The sixth prince, who had been executed in the kingdom after being betrayed by the trusted saint, was reincarnated and, in order to seek revenge, became engaged once again to the neighboring kingdom’s “Guillotine Princess.” As a result, he was adored and lived happily.

“I apologize for the long wait.”

“No…”

When I returned to the venue, Princess Abigail seemed even more displeased, though her expression remained unchanged from before. It felt like I was doing the opposite of what I should be, especially when her cooperation was so crucial.

“So, the person who requested a meeting was Count Golton.”

“Is that so?”

To avoid any further misunderstandings, I immediately informed her that I had met with Count Golton. Princess Abigail seemed surprised by this, and her crimson eyes widened slightly.

“Yes, and he asked for assistance in facilitating future trade with the kingdom.”

“I see…”

Princess Abigail placed a finger to her lips, contemplating. Her gestures, which I had never seen before in any of my lifetimes, captivated me for a moment.

“Gustave-sama, is this really all right?”

“What do you mean?”

“By granting favors to specific nobles, there may be similar requests from other nobles in the future. Furthermore, since what you did benefits the empire, won’t the kingdom be unhappy about it?”

Ah, I see. She’s worried about me.

“No need to worry. I made sure to make it clear to Count Golton, and he won’t spread the word. Besides, considering our future, it’s the right move.”

“Indeed, you’re right.”

She seemed satisfied with my explanation regarding Count Golton’s request. However…

Mariette, who was standing nearby, gave me a meaningful look. Perhaps she wanted to keep the matter with Count Golton a secret, but gaining Princess Abigail’s trust was more important.

I needed to use them for my purposes; I didn’t owe them obedience.

The party continued without any issues and eventually came to an end. However…

“Princess Abigail…”

“…”

She had been silent since then, and I couldn’t stand the atmosphere.

The attendees had noticed the awkwardness between us and had been discreetly observing from a distance.

Princess Bridget and her faction had already left, leaving only Princess Abigail’s supporters and some neutral parties behind. It was about a third of the attendees in total.

“Sh-should we go now?”

“Sure.”

Kneeling down and extending my hand, Princess Abigail hesitated before finally placing her hand in mine. It seemed that she was more upset than I had thought.

We left the venue in silence, and I escorted her to her room.

“Good night.”

“Y-yes, good night…”

She entered her room quickly after curtseying. I stood outside the door, staring at it.

—

“Now, is it time…?”

I muttered to myself as I finished bathing and looked at the moon through the window. It was already deep into the night, and the imperial palace was shrouded in silence.

Approaching a large mirror in the room, I felt around for something.

“This is it.”

I pushed a protrusion behind the mirror, causing it to shift and reveal the entrance to a narrow passage.

This hidden passage was something Princess Abigail had taught me for emergencies, not its current use.

Through this passage, I could either reach Princess Abigail’s room or exit the imperial palace.

Yes, it might not be its intended use, but using this hidden passage to sneak into her room and have a private conversation with her was the plan. This way, there would be no chance of Mariette or Claire overhearing us.

“Ahaha… It’s not its original purpose, but it’s still better than before.”

The imperial palace had several hidden passages, and I had knowledge of all of them. Princess Abigail had shown me a blueprint known only to the royal family, and my plan was to relay this information to the kingdom.

“…As a result, the palace was quickly occupied by the kingdom’s army.”

As I ventured through the dark passage, I couldn’t help but smile self-deprecatingly. In my previous life, I had been deceived by the Saint, manipulated by Mariette, and used as a pawn. All of this had led to that day’s outcome.

But this second chance at life was different. I would use this hidden passage to my advantage to discredit and undermine the empire.

“Here we are…”

I opened a wooden door in front of me. Behind it was the other side of the mirror.

And on the other side of the mirror…

“Su…su…”

I could hear Princess Abigail’s quiet snores as she slept in her bed.