Pernoa’s crimson eyes, which had been scanning the agenda for the upcoming meeting, came to a dead stop on a single line.
A moment later, a short, humorless laugh escaped him.
It felt as though he’d been struck clean across the back of the head.
“Unbelievable.”
The meeting agenda crumpled in his hand without resistance.
The sound was small, yet not a single elder seated in the council chamber missed it.
The elders exchanged furtive glances and swallowed dryly.
With an expressionless face, Pernoa slowly let his gaze drift across the room.
It landed on an empty chair — ownerless, sitting there alone.
“Of all the audacious things.”
It was exactly what it looked like.
Just a few days ago, Arcmund had appeared to share Pernoa’s position entirely…
And now this — a knife slipped right into his back.
“I knew something felt off.”
The sudden message that morning claiming illness, an abrupt notice of absence — it had all been for this.
『Regarding the formal promotion of Riersha Arachrene to official heir.』
In all his years presiding over the Grand Council, no agenda had ever grated on Pernoa’s nerves quite like this one.
And the name listed as the one who had submitted it was none other than—
『Arcmund Arachrene』
The owner of that empty chair.
⁂
A cold wind seemed to cut straight through the Grand Council chamber.
“Th-then, we will now call this session to order. First, as the matter of highest priority, the proposal regarding the heir—”
Pernoa let out another low, humorless laugh.
Flinch.
Every time he did, the elders squirmed in their seats as though they themselves had done something wrong. It was as if one could almost hear the sound of eyes darting anxiously about the room.
The nervous, unsteady looks were visible even at a glance.
“How remarkable.”
Pernoa meant it sincerely.
It appeared that when Riersha found her path blocked by Pernoa directly, she had drawn Arcmund as her trump card. And the result of that move had marched its way right into the Grand Council chamber, bold as daylight.
Rosinante, standing at his side, apologized in a rush.
“I’m sorry. I should have kept a closer eye on Lady Riersha—”
“Never mind. I let my guard down.”
Pernoa’s lips curved upward with an expression that looked, inexplicably, like amusement.
Rosinante’s eyes wavered.
When he smiled like this in a situation like this, it was never a good sign.
“A formal promotion examination for Riersha Arachrene…” Pernoa murmured. “This will become the most significant matter of the year.”
“…Shall I arrange the written and practical examinations to begin on the first day of the new year?”
“Do it.”
“……”
“Everyone looks peculiar. You all seem to have expected me to table this agenda.”
Pernoa’s voice was razor-edged with sarcasm.
The elders who had been struck precisely on the mark quietly bowed their heads.
“Rules must be followed.”
Pernoa said it plainly.
Riersha had personally and discreetly submitted her name badge to Arcmund herself. There was nothing Pernoa could do to interfere with that.
The family’s rules were its rules.
And besides, the day when Riersha would sit for her formal promotion examination was always going to come eventually—
“Prepare it strictly, with no preferential treatment compared to the examinations other heirs have taken.”
“……”
“No room for anyone to talk afterward. Is that understood?”
An elder who had been sitting in stunned silence blinked.
It was the last thing they had expected from Pernoa, who had always doted on Riersha with almost alarming tenderness.
After a long pause, the elder nodded and answered in a daze.
“Yes. We will do so, Young Lord.”
“Then let us move to the next item.”
Pernoa turned the page on everything related to Riersha without a moment’s hesitation.
The elders stared wide-eyed, questioning whether what they had just witnessed was real.
The calm before the storm. The phrase drifted through more than one mind.
⁂
Riersha, who had been given a detailed account of the morning’s Grand Council proceedings, gave a small, involuntary shudder of her little shoulders.
She had anticipated it, and yet—
“…Ah, ith Appa really that angwy?”
“Yes, exactly that angry.”
Rosinante, who had been making a woeful face, twisted the corner of his mouth and began to mimic someone with deliberate precision.
“If the examination prepared for Riersha is judged to be of a lower standard than the examinations other heirs have sat…”
“……”
“Someone will be held accountable for that. …Those were his exact words.”
“Hic—”
Riersha hiccupped.
Pernoa was being far more hardline about this than she had anticipated.
Risideon, Ricador, and Riscal, who had been sitting beside her listening, all stiffened and turned to look at Riersha with careful expressions.
“Riersha, there’s no need to worry too much. Father wouldn’t intentionally try to make you fail.”
When Risideon offered that gentle reassurance, Riscal nodded in agreement.
“Father keeps his personal feelings and official duties separate… But who was it that told you about this method in the first place?”
“…Ugh. That was me.”
Ricador, who had been quietly listening to the exchange, raised his hand with a heavy heart.
He had thought of it as nothing more than a convenient solution to Riersha’s problem, a simple way through a difficult door—
“I’m sorry, Riersha. I had no idea it would grow into something this big.”
“No. Ith otay.”
Riersha shook her head at Ricador’s sincere apology, assuring him she truly was fine.
And she truly was. Because—
Ricador oppa doesn’t know the real reason I wanted to pass the year-end evaluation.
If he had known, Ricador would never have suggested the formal heir promotion examination as a solution.
And if she were being even more honest with herself about what was nagging at her—
It’s also suspicious that Rosinante just showed up out of nowhere and volunteered every detail of what happened in the Grand Council.
Perhaps it was because so much had happened lately?
Riersha found herself growing more suspicious with each passing day.
Then again, Rosinante might have genuinely come by out of goodwill, simply wanting to let her know what had transpired—
Just then—
…Hm?
Riersha tilted her head, catching a sudden, distinct shift in Rosinante’s demeanor.
“Oh ho.”
Without warning, Rosinante’s eyes lit up with a sharp gleam, and he let out a curious, gratified sound.
Like someone who had been waiting for exactly this moment.
“I see. What a truly deep bond of affection between the two of you.”
“…What? Where did that come from?”
Riscal leaned back with a vaguely unsettled look, watching as Rosinante rose from his seat with an inexplicably bright smile.
Then, the explanation everyone had thought was over continued.
“Oh, how careless of me — there was one more thing I forgot to mention.” Rosinante’s tone was perfectly pleasant. “After the Grand Council concluded, the Young Lord said this to me as well.”
“…?”
“‘Find out who told Riersha about this method, and bring them before me immediately.’ …Those were his words.”
For a moment, the room went utterly still.
Then Ricador’s voice broke through, laced with dismay.
“Oh no—I walked right into this.”
The moment he understood the situation, Ricador shot to his feet and made to bolt.
But Rosinante was faster.
Ricador was seized firmly by the scruff of his collar and lifted clean off the floor, where he immediately began to flail.
“Ow—! Let go of me! Let go right now!”
“Please don’t make this difficult. If I return empty-handed, the Young Lord will have my head.”
Rosinante held firm, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Risideon, who had been watching the chaos unfold in silence, exhaled a long sigh.
“Why would Rosinante take the trouble to come here and explain everything so helpfully, Ricador. That alone should have been suspicious. It’s not as though he has time to spare.”
“Wh-what, so you already knew why Rosinante was here this whole time, Hyung? You traitor—! Let me go! I’ll walk there on my own—!”
“As expected of you, Risideon Young Master. Very astute.” Rosinante gave an approving nod. “Shall we be on our way then, Ricador Young Master? The Young Lord is waiting.”
At those final words from Rosinante, all the color drained from Ricador’s face.
The memory of the last time Pernoa had punished him rose vividly to mind — being dragged out to the forest and put through what was generously called training. His body shuddered involuntarily at the recollection.
“Ricador oppa, come back safe.”
Riersha, watching from a safe distance with a small wave of her hand, said this in a voice full of genuine sympathy.
It was then that Rosinante paused and looked back over his shoulder, as though suddenly remembering something.
“Ah, I nearly forgot the most important thing. Lady Riersha.”
“…Me?”
Riersha pointed at herself, visibly flustered.
Rosinante nodded.
And then, for just a moment, the most pitiable expression crossed his face—
“Please. I am asking you, from the bottom of my heart, to make every effort to restore a peaceful relationship with the Young Lord.”
“……”
“Please.”
He looked so thoroughly wretched when he said it—
Riersha couldn’t promise it would go the way either of them hoped, but she found herself nodding before she had even decided to.
