The sky was a piercing, brilliant blue. The white towers of Weisskrone Castle glittered and sparkled, bathed in the spring sunlight. Today, an international conference was to be held within these castle walls. The atmosphere in the royal capital of Felsenheim was taut with tension. Inside the great hall, ambassadors from various nations were already seated. On the dais at the front stood the imposing chair of King Friedrich III. Flanking it on both sides were members of the Privy Council. A magically-powered furnace suspended from the ceiling cast a faint, pale blue light. Every ambassador's face was rigid. The ambassador from the Margraviate of Melvita. Representatives from the surrounding smaller nations. And—the ambassador from the Duchy of Grinford. Beside him, in the very back row, sat a single man. A tall, slender man with silver-gray hair swept back and a silver monocle over his left eye. Sergio Vasqueri. Prime Minister of the Duchy of Grinford. A gentle smile played on his lips as he slowly turned a teacup in his hands. His demeanor was utterly nonchalant, as if the conference about to begin was of no concern to him whatsoever. (*That face. It's the face of a man who thinks everything is going according to his calculations.*) From the dais, Chloe von Rosenberg stared intently at him. Her waist-length silver hair was tied back into a single tail, and her narrow, violet eyes gleamed coldly. The burn scar running from beneath her left eye down to her cheek stood out starkly against her pale skin. She wore a deep blue dress—the color of House Rosenberg. Beside her stood Alexis von Elvasion. His platinum blond hair brushed his shoulders. His sky-blue eyes were narrowed more sharply than usual. Today, the furrow between his earnest brows was etched especially deep. "[whispers]Are you alright?" He asked in a low voice. Without taking her eyes off Sergio, Chloe gave a small nod. "[cold]Yes. Everything is going according to plan." Her voice held no tremor. Looking down from the dais, her eyes met Sergio's. Those pale blue eyes, like a frozen lake. His gaze traced the scar on Chloe's left cheek. Behind his monocle, his pupils dilated slightly. Then, slowly, the corners of his mouth relaxed. (*That smile. The face of a man still confident that the bombing was his own doing.*) Chloe's expression didn't change. Her heart gave a heavy thump, but she didn't let it show. Instead, she felt a quiet flame begin to burn deep within her chest. —Today, it ends. "[serious]Let us begin." With those words, she gave Alexis a small nod. Alexis stepped forward. His clear, dignified voice rang through the great hall. "[serious]I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for gathering here today for this emergency international conference, hosted by the Kingdom of Elvasion." The hall fell silent. A heavy stillness spread, as if even the soldiers were holding their breath. "[serious]There is only one item on the agenda. It concerns the recent bombing incident in Brückenhafen." At these words, several ambassadors stirred. The Grinford ambassador stared straight ahead, his expression unchanged. However, his hands were clenched tightly on his knees. Only Sergio still held his teacup, a serene smile on his face. Chloe descended from the dais. She held a thick bundle of documents in her hands. A soldier began distributing copies of the same documents to each ambassador's seat. The only sound in the hall was the *click, click* of her shoes. She stood at the central podium and picked up one of the documents. "[serious]First, please look at this." The documents were passed into the ambassadors' hands. They were copies of terrorist instructions, seized from an operative who had been hiding in a villa near the border city of Brückenhafen. "[serious]The specific procedures for the bombing are detailed here, word for word. The type of explosives used. The placement locations. The timing of the detonation—everything." Sergio's hand set down the teacup. A small *clink* echoed in the silence. "[cold]And please look at the bottom right of this document." Chloe continued in a cold voice. In the bottom right corner of the document, unmistakably—was the stamped signature, the *kaō*, of Sergio Vasqueri. The Grinford ambassador's face paled. "[angry]This is...!" But before he could say anything more, Chloe had already picked up the next document. "[cold]The second document." The soldiers distributed the papers once more. This was a list detailing the names and sums of money intended to bribe key figures within the Elvasion royal family. Names of Privy Councilors, names of regional military nobles, and beside them, figures amounting to hundreds of gold coins. A stir spread through the hall. "[cold]This list was seized recently by our Royal Army Intelligence Division. Investigations have already been launched into those targeted for bribery." Sergio's smile stiffened, ever so slightly. It was faint, but unmistakable. It was the first crack in the perfectly maintained mask of gentleness he had worn until now. His right hand gripped the armrest of his chair tightly. "[cold]And now—the third document." Chloe held up the final paper. Her hand trembled faintly. But it wasn't from fear; it was the exhilaration of the approaching conclusion. The documents were handed to each ambassador. It was a set of instructions, detailing a meticulous schedule and procedure for abducting Chloe von Rosenberg and taking her to the Prime Minister's private residence in Grinford. *'Transport Chloe von Rosenberg to the Prime Minister's private residence. The procedure is as follows—'* Her own name was written clearly in black ink. "[serious]This is a plan to abduct me and take me to Grinford. This, too, bears His Excellency the Prime Minister's signature." In that instant. Sergio gripped the armrest of his chair hard. His knuckles turned white, and a faint, creaking sound escaped the wood. "[whispers]...Impossible." The words slipped from his mouth, quiet but distinct. The smile that had been plastered on his face until now crumbled audibly. His pale blue eyes were wide with shock. They fixed on Chloe up on the dais. The Melvita ambassador rose to his feet. "[surprised]This is... this can no longer be overlooked." With his murmur, the atmosphere in the hall completely transformed. The ambassadors all began to stir at once. Accusatory glares pierced the Grinford seats. The Grinford ambassador's mouth opened and closed, as if searching for words of defense, but nothing came out. His face was deathly pale, and greasy sweat beaded on his forehead. "[cold]Permission to report to my home country." He squeezed the words out and stood up on the spot. It was then. "[gentle]...I see. Magnificent." Sergio slowly rose to his feet. His voice was as calm as it had been moments before. But his eyes were not smiling. Those eyes, like a frozen lake, pierced straight through Chloe. "[gentle]My lady. Can you prove that you haven't fabricated something against me? —For instance, where is the proof that those documents are genuine?" It was a counterattack. A strike like a cornered beast baring its last fangs. The air in the hall froze once more. Chloe took a step forward. She straightened her back, faced forward without hiding her scar, and then drew a sealed letter from inside her dress. "[cold]Please look at this." It was the sealed letter delivered by the secret messenger in Chapter Six—the original of the instructions Sergio had sent to Chloe, believing her to be his false informant. "[cold]This is the letter of instruction you sent me when you tried to recruit me as a spy. The crest in the wax seal—it matches His Excellency the Prime Minister's personal seal. Authentication has already been completed by the kingdom's experts." Sergio's monocle reflected a faint glint of light. "[cold]Furthermore, the secret messenger who delivered this letter is already in the custody of our royal guards. He has testified to everything." Silence. For a few seconds, Sergio didn't move. Then, slowly, he placed his hand on his chair. His fingers trembled slightly. And then—he laughed. "[laughing]...I see." It was no longer a smile of composure. It was the kind of smile a cornered man shows at the very end. An expression where resignation and an unextinguished fighting spirit mingled strangely. "[laughing]I see... So this is my loss, then." He laughed faintly and shook his head. Then, he stared intently at Chloe on the dais. His eyes still burned. King Friedrich III rose heavily to his feet. "[serious]I hereby declare the establishment of an international investigative committee regarding Sergio Vasqueri, Prime Minister of the Duchy of Grinford. Until then, he shall be forcibly deported to his home country." Applause erupted. Sparse at first, it gradually swelled, filling the great hall. Chloe stood on the dais, her back straight. The pale blue light of the magical furnace illuminated the scar on her cheek. Alexis stood beside her. Close enough that their shoulders were almost touching. Just that was enough to release a little of the tension from Chloe's body. "[gentle]You did it." He whispered softly. Chloe didn't answer, just kept facing forward. But Alexis didn't miss the way the corners of her mouth relaxed, just a tiny bit. —The conference ended. The ambassadors filed out of the hall one after another. Surrounded by guards, Sergio also disappeared into the flow. He glanced back once, sending a look toward Chloe, but his expression was no longer visible. With the people gone, the great hall suddenly felt empty. At the podium, Chloe began organizing the remaining documents. Her fingertips were cold. Pretending not to notice, she stacked the papers mechanically. "[serious]Chloe." Suddenly, Alexis called her name. When she turned, he was standing in front of the podium. His face was far more serious than it had been during the international conference. "[serious]...Hm? Good work today, Your Highness." Chloe spoke in a businesslike tone. Her hands were still moving the documents. That's when it happened. Alexis dropped to one knee right there. The sound of his mantle rustling against the floor. A single document slipped from Chloe's hand. "[surprised]...Huh?" Her hands stopped. For a moment, her mind went completely blank. Alexis looked up at Chloe directly. His sky-blue eyes wavered slightly. The tips of his ears were faintly red. "[serious]Chloe von Rosenberg. I want you to become my official wife." He spoke as if savoring each and every word. Chloe couldn't move. She remained frozen, half-bent over as if to pick up the fallen document. Her eyes met Alexis's. His gaze was too direct, leaving her nowhere to escape. (*...What did he just say? Official wife? Me?*) Inside her head, her past self—the salaryman from her previous life—and her current self as a noble lady were both thrown into simultaneous confusion. Slowly, she straightened up. She took a deep breath in. And out. Then, fixing her usual cool expression onto her face, she opened her mouth. "[sarcastic]...Marrying someone useful is certainly rational." Alexis's eyebrows lowered slightly. A complicated look flickered across his face for just a moment, but then his gaze immediately went to Chloe's left cheek. A faint blush colored her cheeks, overlapping with the scar. Her fingertips were unconsciously gripping the hem of her dress tightly. Seeing that, Alexis said nothing more and quietly stood up. Chloe didn't notice that his ears had turned completely red. "[gentle]...Yeah, that's fine." He gave a small laugh. That smile was the gentlest Chloe had ever seen from him. —That night. In the backyard of the Rosenberg estate was an east wing pavilion. It was a place where Chloe often sat alone to sort through the memories of her past life. The night wind b