Even if the Empress takes it in, only one child would survive.

Even if the Empress actively intervenes to end this situation, the fundamental problem cannot be considered resolved.

As Cedric made a tired face, Artizea said softly,

“First, wash up and get some sleep. Ansgar keeps warming the bath water, not knowing when you will be back.”

“Yes.”

Cedric sighed once more and headed towards his room.

Artizea turned around and stopped at the nursery.

Leticia was asleep. Marcus, who was staying in the nursery, woke up to her presence.

“Mistress, what are you doing at a time like this?”

“You don’t have to get up.”

Artizea waved her hand. Still, Marcus couldn’t have laid down comfortably.

Marcus got up, took his handkerchief from his arms, and roughly wiped his face. And he fumbled and reached out his hand to light a candle.

Instead, Artizea lit the candlestick, which she had first held in her hand.

“Lord Cedric has just come home, and I think he wants to see Leticia’s face.”

“He should. It’s been a few days since he came home.”

Marcus tidied his appearance.

Artizea looked silently into her cradle. The baby, who is growing day by day, is now eating quite well and moving actively.

She slept well at night without waking up, perhaps because of her good movement.

Her curiosity was strong from the beginning, so after opening her eyes, she liked to be taken out for a walk.

When the grass-scented wind touched her face, she laughed so excitedly. Ansgar even laughed that she looked like Cedric.

But there was a time when they were reluctant to even leave for the garden.

The risk of assassination had not diminished in the slightest. No matter how hard the mansion’s defenses were, there was a limit. The garden is exposed to the outside.

There was nothing safer than not going out at all.

Leticia, as well as Artizea herself, rarely stepped out of the mansion. The nanny was also banned from going out just in case.

Unlike her or Cedric, Leticia has no ability to defend herself.

‘Since the coarse salt incident has exploded, I have bought some time for now.’

Marchioness Camellia did not agree with Count Brennan.

Assassining Cedric is very difficult. Attacking and killing him is almost impossible.

It was also impossible to bribe or recruit his entourage. It means that it is difficult to cause an accident as in the days of Marquis Luden.

Artizea was particularly concerned about poisoning.

If so, they must kill Leticia, not Cedric, to thwart the Emperor’s plans.

The key anyway was Leticia. Without Leticia, there is no reason for the Emperor to adopt Cedric.

Then, Grand Duke Roygar’s inheritance rank remains number one.

However, when the Emperor took the cause and released the investigator, no one could move.

‘It’s ironic. After all, the power of the Emperor is the most powerful shield.’

Artizea had that thought in her head as she looked at the baby’s face.

By now, Marchioness Camellia must have regretted it.

Marquis Luden was the second-in-command of Grand Duke Roygar’s faction, recognized by others. With his death, Grand Duke Roygar’s faction lost a central point to deal with this incident.

Instead, Marchioness Camellia openly gave Count Brennan her weakness for nothing.

How will Grand Duchess Roygar react to the fact that it was Marchioness Camellia who provided the information for the assassination of Marquis Luden?

She probably won’t forgive her easily.

This hurt the price for sending Skyla with her to the South.

Marchioness Camellia was not involved in the pact with the Iantz, as she did not depart to the South. If she separated herself from Grand Duchess Roygar and separated from Grand Duke Roygar’s faction, there would be a chance to be revived.

But can Marchioness Camellia herself be able to do that?

A sister’s affection is very esoteric.

Artizea was deep in her thoughts, a hand reached out from behind her, lightly tapping the back of her hand.

“Ah.”

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

Cedric asked in a low voice, as if whispering.

His hair was wet.

Artizea looked at it for a moment. She then lowered her gaze and answered.

“It’s just some thoughts.”

Unorganized thoughts were not worth talking about.

“Ooongg, ngggaaa!”

As the number of people increased, Leticia burst into tears as she woke up from the crowd.

Cedric hurriedly stretched his arms into the cradle.

“Oh no. I’m sorry. I was going to come quietly and see your face.”

He patted Leticia on the back.

“It wouldn’t be nice to wake up at night like this. I’m sorry.”

Cedric also apologized to Marcus. Marcus shook his head.

“No. She still wakes up often at night.”

“You are working hard.”

“I am only thankful that you trusted me.”

Marcus said sincerely.

Leticia stopped crying. Cedric also apologized to Artizea,

“I’m sorry. There are many days when I say I would raise her, and I can’t even see her face.”

“You are busy.”

Artizea was at home more often but not by the baby’s side.

Leticia grabbed Cedric’s bangs. Then she started to laugh as if something made her feel better.

Cedric sighed again as he coaxed Leticia.

“Since Leticia was born, more children are visible in my eyes.”

“It’s a cognitive thing.”

“I thought you would stop it.”

“Save them? It’s not like we’re on the same side with Duke Riagan.”

“It is true, but……. Because you could encourage His Majesty’s favor.”

“It’s just a tactical proposition anyway. You can’t acquire what you think is right because of the political expedient. As things are, it’s really not that dangerous.”

“His Majesty is quite displeased.”

“I don’t think there is going to be anything to use as an excuse to harm you later on as long as you only ask for an easing of the collective punishment. If it was dangerous, then Chancellor Lin would have stopped you.”

“Well…….”

“His Majesty will feel a sense of crisis if officials try to support Lord Cedric even if it’s for a life-saving issue, but Chancellor Lin and Lord Cedric are only pleading as individuals right now.”

Rather, it was positive in terms of maintaining the impression of being righteous and gentle.

Of course, Artizea didn’t say that. Because in that way he could not speak out and evaluate his own actions.

He just has to carry out his own life the way he wants.

“Awawoong.”

When Cedric made eye contact, Leticia struggled and babbled, then began to complain.

“She must be hungry.”

Marcus said so.

Cedric returns Leticia to Marcus’s hands. Marcus bowed his head to greet, and took the baby to the nanny’s room.

Cedric stood up first and reached out to Artizea. Artizea grabbed his hand and stood up.

The two returned to the bedroom. Cedric asked, lighting a candlestick on the side table.

“Since when did you know?”

“What?”

“I knew you advised Sir Bellon something. As for what Prince Cadriol blew up…….”

Without speaking, Cedric looked at Artizea with a strange expression for a moment. Artizea lowered her eyes.

“That guy…….”

“That guy?”

“No.”

Cedric swallowed his words. It was because he recalled Cadriol.

But he didn’t say anything. Artizea didn’t care at all, because she didn’t like the fact that he was being conscious.

He changed the subject.

“Anyway, I didn’t know it was this large. Everyone can roughly guess that Duke Riagan is distributing coarse salt.”

Cedric didn’t even think that he was only digging salt out of the warehouse, let alone that they had tricked the Treasury’s ledger into securing a separate manufacturing plant.

Even if they knew that Queen Eimmel was running a salt distribution business, many people would not have known that it was not the salt that she made in her own country, but that it was something she did in partnership with the Duchy of Riagan.

“Since when did you know?”

“It was not difficult to guess. Duke Riagan was originally an opportunist and he really wanted to be the proper Duke Riagan.”

Although he was not a very close relative, Duke Riagan had earned the trust of his predecessors.

Nevertheless he betrayed the Emperor. It wasn’t money that was the problem, it was desire.

His goal was neither to become the Emperor’s favorite nor power, but to become Duke Riagan himself.

However, neither the Emperor nor the imperial nobles treated him like the previous Duke Riagan, who was the Empress’ parents.

In the first place, neither lineage nor respect can be obtained in a short period of time. Duke Riagan’s desire to become proper was something that could not be fulfilled.

“A person who betrays once for profit can betray for profit a second time as well. If he has a chance to do it, there’s no way he wouldn’t. If you think about it that way and look at it, it’s pretty clear.”

“I see. I was frankly surprised because it had never been revealed before.”

“In the past, there was no need to instigate His Majesty’s anger. Duke Riagan was cooperative……. I was planning to touch it when the Ministry of Finance was reformed, but the time never came.”

Artizea grabbed the cold fingertips and quietly looked at the tips of her fingernails.

Duke Riagan was taken out before that. Not because of the coarse salt, but because he defied Lawrence.

“I see.”

“It was a pretty good idea for Duke Riagan to report a small increase in salt profits each year. Because lower-level officials are afraid of being reprimanded for reporting that tax revenues have gone down. And His Majesty is old.”

It takes a lot of energy to see things as they are; not as it suits one’s mind.

So the older he gets, the harder it is to fix what he once judged, and the less sensitive he is to notice the changing relationship.

The same goes for overconfidence in his own judgment.

“I think that was why he was angrier than usual. He must’ve been angry at himself for trusting Duke Riagan without realizing it.”

No one lives forever. Even if they did not harbor any particular resentment, as the Emperor grew older, his subjects naturally thought about the future.

It is therefore dangerous for the successor not to be established. In order not to disturb the state of affairs, the transfer of power must begin at the right time.

The Emperor didn’t. Now, following his failure, he has even shown that he can be deceived.

Artizea made up her mind.

The Duke is all over. Now only the unshakable remains.

Cedric rubbed his forehead once, then lightly stroked Artizea’s hair.

Artizea was lost in thought, then flinched and raised her head.

Cedric laid down on the bed and looked up at Artizea.

“Ah…….”

“Because the sun is about to rise. I need to close my eyes now.”

“Yes, ah…….I see.”

Artizea froze. And she carefully lay down beside Cedric.

Cedric laughed silently. And he pulled her in and hugged her.