After I returned to my room with the letter and the box.

  I was lured to open it many times.

  However, I hold myself back.

  That was why I kept on writing and writing last night.

  It is to distract myself from that box.

  Yet, I cannot take my mind out of it.

  However, whenever I read the word on the envelope of my father’s letter, I seem to be able to calm myself.

  As I tried to distract myself….

  The next morning came.

  With the first light shining through the window, I was led to the underground meeting room before I even had breakfast.

  Inside the room were Duke Willow and Lady Iris.

  Their faces told me that they did not sleep last night.

  Just like me, they might also have many more to think about.

  Then, I sat down without waiting for their invitation.

  Duke Willow did not bother with it.

  I could see he kept his head down the whole time.

  With Lady Iris sitting next to him, holding his hand tight, he spoke with difficulty… all that without lifting his head.

  “Your Highness, the saintess has chosen Lilia to be the next saintess. Now, she requested Lilia to go on pilgrimage before being officially appointed as one. It is the rule that Lilia must follow.”

  That was when they broke the news to me.

  Then, immediately after Duke Willow said that, Lady Iris added.

  “We decided to follow Mother's instructions.”

  Her mother… the saintess.

  So, that letter must detail the instructions from the saintess.

  And about the pilgrimage….

  Will Lilia join the saintess?

  Since he said that Lilia must go on the pilgrimage so she could be appointed as the next saintess, then the only rational thing is that she will go on the pilgrimage with the saintess.

  And since the saintess will lead the pilgrimage, that girl will join it as well.

  Then…

  I thought back to their reactions last time.

  Duke Willow seemed to react reluctantly to it.

  He even cited Lillia's safety.

  So, since that girl has been aiming to be a saintess, will she stay put with it?

  No, she won’t.

  Won’t Lilia be put in danger?

  We have to stop it.

  That was my thought.

  When I reached that part, I tried to tell them.

  Yet, before I could say anything, Lady Iris said.

  “Lilia will go on a pilgrimage around the southern region this year in secret.”

  Southern region only?

  In secret?

  I was baffled the moment I heard that.

  Can it be done that way?

  Then, Lady Iris looked straight at me.

  She made a request to me in earnest.

  “We want you to accompany her.”

  I tried to ask them to explain it to me.

  Yet, I missed my chance.

  I could not ask them as I was interrupted by Rowan.

  Before I could say anything, I heard a knocking sound on the door.

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  “Master, the guest has arrived.”

  That was Rowen behind the door.

  Then, Duke Willow suddenly lifted his head.

  With a heavy voice, he said.

  “Let them in.”

  Then….

  It was all quiet.

  No one said a single word.

  Duke Willow and Lady Iris silently looked at Duke Larose walking in.

  He, too, did not say a single word.

  I also did not say anything.

  I, at the very least, could read the room that much.

  It was not my place to step into it.

  It was his and Duke Willow’s conversation.

  It was their business.

  It was none of my business.

  So, we sat in that suffocating environment.

  The only sound that we could hear was the footsteps of Duke Larose.

  That, too, came to a stop.

  As he came to stand in front of us, he wordlessly looked at Duke Willow and Lady Iris.

  I sensed that he also looked at me briefly.

  After a long silence, Duke Larose finally opened his mouth.

  “It seems everyone has thought it through.”

  His voice was calm.

  It was much calmer than the night before.

  But that calmness seemed to cause a massive ripple in Duke Willow’s mind.

  Duke Willow slowly stood up as he kept his head down.

  Then, he rapidly approached Duke Larose.

  He violently grabbed Duke Larose’s collar as he shouted.

  “How long have you known about it?”

  His voice…

  It was broken.

  His scream shook the whole underground meeting room.

  That was the first time I witnessed that version of Duke Willow.

  He has always been a man full of confidence.

  He has always been a stern but gentle person.

  Yet, at that time, I saw none of it in him.

  He was like a broken man.

  That was how I feel from looking at him at that time.

  At that time, I pecked at Lady Iris.

  I could see her silently looking at their exchange.

  Her hands curled up.

  She even bit her own lips hard.

  Blood was dripping from it.

  I really did not know what Duke Willow was referring to.

  What was it that broke these two mountains?

  So, I looked at Duke Larose.

  I was searching for the answer from him, the person who caused all this.

  Then, I saw it.

  Facing that violent outburst from Duke Willow, he did not flinch.

  He calmly received it.

  That calmness caused me to freeze.

  It was not normal.

  Then, he briefly looked at Lady Iris before focusing his attention on Duke Willow again.

  “I don't know how much Ms. Iris told you. But it seems you get the general ideas.”

  He flatly responded to Duke Willow.

  That action of his caused Duke Willow to react more violently.

  He shocked him hard.

  His grip on Duke Larose’s collar tightened.

  Then, he pulled Duke Larose closer to him.

  As he brought his face closer to Duke Larose, he screamed.

  That scream… it was turned into a cry.

  “Why did you keep it a secret? Why didn’t you tell me that day?”

  His cry…. Imbued with killing intent and aura… directed at Duke Larose.

  I was really scared at that time.

  That was the most intense killing intent I have ever experienced.

  Yet, Duke Larose was unfazed by it.

  He grabbed Duke Willow’s hands and tore them off his collar.

  Then, with equal madness, he stared at Duke Willow.

  He acted as if Duke Willow was beneath him.

  With a grin, he replied in a mocking tone.

  “... It was meant for the test, and you failed. You have no right to complain.”

  Upon hearing that, Duke Willow opened his eyes wide.

  He was very shocked, I perceived.

  Then he slowly fell down.

  That sentence brought Duke Willow to his knees.

  That was the first time I had seen Duke Willow kneel.

  Then, as he looked down at Duke Willow, he pressed for an answer.

  “So, what is your answer?”

  Facing this question, Duke Willow did not reply.

  It was Lady Iris who responded to him.

  She came to sit down close to Duke Willow.

  As she brought him to her embrace as if she was comforting him, she looked up at Duke Larose.

  With a gentle tone, she said.

  “We will accept the general direction. However, we would like to make fine adjustments by ourselves.”

  Only after hearing that answer did he smile.

  I could feel that his body relaxed a little.

  “That is good.”

  He replied as he closed his eyes.

  After that, Lady Iris asked him.

  “Duke Larose, what would you do if we rejected it?”

  I could see that he was really surprised when he heard that question.

  It was as if he did not expect that kind of question.

  After momentarily baffling, he let out a wicked smile.

  That smile….

  It was not evil.

  But I could sense madness in it.

  Then, he replied.

  “I would actively support it. That would be the best for me. I can't let her light be overshadowed by a mere candle.”

  As I was unsure about what they were talking about, Duke Larose shifted his attention to me.

  He brought something out of his pocket.

  The moment I saw what he was holding, before he could say anything further, I knelt down immediately.

  That was the imperial decree.

  Then, Duke Larose announced.

  “Your Highness, this is the direct order from the emperor. You may receive it.”

  I knelt down and looked up at him.

  That thing was the highest order from the empire.

  That golden scroll….

  All 31 stamps were imprinted on it.

  Then, Duke Larose began to read the content of that scroll out loud.

  “The first prince of the Ashment Empire received the imperial decree. You shall accompany the saintess candidate Lilia on her pilgrimage. During that time, you are stripped of your rank as an imperial prince. Your reinstatement will be decided on at a later date. This is the end of the imperial decree.”

  The content……..

  It was too shocking….

  Yet, my attention was drawn to only one thing.

  It was that I would accompany Lilia on her pilgrimage.

  I would do it without that command.

  Then, after he finished reading it, he rolled it back.

  He raised it high in the sky, then he looked down at me and said.

  “The moment you receive this decree, you are no longer the prince. You will become a peasant. It is not guaranteed that you will be reinstated at the prince. Do you dare to accept it?”

  The answer is already set in stone.

  What else could I do?

  Do I have a choice?

  Yes.

  I was not hesitant at that time.

  The only thing on my mind at that time was Lilia.

  That was my sole purpose.

  That was why I readily accepted it.

  “... I humbly accept the decree.”

  After I received it, I stood up.

  Then, Duke Larose looked at me.

  His eyes have changed.

  They were different from his eyes the first time we met.

  They were different from the eyes he had been showing me.

  It was as if he appreciated me.

  Then, he spoke out loud.

  “At least you have courage. You pass.”

  Then, he put his hand on my shoulder.

  “I hope to meet you again as a man.”

  He said that as he petted my shoulder.

  It was as if he had acknowledged me.

  It brought me great joy.

  After that, he gently said to me.

  “I will take my leave.”

  Then, he walked away to the door.

  When he reached for the door, he pushed.

  Then, he turned back and looked at Lady Iris.

  After that, he bowed down to her.

  With a gentle voice, he said.

  “Ms. Iris. Thank you for that day.”

  Only then did he completely leave us.

  After he left, I, too, left that room.

  I left Duke Willow and Lady Iris in that room alone.

  I knew that they needed some time alone.

  So, I came back to my room.