By Zephyria 
Cecile was changing his clothes when he absentmindedly gazed at his reflection in the mirror.
“…When did I change like this?”
He rubbed his finger over the scar. Before he knew it, the leading digit of the number had changed to 7.
There was no way to stop the time that was decreasing day by day. He could only strengthen his resolve.
“Cecile, are you ready?”
“Just a moment.”
He hurriedly adjusted his clothes and fastened the buttons. As long as the scar was covered, Cecile was perfect. No one would notice his secret.
After that, Alexis often called Cecile in.
He was extremely busy with the investigation into the assassination attempt and had no time to meticulously handle state affairs. Of course, he was genuinely busy, but a significant reason was that he wanted to keep Cecile close and observe him.
Anyone who hesitated to appear in the office was always handed important tasks.
“Did you assign this to me again?”
“Yes, it’s urgent, so he asked that you handle it today.”
The Crown Prince who had passed the work onto him had vanished without a trace, and only his chief aide, Tristan Dyke, and a few attendants remained in the office. They were merely there to relay the Crown Prince’s orders.
When Cecile looked at the pile of documents stacked on the desk, he wondered what was going on. He sat in front of the desk as instructed, but his expression remained perplexed.
It seemed that his relationship with Alexis had changed a bit since the hunting competition… It was certainly a good sign for him, but he had no way of knowing Alexis’s intentions, which left him feeling awkward.
Cecile reached out and picked up a rolled-up document. His worries were brief. The moment he began to deal with the urgent tasks at hand, his mind cleared of distractions and he began to focus. He seriously examined the contents and soon picked up an ink pen.
Hours passed like this. Just then, Alexis returned after finishing the investigation into the assassination attempt.
Having been stuck in the musty underground prison since the morning, Alexis paused for a moment when he saw the argument happening in his office.
The chief aide and Cecile were facing each other as if they were ready to devour one another.
“Ugh, how many times do I have to tell you? It has to be done my way!”
“That old-fashioned method is inefficient. Neither time nor cost is effective. Enough with the nonsense, proceed with the method I proposed.”
“You can’t just insist on that. This is a matter of trade. Do you have any idea how great the loss would be if things go wrong?”
“Tristan, that’s the problem. You always want to work within a framework. Can’t you let go of that boring way of thinking?”
“Am I being stubborn? But you, Cecile, have no plan at all!”
“What do you mean I have no plan! Are you deaf? I explained everything earlier!”
“That explanation is nonsense! It’s too risky!”
A fierce debate unfolded over the documents spread across the desk. Each was too busy asserting their own opinions without yielding an inch.
Tristan Dyke was unusually agitated, while Cecile, arms crossed, countered each of Tristan’s arguments.
It felt like all the good rapport they once had was a lie. The two, facing each other in a work setting, were still at odds as they had been in their past lives.
Alexis watched this scene with interest. He stood still, observing the argument between the two, taking on the role of a watcher at the ambiguous boundary between inside and outside the office.
Claude, who had entered with him, also had to stop and watch the spectacle.
“What on earth… is going on there?”
“Can’t you see? They’re in the middle of a heated argument.”
“I know that. What I mean is, why is Cecile acting up here?”
Alexis did not respond to the question and simply smiled quietly. Claude found it absurd that Cecile and the chief aide were arguing so heatedly, but Alexis, who had entrusted state affairs to the two, actually found their passionate confrontation pleasing.
He soon moved to his own seat. As he settled into the most splendid and grand desk in the office, attendants gathered as if they had been waiting for him. They quickly prepared new paper, ink, and the quill pen favored by the Crown Prince.
“Bring me the investigation report. I need to discuss something with the commander of the knights.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Although they noticed the Crown Prince had entered, Cecile and Tristan only lowered their voices slightly but did not stop their argument. Tristan placed his hands on his hips and stubbornly presented his opposing view, while Cecile, relaxed, methodically refuted his points.
“I really… didn’t expect us to disagree this much.”
“It’s unfortunate that you didn’t realize.”
Claude watched the scene with his mouth agape. It was surprising to see the eloquent Tristan Dyke being outmatched in an argument.
“I don’t understand.”
“What don’t you understand?”
“I’m worried that the Crown Prince’s intentions might lead Cecile to mess things up.”
“Don’t worry. Cecile is doing much better than you think.”
Finally, the argument seemed to have come to an end as the two stepped back from each other. Just then, Cecile turned around and made eye contact with Alexis, who was sitting at the desk.
As Alexis wiggled his fingers, Cecile sighed deeply and approached.
Alexis pushed a small plate filled with chocolates toward him. For some time now, sweet treats had been readily available around his desk for easy snacking. Of course, he never touched them.
“Why are you fighting so heatedly?”
“…It wasn’t a fight. We just exchanged a few opinions.”
Cecile spoke, calming his excitement.
Just a moment ago, he had been trampling over Tristan, but now he had become as docile as a puppy with its tail between its legs.
Cecile popped a chocolate into his mouth and subtly pushed the plate away. Alexis glanced up at him.
“Finish them all here. After all, Dyke will need some time to cool off alone.”
Tristan Dyke’s desk was positioned close to Cecile’s. Turning around, Cecile could see Tristan gripping his bangs, trying to suppress his anger. It seemed he was secretly frustrated that his opinion had been overruled by Cecile.
“…Yes.”
Cecile obediently replied and popped another chocolate into his mouth. In the meantime, an attendant brought over a chair for Cecile to sit comfortably and also presented a teacup in front of him. In an instant, a tea time setting was prepared.
Meanwhile, Alexis continued his discussion with Claude. The smile that had adorned his handsome face had completely evaporated, and only serious conversation passed between the two. The investigation into the assassination attempt was still facing difficulties due to a lack of clear evidence.
“How is the situation with Rowen?”
“I’ve sent out the summons as you instructed.”
“Any response?”
“Not yet; he keeps delaying, not revealing what he’s preparing.”
“We can’t give him too much time. Even if we have to drag him in, bring him before me.”
“However, we don’t have sufficient grounds. We can’t treat a baron as a serious criminal just because he attended the hunting competition.”
Cecile, who had been silently sipping tea, caught the content of their conversation.
“Are you planning to summon Rowen for questioning as well?”
When Cecile interjected, Claude turned back with an unsatisfied expression. However, Alexis showed little change in his demeanor. He turned his head, resting his chin on his hand, and his blue eyes seemed to silently urge Cecile to speak up if he had something to say.
“Yes.”
“The baron has considerable knowledge of poisons. Collect all the arrows used during the hunting competition and investigate them. It’s possible that Rowen’s arrows were coated with deadly poison.”
“How do you know that?”
The question came back with suspicion. Naturally.
While it was well-known that Rowen was an excellent archer, his deep knowledge of poisons was a closely guarded secret. Only Rowen, the Empress, and Cecile knew this.
“I happened to overhear it. I don’t actually think the baron would do such a thing, but it wouldn’t hurt to check.”
Alexis’s gaze remained peculiar.
“What do you think about the incident where he collapsed after drinking wine? I’ve heard that you were the one who offered him the wine.”
“Well, the wine I gave him was nothing special. I didn’t know the baron was that weak with alcohol. If necessary, you can investigate me too.”
“You’re willing to be investigated?”
“If there are suspicions, I think the royal family should be thoroughly investigated as well.”
Cecile replied calmly as he finished his tea. He had readily suggested that he be investigated, but there was another meaning behind it. It was a suggestion to investigate not just him but also the Empress.
Alexis pondered silently. He felt genuinely grateful that Cecile had taken the initiative to lay the groundwork.
If the baron had planned something during the hunting competition, it was not something that could be overlooked. It might be the last opportunity to prove that the Empress was involved.
“Cecile, are you still taking sleeping pills?”
“I stopped a while ago, thanks to your advice.”
Alexis smiled quietly. He found Cecile’s audacity very appealing.