* * *
Ed crossed his arms, lost in thought, before scratching the bridge of his nose as if something had clicked.
“What the Emperor really needs isn’t a true member of the Zelda tribe but a puppet that suits his purposes. So, he’ll present just anyone to His Highness.”
A puppet who listens to the Emperor’s orders and keeps watch over the Grand Duke.
That way, if the Emperor went to great lengths to find a consort for the Empire’s stability and the Grand Duke refused to comply, the blame would fall squarely on the Grand Duke.
Pondering quietly, Ed considered,
‘If the Emperor plays it this way, His Highness could accept the Emperor’s chosen duchess while I remain by his side to protect him.’
It would be a way to avoid direct conflict with the Emperor and buy some time.
‘And if, during that time, we can uncover the Emperor’s weaknesses…’
Ed imagined someone else standing by the Grand Duke’s side, then leaned his forehead against the desk.
It wasn’t a comforting thought.
‘Even if it’s the most logical solution, it’s unacceptable… and His Highness told me to wait and see how the Emperor moves, so I should stop thinking about it for now.’
He rubbed his stomach absentmindedly and closed his eyes.
The next morning, newspapers were filled with headlines: “Who Are the Zelda Tribe?”, “Where Are the Zelda Tribe?” ,“His Majesty’s Grand Journey to Find the Zelda Tribe.”
The Emperor had stirred up so much attention that even the Empire’s children now knew about the elusive Zelda tribe.
Meanwhile, in the western region bordering the northern territories, wells began boiling over—a strange phenomenon.
After spending several days in the library, Ed suddenly stood up from his chair.
The newspaper he was reading reminded him of the consort the Emperor planned to parade around, and his stomach churned.
He wanted to see the Grand Duke immediately.
Rushing out of the library and heading to the Grand Duke’s office, Ed stopped short at the door and realized,
“…His Highness left to investigate the boiling wells in the west.”
Some factions were already trying to pin the blame for the phenomenon on the Grand Duke, using special editions of the newspaper to divert attention and rally public scrutiny.
Resting his forehead briefly against the office door, Ed shook his head.
‘As His Highness said, no matter how crafty the Emperor’s schemes are, they can’t overcome the truth of the prophecy.’
Resolving himself, Ed returned to his room.
Just as he reached his door, he saw a figure approaching from the opposite direction.
“Young Master?”
It was Ronan, carrying a tray.
“What brings you here?” Ed asked.
“The sous-chef thought something warm might help you sleep, so I brought soup… do you have a moment?”
It was late at night. Accepting the tray, Ed replied,
“Of course. Please, come in.”
Inside, Ed cleared the table while Ronan followed and took a seat.
When the lid of the soup dish was lifted, the room filled with the comforting aroma of creamy soup and roasted potatoes.
Scooping some soup into a smaller bowl, Ed placed it in front of Ronan and said,
“It’s still hot, so you should wait a little before eating.”
“Alright,” Ronan replied.
Ed sat across from Ronen.
His calm demeanor indicated that he was waiting patiently for Ronen to speak, even as it was evident Ronen had something on his mind but hesitated to bring it up.
“…Uh, Ed.”
Ronen took a spoonful of the now-cooled soup and looked Ed directly in the eyes.
“How do you feel?”
“About what?”
“You know… the possibility that my brother might get married.”
When Ed gave a slow nod of acknowledgment, Ronen’s voice grew softer.
“Well, it makes me feel like a bad person.”
“You, young master?”
“Mmh.”
Ronen’s response lacked its usual energy.
“Why would you think that?”
Ronen averted his gaze, his eyes shifting slightly.
“I know prophecies are important. It’s amazing that my brother was chosen, and I think it’s great… but I don’t like the idea of him marrying someone he’s never even met because of it. I want him to marry someone he truly loves.”
“…”
“Every time I see stories about him in the papers, I feel both proud and uneasy. Sure, there are good articles, but there are bad ones too. And with everyone saying such different things, it makes my head spin.”
Even though the Duke had ordered the servants to stay silent about such matters, the tense atmosphere in the northern stronghold couldn’t be entirely hidden.
Ed, contemplating how Ronen might perceive such a situation, studied him closely.
Sensing Ed’s gaze, Ronen waved his hands defensively.
“Oh, it’s not that I think the prophecy is bad! And if my brother’s bride comes here, I wouldn’t dream of harassing her or anything!”
Ed gave a soft smile.
“I’m well aware that you wouldn’t do anything of the sort, young master.”
“Yeah! But still… I don’t know why, but the thought of him having a bride makes my legs feel weak.”
Ed’s eyes momentarily glanced at Ronen’s feet.
Ronen took a sip of water, biting his lip nervously before speaking again.
“I know it’s not true, but it kind of feels like someone I don’t even know is taking him away from me. So, I wanted to ask you, Ed… am I the only one who feels this way?”
“…”
“What about you, Ed? You’re close to my brother too. Do you ever feel the same way as I do?”
As Ed met Ronen’s downcast, ruby-red eyes, he became acutely aware of his own emotions.
‘…How can I even think about finding a peaceful solution to avoid outright conflict with the Emperor like this?’
Imagining someone else locking arms with the Duke sent a wave of unease and displeasure through Ed.
“I don’t think it’s wrong for you to feel that way, young master.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s natural to be concerned when someone new is about to join the family.”
Leaning slightly forward, Ed lowered his voice as he spoke to Ronen.
“To be honest, even I didn’t feel great reading those articles about the Duke’s prophecy and his bride.”
Hearing the confession spoken so conspiratorially, Ronen’s eyes widened before a smile spread across his face.
He leaned closer to whisper in return.
“Yeah, I felt the same way. And some of those articles weren’t even accurate! Like when they said my brother—”
As Ronen’s expression lightened and their conversation continued, Ed found himself thinking, ‘I hope His Grace returns soon.’
The Duke, who had been delayed longer than expected, hurriedly returned to the estate and issued orders to Irtel as they moved.
“Adjust the shipment from the salt mines as I instructed and reinforce the surrounding defenses. This is the kind of opportunity raiders might seize.”
“Understood, Your Grace.”
“Also, report on the analysis of today’s collected water and soil samples as soon as it’s complete. The situation isn’t aligning with what we suspected. If the signs pointed to an impending volcanic eruption, the water wouldn’t have cooled so quickly.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The Duke ascended the stairs, removing his gloves as he went.
Although the boiling springs weren’t located in the north, they were near the border with the west, prompting his swift investigation.
The soil had turned ashen, as if burned, and a faint magical presence lingered—clearly no ordinary natural phenomenon.
‘Someone’s hand is involved here, without a doubt.’
After conducting a discreet examination of the remote forest village, evading the guards’ notice, the Duke entrusted Irtel with further instructions before heading to his room.
‘I’ll take a shower, check on Ronen, and then visit Ed’s quarters.’
However, as his hand reached for the doorknob, he paused.
From within his supposedly empty room came a faint sound.
“This is too hot… I don’t need boiling water, you know.”
Quietly opening the door, the Duke peeked inside.
A faint light spread fan-like across the dark floor, emanating from the bathroom.
Silently stepping in, he leaned against the bathroom doorframe.
Inside, Ed was filling a large tub with water.
Perched on Ed’s head was a small dragon, breathing fire into the water until steam rose with a bubbling sound.
Watching this, Ed scolded the dragon.
“You’re not trying to cook His Grace, are you? Why are you being so stubborn after following me all the way here? If you’re going to act up, go back to your room.”
‘It’s more of a prank than stubbornness,’ the Duke thought with amusement.
Understanding every word yet continuing to tease, the dragon hopped down to the tub and breathed more fire into the water.
The Duke couldn’t suppress a small laugh.
Hearing the faint sound, Ed jumped to his feet and spun around, startled to see him standing there.
* * *
Goah, Ed is so cute
Gosh*