Late in the night, Fabian was greeted with an amazing story when he came to the Empress’s palace.

It was odd until her mother came here to meet Evelyn and talked about a shocking topic that he never thought about before.

“…… So Empress Dowager is sure that Duke Metis will give up if she marries Stella into another family. Despite many other young women, what Duke Metis wants is for his own daughter becomes the Empress.” Evelyn slowly explained, looking at Fabian’s hardened face.

“So far, you understand, right?” she asked. “Right now, the only marriage partner that fits Lady Metis’ status is Duke Perth. After all, the Duke is single now. “

“Single? Right……for now….” Fabian nodded even there was a part he still didn’t understand.

Monica wasn’t the only one who didn’t know Fabian. Vice versa, Fabian also couldn’t really figure out what his mother was thinking about.

“…… no, that doesn’t make sense. Duke Perth won’t agree. If it can be solved that way, Empress Dowager wouldn’t have to come here.”

Fabian’s got the point. However, Evelyn had to finish conveying his mother’s words.

“They’re a match made in heaven….”

“Huh? What?”

“The Empress knows their characters well, and it looks like they’re soul mates to each other.”

“Ha…” Fabian spilled his tea, laughing. Hearing what kind of match-making his mother was doing right now, he couldn’t believe it. “Really, I don’t understand…….”

“I don’t understand either. But, all we have to do now is cooperate with her. And the Empress also wants to save the Metis family.”

“So if her family doesn’t bother me anymore, she wants me not to let go of her family?”

“Maybe.”

Fabian didn’t know whether it was a deal or a negotiation. But for the time being, his mother’s plans were out of the ordinary. He then heaved a low sigh. “What the hell is wrong with her?”

“I don’t think she has bad intentions.”

As Evelyn had said the same thing as before. Fabian looked at her blue eyes full of kindness, “Not everyone in the world is as innocent as you.”

“I’m not that naive either.”

Evelyn recalled the Empress’s eyes. She wanted to give credence to that feeling. It was only a brief moment, but they felt the same way about their son’s future.

“If there’s no need for bloodshed ….. If there’s another way, wouldn’t the Metis Family and Imperial Family relations be more peaceful?” Evelyn whispered.

“Wow, you have a deep thought. I can’t believe, right now, you even thought of a Duke, who is encouraging his daughter to be an Empress candidate.”

“It’s not like that. I’m more concerned with Your Majesty than the Duke.”

Fabian looked a little astonished at her, and Evelyn also seemed surprised at what she just said. That was quite a bold remarks that she wouldn’t dare to say in ordinary times. It’s like saying that Fabian was wrong to kill her mother’s family.

“…….Fine.” Fabian, who had been thinking for a while, unexpectedly accepted it without a hitch. “If possible, I also don’t want to see a bloodbath.”

A faint smile emerged on Evelyn’s lips. She was scared at first when Empress Dowager asked her to help forward her request to Fabian. But now Evelyn was relieved that Fabian was accepting Evelyn’s words as they were.

“The Empress said I’ve changed a little,” Evelyn recalled her memory. “And I think your mother has changed a little, too.”

“I still don’t know what’s going on with her.”

“Your Majesty has changed too, haven’t we all changed little by little?”

The line connecting the dots between people could change at any time. Evelyn hoped that one more warm line of ties to Fabian would increase.

“Next time, if I have a chance, I want to show Adrian to her.”

Fabian flinched his eyebrows but said no rejection.

“She will be happy.”

“I don’t think so.”

“No, I’m sure she’ll be happy because Adrian resembles Your Majesty in childhood.”

The little figure of Fabian that Evelyn didn’t know. However, it would be an unforgettable memory for Monica. Even though they both deny each other, a mother must have memories of her child.

“The Empress doesn’t know about my childhood……” Fabian rested his head on Evelyn’s lap as if he didn’t like hearing stories about his mother. Then he slowly closed his eyes, pretending to be fine.

“It can’t be……maybe not right now, but if you have a chance……Your Majesty, please show Adrian to the Empress.” Evelyn whispered, but Fabian only held Evelyn’s hand tightly and didn’t say anything.

“Your Majesty, sooner or later, you cannot avoid this.”

Evelyn could only grin wryly as Fabian pretended to turn his head without a word and twisted back again. He reluctantly opened his mouth, even after Evelyn smiled warmly at him.

“Fine, if I have a chance.”

Only then did Evelyn chuckle as everything was changing in a good direction little by little.

It was a nice day that couldn’t last forever.

***

Sagan eventually ordered the disbandment of his army. Rage and resentment, he didn’t know which one he felt was greater at the moment. What was certain, everything was going wrong right now.

“That greedy sly fox …… he betrayed Metis only for his territory?”

The feelings of betrayal erupted as he recalled the Pope, who nodded calmly at the congress.

It wasn’t a matter of a single piece of land. But Sagan had already lost the battle when the Pope had taken all factors into account and decided to support the Emperor.

“And now, the Vatican Paladin is here to see me.”

Without understanding why Sagan was informed that David had come to his residence by himself late at night.

“Did he come to deceive me?”

“Duke, calm down. You still have a secret agreement with the Vatican.” Gale said cautiously, but Sagan’s serene temper didn’t last long.

“Secrets remain secret. If he breaks a promise that no one knows, who can blame him?”

Since Sagan had a great political instinct, trust or commitment wasn’t in his political dictionary.

“From the beginning, that old man didn’t care who became the Imperial’ successor. What he prioritized was Saint Iretta’s behalf!” Bang…His fist hit the table roughly.

“Then, shall I send him back?”

Sagan tried to find a reason for Gale’s question. Actually, he still had room for negotiation. “Wait… let’s hear what he wants.”

“I’ll bring him.”

After Gale had said so, soon, David appeared in his living room.

Sagan stared at him without a word, remembering the Pope’s actions in congress today were tantamount to a betrayal of Metis.

“I didn’t come here to be an outlet for your anger.” David opened his mouth, looking as calm as usual in front of the angry Sagan.

“Do you want me to trust the Vatican after what happened at the congress today?”

“You don’t have to believe us.”

As David’s tranquil voice rang low, Sagan shouldn’t act carelessly. What would Metis rely on if he shook off the Vatican’s hand now? Meanwhile, it’s beyond his prediction that Duke Akshire would appear and set up a new faction in congress against him.

“But I don’t want you to misunderstand.”

“Misunderstanding? Was the Pope’s betrayal today a misunderstanding?”

David stared at Sagan with his purple eyes, “Did you forget what I told you earlier?”

If he thought about it, David never lied to him. The only thing he promised was the death of the Emperor’s heir, Adrian. After that, he would send Evelyn back to her homeland and choose a new Empress as he wished.

“I want to confirm your promise again. As you can see, the Vatican entourage has entered the palace. But do you have access to that little Prince?” asked Sagan.

Breaking through Fabian’s surveillance wasn’t effortless. Sagan had already mobilized all the spies he had cultivated in the Imperial family over the years. Still, they couldn’t even figure out what the little Prince’s snack was.

“When did I ever say I would meet the Prince in person?”

Sagan emphasized his words’ meaning; first, his long experience of living in a political frenzy made him always be careful.

“I can’t get close to the Prince, anyway. His Majesty is a cautious person, even he also suspects me, the Vatican Paladin.”

“So what are you going to do?” asked Sagan, who couldn’t contain his frustration and had yet to find a definite answer why David wanted to kill Adrian so badly.

“I’ve prepared the means. What I need now is your help, Duke.”

“So what can I do? Didn’t you say you were going to do something?”

There’s no other way, anyway. As long as Adrian was still alive, Metis’s blood couldn’t coagulate in the Imperial family, considering that they always only had one heir.

“One…There’s one person who has access to the Prince, and he’s very close to you, Duke,” said David.

Sagan frowned at his mysterious remark. But soon, he dawned, as one person came to his mind.

“…No way.”

Sagan’s voice trembled slightly when David took a small ceramic bottle out of his cloak and put it down on the table, “It’s an ordinary perfume. It will suit a noblewoman.”

“You don’t have to fool me.” Sagan glared at David when he learned what the Paladin was up to.

“It’s not a poison. The only thing special is that it’s made with the Vatican’s holy water.” David told him seriously, but still, Sagan seemed not to believe at all.

“No matter what the reason is, you can’t poison the Prince with the Empress’ hand!”

“It doesn’t have to use this perfume. I’ve brought a lot of holy water. Didn’t you already receive it, Duke? Is there poison on it? You can try it if you’re curious.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“That little Prince is currently addicted to Devil Eye’s poison.”

Having come this far, Sagan wasn’t that foolish enough to ask how David knew about that.

“The amount of poison in his small body is too much, so he needs several years to detoxify it.”

“So you’re going to ‘kill’ him with holy water?”

“Yes.” David nodded with pleasure. “Holy water is very effective in neutralizing demonic poison. It’s almost the only helpful treatment…… it should be if you’re a healthy adult …… “

Sagan was voiceless, asking back with his gaze.

“The principle of treatment is simple. The holy water will destroy the demon poison left in the blood…..as soon as it’s absorbed, immediately.”

David couldn’t kill Adrian, even though he had already sent Devil Eyes. However, their poison was still eating away at Adrian’s small body from within.

“I don’t know, is it because of such extreme emotional outbursts? But those who are addicted to the poison… most of them die because they cannot stand the healing process. It was a tragedy that happened several times at Saint Iretta. Perhaps, if the proportion of poison in the body exceeds a certain amount ….. that patient’s body will self-destruct.”

Sagan looked at David with bulging eyes, unable to respond to this great story, “So, the reason you came to the Imperial Palace …… was because of that?”

“But, Princess Evelyn suspects the Vatican. She didn’t use the holy water we gave her.”

“Then, she’s a stumbling block that I have to deal with …..”Sagan blurted out his last sentence.

“Why? Are you afraid to taint your sister’s hand with blood?”

Sagan now felt that his life was at stake. The holy water that was said to be a blessing was the same as poison. Helping David, who intended to kill Adrian through the Empress, was tantamount to suicide.

All these crimes must be carried by Sagan alone because if this murder occurred, the Empress would have played a part in murdering her grandson without knowing anything about it.

“It’s up to you to choose. You can use anything. The medium doesn’t matter; the most important thing is that it can touch the Prince’s skin.” But it seemed, David didn’t give him time to think.

“I’ve told you how. Now, what exactly do you want …… please choose.”

As Sagan remained silent, David gave a brief example and disappeared from his sight.

“What I really want…….”

Sagan’s raucous voice rang in the darkness.

His gloomy eyes were packed with an obsession resembling ambition.