The numbers Cerden saw in Evelyn's room were the shift times for the Crown Prince Guard and the Imperial Guard.
That information connected to the Crown Prince Palace, the Crown Princess's palace, and the Empress's palace, extending even to the Emperor's palace.
Just how far were they reaching?
He felt as if he could see the dense spiderweb that was cast over this imperial palace.
‘Why did Evelyn have that?’
That was a question that remained unresolved. It took him only two hours to figure out the identity of the numbers, but he still had no idea why Evelyn possessed them.
When he asked the servants working in the Crown Princess's palace, all he got back was that they had indeed been treasure hunting for several days.
What about Rozalina?
Cerden willingly offered Rozalina a cup of tea, and during that time, she evaluated Evelyn.
‘She really is like a little child. She loves to play. She doesn’t seem suited for Your Highness's position... but I think she’s a kind person.’
Cerden rubbed his lips with his finger.
“Hello, ugly uncle!”
“I like candy. You’re bad! Get out! This is mine!”
Cerden recalled the Evelyn he had seen in person. Her speech and actions were definitely childlike.
Moreover, drooling and rolling off the bed was something only a child would do. The problem was the oddities found within that.
There was something unsettling about it. A feeling of discomfort that was indescribable, like an itch at the back of his head.
Was it due to his naturally suspicious personality, or did Evelyn really have something to hide?
As he abruptly stood up, Mortega followed him.
“...I remember there’s an external schedule the day after tomorrow.”
“Yes, that’s correct, Your Highness, the Crown Prince. The Merchant Union is being newly established, and you must attend the inauguration ceremony.”
It was a newly emerging force. Those who knew how to handle money had invested the profits they earned through trade into real estate, and with the money they made, they entered high society.
Despite lacking titles, they had surpassed the standards of the haughty nobles in society.
This meant they had a lot to offer.
With the newly emerging “bourgeois” forming a union, public interest was piqued. At the center of it was the Rochester trading company, run by a young and stylish man.
It was said that anyone who partnered with Kloche Rochester would inevitably make money.
Unlike before, highborn nobles without wealth were no longer regarded as nobles, so it was understandable that the eager nobles, with their eyes set on making money, would chase after Rochester.
And behind that Rochester trading company was a secret backing.
“Let’s have Evelyn attend that event.”
“Pardon?”
Mortega’s eyes widened. It looked like his eyeballs might pop out.
“B-but Your Highness, the Crown Prince...!”
“Tell the maids to prepare. And before returning to Rozalina today, tell her to stop by me. Understood?”
Mortega stared at Cerden with a look of disbelief.
Cerden smirked slightly.
‘I’m really curious to see how she’ll react in an unfamiliar environment.’
He planned to observe how Evelyn would behave among those slippery nobles. The more flustered she became, the more her true self would be revealed.
That morning.
His mood soured due to an uninvited guest who arrived without notice. The arrogant face that entered, looking down on him with those eyes. Moreover, the attitude as if she were the owner of the Crown Princess's palace.
Cherryna and Rosie were watching the guest closely, as if the guest were above them.
It was Augustine Spelman. The Spelman young lord.
And Evelyn’s younger brother.
“Still living like a decent person, I see. Evelyn, I always told you, you should be grateful to have been born into our family.”
How should he hit that mouth so that it would spread the rumor that he hit it well?
He glared at Augustine’s lips, thinking such thoughts.
“Fortunately, seeing you’ve gained some weight, it seems you’re doing well. Cherryna, Rosie.”
Augustine gestured to Cherryna and Rosie. They cautiously approached him.
Then, slap!
Augustine slapped Cherryna and Rosie’s cheeks. His demeanor was unbothered even with me present. However, it seemed Augustine wanted to show me all of this. There was a strange sense of victory in his eyes as he glanced back at me.
As I pretended to shrink in fear, Augustine sneered and turned his head away.
“Y-young master...”
“Do you dare to disregard the name of Spelman? I’m sure I told you to find out the shift times and inform me as promised.”
He didn’t care that I was there. It meant that even if I knew, it wasn’t threatening.
“W-we did as you instructed! It’s true, young lord!”
Augustine slapped Cherryna and Rosie’s cheeks again.
“I told you not to talk back.”
With a deep sigh, Augustine gritted his teeth.
“Isn’t this because you received nothing? If so, it’s your fault for not keeping it properly, so does that mean it’s my fault?”
“N-no, it’s not.”
Cherryna and Rosie bowed their heads with swollen cheeks.
“This time, we’ll change the method.”
Augustine placed two objects that looked like new bird nests on the table.
“Hang these on a tree and put a note inside. Do you understand?”
“Yes, yes, young lord!”
Cherryna and Rosie rushed out of the room, and Augustine slowly turned his head. Then he smiled brightly.
“Not crying today?”
What a little brat?
I could guess how Evelyn’s life had been at Spelman. They must have tormented her by scaring her like this.
Without ever laying a hand on Evelyn, they would have stirred her tender insides.
I pinched my thigh hard. That wasn’t enough, so I scratched and pinched the back of my hand.
Tears finally welled up.
“Ugh...”
“Of course. Hah, Evelyn, did you see? If you don’t listen, you’ll get hit like that too. You’re sharing cookies with the Empress, right?”
I shook my head vigorously.
“C-cookies are Evelyn’s...”
And then tears began to fall.
“Why? I told you to do as you were told. If you act like this, your father will be disappointed. Do you want to disappoint your father? Or do you want to get hit by me?”
Wow, what a despicable brat. This is why Spelman is called a villainous family.
If it weren’t for Spelman, Cerden wouldn’t have turned into such trash... wouldn’t have...
For a moment, my thoughts froze. The Cerden I had experienced until now didn’t seem to be inherently kind.
Still, he wouldn’t become a mastermind behind the scenes.
“I don’t want to. You’re scary.”
“What?”
I mumbled my lips. I rolled my eyes. This was my palace. I wouldn’t let him run rampant again. I shouted while tears streamed down my face.
After all, the Crown Prince was here. There was no need for me to deal with Augustine. The greatest mastermind of the world was right here.
“I-I’ll tell my husband!”
“What?”
“I-I’ll tell Cerden! That you hit me! I’ll tell that you hit Cherryna and Rosie too! You’re bad!”
Screaming, I burst out of the room, and a startled Augustine chased after me. Augustine, with a panicked look, tightly grabbed my wrist and asked.
“Where are you going right now!”
The arrogant expression he had while slapping Cherryna and Rosie had long disappeared. Augustine looked quite flustered, even stumbling a bit. I seized that moment and pushed him hard.
“Oof!!”
“I’m going to my husband! He gives me candy and delicious things! You’re bad! I’ll tell everything!”
Dodging the pushed Augustine, I ran down the hallway, hearing his panicked voice behind me.
“E-Evelyn! Catch her right now!”
The maids stared at me with surprised faces, but I pushed past them and ran. I didn’t know if Cerden would take my side, but he wouldn’t turn a blind eye to me, would he?
“Gasp, gasp. Why, why is she so fast!”
“Ugh... you’ve been playing outside for days...! Miss! Your Highness! I’ll give you something delicious! Please!!”
At Spelman, Augustine’s words or the duke’s words might have been law. But here, my words were law. Damn it.
That information connected to the Crown Prince Palace, the Crown Princess's palace, and the Empress's palace, extending even to the Emperor's palace.
Just how far were they reaching?
He felt as if he could see the dense spiderweb that was cast over this imperial palace.
‘Why did Evelyn have that?’
That was a question that remained unresolved. It took him only two hours to figure out the identity of the numbers, but he still had no idea why Evelyn possessed them.
When he asked the servants working in the Crown Princess's palace, all he got back was that they had indeed been treasure hunting for several days.
What about Rozalina?
Cerden willingly offered Rozalina a cup of tea, and during that time, she evaluated Evelyn.
‘She really is like a little child. She loves to play. She doesn’t seem suited for Your Highness's position... but I think she’s a kind person.’
Cerden rubbed his lips with his finger.
“Hello, ugly uncle!”
“I like candy. You’re bad! Get out! This is mine!”
Cerden recalled the Evelyn he had seen in person. Her speech and actions were definitely childlike.
Moreover, drooling and rolling off the bed was something only a child would do. The problem was the oddities found within that.
There was something unsettling about it. A feeling of discomfort that was indescribable, like an itch at the back of his head.
Was it due to his naturally suspicious personality, or did Evelyn really have something to hide?
As he abruptly stood up, Mortega followed him.
“...I remember there’s an external schedule the day after tomorrow.”
“Yes, that’s correct, Your Highness, the Crown Prince. The Merchant Union is being newly established, and you must attend the inauguration ceremony.”
It was a newly emerging force. Those who knew how to handle money had invested the profits they earned through trade into real estate, and with the money they made, they entered high society.
Despite lacking titles, they had surpassed the standards of the haughty nobles in society.
This meant they had a lot to offer.
With the newly emerging “bourgeois” forming a union, public interest was piqued. At the center of it was the Rochester trading company, run by a young and stylish man.
It was said that anyone who partnered with Kloche Rochester would inevitably make money.
Unlike before, highborn nobles without wealth were no longer regarded as nobles, so it was understandable that the eager nobles, with their eyes set on making money, would chase after Rochester.
And behind that Rochester trading company was a secret backing.
“Let’s have Evelyn attend that event.”
“Pardon?”
Mortega’s eyes widened. It looked like his eyeballs might pop out.
“B-but Your Highness, the Crown Prince...!”
“Tell the maids to prepare. And before returning to Rozalina today, tell her to stop by me. Understood?”
Mortega stared at Cerden with a look of disbelief.
Cerden smirked slightly.
‘I’m really curious to see how she’ll react in an unfamiliar environment.’
He planned to observe how Evelyn would behave among those slippery nobles. The more flustered she became, the more her true self would be revealed.
That morning.
His mood soured due to an uninvited guest who arrived without notice. The arrogant face that entered, looking down on him with those eyes. Moreover, the attitude as if she were the owner of the Crown Princess's palace.
Cherryna and Rosie were watching the guest closely, as if the guest were above them.
It was Augustine Spelman. The Spelman young lord.
And Evelyn’s younger brother.
“Still living like a decent person, I see. Evelyn, I always told you, you should be grateful to have been born into our family.”
How should he hit that mouth so that it would spread the rumor that he hit it well?
He glared at Augustine’s lips, thinking such thoughts.
“Fortunately, seeing you’ve gained some weight, it seems you’re doing well. Cherryna, Rosie.”
Augustine gestured to Cherryna and Rosie. They cautiously approached him.
Then, slap!
Augustine slapped Cherryna and Rosie’s cheeks. His demeanor was unbothered even with me present. However, it seemed Augustine wanted to show me all of this. There was a strange sense of victory in his eyes as he glanced back at me.
As I pretended to shrink in fear, Augustine sneered and turned his head away.
“Y-young master...”
“Do you dare to disregard the name of Spelman? I’m sure I told you to find out the shift times and inform me as promised.”
He didn’t care that I was there. It meant that even if I knew, it wasn’t threatening.
“W-we did as you instructed! It’s true, young lord!”
Augustine slapped Cherryna and Rosie’s cheeks again.
“I told you not to talk back.”
With a deep sigh, Augustine gritted his teeth.
“Isn’t this because you received nothing? If so, it’s your fault for not keeping it properly, so does that mean it’s my fault?”
“N-no, it’s not.”
Cherryna and Rosie bowed their heads with swollen cheeks.
“This time, we’ll change the method.”
Augustine placed two objects that looked like new bird nests on the table.
“Hang these on a tree and put a note inside. Do you understand?”
“Yes, yes, young lord!”
Cherryna and Rosie rushed out of the room, and Augustine slowly turned his head. Then he smiled brightly.
“Not crying today?”
What a little brat?
I could guess how Evelyn’s life had been at Spelman. They must have tormented her by scaring her like this.
Without ever laying a hand on Evelyn, they would have stirred her tender insides.
I pinched my thigh hard. That wasn’t enough, so I scratched and pinched the back of my hand.
Tears finally welled up.
“Ugh...”
“Of course. Hah, Evelyn, did you see? If you don’t listen, you’ll get hit like that too. You’re sharing cookies with the Empress, right?”
I shook my head vigorously.
“C-cookies are Evelyn’s...”
And then tears began to fall.
“Why? I told you to do as you were told. If you act like this, your father will be disappointed. Do you want to disappoint your father? Or do you want to get hit by me?”
Wow, what a despicable brat. This is why Spelman is called a villainous family.
If it weren’t for Spelman, Cerden wouldn’t have turned into such trash... wouldn’t have...
For a moment, my thoughts froze. The Cerden I had experienced until now didn’t seem to be inherently kind.
Still, he wouldn’t become a mastermind behind the scenes.
“I don’t want to. You’re scary.”
“What?”
I mumbled my lips. I rolled my eyes. This was my palace. I wouldn’t let him run rampant again. I shouted while tears streamed down my face.
After all, the Crown Prince was here. There was no need for me to deal with Augustine. The greatest mastermind of the world was right here.
“I-I’ll tell my husband!”
“What?”
“I-I’ll tell Cerden! That you hit me! I’ll tell that you hit Cherryna and Rosie too! You’re bad!”
Screaming, I burst out of the room, and a startled Augustine chased after me. Augustine, with a panicked look, tightly grabbed my wrist and asked.
“Where are you going right now!”
The arrogant expression he had while slapping Cherryna and Rosie had long disappeared. Augustine looked quite flustered, even stumbling a bit. I seized that moment and pushed him hard.
“Oof!!”
“I’m going to my husband! He gives me candy and delicious things! You’re bad! I’ll tell everything!”
Dodging the pushed Augustine, I ran down the hallway, hearing his panicked voice behind me.
“E-Evelyn! Catch her right now!”
The maids stared at me with surprised faces, but I pushed past them and ran. I didn’t know if Cerden would take my side, but he wouldn’t turn a blind eye to me, would he?
“Gasp, gasp. Why, why is she so fast!”
“Ugh... you’ve been playing outside for days...! Miss! Your Highness! I’ll give you something delicious! Please!!”
At Spelman, Augustine’s words or the duke’s words might have been law. But here, my words were law. Damn it.
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