「This caused more of a ruckus than the last few. That Archduke—Cealan—might finally start taking you seriously. Or he may decide to finish you off for good this time.」

“Ahahahah—!”

The Crown Prince burst into laughter.

“Hah… my stomach hurts. Did you hear that, Edmund? I might get killed by that so-called power pervert.”

“That isn’t part of the plan,” Edmund replied flatly, “but feel free to get yourself killed. At least I’d finally be free of you. What kind of monster calls a meeting at two in the morning?”

Edmund was one of the Crown Prince’s few friends—alongside Eva and Leonis. A master strategist by nature, and an incurable slacker by habit, he only moved when his survival, his morals, or unbearable inconvenience forced his hand. Unfortunately, the Crown Prince excelled at triggering all three.

“Ed, we’re sorry,” Eva said gently. “But if we met any other time, the palace staff would be watching us.”

“Indeed, Lady Eva,” Leonis added, nodding solemnly. “If not for you, I wouldn’t be here either.”

“Wow,” the Crown Prince muttered. “You two are real bastards. I thought you came because you were worried about me. Eva’s the only one who truly cares.”

He sighed dramatically.

This nameless prince had always been a test of patience—but none of them would abandon him because of that. No matter how often he exhausted them, they stayed—every time.

“You idiot!” Edmund snapped, finally losing his composure. “If you had followed my plan properly, none of us would be here right now!”

“I had to fake an illness just to dismiss my nanny and maid,” Eva added, her voice sharp. “Be careful not to cause us more trouble, Your Highness.”

“Listen to Lady Eva,” Leonis said sternly. “And follow Ed’s plan properly from now on. I don’t mind sneaking out—unlike Edmund.”

“Leonis, my friend—” the Crown Prince began, visibly moved.

“Don’t be creepy,” Leonis cut in immediately. “I’m only here because Lady Eva is.”

“….”

For once, the Crown Prince had no words.

Leonis, true to himself, never hesitated to voice his feelings. Eva, equally true to herself, did her best to ignore them—too embarrassed, too cautious, too overwhelmed by the situation to respond. Not that she disliked him. Leonis was simply relentless.

The four of them had gathered in the dead of night because of the chaos created by the nameless prince.

“Alright, alright,” the Crown Prince said, attempting to lighten the mood. “This isn’t so bad, right, Sking?”

「……」

The humanoid figure of black mist offered no support—only silence.

Edmund sighed deeply.

“Enough,” he said. “Let’s put the banter aside. Attracting more attention from the nobles might actually work in our favour.”

Eva watched the Crown Prince closely as he deliberately avoided her gaze. Edmund, meanwhile, was already turning the disaster into a strategy.

“With His Majesty’s health declining, the nobles are tightening their grip on you,” Edmund explained. “At the same time, they’re restricting Eva and Leonis’s movements within the palace. That means they’ll loosen their focus on anything happening outside the capital—provided you distance yourselves from him.”

“They’ll still monitor us,” Eva said calmly. “Even if indirectly.”

“Of course,” Edmund replied. “They’d be nothing more than monkeys in expensive clothes otherwise.”

He continued without missing a beat.

“That’s why we’ll create the appearance that you two have abandoned him. You’ll flee the capital, lie low, and present yourselves as harmless.”

“Cealan won’t trust that easily,” Leonis said. “He may still target Lady Eva. I’ll accompany her.”

It was a reasonable suggestion—also, a convenient one.

“In that case,” the Crown Prince interjected sharply, “wouldn’t it be safer for her to stay with me? Sking would be here. And no one would dare test the rumours surrounding me now.”

“Both of you,” Edmund said.

“Yes?” the Crown Prince and Leonis replied in unison.

“No.”

He shut them down without hesitation.

Leonis might have been genuinely concerned. The Crown Prince, however, was simply afraid of being alone—and Edmund knew it. Still, neither of them backed down easily.

Before the argument could escalate, Eva stepped forward.

“Leonis. Aster.”

Her voice left no room for resistance.

“Be serious. Edmund is doing everything he can to protect us. The least we can do is cooperate.”

“…Alright.”

“I’m sorry, Lady Eva.”

They yielded immediately.

Aster.

That was the name Eva had given the nameless Crown Prince—out of pity and kindness. A child without a name was meant to be forgotten, reduced to nothing more than a title.

She chose Aster because his mother’s grave had been filled with those flowers. No tombstone. No inscription. Only asterisks. It was said the empress spent most of her pregnancy in the palace garden where they bloomed.

The name was never spoken in public. Only in private. Only when it mattered.

Eva called Leonis “Lis,” Edmund “Ed”—names they’d given each other when they were children. None of them had been cherished by their families. None of them were heirs. None of them was irreplaceable.

That was why they were allowed to stand beside the Crown Prince.

They were disposable—just like him.

Yet the four of them had survived together.

“That settles it,” Edmund said. “Leonis, you’ll join the knight order and lie low. Your Highness—continue your… antics. Draw all the attention.”

“I don’t mind joining,” Leonis replied, “but I won’t have enough time to build influence.”

“Your absurd luck will carry you,” Edmund said dryly. “And I’ll arrange an imperial decree.”

“…Understood.”

“I’ll move to the Myrrwood forest estate,” Eva said. “Until the time comes.”

“Please do,” Edmund replied, visibly relieved.

The countermeasure was set.

Their long-prepared plan had changed.

But it was ready again.