Late in the evening, Yustia sat at the table by the window, silently tilting her teacup.

It was clearly an evening no different from any other, yet she couldn’t shake off an oddly uncomfortable feeling.

Suddenly, the face of Liurian that she had seen that morning came to mind. After a cough, she finished getting dressed, and the maid who had been standing guard outside came to inform her of Liurian’s visit.

She couldn’t help but chuckle at the news. What was the big deal?

To Yustia, Liurian was her only son and everything she had dedicated her life to. When she had to send such a Liurian to the battlefield, it felt as if the world was collapsing.

Her son, who had been like that, returned safely without a single injury after a year, but strangely enough, she couldn’t shake off an inexplicable sense of discomfort.

For some reason, she had an unpleasant feeling that he wasn’t the son she knew. But all that disappeared cleanly with the news of her son coming to see her in the early morning.

Yustia was unusually excited for the tea time with her son after so long. Just by bringing out the stories they had put off, time flew by quickly.

It was a time so enjoyable that words couldn’t fully express it. That is, until they started discussing the victory party.

[Liurian, you know the victory party is in three days, right? According to the count, Lelia is working very hard to prepare so that she won’t be chosen for you that day.]

Yustia casually mentioned Lelia’s news. Talking about Lelia was an indispensable topic in her conversations with Liurian.

But something strange happened.

As soon as Lelia’s story came out, Liurian’s expression stiffened.

[……Is that so?]

His lifeless voice made Yustia more bewildered than ever. But she continued to add to Lelia’s story without betraying her feelings.

[It’s the first time you’ll stand in a year. You’ll be nervous, excited. That’s why she’s preparing so diligently, they say.] […….] [Liurian, Her Highness suffered a lot in your absence. If something had gone wrong with you on the battlefield, wouldn’t she have become a widow without even being a wife? The people behind her were mumbling such absurd things. But you appeared healthy and strong, so wouldn’t she want to show off at this party?]

It was an unembellished account of the past year.

Watching Lelia’s distress, Yustia had always felt sorry. It would have been treatment that would not have happened if Liurian had not gone to the battlefield.

Especially since they were two people who were very affectionate before going to the battlefield.

So, she was sure that he would be furious when he learned that such a thing had happened while he was away.

But in front of an expressionless and motionless Liurian, her certainty shattered into pieces.

[There’s something I want to discuss, so I asked to see you.] [Discuss? What’s the matter? Tell me quickly, Liurian.] [It’s not a problem, but I’m considering attending this victory party with the Crown Princess.] [……The party, with the Crown Princess?]

Yustia’s pupils dilated and shook uncontrollably. It was something she had never imagined.

The fact that the story of the Crown Princess, not Lelia, came from Liurian’s mouth.

Yustia couldn’t say anything at once due to the complex emotions that surged in. Moreover, the discomfort that had subsided began to surge again.

[It’s not something you should misunderstand, Mother, so don’t make that face.] [……Liurian, I can’t seem to grasp how I should accept your words.] [Don’t think too hard about it. It’s a war that took a whole year, isn’t it? It’s also a war that I finally led to victory.]

Liurian’s explanation continued, but Yustia’s brow wouldn’t smooth. It was hard to fully understand the point.

[The war against the Elian Kingdom, which I led to a defiant victory, will be a lasting achievement. So, surely there are many more eyes looking at me differently, aren’t there?] […….] I might be worried that now, when a new power might be supporting me, I might lose the reputation I’ve just turned positive by enjoying the party with Lilia, not the crown princess.

Only after a calm explanation did Eustia understand Liurian’s intentions. But the furrow in her brow still didn’t smooth.

It was unbelievable that such words had come from Liurian’s mouth. To consider his future, anticipating the psychology of the nobles that might have changed due to this war.

It was something he had to do. Then all Liurian had to do was move according to his will.

[My father will surely wish to win the favor of not only the nobles, including the ministers, but also the people of the empire. He will probably want to have that much preparation in order to ascend without any trouble.] […….] [I endured that suffocating battlefield stubbornly for a year. Whether I wanted to or not, I don’t want to easily destroy this achievement that I’ve accomplished with my hands.] […….] [Since it’s come to this, I want to firmly establish the foundation as the next emperor, and make sure to be recognized by my father.]