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Rowena Evergreen was known as the “Wolf Trainer” in the imperial palace.
It was a nickname given to her because she handled the “Gray Wolf” better than Hamilton, who served him the longest.
Perhaps she was the one who knew most about Caesar in the palace.
When people complimented her so much enough to drool, she always gave a consistent reply while fixing her glasses with an expressionless face.
“Who knows? I don’t think I know that much about His Highness.”
No one knew if that was true or simply humility.
***
People called him a tyrant.
There was no one in this world who could go against him.
“No, you can’t.”
One afternoon, in the office.
Leonard Peresca, the deputy commander of the Red Knights, completely dismissed Caesar’s opinion.
As a result, there was heavy air in the office.
Both Rowena and Gerald, the general manager of the Red Knights, had no choice but to keep their mouths shut and watch.
“Why not?”
“It’s so conspicuous. Above all, there is no justification.”
“Can’t we make up something for the cause? Happy New Year or something?”
“There’s no precedent.”
“You just won’t accept my opinion.”
“No matter what you say, I cannot agree with you on this one.”
Gulp.
There was a loud sound of swallowing beside her. Rowena glanced over.
Gerald was sweating in a cold sweat as he was nervous about this horrendous situation.
“Why…”
Caesar muttered, chewing his molars.
That act alone should be enough to kill Leonard, who ignored his opinion.
With that coldness that made those around him nervous, Caesar said, “Why can’t I send Helena health food…!?”
… I might go crazy.
Rowena directed her gaze into the air. You’ve been discussing this topic for an hour already. Please do it in moderation and do some work now.
“If anyone hears that, they will think that House Peresca is starving their precious daughter, Your Highness.”
“But she definitely lost weight. I held her like this, and it wasn’t the weight she used to have before.”
Caesar mimicked a hug and explained desperately. Leonard’s brows furrowed slightly at that explanation.
“Please don’t hug my sister recklessly.”
“This is a serious matter. She must have lost about two kilograms.”
“Two kilograms can be lost in just one meal, Your Highness.”
“Do you think it’s common for Helena to skip meals, Leonard?”
“It’s… not.”
The two men moaned at the same time with serious expressions.
“Anyway, what doesn’t work can’t work. What’s the situation right now?” Leonard said firmly.
Rowena thought it was fortunate that one person could make a rational judgment. If you’re both stupid, I can’t handle it.
“As long as you have another woman by your side, Your Highness. There’s nothing you can offer to my sister.”
Nevermind. They’re both stupid.
Rowena rubbed her forehead. Seeing Gerald muttering, ‘God,’ he seemed to have suddenly regained the faith he had lost.
“Leonard, you’ve become so cold to me…!”
“Whoever hurts my sister is my enemy.”
“Where has the friendship between you and me evaporated?”
“If the current situation is resolved, I will reconsider.”
“I trusted you! Who should I trust if even you turn your back on me?”
Alas, the story is heading for the mountains again.
Rowena now started counting the dust floating in the air. Only Gerald, not accustomed to this kind of situation, was restless.
“Oh, what do I do, Evergreen? He shouldn’t stop me, should he?”
“As long as nobody dies, it’ll be peaceful. So it’s all right.”
“It’ll be all right? What do you mean?”
“Ah.”
“?”
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
Rowena muttered as she adjusted her glasses. She looked so fed up and those words had probably come out of her stream of consciousness.
***
“I heard there was a riot yesterday.”
On the way back after delivering the documents to the cavalry commander, Duke Garmal, Rowena raised her eyebrows at the dazzling glances of the Knights’ servants blocking her way and asking.
“What are you talking about?”
“I heard from Gerald. He said His Highness caused another bloodbath.”
“There was no incident of injury yesterday.”
“He said he fought with Deputy Commander Peresca. I heard it was bloody.”
“The deputy commander is so brave! How dare he defy His Highness with that angelic face…!”
The servants talked to each other, questioning and admiring at times. Since this was the case, Rowena wanted to ask why they blocked her way.
‘How dare he defy His Highness…?’
Rowena reflected on what had happened yesterday.
If she had to point it out, it was an incident in which His Highness tried to defy the will of the young duke, but eventually had to retreat without result.
‘I think the person who defies him the most is me.’
Rowena herself was the one who said no, impossible, absolutely not to Caesar the most.
But Caesar never threatened or ignored her. Well, he’d be grumpy about it, but nevertheless…
“The young duke and His Highness are close friends, so there was no such thing as a bloodbath.”
Anyway, Rowena opened her mouth because she thought such a misunderstanding should be resolved.
“Impossible. The angelic deputy commander and His Highness? Did the friendless highness not threaten to keep him around?”
“Oh, come to think of it. I heard that. In fact, His Highness has a heart for the deputy commander.”
“Oh, right. Previously, His Highness asked the deputy commander, ‘Has my love been conveyed properly?’”
Well, he asked if it was delivered properly to Helena, not Leonard.
“Oh, my God. He must be so sick of Young Lady Brande.”
“Then what about Princess Peresca? Didn’t he like her?”
Finally, someone with the right mindset has appeared.
However, no matter how right a thought was, it was easily crushed in front of many wrong thoughts.
“She’s a stand-in.”
“Yeah, I think she’s a stan-in.”
“Ah… is she?”
How far will this erroneous thought flow lead?
“I hope you know that we’re rooting for the deputy commander and His Highness.”
In the end, the servants who made a terrible conclusion declared to Rowena with shining eyes.
Rowena looked at those servants with her usual expressionless expression and opened her mouth with a calm voice.
“Does anyone know that the cavalry is like this?”
***
People called him cold-blooded.
They said he had no goodness or mercy. Some mocked him for being a heartless person. That he wouldn’t know what it’s like to care for others for the rest of his life.
Seeing him treat Yulika Brande, Rowena sometimes wanted to agree with them.
“Your Highness, I prepared refreshments for you. Would you like to join me?”
After waiting several hours for Caesar’s work to be finished, Yulika finally got the right to speak and asked for company.
But Caesar’s expression was cold. There was no anger or joy. Cold frozen ground- no, rather than that, it was more like a desert.
“I’m afraid I have no appetite.”
“Then at least the tea… I’ve got some rare tea here. Please.”
“Young Lady.”
Caesar sighed at Yulika’s plea.
“There’s no need to try. You’re not here to be loved anyway.”
At Caesar’s thorny words, Yulika’s smile stopped awkwardly. It was like a broken doll.
“Reporting my surroundings to the empress, filling my key figures with the empress-side aristocrats, and even changing my inner servants…”
Caesar slowly but clearly recounted what had happened.
“I think you’ve done everything you can to be a crown princess.”
“That, I-”
“It’s nice to see that you’re working hard. Well, considering that you’re not even the crown princess yet, it is rather overstepping.”
Heh.
One corner of Caesar’s lips rose, but his eyes didn’t smile at all. It was a fierce smile that the word “smile” seemed unfitting.
He left the seat, leaving Yulika with her head down with a red face.
Rowena spoke quietly, following Caesar across the hall.
“Are you going to leave it like that?”
“Then should I return and give her a hug and pat her?”
“She’s kind of pitiful. She’s just a puppet of her family.”
“Pitiful…”
As he was crossing the corridor at a rapid pace, he suddenly stopped.
A familiar voice could be heard through the hallway window. As if drawn by the voice, Caesar approached the window.
Rowena also sneaked up to his side and looked out of the window.
Helena was seen sitting around the Red Knights’ trainees on her visit.
‘Does he know just by hearing the voice?’
It must have been difficult to distinguish between the voices of several people, so how did he notice?
Rowena glanced at Caesar, who was standing next to her.
‘… Cold-blooded.’
Suddenly, it occurred to her that the word really didn’t suit him.
His side face, looking at Helena, was full of all kinds of emotions. Regret, longing, sadness, fondness, joy, suffering, regret, remorse… A collection of emotions that couldn’t be explained even with all the words one knew.
He had a faint smile, but again, it felt unfitting for the word “smile”.
The fact that he looked like he was crying was definitely not an illusion.
“I am the pitiful one.”
Caesar murmured.
And Rowena, too, understood his words.
Tyrant. Cold-blooded. Merciless wolf.
An undisputed ruler who seemed to be able to get anything he wanted.
… Why is everyone looking at him that way?
He was just the most pitiful and shabby man in the world, someone who couldn’t get what he wanted most even when it was before him.
“Isn’t our Helena pretty?”
Caesar turned to Rowena and smiled.
It was like he was desperately trying to show off his person.
“She’s so pretty. What should I do if another guy flirts with her while she’s estranged from me?”
“Yes. By then she might refuse the position of crown princess. There must be quite a few people who would be interested in the love of Young Lady Peresca.”
Rowena replied in a businesslike tone.
Not only that. There seemed to be quite a few families who had asked to marry into House Peresca since Caesar and Yulika got engaged.
“Oh, what should I do? I can’t kill them all.”
Caesar spewed out terrifying words so casually.
Rowena glanced at him. He said it as if it were a joke, but she knew it would never be just a joke.
Therefore, she decided not to mention which family had asked for the young lady’s hand.
There’s no need to reduce the male population in this country intentionally.
“There’s nothing I can do, being the crown prince. Isn’t that right, Rowena?”
“Whatever you say, Your Highnes.”
He could not stay long enough to attract people’s attention, so Caesar immediately withdrew from the window.
Seeing that expression full of regret made one feel so sad.
Walking down the long hallway again, Rowena said to Caesar.
“I think you can give your subordinates a lot of vacation at will.”
“Why can’t they just take a break?”
“I was just daring myself to tell you a very boring joke.”
“I see.”
After exchanging meaningless jokes without a single laugh, the two started walking again.
The conversation went back to work.
“What’s your investigation into Dracoism?”
“It’s difficult because Viscount Noct’s infiltration has slowed down their activities, but I think we can track them down.”
“Find out where they’re based as soon as possible.”
“All right.”
“If I see anything that could harm Helena, I am considering annihilation.”
The man’s eyes that looked at the woman with an infinitely warm gaze suddenly turned into a stare full of coldness.
His whole body was wrapped with a sense of intimidation that made his opponent nervous, like a beast that bites its enemies without mercy.
‘As expected. I don’t know much.’
With a shallow sigh, Rowena thought so.