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The imperial family’s visit, an event that the welcoming ducal house spends enormous time, labor, and funds preparing for, could not last long. The emperor’s schedule was packed, and he could not afford to linger. After lunch, it was already time for the return to the Imperial Palace.
Outside the main gate of the duke’s mansion, guarded by both the Knight of Jurnova and the Imperial Knights, the people began to stir with excitement, sensing the imperial family’s imminent departure.
When the imperial family and the siblings appeared at the mansion’s front carriage porch, where the emperor’s coach awaited, a great cheer erupted from beyond the gates.

.

“Your hospitality was splendid, Aleksei. A most thorough and refined reception—very much like you.”
“It is an honor, Your Majesty. I am sure all my household will be delighted to hear such words.”

While sovereign and vassal exchanged words, the empress clasped Ekaterina’s hands warmly in both of hers.

“I had such a lovely time, Ekaterina. Next time, you must come visit the imperial palace.”
“It would be my greatest pleasure. I would dearly love to pay a visit.”

Ekaterina returned the empress’s grasp; the air between them was as friendly as between classmates. Beside them, Mikhail smiled wryly.

“Aleksei, Ekaterina. Thank you for today. Let’s meet again at the academy.”

With Mikhail’s parting words, the imperial family boarded the carriage.
Then, to the sound of the fanfare from the Imperial Knights’ trumpeters, the beast-drawn coach began to move slowly, leaving behind the Jurnova ducal estate.

.

“…The blue rose of Nova was quite beautiful this year, don’t you think?”
“Oh my, it’s rare for Your Majesty to take notice of a young lady.”

Waving to the people lining the road, Emperor Konstantin spoke cheerfully. The empress, Magdalena, who was also waving with an unbroken smile, teased him playfully.

“Well, you were quite taken with her, weren’t you? You two seemed to be having quite the lively conversation.”
“Yes, that we were.”

The empress chuckled softly, then burst into laughter.

“That girl—imagine! I’ve never before met a young lady who would listen so eagerly to discussions about tariffs and cargo insurance. I only explained a little, yet her understanding was deep and broad. I’d expect no less of Aleksei’s sister. —And when she finally noticed the pattern of my dress, instead of wondering whether it would suit her, she asked which country it came from and what culture inspired it—marveling at their craftsmanship and sensibility. —If we ever wish to please the ambassador of that country, we should take Ekaterina along to the banquet. She listens to other cultures with unprejudiced delight, and with such insight at her young age, she’d surely impress the ambassador.”

If Ekaterina had heard such praise, she would probably bow deeply and say, *“I’m so sorry, I’m not actually that young inside.”*

“Hmm. It hasn’t even been a year since she entered society, and yet—what remarkable progress.”

By rights, Ekaterina should have been frequenting the imperial palace since childhood. Her mother, Anastasia, too, ought to have shone in the capital’s social circles. Yet she passed away after more than ten years without ever appearing in public. Her husband, Aleksandr, spent most of his time in the capital after inheriting the dukedom, and still, she never accompanied him. Her supposed “convalescence from illness” had convinced no one.
It was not hard to imagine that Anastasia and Ekaterina had lived lives far beneath their station. Society even whispered dreadful rumors that they had been locked away in some stone cell.

But the Ekaterina they had met today was a bright and intelligent girl, full of vigor and resolve to aid her brother and uphold the ducal house. Her strength of spirit was admirable, and even the usually impenetrable Aleksei’s gentle demeanor toward his sister had been charming to witness.

“Aleksei and Ekaterina… visiting Nova will be something to look forward to from now on.”
“Oh, but I must say—I’ve always found Nova visits quite entertaining, in a way.”

Hohoho, the empress laughed elegantly.
As Ekaterina had guessed, Alexandra—her aunt by marriage—was not a woman who would readily bow her head.
In truth, Magdalena and Alexandra had always been of incompatible temperaments. Magdalena’s casual speech, her wide, brilliant smile, her international friendships, her skill with the rapier rivaling any man’s, her involvement in economic reform, even her tall stature nearly equal to her husband’s—all these, Alexandra disapproved of one by one.
*“You lack dignity and grace,”* Alexandra had once said, hiding a sigh behind her fan. *“You are the least suitable person to belong to the imperial family. To think I must educate such a failure into one worthy of our house—surely even Piotr the Great would pity my misfortune.”*
To this, the then–Crown Princess Magdalena had replied sweetly:
*“Oh my, educate me, you say? I hardly recall you’ve taken employment as a tutor. How wonderful—you’ve at last discovered the importance of working for one’s bread.”*
Though Alexandra’s attendants had squawked at the audacity of speaking so to the emperor’s sister, Magdalena still thought it a fairly good comeback.

After Duke Sergei’s death drove the late emperor into sorrow and abdication, Magdalena ascended as empress. Even as the higher-ranking woman, Alexandra remained an unpleasant presence—but watching her gradually lose influence, frustrated by her inability to obstruct Magdalena’s achievements, had been rather amusing.

“Still, yes, I do look forward to seeing Ekaterina again. Elizavetta is a sweet girl as well, but… you know.”

Elizavetta, daughter of the House of Jurmagna, was ten years old—endearing, well-mannered, and likely to become a fine young lady someday, though still very much a child.

Her father, Georgiy, had once mocked Ekaterina in the emperor’s presence during the Council of Three Dukes, saying, *“I hear the young lady of Nova is sickly, never tutored, and has never once been invited to any other house—.”*
Even when seeking to undermine a rival, to openly disparage an unfortunate young girl would only diminish the speaker’s own reputation—and he failed to realize that. The family of Mikhail’s future wife would become the imperial in-laws, after all; if he hoped to promote his daughter while presenting himself as a liability, he was a fool indeed.

The emperor grunted softly. “Hmm.”

“But I wonder—what does Aleksei intend to do with his sister?”

Aleksei was not a man who would fail to understand the weight of declaring, *“My sister is frail,”* in front of the Emperor and Empress. For a woman, to become Empress—or even Crown Princess—was to accept a life of relentless duty. Above all, the foremost expectation was to bear an heir. Therefore, good health was a decisive requirement.
By saying what he did, Aleksei had effectively declared that House Jurnova did not wish for Ekaterina to become Empress.

“After all, there are only the two of them left in Nova now. Their great-uncle Isaak had no children, if I recall. Perhaps Aleksei plans to marry Ekaterina into a branch family to strengthen his house’s influence. Or maybe he simply finds her too adorable to let go of. Still, I wonder—what does Ekaterina herself want?”

At that, the Emperor and Empress both cast a sidelong glance toward their son.

“…For the record, Ekaterina isn’t interested in me.”

Said Mikhail as he kept waving to the crowds outside the window, his smile unwavering, yet his tone was not as casual as he wanted it to be.

“When I first spoke to her, she looked at me like I was some kind of caterpillar. I honestly thought she might take a step back.”

Much to the chagrin of Ekaterina, Mikhail did realize that she almost ran from him.

“That might just be her way of playing coy, you know?”
“I’ve met girls who pretended disinterest to get my attention. Girls are scary that way. But Ekaterina doesn’t seem like that. Even after we fought that magic beast, she clung to Aleksei the whole time and completely forgot I even existed.”

Again to her chagrin, Mikhail also realized that.

“When the beast appeared out of nowhere, she stayed calm and fought exactly by the book—truly a daughter of Nova, I thought. But as soon as it was over, she burst into tears and clung to Aleksei. She suddenly turned into an ordinary girl. When I told her she’d been brave, she looked like she was about to cry again. That was… well, kind of cute, actually.”

His words were starting to sound like a monologue, and his parents listened quietly, pretending not to.

“To be honest, I’ve never met a girl who cared so little about me. So no, there’s no way Ekaterina would ever defy Aleksei and try to become my fiancée. If anything, I think Aleksei said all that because it’s Ekaterina who dislikes the idea. …Though honestly, she doesn’t have to dislike it *that* much. Being treated like a caterpillar is disheartening.”
“…Hmm.”

That soft murmur came from Emperor Konstantin.

“Well, fret not. There’s still time until your graduation.”

In the Empire, the heir to the throne is officially invested as Crown Prince only after graduating from the academy. During the Investiture Ceremony, his future consort typically takes part as well—and they often marry soon afterward, making her the Crown Princess.

“Circumstances can change, so can a young woman’s heart.”

.

*“I’m going to start my own trading company. It’s my dream to own a ship and sail around the world. Don’t bother with someone like me—find yourself a cute little bride instead.”*

.

The Emperor and Empress both knew it.
Mikhail didn’t just resemble his father in appearance. He had also inherited that same temperament—when something slipped beyond his reach, he wanted it all the more. And once he began to pursue it, he would not stop until it was his.

(*Don’t provoke him.*)
(*I know. It would only make things worse.*)

The parents exchanged that silent thought with their eyes—unnoticed by Mikhail himself.