“How much I longed to see you…”

“Oh, Cecilia.”

Arsen felt a lump in his chest as he embraced Cecilia.

“I thought you forgot about me. I thought you abandoned me…”

“Sorry. I didn’t expect things to turn out like this. But I’ll do better now. Even more than before. I can do that. Because I’m the Emperor.”

“…”

Cecilia’s heart raced.

Could this be a chance given by the heavens? If this isn’t a dream…

“I can become Empress?”

Arsen was deeply enamored with himself. So, becoming Empress wouldn’t be too difficult for him to accomplish.

However, at that moment, a statement shattered her inflated fantasy.

“…But right now, it’s not enough. I’m just a scarecrow. No, the Emperor was a scarecrow.”

“What? What do you mean…”

Arsen explained the events that had unfolded during his time at the palace, the abuse he suffered.

“Unbelievable, how could such a thing happen!”

“As long as there is a regent, I can’t be free. Even when I tried to bring you here, a sword was pointed at me.”

“…”

Certainly, the regent was hostile toward Arsen. However, that didn’t mean the Emperor’’s status was diminished. Even if he called himself a scarecrow, he was still the Emperor who commanded the trust of the imperial subjects.

Cecilia’s thoughts quickly churned. Among the three prominent dukes in the empire, everyone knew of the powerful dukes—the Duke of Bonaparte, the Duke of Chescon, and the Duke of Laurent.

Considering that Arsen’s wife was from the Laurent family, perhaps leveraging the power of the Duke of Laurent against the Duke of Chescon, who was the regent, could be a strategic move.

If Laurent aligned himself against Chescon, it might not only neutralize Bonaparte’s influence but also gain the trust of the imperial subjects. Cecilia pondered the potential outcomes.

Cecilia, with a contemplative expression, finally spoke to the surprised Arsen.

“…Maybe there’s a way for me.”

“What?”

Cecilia explained her thoughts, considering the potential influence of the Laurent family and its impact on the current political dynamics.

The next morning, Cecilia urged Arsen to arrange a meeting with the Duke of Chescon as soon as they woke up.

“Tomorrow morning, as soon as you wake up, let’s make an appointment with the Duke of Chescon.”

“And…?”

“He’ll grant whatever he wants. In return, we’ll form an alliance with him.”

“But…”

Arsen hesitated, expressing reluctance. Cecilia actively pressed him, emphasizing the benefits.

“We have nothing to lose. You’re an Emperor in name, a scarecrow Emperor. But if the Duke of Chescon helps us… we might neutralize the power of the regent.”

“Is that really true, Cecilia?”

“Yes. I have a good idea.”

Moved by Cecilia’s conviction, Arsen sighed.

“Well, I knew you would make a difference!”

Filled with excitement, Arsen embraced Cecilia once again. He admired her quick understanding of the situation, her intelligence, and her charming wit.

“Ha, as expected, you’re different!”

Arsen was filled with emotion. To him, Cecilia was like a precious gem.

“And now, we can make a great team. I’ll do even better than before. After all, I’m the Emperor!”

Cecilia, sitting in Arsen’s embrace, thought about the possibilities this new opportunity might bring. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was a chance bestowed upon her by fate.

“Noah, I baked the black tea madeleines you like. Try them.”

“Of course.”

Noah smiled warmly as he accepted the charred madeleine offered by his cousin. However, as he took a bite of the madeleine, which was more like burnt charcoal, Santiago involuntarily twitched his eyebrows.

‘It’s probably going to taste terrible.’

Yet, when Noah chewed on the madeleine, which really was closer to charcoal than the expected taste, Santiago couldn’t help but smirk.

“Are they crispy or burnt? Did you bake them or fry them?”

Crunchy, Santiago chuckled while biting into the unappetizing madeleine. Despite the unexpected taste, Eve and the somewhat chilly Noah seemed surprised.

“Arsen.”

“What are you doing?”

Unfazed by Eve and Noah’s reactions, Charles was enjoying the crispy madeleine with a contented smile.

Tíago silently screamed inside his mind. What are you doing, Your Majesty!

“Now, how about trying these madeleines, brother-in-law?”

Charles, seemingly prepared at an unknown moment, exchanged a plate of delicately made madeleines with Eve’s disastrous creation. Noah reacted with irritation.

“This…!”

“Noah, don’t.”

At Eve’s restraint, he obediently sat back down, although his expression remained crumpled.

“Thank you, Arsen. Noah, try this one. What I made is too shabby… You know, I have zero talent in cooking.”

“Noona, not at all. Before marriage, enjoying your cooking was my greatest pleasure.”

‘Indeed, the dragon must have a heart of steel to disguise himself.’

Perhaps powerless to dethrone the Emperor, Tíago, the Imperial Guard Commander, genuinely admired the Emperor’s strength.

“It has a different taste. As always.”

Charles enjoyed the charred madeleine with gusto. Eve looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“The firm texture is excellent.”

“Yes, indeed. I discovered it while eating eel. Your cooking is addictive.”

“Thank you.”

Feeling truly grateful, Eve expressed her thanks.

“More importantly, Arsen, I have something pressing to discuss.”

“Discuss?”

“After lunch, could you spare some time?”

“Willingly.”

Noah, captivated by Charles’ kindness, put down the madeleine he was eating, seeming uncomfortable.

“Lady, instead, didn’t we plan to take a walk in the garden today? Let’s go.”

“Oh? Yes.”

As Noah held Eve’s hand and led her away, Eve exchanged a glance with Charles. Charles responded with a smile and continued savoring the madeleine.

After the two of them disappeared, Tiago snatched the madeleine from Charles and spoke.

“Oh, why bother eating something like this? It’s so burnt.”

“I’ve eaten everything from the battlefield, whether it’s edible or not. This body survived by eating everything.”

“Didn’t you realize that this Duke’s body is weaker than yours last time?”

“Well, I guess so.”

Charles nonchalantly replied as he put the remaining madeleine into his mouth. Then he took a sip of tea.

“I told you. Everything made by Eve belongs to me.”

“…Is it possible that the Duchess of Fontaine…”

Are you keeping her in your heart?

As Tiago asked, curious about the possessiveness that wasn’t there before, a bird flew in through the window. It was a carrier pigeon from Bonaparte.

When Tiago took out the letter from the bird to read it, his expression changed unexpectedly.

“Your Majesty.”

Tiago handed the letter to Charles, who quickly skimmed its contents.

After meeting a woman named Cecilia, Arsen suddenly began squandering the state funds on extravagant indulgences. Shockingly, he even gave a hefty sum to Duke Chescon, creating negative rumors about Bonaparte in society.

Despite Bonaparte’s best efforts to stop it, interference from Duke Chescon made it increasingly difficult to prevent Arsen’s extravagant behavior.

“Is he completely insane? This is what happens when someone is infatuated with a woman!”

“….”

“What should we do? There’s still no way to return to our original bodies…”

Bonaparte’s power is essentially the Emperor’s power. If he falters, Charles is also in danger.

“We need to turn the tables.”

Charles neatly folded the letter, set it ablaze with a match, and watched as the golden flames flickered in his eyes.

“We need to reclaim the throne, Tiago.”

Having said that, he stood up.

“I need Eve.”

“Phew.”

Eve took a deep breath, still tense. Noah was sitting next to her, holding her hand.

“Sister, are you sure you’ll be alright alone?”

“Yeah. Discussing these matters with you by my side is not proper. This is a matter between a couple.”

“But if that guy gets angry and lays a finger on you…”

“He’s not that kind of person.”

“How do you know? He’s a scoundrel.”

At that claim, Eve was momentarily perplexed. She unintentionally made an assertion. The fake Arsen wasn’t that kind of person.

‘What do I know about that person?’

Eve shook her head.

“Alright, then. If anything happens, I’ll call for you, so stay close.”

“Sure thing, Sister.”

Noah nodded confidently.

Eve had made up her mind to demand a divorce from Arsen. She no longer felt the need for revenge against the fake Arsen, and, as Noah had said, she believed her happiness was more important.

Of course, the realization that the real Arsen was no longer relevant to her and the concern that the fake Arsen might try to exploit the power of her family played a significant role in shaping her thoughts.

The last time, the fake Arsen had suggested working together to bring down the real Arsen, using the power of the Laurent family.

“Although it seems my body may not return to normal, I feel like I should reclaim my place as it was. But relying solely on the power of the Fontaine family may not be enough.”

According to him, Laurent could become entangled with the vile man and become a traitor.

Even if she didn’t care about herself, she couldn’t tolerate anyone meddling with her family. It was wise to get a divorce before anything happened.

“He suddenly locked himself in the room and skipped lunch. Will he really come?”

Although she was slightly concerned about what might be happening, the key was whether he would keep his promise. Despite knowing that he wasn’t Arsen, there were so many unsavory incidents involving the real Arsen that she couldn’t trust him completely.

“True, a person’s appearance is important.”

Realizing this fact once again, Eve sent Noah out and waited for Charles.

After a while, she heard a knock.

“I’m coming, Eve.”

“Come in.”

As Charles entered the room, he greeted her with his usual smiling eyes. Eve felt an inexplicable sense of relief at this fact and gestured for him to take a seat.

“Sit down.”

As Charles sat down, he immediately began to speak.