tea and offered Sebastia a seat.

“Please sit.”

“Sorry ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) for coming so late.”

“It’s okay, sister.”

“Sister... sounds nice.”

Sebastia smiled faintly and sat on the sofa.

“I only have one cousin sister. She’s been holed up in her room for years, so I haven’t even seen her.”

“You must have cared for her a lot.”

“Yes. She was a good kid. I like good kids. It’s hard to offer kindness without expecting anything.”

While the maid moved the tea set, Sebastia stared out the window expressionlessly.

Through the window, I saw Christopher and Salvatore walking together.

“But she was too good.”

“It must have hurt your heart to see your cousin get hurt because of the Colosseum match.”

“Physical wounds are nothing. They heal eventually. But...”

The maid poured hot water.

While I poured it into the teapot with tea leaves, Sebastia muttered,

“After the match, it must have been even harder. The guilt for damaging the family, the pressure from the Sun Society trash comparing her to me... Those things must have been tough.”

“I understand.”

“I won’t let it go.”

The bitter scent came from the teapot spout.

Sebastia glanced at me.

“How about it? It’s hard alone, but maybe easier with two.”

“......”

“If you help me, I’ll owe you a debt.”

“......”

“I’ll repay you someday.”

“Sister.”

I poured the tea into the cup.

The red tea swirled lightly in the cup.

“Let’s consider the debt I owe you paid off.”

“......What?”

“When you first spoke harshly to Liantin in that restaurant, you gave me a warning in advance, right?”

“That was...”

“I didn’t see your true intentions. I’m sorry.”

“......”

“I’ll repay you that debt with this matter. So you owe me nothing.”

“......You must have a hard life too.”

Sebastia coldly said while raising her teacup.

“It’s hard to have that much power and still keep your humanity.”

“Huh?”

It’s a misunderstanding.

I’m not such a good person.

If I were, the Sun Society trash’s discord wouldn’t have been this satisfying.

Sebastia smiled faintly.

“But I tend to like kids like you.”

I tilted my head.

‘I think she’s mistaken... but I’ll leave it be.’

I had feelings for her, so no need to ruin it.

Sebastia asked,

“So what should I do?”

“Information. You probably know more about the Sun Society than I do.”

“Ask.”

“First, I want to know the relationships within the Sun Society. Especially about Prince Christopher. On the surface...”

“He seems like a stupid playboy, but surprisingly, he can be useful sometimes. Annoyingly so.”

That was true.

Sebastia and I looked in different directions and clicked our tongues sharply.

“As you know, the Sun Society is full of selfish bastards. The only reason they haven’t fallen apart yet is one thing.”

“What is that?”

“Prince Christopher is at the center.”

“......”

“Christopher may be annoying, but he has a broad vision. He manages things well enough to keep relations from breaking.”

“Hmm.”

“Why?”

“Then... if we draw Christopher to our side, couldn’t we break their power structure?”

Sebastia narrowed her eyes.

“How?”

“Make a place for him.”

“That’s not hard.”

Sebastia and I exchanged knowing smiles.

The next day.

Christopher looked around with a smiling face.

‘Ah, I’m tired.’

Since yesterday, the Sun Society has been walking on thin ice.

Adin and Avino openly showed their displeasure.

Even Salvatore, who usually ignores them, had a tense atmosphere.

‘Anyway.’

Christopher lifted the teapot.

“Why so gloomy? We came all this way to have fun.”

Adin frowned.

“Yeah. Don’t bully the weak.”

Salvatore’s mouth twisted.

“Must be blind. Seeing Erilot Astra as weak.”

“Salvatore!”

“I warned you repeatedly to lower your voice, Adin.”

“What?”

“Please, don’t make me angry.”

“If you want to fight, I won’t back down.”

Then.

Bang─!

Salvatore quickly stood up and grabbed Adin’s neck.

“Ugh!”

The skin where he grabbed started turning blue.

He activated his blessing.

The temperature around Salvatore dropped coldly.

The Sun Society boys watching with annoyed expressions stiffened.

“Salvatore!”

Christopher hurriedly intervened and pulled Salvatore away.

He quickly separated Adin.

Adin gasped harshly, holding his neck.

“Damn...!”

Crack, clack, crackle.

Adin’s skin began hardening like stone with cracking sounds.

“Adin, stop it!”

Other boys stepped in to stop Adin too.

Salvatore, the root of the trouble, massaged his neck and spoke.

“You’d better bark just enough while I’m still cute.”

“You bastard...!”

“Enough already!”

The watching boys shook their heads.

“Ah, what a mess~.”

“Let’s call it a day. Someone might die if this keeps up.”

After the boys left with sharp expressions, Christopher sighed alone.

“At this rate, I can’t even bring up tech exchanges.”

“Ah, you’ll get harshly scolded by grandfather.”

A familiar voice came from behind.

“Sebastia?”

“You’re here.”

“Why are you here?”

“Why? Did I come somewhere I shouldn’t?”

“No. You kinda... looked at me like trash.”

I didn’t even respond, fearing to brush against her.

I swallowed the rest, but Sebastia seemed to understand and nodded.

“I have business.”

“What business would bring you all this way?”

“Erilot wants to see Your Highness.”

“...Me?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry. I’m busy today─”

Then.

Erilot peeked from behind Sebastia and laughed softly.

“I thought so, so I followed just to see you for a bit. I hope I’m not being rude?”

“...”

Blocked by the tiger-like Sebastia in front and dragon-like Erilot behind.

Christopher smiled casually.

“Of course. If it’s just a moment, I think I can make time. Shall we sit and talk?”

“Yes.”

“You two ladies, please sit here.”

Sebastia, who was linked arm-in-arm, shook her head.

“Talk with Erilot. I have work.”

“...You want us to talk alone?”

You want to leave me and your step-sister alone whom you think of as trash?

‘There’s an agenda.’

Usually, Sebastia acted as if she would catch a disease just by brushing against someone.

“Yes. Then I’ll be going.”

Sebastia left without a chance to stop her.

Christopher sat without showing much expression.

“So, what brings you here?”

“I want your help!”

“Do I have anything to help with?”

“To split the Sun Society, Your Highness’s help is essential.”

“...”

Christopher faltered.

The mask armed with a smile nearly broke.

“Oh, the lady is as interesting as I heard.”

“Really? I’m honored. Prince Christopher, you must get bored often.”

“No one enjoys life as much as I do.”

“You pretend to be a carefree playboy, but there’s no joy living behind that mask.”

He was the kind to eventually make one take off their mask.

Christopher laughed bitterly and crossed his arms.

“That’s right. The easier you seem, the looser your tongue gets.”

“As expected of Prince Christopher of the German Kingdom, the trade hub.”

“You’re impressive too. Choosing to recruit particularly stupid ones.”

“Stupid? That’s just innocence.”

“Well, you could say that... but I’m not.”

Christopher looked at Erilot with a cold expression.