By Zephyria 
It was only around sunset that all the letters were dispatched. The thick envelopes totaled forty-nine, each sealed with wax bearing the royal emblem.
The attendants, carrying a bundle of letters, boarded carriages and scattered in different directions. They would likely have to move throughout the night to deliver all the invitations.
As night deepened, darkness settled over the office as well. The number of attendants had significantly decreased, and their tasks had vanished. In the now quiet office, only the occasional sound of someone refilling the oil in the lamp could be heard.
In the meantime, Alexis returned to the office after finishing his meeting with the Emperor. He raised an eyebrow in surprise upon seeing Cecile still at the desk, as he had expected him to have returned to his palace by now.
“Dinner?”
Cecile, who had been focused on reading documents, turned his head sharply at the question. He straightened his back, which had been lazily leaning against the chair.
“I don’t have much in mind.”
“How long do you plan to stay here? I thought all the invitations had already been sent out.”
With long strides, Alexis reached the desk where Cecile was working in just a few steps. He picked up one of the papers that were scattered messily across the surface.
What on earth had he been doing at this late hour? The hastily scribbled numbers and symbols caught his eye, along with circles and lines drawn over them.
“Are you doing the accounting yourself?”
“Yes, it’s simple… I have to meet with the treasurer first thing tomorrow morning, so I didn’t have time to delegate it to someone else.”
Cecile added that it wasn’t difficult since he had been learning it recently.
However, Alexis immediately recognized that the symbols, which appeared to be mere doodles, and the complex arrangement of numbers were not just simple addition and subtraction. Cecile was skillfully handling advanced formulas that one would typically learn at university.
“……”
“……”
An uncomfortable silence lingered.
‘He can’t even meet my gaze while trying to lie.’
Cecile let out a sigh discreetly and turned his gaze elsewhere. The intensity of Alexis’s stare felt like a sharp thorn pricking at his face.
“I was worried I had given you too much responsibility, but it seems I was unnecessarily concerned.”
Alexis tossed the paper he was holding back onto the desk. His well-shaped lips formed a cold curve. It was needless to say that his gaze, looking down at Cecile, was filled with distrust.
“Look forward to it.”
The Crown Prince gave Cecile’s shoulder a firm pat. It felt more like a warning that he would be keeping an eye on him rather than encouragement.
“Ian.”
The attendant, who had been lurking like a shadow, immediately appeared and bowed.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I will head to my quarters now. Since Cecile will likely remain here for a while, make sure to have someone attend to him during his time in the office.”
To an outsider, it might sound like a brotherly concern for his sibling.
However, with the attendants of Peridot Palace present, Alexis’s orders carried a clear implication.
Watch him.
Cecile pretended to focus on the documents, while the attendant, who would do anything for the Crown Prince, hurriedly set about fulfilling the order.
The documents related to state affairs that Alexis handled were secretly concealed. A reddish wooden box, intricately engraved with the royal crest, was closed and locked tightly. A few attendants stood guard in front of it like a constant watch.
Cecile watched the bustling activity in disbelief and let out a hollow laugh. He had said he would do it elsewhere. Why did they have to keep him in the office and watch him? It didn’t take long for his tired smile to turn into a sigh.
He tried to erase his interest and refocus on the documents. He stared at the numbers until his eyes hurt, repeating calculations in his mind. But soon, he lost his concentration.
Cecile propped his elbows on the armrests of the chair and held his throbbing head.
It seemed he had already failed at acting smart in front of Alexis… Perhaps he should just handle things in his own way without worrying.
“…Do you think I want to be doing this?”
Even if he wanted to brush it off, he was trying hard for those who were looking forward to the debutante ball, and for Alexis’s sake.
Since it had come to this, should he make a solid impression? If he was lucky, he might leave a good impression on him.
Amidst the busyness, various thoughts invaded his mind, and time slipped away uselessly. Cecile rubbed his puffy eyes.
He needed to gain something for himself to feel less wronged.
The next day, he met with the treasurer at the appointed time.
The treasurer, with a stern expression, adjusted his slipping glasses. Each time he looked at the budget proposal presented to him, beads of sweat formed on his brow. He fidgeted with his hands, revealing his discomfort.
“So you’re asking for 5 million Sallas for the debutante ball preparation funds?”
“Actually, it’s 5.28 million Sallas.”
“Cecile, the budget for this year’s debutante ball has already been taken by Her Majesty the Empress.”
“Lord Roman, do I look like someone who would pocket the costs and double-dip?”
Cecile sat with his arms crossed, leaning back in a rather careless manner, which was unbecoming of a member of the royal family who valued decorum above all.
“I’ve received the circumstances, but we cannot ignore the procedures. Normally, the funds taken by Her Majesty would need to be reclaimed and then executed according to the proper process.”
“And I’ve already prepared the necessary documents for execution.”
Cecile leaned forward and poked the parchment spread out on the table with his finger.
Can’t you see that I barely slept for two hours making this? Don’t you see the dark circles under my eyes? His fierce emerald eyes shot a silent message at the treasurer.
The treasurer squinted as he looked back at the budget proposal.
It would be nice if there was something to nitpick, but the budget proposal that Cecile had prepared was nothing short of perfect. The necessary expenses were meticulously itemized, fitting together without any waste.
Honestly, it was somewhat surprising.
“Did you really do this yourself?”
“Isn’t it unnecessary to know who did it?”
If you tell me who did it, I’d like to keep them under me… The treasurer suppressed the words he wanted to say.
Surely, Cecile Adrian couldn’t have done this himself. He didn’t believe it until the end.
The treasurer took off his glasses and placed them on the table, indicating that there was no need to check the budget proposal any further. He raised his sharp gaze to meet Cecile’s.
“I think we can pull about 3 million Sallas from the reserve funds.”
“That means it will be the first debutante ball without wine or musicians.”
“…If you’re in such a hurry, you might want to ask Her Majesty the Empress.”
“Good luck getting her to meet with me.”
Empress Elizabeth had declared that she would not meet with Cecile for the time being.
Above all, if the budget was transferred from the Empress’s palace, the number of justifications required would increase exponentially. It would only add to his workload, so there was no need to take the difficult path.
“As you know, the debutante ball is the royal event that young people look forward to the most upon reaching adulthood. With only nine days left, if things continue like this, we might not even be able to hold the event. Isn’t this unprecedented in the history of the Empire? Are you really going to create such a disaster in the year the Crown Prince returns?”
“I didn’t create it, did I?”
“Lord Roman’s decision created it.”
“…You’re being overly dramatic.”
The treasurer openly displayed his discomfort and rubbed his face.
“Then let’s compromise at 4.2 million Sallas.”
“Can’t you read numbers? I said 5.28 million Sallas!”
“Cecile, there are times when you can insist…”
“The average number of nobles attending the debutante ball is over three hundred. Just the invitations sent this year amount to forty-nine. How can you say we should hold a palace event with only 4.2 million when the volume has increased compared to last year? What do you think should be cut from here?”
As Cecile thrust the meticulously designed budget proposal at him again, the treasurer recoiled as if stabbed.
“I heard that the Empress took 8 million Sallas? The missing funds will be replenished once reclaimed, so what’s there to worry about? Shouldn’t you be more concerned about the consequences of damaging the royal family’s reputation? You’ve only given me 4.2 million Sallas. Of course, we can hold a banquet with that. But it will be the worst debutante ball without even the basics. Can Lord Roman handle the backlash?”
“Ugh… Please, just stop… Spare me.”
“Do you have the luxury to whine?”
Cecile, still young, had the treasurer’s mental strings in his grasp and was shaking them skillfully. The relentless threats left the treasurer feeling dizzy.
Cecile calmed his excitement and leaned back on the sofa, stretching his arms wide as if he had given up entirely.
“Alright. Then let Lord Roman mention the items that need to be cut down by the reduced budget. I can’t think anymore.”
“As you say… all the items you’ve listed are essential.”
“And?”
The treasurer, perhaps feeling a headache coming on, held his head in his hands. Another wrinkle appeared on his already crinkled forehead. He squeezed out his words.
“5 million Sallas. It absolutely cannot exceed this!”
“……”
Cecile leaned his head back against the chair and stroked his lips. His previously furious eyes began to sparkle like beautifully crafted jewels.
“Why not just spend an additional 180,000?”
“Even if you increase it by 180,000, it still won’t meet the amount you aimed for, will it?”
“That’s fine. There’s a subsidy that comes out of my share.”
The treasurer’s eyes widened. He knew that Cecile was also one of the participants in this debutante ball. Was he saying he would pour all of the 100,000 Sallas allocated for his appearance? The person who should stand out more than anyone else?
“Then… are you saying you will prepare for the debutante ball without spending a single penny?”
“What’s the point of dressing up when there’s no one to impress?”
“……”
“Right? You’ll do it for me, won’t you?”
The young man, resting his chin on his hand, had a glimmer in his eyes. Gone was the threatening demeanor; now he was making a warm request with an angelic face.
The treasurer let out a hollow laugh. There was no way to win against someone who could toy with him like this.
Putting aside the hardships that would come later, he decided to grant the wish of the young man sitting before him.
“Yes. I will provide 5.18 million Sallas.”