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The role of the Imperial Council was to enact laws and keep the executive branch in check—at least in theory. In reality, it was nothing more than a gathering of those who followed the Emperor’s orders without question. They drafted laws that aligned with His Majesty’s desires and attacked departments or officials who fell out of favor. That was the true function of the Imperial Council and its members.

In the early days of the Empire, council members were mocked as the Emperor’s rubber stamp or lapdogs of the imperial family. But today, those same insults were now badges of honor as council members sit at the very core of power. They were the closest advisors to the Emperor, trusted and cherished by His Majesty, and constantly by his side. For the nobles, there was no greater honor than this.

The Imperial Council was the first sword the Emperor wielded and also his final shield. Thus, it was only natural that the council members would be the first to respond to any crisis in the Empire.

“It seems the Academy will be rather lively this year.”

These were the words of Count Gievelt, the eldest among the assembled council members. Although Count Vardon was officially presiding, no one objected when Count Gievelt spoke first. His seniority and experience gave him greater authority than the rotating chairman position.

“Haha, let’s hope the students aren’t too shocked.”

“It’s all a part of the learning experience. You could even call it an opportunity, no?”

“I’m not so sure. Overwatering a plant can rot its roots. Calling this an opportunity might be stretching it.”

Following Count Gievelt’s comment, the other council members began to voice their opinions one by one.

The restoration of the 3rd Prince’s powers, the Mage Duchess’s continued residence at the Academy, and the presence of key figures who have been staying there since last year—these factors had attracted more attention to this year’s Academy club fair than ever before. The importance of the visitors, both in title and position, was no small matter. Naturally, this had drawn the attention of the council.

The Empire, or more specifically the Academy, was experiencing unusual events, and the council must show interest in them. That was the proper role for those who served the Emperor and the Empire. The only question was who would take responsibility for showing that interest.

“At least we can relax, knowing Countess Horfeld will be there.”

“Haha, true enough. It’s probably better for the younger generation to handle this.”

There’s no need to worry this time. After all, I was the one going.

—Wilhelm, that old fool. He had shown no interest in political alliances. All he kept talking about was how we should meet on our own, as if love was all that mattered.

Not long ago, father contacted me from our territory with some important news: my future father-in-law, Count Tailglehen, had decided to leave Erich’s marriage decision up to him.

So, I volunteered to go as soon as the Imperial Council turned its attention to the Academy. The more I met with Erich, the more chances I’d have to talk to him. That was the only way to make my dreams come true. Hoping for results without effort would be foolish.

Setting aside my responsibilities at the capital to take on this mission was no small sacrifice, but I didn’t regret it. In fact, I became excited at the thought of seeing Erich again after so long.

…Who’s that?

At least, I was excited—until I saw the blonde girl clinging to Erich’s side.

***Honestly, it was Erich who was close to Countess Horfeld, not me. I didn’t have any friends, but Erich had plenty. Maybe Erich shared that same easygoing nature as a capybara.

So, I gave a polite greeting and handed Erich over to Countess Horfeld, but it seemed that might have been a mistake.

I’m screwed.

I realized that the moment Countess Horfeld, who had been smiling warmly at Erich, froze up upon seeing Sarah and when Sarah linked her arms with Erich.

Yeah, something felt off. Why would someone as busy as Countess Horfeld, who only recently inherited her title, come all the way to the Academy? And why would she stiffen the moment she saw Sarah? The answer was obvious.

That one’s a capybara with a dark side.

It seemed that Countess Horfeld had feelings for Erich as well. Of course, Erich had no clue. What an idiot.

“Zenobia noona?”

It was clear how badly this was going even from a third-party perspective, but Erich himself seemed completely oblivious to any sense of danger and was responding with his usual calmness.

Well, to be fair, he did look a little surprised at Countess Horfeld’s sudden appearance, so maybe he wasn’t entirely calm. But he was still an idiot.

“It’s been a while, Erich. You’ve grown quite a bit, haven’t you?”

Quickly regaining her composure, Countess Horfeld greeted Erich in a much gentler tone than the one she used with me. Since Erich wasn’t a civil servant yet, she could still treat him like a younger brother.

Let’s just ignore the fact that she clearly wanted to be more than just an older sister.

“Wow, I didn’t expect to see you here. How have you been?”

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Erich, arm in arm with Sarah, walked right up to Countess Horfeld. I almost cursed out loud at the sight.

What was wrong with him? If he was going to approach her, then he should at least unlink arms with Sarah. And if he was going to keep holding her arm, then he shouldn’t walk up to her at all! Why was he trying to do both at the same time? Was he trying to create some kind of disaster here? This was no different from putting two fighting roosters in the same pen.

As expected, the two ‘roosters,’ now within each other’s striking range, began to eye each other with sharp, intense glares.

“I’ve been doing well. But—“

Forcing a smile, Countess Horfeld trailed off as her gaze shifted back to Sarah. Given their height difference, she looked down at her almost condescendingly.

“Who is this child? A friend?”

She even called her a ‘child.’ Coming from an older, taller woman, that label practically turned Sarah into a child on the spot. And to make matters worse, Sarah was already shorter than most of her peers, having struggled with her illness for some time…

“This is Sarah, my childhood friend that I told you about before.”

“Ah, that one?”

Countess Horfeld’s delayed reaction came with a thick smile.

“She’s the daughter of the head maid, right? The Young Lady of the Trimara barony—I remember now.”

Was it just me, or did that sound like a veiled insult? Like she was really saying, ‘What’s the daughter of a servant doing with a count’s child?’

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just me who picked up on it. Sarah’s eyes flickered for a moment, and then she launched a quick counterattack.

“Erich, is she Zenobia from the Hiden family?”

“Uh, yeah. That’s right.”

“So, you must be Countess Horfeld? You must be so busy, but it’s so kind of you to come all the way to the Academy.”

I instinctively took a few steps back. It might have sounded like a harmless comment, but hidden within it was the jab, ‘Are you really so free as a count that you can spend your time at the Academy?’

“And seeing how warmly you treat Erich without any formalities, you must be a very kind-hearted person.”

Oh, that was another one. That was a subtle etiquette critique, asking if it was proper for a titled noble to be so casual with a lower-ranked noble’s child.

I couldn’t help but rub my neck. The back-and-forth verbal duel left me breathless as a spectator. Looking around, I noticed that even the other club members were instinctively inching away from Erich’s group.

It was honestly terrifying. For those of us who had only experienced soft, peaceful relationships like the race of the club members for Louise and my six lovers who settled everything without a hitch, this fierce verbal sparring was like witnessing the embodiment of hell. This was a moment of real madness that made our tame experiences seem fake by comparison.

Louise…

Meanwhile, Louise, Erich’s first love and also his first heartbreak, was subtly distancing herself from the scene like a mouse avoiding a trap. She looked like a mouse terrified of getting caught in the crossfire.

Of course, Sarah had no idea about the past between Louise and Erich as the entire pastry club had kept that information tightly under wraps. Still, even if she didn’t know the details, guilty people often instinctively felt fear, and Louise was definitely keeping a safe distance.

***The sharp back-and-forth exchange between Countess Horfeld and Sarah finally ended when the Countess made her exit. Technically, she left to avoid drawing more attention from the surrounding guests.

“I’ll see you later. I’ll be staying at the Academy throughout the club fair.”

But that was just a pause in the battle. If Countess Horfeld remained at the Academy, a second and third round could break out at any moment.

Should I run for it?

I seriously considered it. Sure, it might seem ridiculous to run away from something like this when I wasn’t even directly involved, but watching two acquaintances verbally fight over my clueless little brother? No one could handle that, not unless they actually enjoyed watching romantic chaos.

To make matters worse, my younger brother, who was caught between them, had the emotional awareness and intelligence of a caveman. I bet he didn’t even realize the two of them were sniping at each other.

My head hurt. Last year’s race for Louise already drove me crazy as a bystander, and now I might get caught in another crossfire. Maybe it was because these two childhood friends had been sharpening their knives for over a decade.

I never thought I’ll have to worry about something like this.

The frustration was eating at me. Just when I thought I’d taken care of everything—from managing the various groups threatening the Academy to organizing the flood of new students—now my family drama was becoming the next big problem.

But what choice did I have? On the bright side, at least it was a personal rivalry instead of some event that could shake the Academy or the Empire.

…Although, calling it ‘small’ might be a bit of a stretch.

“Oh, so these are the loaves of bread made by Lord Tannian?”

“Yes, do you like them?”

“Of course! Give me five more!”

As I stood there brooding over the absurdity of it all, I noticed a young priest impulsively buying Tannian’s bread at the booth’s corner.

At least the priests, unlike the mages or the nobles, weren’t causing any trouble. I didn’t even need to greet them personally, which was a relief.

Priests are the best.

They were truly good-natured people and devoted followers of Enen. It was impossible to even compare them with other professions.

“Excuse me, hyung? Could I trouble you for a moment?”

That was, until Tannian suddenly called me over. Of course he had to pull something like this just as I started thinking well of him.

“Brother Bedler has a question he’d like to ask you.”

“Me?”

I tilted my head in surprise. It wasn’t like I had any close ties with priests—maybe with civil servants or nobles, but not with the clergy.

Of course, anyone could ask me a question even if we didn’t know each other. However, it was usually rare for priests to approach a high-ranking official first unless they were a bishop who had to dabble in politics.

“What is it about?”

I couldn’t exactly ignore a polite guest, so I nodded and walked over. Brother Bedler quickly bowed his head in greeting.

His courteous demeanor ticked all the right boxes. Sure, I didn’t know what his question was, but I was ready to answer if I could. How hard could it be?

***It turned out to be something difficult.

“Have you had any encounters with heretical sects?”

I froze, momentarily at a loss for words. Heretical sects? What in the world?

“…I did take part in suppressing the Twilight Cult.”

“And any other sects?”

I had no idea. To be honest, I didn’t even know what other heretical sects existed besides the Twilight Cult.

Brother Bedler stroked his chin thoughtfully, his eyes scanning me—especially my upper body—as if searching for something.

What’s going on here?

Couldn’t he just tell me already if he had something to say?