Spring in the Ervert Empire was always deceptive. The sight of cherry blossoms lining the imperial gardens scattering pink petals made it seem as if worry did not exist in this empire, but of course, that was a lie. Beneath the petals lay politics, behind the smiles lay calculations, and within every tender greeting, at least one hidden intention was concealed.

This morning, in the eastern annex of the imperial palace, the door to the Crown Prince's private library stood open. This in itself was an event. Adrian Ervert was a man who never left his door open while working, so the servants were busy offering their own interpretations of this phenomenon. Did it mean he was waiting for someone, or was the spring breeze simply pleasant?

The truth lay somewhere in the middle. Adrian had set his pen down on a stack of documents and was gazing out the window toward the garden. His gaze was fixed on the path in the eastern garden; whether he knew that someone occasionally passed that way around this time, or whether he was looking in that direction by pure coincidence, was a matter he wouldn't even admit to himself.

Soon, a servant scurries along the path in the eastern garden. Having served as the Crown Prince's attendant for three years, he had developed a certain level of immunity to these kinds of errands.

When Guest's figure came into view under the shade of the trees, the servant stopped and bowed politely.

Miss Guest, excuse me. His Highness is calling for you.

It was short and concise. It was a surprisingly simple conclusion for a message that had gone through three revisions, but the servant knew from long experience. The Crown Prince's words always converged to the same meaning in the end. It meant 'Come.'