Chapter 43: The Crown Prince

[Imperial Palace — Emperor’s Study]

The Imperial Palace stood at the heart of the empire, its golden roofs gleaming beneath the afternoon sun. Within its magnificent walls, ministers bowed, servants moved in disciplined silence, and knights guarded every corridor with unwavering vigilance.

It was a place where power wore a crown, ambition hid behind elegant smiles, and even the smallest whisper could determine the fate of an entire noble house.

Yet, inside the Emperor’s private study, the atmosphere was anything but peaceful.

Emperor sat behind his broad mahogany desk, several reports scattered before him. His fingers rested against the edge of a parchment, tapping it slowly as his eyes moved over the words for what must have been the fifth time. The more he read, the deeper the crease between his brows became.

Across from him stood the Crown Prince; the heir to the imperial throne was a man whose appearance seemed almost deliberately crafted to inspire admiration. His silver-blond hair was impeccably arranged, his royal-dark brown eyes bright and clear, and his features possessed the refined beauty expected of someone born into the imperial bloodline. Dressed in an immaculate white uniform embroidered with gold, he stood with the confidence of a man who had never truly needed to fear the consequences of his actions.

A pleasant smile rested on his lips. It was a beautiful smile and entirely devoid of warmth.

The Crown Prince had learned early that people were more willing to surrender their judgment when they believed the person standing before them was charming. A gentle voice could conceal a cruel intention, and a gracious smile could make even the most calculated insult appear like an innocent misunderstanding.

He had perfected both; at present, however, the emperor seemed entirely unimpressed by his son’s appearance.

"Do you have any idea," Emperor began, his voice measured but edged with displeasure, "how much concerning news I have been receiving from the Ashcroft Territory?"

The Crown Prince’s smile remained unchanged.

"Ashcroft, Father?"

"Yes. Ashcroft."

The Emperor pushed one of the reports across the desk.

"First, we receive news of an extraordinary discovery within the Grand Duke’s territory—a natural source of mana stones so abundant that it could alter the balance of wealth and power within the empire. Then reports arrive concerning the appearance of rare magical beasts under the protection of the Grand Duchess. Shortly afterward, I learn that Archmage Aurelius Vaelmont, a man who spent years serving the Imperial Palace, has abandoned his position and chosen to remain in Ashcroft."

He paused, his expression darkening.

"And now, I am receiving reports that the Grand Duchess has established a connection with the hidden elves of the Northern Forest."

For the first time, the Crown Prince’s smile faltered, only slightly, but the Emperor noticed.

"Does that surprise you?"

"Not at all, Father," the Crown Prince replied smoothly, recovering his composure. "I was merely unaware that the Grand Duchess had become so... active."

"Active?" Emperor repeated, his fingers tapping against the parchment. "That is an interesting way to describe it."

The Crown Prince lowered his gaze to the reports. He scanned the pages with practiced indifference, but his thoughts had already begun moving faster than his eyes.

A mana-stone lake. Rare magical beasts. Aurelius Vaelmont and the elves.

And at the center of all these developments stood the Grand Duchess of Ashcroft.

Luceille Ashcroft, for a moment, could not reconcile the name with the woman he remembered. The Crown Prince’s expression remained composed, but something unpleasant stirred beneath his carefully maintained exterior.

Luceille.

The girl who had once occupied an insignificant corner of his childhood.

The girl whose existence had meant so little to the imperial family that they had eventually sent her away to Ashcroft Territory, where the Grand Duke’s reputation alone was enough to make most people hesitate before speaking his name.

He remembered her as a quiet, unremarkable child—someone whose presence had never commanded attention, whose words had rarely mattered, and whose future had seemed destined to remain buried beneath the shadow of the powerful family she had married into.

A girl without influence, a girl without ambition, a girl who, in his estimation, had been worth very little, and now that same girl was becoming the center of reports that had reached the emperor himself.

His fingers curled slowly against his palm.

How ridiculous. What could possibly have changed?

Had she suddenly discovered some hidden talent? Had she found a way to manipulate the Grand Duke? Or had the people of Ashcroft simply become so desperate for attention that they were exaggerating every insignificant achievement associated with their duchess?

The Crown Prince could accept the mana-stone discovery. Natural resources were valuable, and even an otherwise unremarkable territory could occasionally produce something extraordinary.

He could understand the rare beasts, too. Perhaps the Grand Duchess had stumbled upon them by accident. Even Aurelius’s departure, though inconvenient, could be explained by the Archmage’s notoriously unpredictable interests.

But the elves?

That was different.

The elven people had remained hidden for generations. Their knowledge of ancient magic was beyond the reach of ordinary human scholars, and their willingness to reveal themselves to a human noblewoman was difficult to dismiss.

The Crown Prince’s smile returned, although it no longer reached his eyes.

"It seems the Grand Duchess has been rather fortunate."

"Fortunate?" the Emperor asked.

"Perhaps she happened to discover something valuable. Perhaps the beasts were drawn to her, or the elves had some reason to assist her. There may be a perfectly ordinary explanation for all of it."

The emperor regarded his son in silence, and then he leaned back in his chair.

"You are overlooking something important."

"And what might that be, Father?"

"The Grand Duchess is not acting alone."

The Crown Prince’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

"The mana-stone source belongs to Ashcroft. The beasts are under her protection. Aurelius has chosen to remain there, and the elves have apparently agreed to establish a connection with her. Whatever the explanation may be, each development strengthens the Grand Duke’s household."

The Emperor’s voice grew colder.

"And that is precisely what concerns me."

For a moment, the Crown Prince said nothing.

He understood his father’s concern. The Grand Duke of the North had always been a formidable figure, but a territory blessed with extraordinary magical resources, rare beasts, and the support of an archmage could become far more powerful than the Imperial Palace had anticipated. ℴ

And if the Grand Duchess was somehow responsible for bringing these advantages together, then dismissing her as an insignificant woman would be a mistake.

A mistake the Crown Prince had no intention of admitting he might have made.

He raised his head and offered his father a reassuring smile.

"Surely the Grand Duke remains loyal to the throne. Whatever resources Ashcroft possesses, they are still part of the empire."

"The Grand Duke’s loyalty is not what I am questioning."

Emperor’s gaze sharpened.

"I am questioning why all these developments are occurring now, and why at the Ashcroft territory and why the Grand Duchess appears to be at the center of them."

The Crown Prince felt an uncomfortable prickle of irritation.

That woman?

The thought came with such immediate contempt that he almost laughed.

He remembered the way the imperial household had regarded her years ago. She had been an inconvenience, an unimportant branch of the family, someone whose marriage to the Grand Duke had served a political purpose. Sending her to the North had seemed a convenient solution to a problem no one particularly wished to discuss.

And now the emperor was studying reports about her as though she were a figure of national importance.

The Crown Prince found the idea insulting.

"What would you have me do?" he asked.

Austen studied him for a long moment before reaching for another letter.

"You will travel to Ashcroft."

The Crown Prince’s expression remained pleasant, but his attention sharpened.

"To Ashcroft?"

"Yes. I have already prepared a formal letter informing the Grand Duke of your visit. You will observe the situation firsthand, assess the territory’s recent developments, and determine whether there is anything the Imperial Palace needs to know."

The Emperor paused before adding, "You will also pay your respects to the Grand Duchess."

For the first time, the Crown Prince’s composure cracked.

"Luceille?"

The name escaped him before he could stop it; the emperor’s eyes narrowed.

"Is there a reason you find that request surprising?"

The Crown Prince immediately lowered his head.

"Not at all, Father. I was simply wondering whether the Grand Duchess’s presence is truly necessary for the visit."

"She is the Grand Duchess of Ashcroft. Of course her presence is necessary."

The Emperor’s tone left no room for argument.

"You will greet both the Grand Duke and his wife. I expect you to conduct yourself with the dignity befitting the heir to the imperial throne. Whatever your personal opinions may be, you will not allow them to interfere with your duties."

The Crown Prince bowed.

"Of course, Father. You have nothing to worry about."

His voice was perfectly respectful, his smile was perfectly charming, and behind his lowered eyes, his thoughts had already turned toward the North.

Luceille Ashcroft.

He could scarcely believe that the same woman he had once considered insignificant had become the subject of so much imperial attention.

What had she done? More importantly, what did she possess that had made the Grand Duke’s territory flourish around her?

The Crown Prince had no intention of allowing such a mystery to remain unanswered. If Luceille had acquired something valuable, he would discover what it was. If she had somehow gained influence, he would determine how far that influence extended.

And if the reports were nothing more than exaggerated rumors surrounding an otherwise ordinary woman, he would be more than happy to expose the truth.

After all, a woman who had once been discarded by the imperial household could hardly have become extraordinary overnight.

Could she?

The Crown Prince lifted his head and met his father’s gaze with a flawless smile.

"I shall depart for Ashcroft within the next few days."

"Good." Emperor gathered the reports and set them aside. "And one more thing."

The Crown Prince paused at the door.

"Do not underestimate the Grand Duke." Emperor’s expression hardened. "Cassian Ashcroft is not a man who tolerates interference in his territory. You will remember that you are visiting his household as a representative of the throne, not as its master."

The Crown Prince bowed once more.

"I understand."

He left the study with the same measured stride he had entered with, his expression composed until the heavy doors closed behind him.

Only then did the smile fade from his face.

His eyes turned cold.

"Luceille Ashcroft," he murmured.

He could still remember the girl she had been.

Quiet. Unremarkable. Easily overlooked.

The thought of that same girl now possessing something valuable enough to concern the Emperor stirred a resentment he could not quite explain.

Whatever had happened in Ashcroft, he would uncover it.

And if the Grand Duchess had somehow managed to rise above the place he had once assigned her in his mind, he intended to discover whether she truly deserved it.

The Crown Prince resumed walking, his polished shoes clicking against the palace floor. He had no idea that the woman he remembered had changed far more than he imagined.

Nor did he understand that the territory he was about to enter belonged to a man who would regard his interest in Luceille as a threat.

For now, the Crown Prince carried only his suspicions, his pride, and the certainty that he could uncover the truth.

The North would soon teach him how expensive that certainty could become.