The members of the imperial family of the Balga Empire typically resided in the center of Balga Capital City, within the grounds of the imperial palace, which they called Gosho. Although eccentrics like Causa established their own private residences in various locations, most members of the imperial family rarely left the palace grounds due to security concerns.
Inside the grounds of the imperial palace, neatly maintained lawns and roads covered the area within the outer stone walls. In one corner of the complex was a modern white-brick mansion. Lupus was standing in front of it.
She took three deep breaths to calm her pounding heart. With her courage mustered, she stepped through the gate of the residence.
Lupus was wearing a brand-new, pure-white dress. It was a luxurious article of clothing befitting royalty, both beautiful and fragile. She had deliberately chosen to wear the dress as proof of her resolve not to avert her gaze from the bloodstained path she was about to go down.
Her outfit, coupled with her pretty features, made her extremely noticeable. As she walked through the mansion, the servants were captivated at the sight of her, staring with expressions of surprise. They whispered to each other as she passed, all struck by the same awe.
“Wasn’t that Lady Lupus just now?”
“But I heard she fled overseas.”
“Why is she here?”
Lupus winced slightly at their whispers.
Within Gosho, rumors had been spreading that Princess Lupus Filia was currently attempting to flee the country. It was all part of Ross’s scheme.
Suppressing her disgust, Lupus addressed a steward she had spotted.
“Where is Ross Ruber?”
Perhaps due to Lupus’s firm tone, the steward stared at her for several seconds before giving a slight bow.
“Lord Ross is currently located in the rear study.”
“I see. Thanks.”
Lupus began walking toward the room, her heels clicking on the floor.
Her path was one she had chosen of her own will, but that didn’t mean she was free from fear or doubt. She noticed her legs were trembling.
With every step closer to the room Ross occupied, the trembling grew stronger. Her nervousness heightened, and the contents of her stomach rose to her throat, threatening to choke her.
If she were still the fainthearted version of herself she once had been, she would have undoubtedly turned back and fled. But Lupus forced her shaking legs forward.
She couldn’t go back now. There was someone willing to risk his life for her. If she did not repay his sentiment and prove her own existence, she would never be able to reclaim her true self.
Lupus finally arrived at the door Ross was waiting behind. Before reaching for the doorknob, she closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. She inhaled deeply three times and looked down at the gold ring on her slim finger.
“Please, grant me courage and strength,” Lupus said to the ring. As she spoke to it, a renewed feeling of might flashed in her eyes.
Then she forcefully pushed open the door.
The interior was filled with the floral aroma of high-quality tea. In the center of the chamber, which was far too spacious to be called a study, stood Ross Ruber, pouring some tea.
The prince had grown out his golden hair, a symbol of the imperial family, and his handsome face was slightly elongated. The combative gleam in his red eyes carried a piercing intensity that seemed to reflect his inner nature.
Ross turned toward the door with undisguised hostility, probably assuming a lowly servant had entered without knocking.
However, the visitor defied his prediction.
Ross was shocked to see Lupus there in her dress. He froze midpour with his mouth agape. Tea overflowed from his cup and trickled to the floor with a sound that snapped him back to reality. He placed the teapot on the table.
“L-Lupus? Why are you here?”
“It’s been a long time, Ross,” Lupus said, lifting the hem of her dress and giving a slight curtsy. Unable to hide how flustered he was, Ross ran a hand through his long hair.
“Rumors have been going around the palace of you attempting to defect abroad. Are you all right?” Ross said shamelessly, despite the high likelihood he had started that story himself.
Keeping the prince in her sights, Lupus stepped forward. There was no hesitation in her stride, and her trembling from earlier mysteriously vanished.
Lupus dragged a luxurious chair from nearby and placed it in front of Ross. Then with a quick “pardon me,” she sat down.
She straightened her posture and gestured to the chair in front of her.
“Would you mind taking a seat?”
Lupus’s tone remained polite but conveyed a sense of risk about what might happen if Ross refused.
He reluctantly sat down.
With the two royals in arm’s length of each other, Lupus smiled gracefully once more.
“Ross, it seems I have caused you to worry on this occasion, and for that, I must humbly apologize.”
“Ah yes. There are unpleasant tales spreading about your supposed defection. Who knows what might happen if such talk were to reach His Majesty the Emperor? It would be best to think of a way to clear up these misunderstandings. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. I’ll stand by you.”
“Thank you so much for your concern. However, you’ve already done so much for me that I don’t think I’ll require any further assistance from you.” Lupus’s words dripped with sarcasm. She never spoke her true feelings, yet her tone carried a distinctive air that made it clear she knew everything.
“I don’t recall helping you that much—to what are you referring?”
Ross desperately worked to hide his panic and caution. Royals were expected to be able to maintain a poker face.
However, his eyes were the most honest she’d ever seen them. It was clear from his gaze he considered her nothing but his enemy. If he had the chance, he would undoubtedly give the saber at his hip a test of blood. He thought he could kill Lupus in the same way he had cut down countless servants he disliked.
Lupus kept on sitting back in her chair, maintaining her forced, masklike smile.
“Shall I explain? There was the matter with Storm Hill, the invitation to defect, the attempted murder along the way… Now that I think about it, there’s quite a lot.”
“What in the world are you talking about? I don’t know anything about what you’ve just brought up, Lupus,” Ross said, feigning ignorance. His childish excuses would be unlikely to hold up in a normal conversation, but Ross clearly regarded Lupus as someone naive enough to fall for such tricks.
The moment Ross uttered his excuse, Lupus’s eyes glowed blue. A slight distortion ran through the thin air and shattered the teacup in the prince’s hands.
Ross’s brow twitched slightly as he watched the pieces of the cap fall to the floor. His fragile pride had cracked. His thin lips trembled as he wiped his wet knees with a handkerchief.
“You appear to be mistaken about something, Lupus. What are you claiming I’ve done?”
“I’m speaking with full knowledge of everything—your manipulation of my knight, the attack on the mansion, and everything else. At this point, I would appreciate it if you did not assume poor excuses or attempts at deception will suffice.” A shadow fell over Lupus’s fake smile. Seeing her expression, Ross realized she wasn’t the weak girl she once was. A serious look came to his own face.
“Is that so? If you’re aware of that much, then surely even you understand. We, who carry the blood of the emperor—the man at the pinnacle of the Balga Empire—cannot allow a princess with tainted blood to roam free. At the very least, I had hoped I could let you contribute to our homeland in a way that would befit someone with the honor of carrying the emperor’s blood. But you turned out to be a defective product.” No longer concerned with keeping up appearances, Ross allowed his emotions to show in his voice. Veins bulged on his temples, and he glared at Lupus with his teeth bared.
Seeing Ross reveal his true nature, Lupus also discarded her own mask.