Gustav stood in the bedroom, his face turning pale, then bluish, as he watched a series of events unfold. 'It's over.' He was terrified to even imagine how much the Emperor would lash out at him after being rejected by the Princess. In contrast, Lisandro, who had been observing the situation from the doorway, remained completely calm. "As expected, our little Princess is quite something, isn't she?" Gustav envied Lisandro to the point of madness. 'Until I became the Princess's guard, he and I suffered together!' The sense of betrayal at his comrade's escape only added to his misery. Leaning his head, Lisandro smiled kindly. "Why are you like this?" "No, Sir." While saying this, the atmosphere in the bedroom was heading towards a disaster. "Go!" "May-" "Shir!" "Bl..." "Go!!" It was a heart-wrenching scene that was hard to watch. "I'll come back later." "Shir!!" Bang. The door closed. In the end, Esteban was chased away without even touching a finger, after being rejected by his daughter. Esteban's expression was miserable. Gustav was unsure whether to comfort him or treat him indifferently. This delicate silence was broken by none other than Lisandro, who grinned and said to Esteban, "Welcome to 'Mayisimo,' Your Majesty." "Mayisimo? What's that?" "Indeed. It's the gathering of people Maybelle dislikes!" 'You crazy bastard.' Flames shot from Esteban's eyes. Lisandro's comment was like pouring oil on troubled waters. Rage boiled within him. Once, he had felt superior knowing that Maybelle disliked Lisandro. But now... 'To fall to the same fate.' The sense of despair made his murderous intent wane. "Gustav." "Yes, yes!" Gustav tensed up, ready to respond. He naturally assumed Esteban wouldn't let Lisandro off. But Esteban turned away without a trace of hesitation. "I'm going back." "Yes, Sir!" Gustav tilted his head as he followed the unusually calm Esteban. 'I thought he would at least break an arm!' Turning his head, Lisandro was grinning and waving, seemingly unaware of the danger he had just avoided. 'Has His Majesty finally grown up!' He realized it wasn't the case in just ten minutes. *** 'The atmosphere is almost like a funeral.' This was Gustav's brief impression as he surveyed the grand hall. The expressions of everyone present were as rotten as they could be. The cause was none other than Emperor Esteban. He leaned on the throne, sitting sideways, and stared ahead with a cold gaze. "Eek-!" The ministers trembled, bowing their heads to avoid eye contact. Dozens of heads bobbed nervously below Esteban. He twisted his lips into a smile. "They're just fools." The ministers, who were involved in the mine dispute in the south, could not relax. Gustav shook his head and pressed his brows. 'So... it was a week ago.' After being rejected by the Princess and mocked by Lisandro, Esteban seemed to have matured and let it go. However, this was a misconception. About ten minutes into the state council meeting, Gustav experienced a hallucination, as if he were back in the early days of Esteban's reign. "Even putting a heated iron in this lunatic's mouth wouldn't be enough. Shall we try it?" "Interesting. Why don't you keep talking?" "Are you defying me now?" "You can't see what's in front of you and still talk." "Are you bored with life? If you want to end it, you should have said so. I would have helped." Each word was chilling. Naturally, the heated atmosphere of the meeting quickly died down. The ministers dared not speak. After what felt like an eternity, the Emperor left the grand hall, and the people finally exhaled the breath they had been holding. They immediately rushed to Gustav. "What happened to His Majesty?!" "Tha..." "Speak quickly!" "The Princess... " "Did something happen to Her Highness?!" "No, no." "Then?!" "The Princess said she doesn't like His Majesty." "..." This was a week ago. Despite only a week passing, the ministers' faces were ashen. Even in the precarious state of walking a tightrope, the agenda was pushed back. "Duke Javier has returned and reported." "The timing is convenient. Has the mine reconnaissance been completed?" "Yes, Your Majesty." Esteban frowned. Duke Javier. One of the outward leaders of the Emperor's faction, but a cunning snake whose true thoughts were unknown. He trusted the openly hostile leader of the noble faction, Viscount GadeƱa, more. 'Duke Javier must have been involved in this mine issue.' However, there was no evidence, so he sent a reconnaissance as a warning. Despite the warning, Duke Javier would likely appear in the grand hall with his usual amiable smile. Esteban sneered. "I hope you bring back something useful and don't disappoint me." 'If not, he won't let it go.' Everyone thought the same. The atmosphere grew even darker with the Emperor's chilling voice. Finally, only one last agenda item remained. "Next, we have a statement from Viscount GadeƱa." Everyone's attention focused on Viscount GadeƱa, the only noble in the hall who wasn't intimidated by the Emperor. He had a great record of openly opposing the Emperor when he proposed to his daughter, despite the Emperor's reputation as a tyrant. The assembled nobles, though experienced in politics, were no match for Viscount GadeƱa. "What is the matter?" "It concerns Princess Maybelle GadeƱa Ermanno." Instantly, a chilling silence fell over the hall. Since they learned that the reason the Emperor had acted like a tyrant before meeting Queen Siana was 'Princess Maybelle,' they had desperately avoided any topics related to the Princess. It was their unwritten rule to protect their lives. 'Please, may the Princess's mood improve and soften His Majesty again.' All they could do was pray. 'Even Viscount GadeƱa, isn't this a bit dangerous?!' Gustav, watching the situation, silently screamed. Esteban's cold gaze swept over Viscount GadeƱa. "Speak." "It has been over a week since Your Majesty announced the abdication." "Indeed." "I believe we should establish a temporary department to prepare for the coronation. If we delay, the Holy Kingdom might request to take Her Highness again." Unlike everyone's worries, except for the fact that the topic was about Maybelle, the Viscount's statement was extremely reasonable. "I was searching for a suitable candidate. If you have any recommendations, submit them in writing." "Yes, Your Majesty." "Is there anything else?" "No." Despite his overwhelming presence, Viscount GadeƱa's statement ended there. "The meeting is adjourned." Sighs of relief erupted as Esteban declared the end of the meeting. 'Another day passed safely.' Each day felt like walking on thin ice. As the ministers prayed for an end to these days, Esteban rose from the throne. And-. Wobble. "!!" Everyone was startled as Esteban staggered. Gustav hurried to support him. "Are you alright, Your Majesty?!" He had already heard from the head servant this morning that the Emperor's appetite had decreased and he wasn't sleeping well recently. 'Isn't he pushing himself too hard!' Gustav looked at Esteban seriously. With a frown and closed eyes, Esteban let out a faint sigh. Just as the atmosphere darkened with worry about the Emperor-. "...Maybelle is lacking." "..." Everyone doubted their own ears.