Swish, swish.

I was maintaining the magical engineering weapons sent from the Arwen Empire laboratory at my lodging.

The weapons I had brought with me when departing for the Karlua Empire were heavily used, so I had requested new ones—and now, they had finally arrived.

Normally, moving weapons out of the laboratory would have been difficult due to the bounty Helsion had placed.

But thanks to the assistance of the Cain Trading Company, transporting them to the Lazent Empire turned out smoother than expected.

Fortunately, since the Cain Trading Company had been trading with me for a long time, they could naturally move in and out of the laboratory without suspicion.

Even in my absence, magical engineering weapons were being transported under prior contracts, allowing us to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

After allying with Dekain, contacting the Brellof family or bringing weapons into the Lazent Empire became much easier.

Of course, all of this was ultimately to make Dekain emperor.

‘Soon, there will be an official announcement recognizing Dekain as a prince. What should I create to prepare for that day?’

Though the location lacked proper magical engineering equipment, limiting what I could build, I needed something attention-grabbing to publicly declare my support for Dekain.

I was lost in thought, examining the magical engineering weapons sent from the laboratory,

when a pleasant baritone voice spoke from behind me.

“What ingenious creation are you pondering this time?”

I turned around to see Ascan standing there like a living painting—his appearance was flawlessly striking, no matter how many times I saw him.

“When did you get here? I’m thinking about what to unveil on the day Dekain is officially declared prince.”

“I heard the announcement will be made at the party hosted by the Lazent Imperial Household. Have you decided to attend personally?”

“Yeah. I thought it over—ultimately, I have to go myself.”

Personally appearing as a proxy meant accepting considerable risk, so I had considered sending someone else instead.

But this occasion was too important to entrust to just anyone. The only people I currently trusted were Ascan, Carlton, and Zen—and sending any of them would hardly differ from going myself.

Above all, I couldn’t leave decisions involving magical engineering weapons to someone else.

Generally, a proxy speaks and acts on behalf of their principal, holding decision-making authority depending on the situation. If the proxy lacks such authority, they must consult the principal before acting.

In my case, since my whereabouts are officially unknown, consulting me before acting was simply impossible.

Therefore, I had to grant the proxy full authority—but since magical engineering weapons were so powerful, I felt uneasy entrusting them to anyone else.

Fundamentally, my goal in preventing war with the Karlua Empire was to avoid mass casualties.

Yet if mishandled, the weapons I created could injure or kill people—so I had to proceed with extreme caution.

Ascan spoke.

“I understand. I expected you’d take the stage yourself. It’s dangerous, yes—but entrusting the decision-making power of the continent’s greatest arms dealer to someone else would be unsettling too.”

His words felt as if he’d peered directly into my thoughts.

I couldn’t help but smile faintly.

“I’ll have to be careful not to reveal my identity.”

“Don’t worry too much. As long as I’m beside you, you won’t come to harm.”

Though Ascan spoke casually, his presence suddenly felt profoundly reassuring.

Just as I was about to reply, I noticed his unusually pale complexion.

“Ascan, are you feeling unwell?”

At my question, Ascan touched his face with a strange expression.

“No, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Really? You don’t look well—”

“Rather, is there anything I can help you with?”

Ascan approached me as if deliberately changing the subject, reaching toward the magical engineering weapons I’d been maintaining.

Since some of them were dangerous if mishandled, I cut off my words and quickly grabbed his arm.

“Be careful. If you want to help, could you move the heavier items for me?”

Ascan obediently lifted the heavier weapons and sorted them by category as I instructed.

Watching him work, I found myself pleasantly absorbed—and soon forgot entirely what I’d meant to say earlier.

Finally, the day of the party hosted by the Lazent Imperial Household arrived—the very day Dekain would be officially recognized as a prince.

Ascan and I dressed formally for the first time in a while, and wore masks that fully concealed our faces.

I adjusted my outfit one last time before the mirror, then turned—and immediately found myself admiring Ascan’s splendid appearance beside me.

“What? Looking this good even with a mask on—that’s unfair, isn’t it?”

His tall stature, broad shoulders, and lean but tightly muscled frame couldn’t be hidden by any clothing.

Even with his face masked, he radiated brilliance—as impossible to conceal as trying to hide the sun with one’s palm.

Ascan chuckled softly in reply.

“That’s rich, coming from you.”

He gently tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. Even that trivial touch made my heart pound wildly, as if malfunctioning.

Whenever I’m with Ascan, any situation turns romantic.

Even if my life were in danger, if he gazed at me like this—handsome, tenderly brushing my hair—I might still smile.

Lost in thoughts of Ascan’s overwhelming presence, I stared at him—and he spoke in a suddenly deeper voice.

“That look in your eyes is troublesome.”

His hand, which had touched my hair, slowly stroked my mask. Though no actual sensation passed through, I somehow felt it anyway.

I vividly imagined the heat radiating from his fingertips—a warmth I knew well from past experience.

Though his face was hidden by the mask, I could clearly see the mischievous glint in his abyss-like eyes.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heart pounded loudly, announcing its presence.

Just then—knock, knock—a perfectly timed knock sounded, and Zen entered the room.

“Miss, I’ve loaded all the items you ordered onto the carriage.”

“Oh, good.”

I forcibly calmed my fluttering heart and turned toward Zen. Had she arrived even a moment later, I might have impulsively pulled Ascan into a kiss.

Perhaps sensing my thoughts, Ascan let out a soft, amused chuckle from deep in his throat. He tilted his head toward me and whispered quietly,

“What a pity.”

I didn’t understand what he meant.

Flustered, I stared at him—and saw the intense heat glowing in his eyes.

Perhaps it wasn’t me who’d been interrupted by Zen’s arrival—but him.

Just as I opened my mouth to speak, Ascan kissed me—still wearing his mask.

Tap. A kiss between masks, lips never truly touching.

“Oh.”

I let out an involuntary gasp.

Though our lips hadn’t actually met, my heart raced violently. Perhaps the lack of direct contact made it even more maddening.

Behind the mask, Ascan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“This will have to do, for now.”

My face flushed hot in an instant. Had I not been wearing a mask, anyone could have seen how crimson I’d turned.

As I stood speechless, gaping at Ascan, Zen—who’d entered moments earlier—cleared her throat softly.

“Ahem. Should I come back later?”

I wanted to say yes—but we couldn’t afford to be late to today’s party.

After all, today was when Dekain would be officially recognized and proclaimed prince.

I looked up at Ascan, trying to soothe my disappointment.

“Wait. We’ll finish what’s left when we return.”

At my words, Zen pretended she hadn’t heard anything, turning her gaze elsewhere with studied indifference. Ascan, meanwhile, pressed his masked forehead to his palm and burst into helpless laughter.

Ascan and I boarded the prepared carriage, heading toward the Lazent Imperial Palace. Zen herself sat at the driver’s seat, guiding the carriage.

I’d seen many imperial palaces before, but the Lazent Imperial Palace possessed a uniquely elegant charm, preserving a sense of antiquity.

At the party entrance, royal guards meticulously checked each invitation.

I displayed the invitation Dekain had arranged for me through the carriage window. It read: [Proxy of Arwen Empire Arms Dealer].

As an officially invited proxy arms dealer, I was permitted to bring pre-approved magical engineering weapons inside.

I entrusted my prepared items to Zen, then entered the party hall with Ascan.

The interior was dazzlingly opulent—unsurprising, since the Lazent Imperial relatives and the most prominent nobles had all gathered here.

Though this wasn’t a masquerade, some guests eyed our masked faces curiously—but given the importance of the event, their attention soon shifted elsewhere.

Wearing our masks, Ascan and I walked to the most secluded corner of the hall.

As we stood quietly in that shadowed spot, scanning the crowd for key members of the Lazent Imperial Household, Ascan beside me noticed my gaze and spoke softly.

“See that man over there?”

I followed his gesture and saw a young man with dark green hair and crimson eyes—an undeniably breathtaking beauty.

I gave a slight nod, and Ascan continued.

“That’s Seiji, Second Prince of the Lazent Empire.”

“Ah, I thought so.”

He certainly bore resemblance to Dekain. They say blood will tell—and perhaps that was true here.

Next, Ascan gestured subtly toward another direction and spoke again.

“See that frail-looking man over there?”

“You mean the blond one?”

“Yes. That’s Crown Prince Shusain of the Lazent Empire.”

Shusain, with his golden hair and deep gray eyes, truly appeared delicate and sickly—yet his features, like Dekain’s and Seiji’s, were undeniably handsome.

My gaze shifted to the man standing beside Shusain—a middle-aged figure who appeared to be in his fifties, with an impressively robust build.

Judging by his luxurious attire and commanding aura, he was clearly no ordinary person.

I whispered quietly to Ascan.

“Who’s the man standing right beside the Crown Prince?”

Ascan immediately understood whom I meant. He nodded approvingly, as if I’d asked a good question, and replied.

“He’s the Grand Duke of the Lazent Empire—the current emperor’s younger brother.”

“Ah, so that’s the Grand Duke.”

I hadn’t known his face, but I’d heard of him before. His name was Retanda—virtually the emperor’s right hand.

As far as I knew, Retanda had been involved in the incident ten years ago when someone attempted to kidnap me.

As I studied Retanda intently, Ascan asked, puzzled,

“Why? Is the Grand Duke concerning you?”

“Somewhat. When the attempted kidnapping in the Lazent Empire ten years ago became public, my father investigated thoroughly. The emperor’s tacit approval was the main issue, but I heard the Grand Duke was also involved—so I can’t feel kindly toward him.”

“…I see.”

Somehow, Ascan’s gaze toward Retanda turned noticeably colder.

A moment later, Ascan pointed to another middle-aged man standing beside Shusain and Retanda.

“You should remember his face too. That’s Marquis Dante, the leading figure of the Emperor’s faction. The Crown Prince, the Grand Duke, Marquis Dante—all of them are our adversaries.”

“Yeah. I’ll keep that in mind.”

The Emperor’s faction wished to pass the throne to the frail Crown Prince, while opposing nobles increasingly supported the healthy Second Prince.

Since Ascan and I aimed to crown Dekain as emperor, we could treat everyone here as an enemy.

As we scanned the hall, memorizing key figures, the chamberlain at the entrance announced loudly:

“His Imperial Majesty, Emperor of the Lazent Empire, and Her Imperial Majesty, Empress, are arriving!”

With those words, Emperor Petro and Empress Laila entered the hall.

Perhaps beauty ran in the Lazent bloodline—Petro too possessed refined features. Though his face bore deep signs of illness, he remained a middle-aged man of poignant beauty.

Empress Laila wore the most extravagant dress of anyone present at the party today. But no matter how generously one described it, one couldn’t call her beautiful.

Unexpectedly, unlike the elegant members of the Lazent Imperial family, Laila was stout and plain-faced.

As I observed Petro and Laila, the chamberlain at the entrance shouted once more:

“Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress Dowager, is arriving!”

Kisandra, her silver hair elegantly swept back, entered the hall with graceful poise.

More importantly, the man escorting her was none other than Dekain—radiant with golden hair and eyes as red as fresh blood.

Ascan and I already knew from prior conversations with Dekain that Kisandra supported him wholeheartedly.

Currently, within the Lazent Empire, Dekain’s strongest supporters were Kisandra and the Beana Dukedom.

Effectively, all three factions—the Crown Prince’s, the Second Prince’s, and Dekain’s supporters—had gathered in this glittering hall.

Somehow, I had a premonition that today would be exhausting.

Just then, Zen quietly approached from behind and signaled to me that all preparations were complete.

I wordlessly nodded in acknowledgment.

‘Then… shall we begin moving?’