By Zephyria 
On the third-floor outdoor terrace of the Saint Palace, where the view was the most stunning, the pleasant afternoon sunlight poured down.
It was a perfectly warm day, with a gentle breeze that wrapped around her, creating a fantastic atmosphere.
Yuria had come to the palace for the first time in a while. The only person she was there to meet was the Crown Prince.
“Duchess Van Dell has made me another dress. There’s hardly any room left in my wardrobe now.”
Yuria chattered away like a baby bird. Although the palace was an uncomfortable place for her, her expression was noticeably bright. In fact, she seemed more excited than usual since it had been a long time since she had seen Alexis.
The table, bathed in golden sunlight, was filled with fresh fruits and sweet sherry.
Since it was all for the guest, the Crown Prince had his arms crossed tightly, not touching anything.
“So, I told her I wanted to wear pants instead of a dress.”
Yuria continued to talk for a while before falling silent. With a coy expression, she looked at the person sitting across from her.
Today, it was clear that the Crown Prince’s attention was elsewhere.
Alexis had completely turned his face away. He was sitting with his long legs crossed, leaning his upper body against the plush chair, gazing out at the scenery.
The man, with a straight nose and sharp jawline, had hair that shone brighter than the sunlight, and he was frowning deeply as he stared intently at something.
Following his gaze, Yuria turned her eyes as well.
The Crown Prince’s eyes, wandering over the vast landscape, soon realized where his intense interest lay.
Cecile Adrian.
A group of four or so was walking alongside Cecile, who seemed to be out for a stroll in the palace’s pathways. They all appeared to be high-ranking nobles, dressed elegantly and of mature age.
Laughter echoed among them, suggesting they were engaged in pleasant conversation. At first glance, it seemed like nothing special, yet Alexis couldn’t take his eyes off them.
Yuria cautiously observed the situation. Her hands, which had dropped under the table, were fidgeting as she played with her nails.
It was the first time she had seen Alexis look so persistently at someone.
Whether it was suspicion, wariness, or some other emotion, Yuria couldn’t hastily conclude.
“…It’s bothersome.”
“Pardon?”
“Yuria, can you be alone for a moment?”
“Your Highness!”
Before Yuria could even hear his response, Alexis pushed back his chair and stood up. She could only watch helplessly as the man left the terrace.
She tilted her head again to look outside. Despite the peaceful scenery, she felt an ominous sense that something bad was about to happen. Yuria quietly clasped her hands together. All she could do was pray to God.
While it might seem cheerful to others, Cecile was in a dire situation. He was forcing a smile for the nobles, and his lips were twitching as if they were cramping.
Fortunately, he was skilled at managing his expressions, so none of the nobles noticed his discomfort. Or perhaps they were too busy flattering him to pay attention.
“Have you heard the news? The perfume business is booming these days! Thanks to the fragrance techniques brought over from the Kingdom of Kazarsan, it’s selling like hotcakes!”
An older noble, one of the Empress’s aides, was spitting out words passionately beside Cecile. The perfume bottle he had brought as a gift was already in Cecile’s hand.
“Perfume… it’s not bad. But I doubt there’s a large enough market. How much can you really make selling a few hundred bottles?”
“Then what kind of business do you think would be profitable?”
Cecile turned the perfume bottle in his hand. The beautifully crafted pink glass bottle sparkled like a jewel in the sunlight.
“Unless it’s something like natural stones… if I could get my hands on a diamond mine, I could at least make a living for a few generations.”
At the mention of diamonds, the noble swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth. The other nobles nearby did the same.
They all knew that not long ago, Marquis Merke, the Minister of Protocol, had bought a mine after hearing Cecile’s suggestion. A gold vein had been discovered in a mountain that was practically barren.
“There will be several mine bids coming up soon. It would be wise to keep an eye on the Venetian mine. The geology of Venice is particularly suitable for diamond deposits. The investment costs will be significant, but it’s definitely a place where you can gain that much value.”
These days, there was a boom in mining development in the empire. Nobles interested in business were coming with bundles of cash, eager to get involved.
However, the amounts were so large that they couldn’t invest without careful consideration, hiring investment experts and geologists to deliberate before stepping into the business.
Mining was a kind of gamble. You wouldn’t know what would come out until you dug. Cecile was well aware of what lay ahead and knew what was buried in that mine.
So, he pretended to give advice to the nobles while leaking information. Places that thrived for a few months to a year but ultimately collapsed. He only pointed out those to the Empress’s aides.
They might make money in the short term, but it was clear they would squander their wealth to the point of ruin later on. Unaware they were heading down the path of decline, the Empress’s aides were eager to get information from Cecile.
“Of course, you should also listen to the experts’ evaluations. What I’m sharing is merely speculation. The mine bids are in two days, right? Hmm… it’s a bit unfortunate that the timing doesn’t align. Let’s just let this one pass and pay attention to similar conditions next time.”
“Yes! Yes.”
The nobles exchanged glances. Seeing their greedy, glimmering eyes, it seemed they would likely participate in the upcoming bid, even if it meant overextending themselves. Cecile secretly scoffed.
“Though I hope it doesn’t come to this, I’d appreciate it if you kept this matter confidential. There have been some strange rumors lately, and it’s quite troublesome. So many people have been coming to see me…”
Cecile pretended to show distress. Recently, rumors had spread that he had an uncanny ability to sniff out money, and everyone was coming to him.
“Oh, of course! Who would I share such valuable information with? Don’t worry! Hahaha!”
Loud laughter spread widely. Just then, several moderate nobles were walking from the opposite side of the path. They seemed to have been waiting for an opportunity and seized it to greet Cecile.
“Greetings to the empire’s little star.”
“It’s been a while, Lord Melbourne.”
“Cecile, the weather is truly lovely today. I have something to discuss, if you wouldn’t mind meeting for a moment.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not feeling well at the moment. I’ll contact you next time if the opportunity arises.”
As Cecile flatly rejected them, the expressions of the moderate nobles turned sour. Along with them, the Empress’s faction raised their noses high. Cecile felt a sense of pride in openly taking care of his own interests.
“Yes, then please do contact me next time.”
The moderate nobles couldn’t hide their dark expressions as they left. Such blatant favoritism would surely add to the bad rumors. But Cecile didn’t care.
Since Roco’s suicide, Cecile had undergone a significant change in mindset.
He had stopped pretending to be kind, foolish, or uninterested in the situation. He realized that his friendly relationship with Alexis was already beyond repair.
There was no way to bridge the gap with Alexis. The hostility he held towards him ran deeper than he had thought. He understood. How could he harbor any fondness for him when his mother was constantly pressuring him?
The time given to Cecile was dwindling day by day. To take care of Alexis’s well-being in the limited time he had, he had to set aside his own desires. He could endure being disliked. It was simply easier to do things his own way.
He was sure he would continue to be misunderstood and hurt in the future. His heart would be battered, but having experienced it once, what was the problem?
As he walked a little further down the path with the nobles, his steps came to a halt once again. He had unexpectedly run into the one person he least wanted to see at that moment.
It wasn’t unusual to encounter the Crown Prince since Saint Palace was right next door. However, the problem was that he was approaching the spot where Cecile was.
Alexis, who had somehow blocked his path, looked down at Cecile and the nobles with a rather displeased expression.
It seemed he had a lot to say, yet an uncomfortable silence lingered as he chewed on his lips.
“Greetings to the empire’s great star.”
While the nobles bowed to the Crown Prince, Cecile held his head high and stared at Alexis. Alexis, too, ignored the nobles and shot a cold glare only at Cecile.
“What on earth are you doing?”
“As you can see, I’m out for a walk.”
“A walk?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“I haven’t seen you in the office at all.”
“I’ve grown tired of it. I tend to be quite a nuisance. Just ignore me. Wouldn’t that be better for you as well?”
Cecile replied without changing his expression. As Alexis continued to shoot him silent glares, he merely nodded in acknowledgment and began to walk away.
He could feel the piercing gaze from behind, like a dagger flying toward him. Even without looking back, he knew Alexis was glaring at him.
‘I’ll die after being hated for a thousand days.’
He didn’t expect Alexis to recognize his efforts.
Cecile swallowed the rising disappointment like bile. It had become so chronic that he could easily brush it aside now.