This young man who remained indifferent to everything sharpened his hostility only when it came to the disgrace of the imperial family—Talia Roem Gwirta.
It made Gareth feel reassured once again that this man was on his... on their side.
“Indeed... if it were Senevier, she wouldn’t jeopardize her own position with something so stupid.”
His mood somewhat improved, Gareth spoke in a lighter tone.
“So Talia ended up stabbing herself in the foot. I always knew that bitch would cause trouble someday.”
He smiled like the troublemaker who once terrorized the Academy halls.
“She must’ve lost her mind after having you stolen away by my sister. How arrogantly that bastard brat lorded over everyone while treating the heir of the grand ducal house like her personal servant. Now the knight she treated like a toy is about to become the consort of a ‘real’ Imperial Princess. With that rotten temper of hers, she must’ve finally snapped.”
The man said nothing.
Varkas Laedgo Siorcan was not someone who spoke more than necessary. His silence itself was not unusual.
But at times, Gareth found that silence unbearably irritating.
Like now.
Staring at him intently as though demanding an answer, Gareth continued.
“Either way, she won’t escape punishment this time. If we play this right, we might even frame it as attempted poisoning—”
“It will not go as Your Highness wishes.”
For the second time, he interrupted the Crown Prince.
Gareth’s eyes instantly sharpened. But the man gazing at the future emperor remained utterly calm.
“First, there is only circumstantial evidence. There is no decisive proof. If she decides to deny everything, it will not be easy to prove she was behind this.”
“We can simply use the maid who supplied the drug as a witness—!”
“Do you truly believe the testimony of a mere maid is enough to place Senevier’s eldest daughter before a tribunal?”
As Gareth searched for a rebuttal, Varkas continued evenly.
“Second, even if it becomes undeniably clear that the Second Imperial Princess was responsible, it will be difficult to impose severe punishment over nothing more than a drug that causes stomach pain. If she insists it was merely a harmless prank, at most she will receive a period of confinement.”
“A harmless prank?”
Having listened quietly until now, Gareth finally exploded.
He leapt to his feet and seized the future grand duke by the collar.
“Do you know what kind of humiliation the woman who’s supposed to become your wife suffered in front of everyone? Aila, who has never once shown herself in disarray, collapsed vomiting in the middle of a banquet hall! Do you have any idea how much pain she was in? And you call that a harmless prank...!”
As though reliving that day, the Crown Prince’s bronze face flushed red enough to be visible even in the darkness.
Grinding his teeth, he snarled,
“That day, everything happened so suddenly I overlooked it at first, but when Aila collapsed, I saw Talia standing far away smiling. That filthy bastard bitch deserves to be torn limb from limb for daring to do that to my sister—!”
“Your Highness.”
Gareth flinched and released him.
Varkas had not even raised his voice, yet cold sweat suddenly gathered along Gareth’s spine.
The Crown Prince stepped back cautiously while studying him.
With calm movements, the man straightened his disordered clothes.
“That woman is not worth this much of Your Highness’s attention.”
His voice was as matter-of-fact as saying night follows sunset.
“All she does is torment people with petty and malicious tricks like this. Should the future ruler of the Empire truly become so enraged over such trivial games?”
He spoke as though soothing a child.
Ordinarily, Gareth would have exploded at the audacity of being lectured. But he knew perfectly well that he had crossed the line first, so he remained silent.
The man slowly rose from his seat.
Though he was committing the discourtesy of leaving without the Crown Prince’s permission, his actions flowed as naturally as water.
“I have already sent medicinal herbs to calm Her Highness’s stomach. From now on, all food and drink served to Her Highness will also be strictly supervised.”
“So you’re telling me to bury the matter?”
“If Your Highness insists on uncovering the truth and punishing the Second Imperial Princess, I will not stop you. But I would prefer not to involve myself further.”
At the indifferent reply, Gareth’s face reddened.
Varkas seemed intent on dismissing the entire affair as nothing more than the malicious prank of a jealous, immature girl.
And perhaps he was right. If the Crown Prince and the heir to the eastern grand duchy became too invested in such a ridiculous incident, only their dignity would suffer.
But Gareth felt a strong sense of resistance toward the man’s coldness.
It was not merely his indifferent attitude toward Aila.
Gareth narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“You’re not protecting that bitch, are you?”