The ballroom lights still shimmered with laughter and music, but Reinhardt had already vanished.
Elric noticed his absence immediately. There was a heaviness lingering in the air after what he had done to Lady Ariya—a silence more deafening than music. She slipped out without hesitation, trailing the Emperor's fading steps through the palace corridors.
She caught up to him under the moonlight spilling from a high arched window.
"You shouldn't have done that," she said quietly as her footsteps caught up behind him. "Is she going to be alive tomorrow?"
Reinhardt didn't slow.
"She's Count Govert's beloved daughter, isn't she?"
"Yeah," he said with a bored exhale. "That greedy bastard."
Then, without warning, he halted.
Elric stopped too, her brows drawing together in wariness.
"Maybe you can help me get rid of him," Reinhardt added, turning his head slightly toward her, voice casual—almost amused. "You know my hands are already full, right?"
A shiver ran down her spine. There it was. The real Reinhardt. Cold. Merciless. Strategic. The man no one dared to oppose.
"Don't joke like that," she muttered.
His smile twisted. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
They reached his private office. He entered first, shrugging off his red cloak and letting it fall loosely over the arm of a nearby chair. The room was warm, candlelit—but there was a chill in the air only Reinhardt could summon.
Elric stood near the entrance, her arms crossed tightly.
He sat behind his desk, slowly unfastening the buttons of his inner robe before leaning back in the chair like a king upon his throne.
"How about it?" he asked again. "Help me clean up this mess. I'll owe you."
She said nothing.
His smile didn't fade. "If I help you, Elric, what will you give me in return?"
Her eyes narrowed. "If you're asking for my loyalty, you already used that up years ago."
He let out a low laugh. "I thought I already gave you enough, though."
Then, he leaned forward slightly, eyes glinting with something far more dangerous than amusement.
"Don't worry," he added, "I've sent him."
Elric's breath caught. She didn't ask who. She already knew.
Reinhardt leaned back, satisfied with her silence. "Kael. I sent him to your mansion this morning. He should arrive in two days."
The words hit her like stone. She had expected this. She'd known Reinhardt would never truly let Kael go—but hearing it aloud still twisted something deep inside her.
"You always knew," she said softly.
"Of course," he replied. "He's mine, too."
Her hands clenched. She hated him. Hated how he always turned the pieces of the board before anyone else even saw the game.
"What do you want me to do?"
He reached into his desk and slid a sealed envelope toward her.
"Go back to your room," he said. "I've sent my plan in writing."
-----------------------------------------
The Next Morning
The sun was barely up when Elric was intercepted once again—by none other than Lady Ariya.
Elric had just stepped out of her private wing, en route to her carriage. She had a visit to make. But the girl blocked her path, dressed in a lavish violet cloak that couldn't quite hide the faint bruise still blooming on her cheek.
"You," Ariya hissed. "What were you doing with His Majesty after the ball?"
Elric's face remained neutral. Her eyes flicked to the mark on the girl's cheek, but she said nothing about it.
"Is there something you need, my lady?" she asked calmly.
"You know about the rumors, don't you?" Ariya's voice rose. "About my engagement to His Majesty? He will choose me. I'll be Empress one day."
Elric tilted her head, her expression soft, almost pitying.
"Then perhaps you should start learning palace etiquette," she said, voice smooth as glass. "You're lacking in… many areas."
Ariya flushed red.
"I am Duchess of Vaelthorn," Elric continued. "You are the lovely daughter of a mere Count. Know your place."
Ariya stood stunned, words caught in her throat. Elric walked past her without another glance, her boots clicking on the stone. The girl didn't follow.
Foolish child, Elric thought. Chasing something that will never even see her.
-----------------------------------------
Govert County
The carriage rolled to a stop before the grand stone manor of Count Govert. The estate sprawled with opulence—but even its beauty could not mask the nervous energy lingering in the air.
Elric stepped out, her cloak fluttering behind her as she strode up the stairs. Servants scrambled to bow, caught off guard by her unannounced arrival.
"Duke Vaelthorn," an old butler stammered, rushing forward, "we… weren't expecting—"
"I'm here under His Majesty's orders," Elric said curtly. "Where is Count Govert?"
The butler flinched slightly, his eyes darting toward the other servants.
"I… I believe the Count is out at the moment, Your Grace. Would you care for tea while you wait?"
"I didn't come for tea," Elric said coldly. "Take me to his office."
The butler hesitated, then bowed deeply and led her through the manor.
Inside the study, Elric wasted no time. She snapped her fingers. Her personal guards followed her inside and immediately began rifling through drawers, shelves, ledgers.
The servants tried to intervene—but Elric held up the Emperor's seal.
"This is a direct order. Interfere, and I'll have you arrested for treason."
She scoured the Count's desk, flipping open a ledger when her fingers caught on something… odd. The floorboard near the wall. A seam.
There was a hidden panel.
She moved quickly, about to pull it open when the door slammed behind her.
"What in the name of the gods do you think you're doing?!"
Count Govert stormed into the room, face red, breath ragged.
"This is outrageous! You can't just barge into my estate—"
"Rude?" Elric said flatly, holding up a sheet of paper. "Is it more rude than this?"
She held up a letter. Reinhardt had given it to her that morning. It bore the Count's seal and handwriting—a message addressed to a merchant caught smuggling enchanted weapons through the northern gates.
"You ordered an illegal shipment to the Demon Cult," she said. "And you dared to do it after this empire was saved from their hands by the Hero."
The Count froze. Sweat gleamed at his temple.
"I didn't know!" he blurted. "I didn't know they were affiliated with the Cult!"
"You lie poorly," she replied.
Elric turned and pulled open the hidden compartment. Inside were documents—boxes of them. Correspondence. Ledgers. Alchemical contracts.
Everything she needed.
"And sending your daughter to the palace," she added, "was that part of your plan too? Get her close to the Emperor? Whisper in his ear while you dismantle the empire from the shadows?"
The Count stepped back, stammering. "I—I only wanted to protect my house!"
Elric turned to him, her eyes like ice.
"You've doomed it."