Verndia’s gaze touched Psychke’s forehead.

The moment Psychke realized what he was talking about, her ears opened.

She hastily tried to distance herself.

However, her moves stopped as he wrapped one arm on her back and embraced her. She had no way to escape.

Verndia asked seriously.

“No way you like it on the lips?”

“No.”

“Then? You’re blushing. Are you embarrassed?”

“Don’t ask me about that.”

“Sorry.”

On the contrary, she was taken aback by his plain apology.

Psychke murmured, avoiding his eyes waiting for an answer.

“Forehead… is fine, too.”

“The earlier, why?”

“Do I have to put it into words?”

“Did you just not want to do it?”

She doesn’t know if he was just faking not to know or he really don’t because of his calm demeanor.

Psychke felt the urge to step on Verndia’s feet.

“Is it fine to do it at this moment?”

“Don’t ask me about that.”

“No, I need to know.”

“Just don’t do it.”

“Please close your eyes.”

“I do not want to.”

“Hurry.”

Psychke pretended not to be able to overcome his urging and closed her eyes.

Soon, warm lips fell somewhere on her face.

(TN: Just why not kiss already, ugh!)

* *

During the rest of the banquet, Psychke met many nobles.

They were mainly those who supported the crown prince and were friendly with Lestir.

‘As expected, the nobles who support the emperor aren’t coming yet.’

Psychke gave her gaze to the emperor’s nobles who glanced at her from afar.

During the gift presentation ceremony, some people were looking for an opportunity to come this way, as the emperor had taken a friendly attitude, saying, ‘Silkisia without fail’.

Of course, they couldn’t come to such an open place because of the notice of Logan, Duke of Silkisia.

Then, someone who supported the crown prince asked about her political behavior when her status was reinstated.

“Of course, the princess will be with Duke Lestir, right?”

It seems that the emperor considered that the fact that the traitor was not summarily executed was enough for the emperor to forgive her sins.

Verndia, who took her question away, shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know. The princess is also from Silkisia.”

Her political course should not be decided already.

If she did, he never know what kind of sabotage the other side of her might do.

Be as blunt as possible, even if he can’t stop enemies from appearing, don’t go to extremes.

“Shouldn’t we get the title back first?”

“Well, I guess so.”

The aristocrat who threw the question at the words that he used to openly attack Silkisia was worried but agreed.

Since the emperor was weighing the current Silkisia and Glorielle, it was not a battle without a chance.

While Verndia dealt with the nobles, Psychke did not open her mouth.

She quietly listens to the conversation, only occasionally chiming in.

But she managed to liven up things so as to change her incompetent image.

And that strategy worked.

* *

After the first day, Psychke did not go to the banquet.

She had met everyone she ought to, and it was easier to capture people’s imagination with an occasional glimpse than a frequent one.

Indeed, the rumors about Leas’ daughter, ‘Glorielle Silkisia’, began to grow like a snowball.

“I heard she has superpowers?”

“They say that His Majesty the Emperor will pardon her soon.”

“Even with such an oracle if that’s enough… What will become of Silkisia now?”

“No, but didn’t the holy water at Princess Lillian discernment also changed?”

“How did that happen?”

The opaque future of Silkisia, one of the three major dukes of the empire, became a hot topic.

Rumors got bigger whenever there were more than two people talking about it.

As if to prove its soaring popularity, letters from people asking for a visit, making all sorts of excuses, flew into Lestir’s memoir.

“Burn everything.”

It wasn’t even worth using her abilities.

He didn’t look at whoever was the sender of them.

Verndia gave a brief command, and the butler immediately followed.

The letters were torn apart, thrown into the fireplace, and vanished.

“Oh, I think you should see this for yourself, so I put it aside.”

The butler handed Berndia a letter decorated with gold at each corner.

It was the imperial family, a seal with a golden lion roaring against the backdrop of a shield.

Verndia’s expression changed as he roughly opened the envelope and looked at the inside.

She said that she would hold a great meeting to discuss the treatment of Glory Yell.

“I knew it. Where’s the princess? Is she in her room?”

“Uh, no. She’s in the library.”

“Oh, really. She goes every chance she gets.”

The footsteps that were about to go to Psychke stopped.

If the Emperor hadn’t been talking nonsense that day, she wouldn’t be living in the library like she was now.

He harrowed his brows.

* *

“His Majesty called me ‘The Reincarnation of the First Silkisia.’”

“Cough!”

They were on the way back from the birthday banquet.

It was not a good story, but she felt the need to share it, so Psychke belatedly told what she heard from the Emperor.

Verndia, who was drinking water, choked after hearing her.

He thumped his chest with a chuckle, forcing to say,

“Is he crazy, or senile at that age?”

Psychke waited for his cough to subside before continuing.

“He said he needed my power. They said that since it was the reincarnation of the first generation, our power be the same.”

“Do you believe that?”

“It’s hard to believe, but to pass it off as senility…”

Psychke brought up what happened when she was attacked by Shiona.

He said that the reflection in the lake was the first Silkisia.

The corners of her mouth curled up in thought, and then she spoke.