The Emperor looked at me like my guess was spot on. 

He must be thinking, ‘What should I do? He knows everything… How do I turn it around from here?’

It seems that even though he could fool the slaves, he couldn’t fool me, who has the deductive powers of a great detective.

The Emperor made a mistake by choosing me, the eldest son of a duke, to marry Princess Claude when he could have chosen a lowly nobleman to marry her, but he was too concerned about appearances.

I don’t know why he didn’t approach my brother, who has taken over the title of duke, but perhaps his intention was to make it easier for him to control us, the bane of the empire, by putting us all together in one place.

I do have a very bad reputation among the public. 

Moreover, rumours have recently begun to circulate that I’m also a womanizer of the worst kind.

I guess he thought that I, being such a womanizer, could be easy to fool by pushing Princess Claude on me and that my notoriety would counteract her infamy, but it didn’t work out that way.

I don’t know how he figured out that Princess Claude turned into a woman, but I will say kudos to him for pushing me to this point.

“… Yeah. Yes, that’s right. If it’s so well known, there’s no need to hide it now, is there? It’s just as you said, Kaisar-kun. I think I heard it from Douglas, my eldest son, that he may be getting married soon… Yes, I believe he said the exact thing.”

And the Emperor dared to be vague about the marriage of His Highness Prince Douglas.

The reason for keeping it clouded is probably because if it were confirmed, it could lead to bothersome problems later on.

For example, if I were to say later, ‘I heard His Highness Douglas is getting married,’ he could deny it and squash the rumour. From that fact, this conversation is likely recorded as evidence with some magic tool to prove that he did not say it.

“… Then, let’s do it. Let us first conclude an official engagement with Her Highness Princess Claude. Then we can get married whenever we feel that there are no problems in our families or in our personal lives. However, I am deeply moved by how His Highness Douglas’ marriage will solemnize thanks to me.”

“Hahahaha, that’s right. As you said, hahahahaha.”

When I addressed the Emperor, concluding my betrothal to Princess Claude, emphasizing in our conversation that ‘it is thanks to me that His Highness Douglas’s marriage has been settled,’ he laughed for some reason.

I think it’s safe to say that the other side now owes me a big favour.

I know his original plan was to push Princess Claude on me without anything in return, but that’s not going to happen anymore.