Two vehicles passed through the main gate and disappeared completely from sight.

The early morning farewell was finally over.

Ariel excused herself to go back to her room alone, making the excuse that she wanted to sleep again. She wasn’t particularly sleepy, but for some reason, it was too tiresome to stay up. As she changed into her pajamas, slipped under the covers, and turned on her phone, there were still no notifications on the brightly lit screen.

“…Is there less than a month until the transfer?”

She still had some time to spare.

Reaching out from under the blanket and opening the drawer next to her bed, she took out the transfer documents that she had put aside and placed them in front of her. Her eyes, which had been scanning over the contents she had already seen several times, stopped at the last page.

Skylar’s signature and the imperial seal.

Ariel naturally recalled the situation earlier. She faintly remembered the voice that had called her name, which had become as cold as it was when they first met. The expression that had stiffened upon seeing her attitude…

She pondered over it.

Skylar had made a decision but held back from speaking when it seemed like the other party might refuse. Angry and disappointed.

Despite that, it seemed he hadn’t completely given up on the matter.

“…April 10th. Academy.”

She quietly reiterated the date and place he had mentioned for when they would meet again. It implied an anticipation of what would come next time they met, a promise to bring up the matter later.

“What was he trying to say?”

Ariel brought up Skylar’s profile window on the screen as she stared at it as if she was trying to find an answer.

Regardless of what had happened earlier, his favorability still maintained two hearts.

It was strange, considering how his favorability had dropped abruptly to zero when he caught her with Devoncia. The difference between two hearts and one seemed to suggest a variance in the depth of his emotions.

Was that the reason? She found the description of the changed favorability in his profile strange.

‘Initiates conversations with you often…’

For some reason, the sentence felt ominous. It seemed like a harbinger that Skylar’s favorability, which was already ahead, would soar alone.

The Imperial Academy was close to the Imperial Palace. Since it was far from the Count’s residence, Ariel had to live in the dormitory. While this would make it easier to meet other characters, there was also a high probability of getting drawn into Skylar’s route.

‘If we talk more frequently, we’ll see each other more often and avoiding him won’t be easy… What if Skylar outright calls for me?’

There was no other answer to this.

Since it was a call from the Imperial Family, Ariel, who was only the daughter of a count, had no choice but to comply directly.

‘I can’t help but to meet him.’

Encounters with Skylar were essential for the progression ahead, but even if they met, it was important to maintain a proper distance—carefully, maintaining decorum while ensuring his favorability wouldn’t skyrocket. Just the thought of it made Ariel’s head hurt again.

As she sighed deeply, her mind was burdened with all the worries. There was no escaping it, yet she couldn’t find joy in it.

“The difficulty level is too high… It feels suffocating.”

She wanted to quickly find her memories and go back. Ariel mumbled, burying her face in her pillow.

Three days later, the Northern Hall of the Imperial Palace. The meeting hall.

The Emperor, seated on the elevated throne, looked down at the Crown Prince sitting one floor below him.

“Is it for such a trivial matter that you’ve called for a council meeting, Crown Prince?”

He asked sternly, his eyes narrowing. The atmosphere around the supreme authority of the empire wasn’t fiery like flames but rather flowed with a chilling coldness akin to ice. If one were to describe it figuratively, it could be likened to a sheet of ice coated in blood.

Still, the Crown Prince wasn’t intimidated by the Emperor’s demeanor since he was familiar with him and had grown up to resemble him.

He showed off his eloquence skillfully without being intimidated.

“Yes. Titles may seem trivial and light, as Your Majesty says. However, precisely because they are lightweight, they hold significance.”

“In what way?”

“From nobles to commoners and even slaves, titles are used across all strata of daily life. So, changing something seemingly insignificant can have effects that ripple on society as a whole.”

“Shall we proceed with the addition then?”

“Yes.”

 
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