Chapter 6: I’m angry!

The matter with Damian was like a pebble thrown into a small stream; though it caused a few ripples, it failed to trigger a greater wave.

Unfortunately, the owner of this stream had always been a petty person.

As soon as the diplomatic mission arrived, Isabella directly ordered Arns to investigate the Deep Blue family.

Once any dirt was found, it would be handed over to the City Lord’s manor.

With the City Lord catching a glimpse of the Imperial Crest, Count Deep Blue’s family would have to pay a heavy price regardless of the circumstances.

But…

“Is there really only this little?”

The Royal Knights were efficient.

Before Isabella went to bed that night, they had already organized the evidence and placed it on her desk.

There were three pages, and they were almost entirely composed of the negative effects of Damian’s chaotic private life.

There was nothing that could truly threaten Count Deep Blue’s position.

“Reporting to Your Highness, if the mission could stay in the city for one more day, we might be able to find more evidence,”

Arns replied, kneeling on one knee.

Stay for one day…

Isabella pressed her lips together as she looked at the three sheets of paper.

After a moment of hesitation, she placed them back on the desk.

“Forget it. It isn’t worth delaying the mission’s schedule for someone like him. Just take some men to disguise yourselves and cause some trouble for the Deep Blue family tonight. We will leave for Windwhisper Fortress tomorrow morning.”

“As you command!”

Arns led his men away.

Isabella looked over the gathered evidence once more, still feeling that something was incredibly strange.

How could the life of a count—especially one with such an arrogant son—be so clean?

Could not a single blemish be found?

Not only that, but the information Arns gathered stated that Count Deep Blue had repeatedly gone to the slums in person to distribute food.

He also contributed his own guards to help with the city’s defense construction.

His annual tax records were complete, with every receipt accounted for and not a single coin missing.

If he wasn’t acting, Isabella would almost feel compelled to write to her father and award him the title of ‘Model Count.’

‘Maybe I really am overthinking this?’

After checking again and still finding no issues, a weary Isabella tossed the papers onto the desk.

Though she exercised regularly, spending an entire afternoon playing with Winnidith had taken a toll on her body.

She didn’t know how that girl maintained such vitality for so long.

‘Perhaps she’s just using up all the energy she usually stores away?’

Thinking of Winnidith made the Princess’s mood much better.

After washing up, she went to bed to rest.

The next town was on the border.

There was a huge headache waiting for her there, and she needed to keep her spirits up.

***

The next day, as the Imperial mission’s carriages prepared to depart, every person of note in Mohovi City stood on the city walls to see them off.

Among them, Count Deep Blue, with his two thin wisps of a mustache, personally apologized to Isabella and Winnidith.

He claimed he had already disciplined his son and hoped they wouldn’t take it to heart.

Even after the mission left through the East Gate, he was the last of the nobles to leave.

However, the flattery and regret in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a stillness as deep as a well.

Windwhisper Fortress, the key defensive point of the Empire’s eastern border, was permanently garrisoned by 80,000 soldiers and a magic unit of 2,000.

Its formidable military strength was enough to discourage any ambitions from neighboring kingdoms or the Beastmen.

But what worried Isabella most wasn’t the strong Beastmen or the watchful neighbors; it was a certain sister-obsessed fool.

“Winnidith! I missed you so much! Come! Let Second Brother give you a hug!!!”

Just as the Imperial mission settled into the fortress, a man as robust as a bear rushed toward Winnidith to embrace her.

Isabella found it difficult to stop him.

The reason was simple: one could tell their relationship just by their similar silver hair.

Theodore Trenton, the eldest son of the Duke of Trenton’s third brother, was the Second Brother of the Trenton family and a Rank 8 Warrior.

A year ago, he had received an imperial decree to lead 1,000 of the Duke’s personal guards to garrison Windwhisper Fortress.

He was one of the strongest people in the fortress beneath the general himself.

“Second Brother… mmph… let go… I… I can’t breathe!!!”

“Oh, oh, oh… I’m sorry, little sister. Second Brother got too excited. Are you okay?”

How could she be okay?

Winnidith, finally able to breathe, glared angrily at Theodore.

It wasn’t just because of his actions, but simply because of his physique.

In her past life, she would have dreamed of such a sturdy build, but now, seeing this appearance only annoyed her.

‘Those pectoral muscles are almost bigger than mine! Why does a man need a chest that big?!’

Theodore felt as if a knife had been plunged into his heart.

For a brother with a deep sister-complex, his little sister’s resentful gaze was no different from taking a Rank 9 magic spell to the face.

Theodore instantly transformed into a weeping bear and ran to the corner of the wall to draw circles on the ground.

“Pfft… Since childhood, only you, Wendy, have been able to keep Theodore so well-behaved.”

Seeing this, Isabella couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle.

She had always paid attention to border affairs and naturally knew that Theodore held the title of the ‘Silver Raging Bear’ at Windwhisper Fortress.

But in front of his own sister, the raging bear could only act like a dejected large dog.

“It’s because Second Brother doesn’t know his own strength. My arms are already turning red from his squeeze,”

Winnidith said grumpily, rubbing the two visible red marks on her arms.

At that moment, a mournful voice drifted over from the corner.

“Little sister, I already held back as much as I could. It’s because you usually neglect your training…”

“Shut up!!!”

The mournful voice cut off.

The hulking figure seemed to shrink even further in an instant, making the Princess laugh even harder.

“Brother Theodore, Wendy might just be in a bad mood from the long journey. Why don’t you leave for a moment and come back when she’s feeling better? How does that sound?”

“Oh…”

Theodore, looking like he had lost all color, scurried out of the room.

Only two beauties, one gold and one silver, remained in the large military tent.

“Your Second Brother just missed you too much. Back at the Duke’s manor, he was always the most energetic one.”

“It’s been a year since you last met, so it’s normal that he couldn’t control his emotions. You don’t need to be angry with him over this,”

Isabella comforted her in a soft voice.

There were five children in this generation of the Trenton family.

It might be hard to tell which one spoiled Winnidith the most, but the one who showed his affection most passionately was definitely Theodore.

To what extent was he passionate?

Let’s just say that because of something Winnidith said in her sleep, he had picked a fight with the eldest son of the Vincent family and, like a common thug, forcibly snatched the Poseidon Sapphire Bracelet from him.

At that time, the two major families in the capital were nearly at each other’s throats.

It took her father personally intervening and choosing a treasure from the national treasury to give to the Vincent family to suppress the conflict.

Not long after that incident, Theodore was transferred to the border and forbidden from returning to the capital without imperial permission.

To be honest, Isabella envied the family dynamics of the Trenton family.

After all, her own brothers… Sigh, it was better not to think about them.

“I know… I’m not really angry with him,”

Winnidith muttered, touching the blue sapphire bracelet on her right wrist.

“Then why are you angry?”

Isabella looked at the way the girl lowered her head and stammered, which inexplicably reminded her of the silver-white cat she kept in the Emerald Palace.

She almost couldn’t control the urge to reach out and pet her.

Winnidith didn’t answer.

Her gaze simply lingered for a moment on Isabella’s bountiful chest before quickly dropping down to stare blankly at her own pale thighs.

‘So, is it actually my mother’s fault? After all, she is quite small too.’