<___>: Barbarian language.

[___]: Telepathic contact with Scarlet (the nine tail fox descendent.)

Hilda couldn't help but smile when she saw Mohna's fleeting figure. She hid her hungry little brother beneath the cloth and waited for Mohna to return. Meanwhile, Hilda focused on Madam Rutili's Harp playing.

Hilda waited until her meat shaft had depleted its energy and returned to its sheath for a rest, but Mohna had not returned. Even the soothing music had ended, but there was still no sign of Mohna.

'Did I just get ripped off in a brothel?' Hilda couldn't help but laugh. Although she didn't care much about the gold, she couldn't ignore the fact that someone had lit a fire in her and let it burn out. It simply left a sour taste in her mouth.

"Your Majesty," Someone called from outside just as she was about to leave. And that call was all it took to figure out what was causing the delay.

Hilda moved the tulle screen and looked outside, where she discovered a woman waiting for her. Hilda checked her breasts first as she bowed. 

However, her dress didn’t expose any part of her large breasts. The woman had the appearance of a well-trained maid of a high noble.

"Did the Lord make a reservation?" Hilda had a good guess, but there were a lot of other possibilities. After all, Hati had told her that the 2nd imperial prince's people had met with the duke.

She couldn't help but be wary. After all, one of the best places to assassinate is in a brothel. At least, that's what she'd witnessed on Earth. Of course, in movies.

A look of surprise flashed across her face, but the maid quickly concealed it behind her straight face. "The Lord will be here soon enough," she replied.

"Would you like me to wait?  Do you have any idea who I am?" Hilda slightly raised her voice. Even though it was dark, Hilda couldn't help but shiver at the sight of the maid.

"What does your lord require of me?" Hilda didn’t let her recover before she asked again. 

“That...” The maid was at a loss for words.

"He wishes to meet your majesty." Someone else came to the maid's aid while she was struggling. Even if she was wearing a veil, Hilda could tell who this person was.

Hilda didn't show it on her face, despite the fact that she was surprised. < So this place is also under his control?> Hilda inquired in the barbarian language.

Despite the fact that the maid couldn't understand what Hilda was saying, the newcomer's expression remained unchanged. < There is nothing in the city that misses his eyes,> she replied in barbarian.

"Lead the way," Hilda said as she walked out of the private space, but not before adding, "I like how he doesn't take up too much of my rest time. I've got an important person waiting for me."

The maid led the way, and the veiled woman walked alongside Hilda. "I have to say your majesty's taste is unique," she couldn't help but say.

'That's because her age is close to mine.' Hilda did not say it aloud. But, as Hilda stared at her chest, she added, "Compared to those, these are nothing."

"I'm not one of those cheap women. I don't sell my body; I sell my art." Even if Hilda wasn't looking, she could see Rutili frowning behind the veil.

"That is why I am saying," Hilda nodded. Switched to barbarian language, she added, <it is not every day that you see a high-born siren descendant using the innate skill for art.>

'That is the definition of a low-cost performer.' That was what Hilda wanted to say, but she chose not to because of the glare from her side. After all, she had no intention of seeking unwelcome trouble.

[Would you like to have her?]

Scarlett enquired in her mind. Scarlett was the only woman who was always near her. Even if Scarlett wasn't interested in politics or anything else, she did a lot for Hilda. Scarlett could sense any hostility around her thanks to the fox pearl connection.

She was also the one who discovered Madam Rutili's Siren ancestry. [The spirit of a siren is strong,] she added. [Your descendants would be more powerful than she.]

And that was Scarlett's only issue. She was uninterested in casual sex. All she can think about is having children. 

She became sexually active during the journey. She stayed beside for a whole week just to receive her seed every night. Hilda became a little terrified of Scarlett after that week.

[There is no need.]

Scarlett fell silent in her mind as Hilda and Rutili followed the maid to the fourth floor of the building. The maid led them to a large room but did not enter herself.

"What do you want?" Rutili abandoned all pretense as soon as the door shut.

"Disrespecting a noble is a punishable offense. And don't even get me started on what would happen if you disrespected an imperial prince." 

Observing her dark expression, Hilda added,  "It's a different matter if you're representing the Duke of Tonew."

Rutili frowned but said nothing. As she was about to apologize, the door opened again, and a man in his mid-twenties entered the room. "She is."

“Kern,” Rutili called out, her gaze fixed on the man who had entered the room.

"She is one of the guardians of the house of Tonew. I hope that is sufficient for your Majesty to forgive her." The man bowed slightly to Rutili before taking the seat opposite Hilda.

Hilda instantly knew they weren't lovers based on their reaction. She is someone the current Duke reveres. 

"I was just teasing her a little," Hilda said with a smile.

Not only Rutili but also Kern was taken aback by her outright confession. Even if the age was just a number, the duke made a mental note that this prince was not someone he could ignore.

Nonetheless, Kern returned a smile and stated, "It surprised me to meet the esteemed third imperial prince in such a place. I've never read about an imperial prince going to the entertainment district during the expatiation."

"Was there any reason I couldn't?" Hilda questioned as if she was genuinely curious. "Though the rules say I should accept a consort or concubine before returning, that doesn't mean I couldn't visit a brothel," she responded.

He had met the emperor several times as one of the empire's four dukes. There weren't many high-nobles he hadn't met. They would use a better expression for these types of things no matter how disgusting they were, but...

Kern kept his smile on his face as he continued to watch Hilda. Hilda, on the other hand, couldn't figure out what was going through his mind as she stared at his expressionless face.

Finally, she sighed and inquired, "The city guard in this place is quite well trained. When I tried to bribe the city guard, they would point a sword at me, unlike the imperial city guard."

"They were trained to prioritize justice and discipline over all else."  Hilda could detect a hint of arrogance in Rutilis's voice, but she ignored it.

"Don't get me wrong," Hilda said, looking at Kern. "That is a compliment. The city guard isn't the only one. Traveling north from the capital, one would undoubtedly notice signs of prosperity as soon as they entered the duchy."

"Everything is well-governed, whether in a village, town, or city. People are content. Even after fighting the barbarians for so long, they have no problem coexisting with them. That is a sign of a well-kept society."

Rutili couldn't understand the duchy's unrestrained appreciation, despite the fact that it was all praise. Kern, on the other hand, had previously encountered a similar situation. It wasn't the first time he'd met a prince who wanted his help. And he knew exactly how it would end.

"The Tonew duchy is large and well-kept. The army is so powerful that it can repel barbarian attacks for years after years. Even a few kingdoms in the continent's west could not sustain such prosperity."

'Here it comes,' Kern sighed inwardly. Even so, he wasn't expecting to hear such words.

"That makes me wonder why the duke didn't choose to join the imperial court," Hilda asked with a smile. "Why did the Duke choose to remain neutral for generations?"

'They're all greedy bastards.' Even if he was cursing in his heart, his face was emotionless.

He reacted in the same way he always did. "I don't know what to say. No one in my family craves power for some reason. All we want is to live in peace."

He was about to leave after he said a few words to Hilda. But Hilda didn't give him the opportunity. "It's the same for me."

“Pardon!” Kern frowned in his heart but kept a straight face.

"I may be a prince, but I am not interested in power. All I want is to live in peace. However, I am weak," Hilda sighed, expressing her frustration. 

"And I couldn't change my fate even if I wanted to. My impartiality serves as a form of charity for those in positions of power."

Even if it had previously perplexed him, Kern felt that Hilda's words made no sense to him. He could understand the meaning now, but he couldn't decipher Hilda's intentions.

"That's why I wanted to keep the fact that I'd entered the city a secret. To avoid giving my brothers the wrong impression. But the city guard wouldn't let me. And the news may be already on the way to my brothers.”

The corner of  Kern's lips twitched as he listened to Hilda. He did, however, give Hilda the opportunity to finish her sentence.

"As if that weren't bad enough, the Duke of Tonew is coming to see me.” Hilda sighed.

“Even if we hadn't met, others would assume I was vying for the throne if we were in the same building. And my chances of survival will plummet dramatically.”

"Your curiosity may have reduced my life expectancy by a few years."

Looking at the Kern, Hilda inquired solemnly, "That is why I said that my life is dependent on the kindness of those in positions of power. Duke Tonew, people like you don't want me to live."

Rutili stared at Hilda as if she had seen some kind of idiot. She really wanted to ask whether Hilda was an imperial prince or not. 

On the other hand, Kern couldn’t help smiling. He really didn’t expect such a response. Still, he chose to ask, “So how the prince wants me to compensate for his loss?”

“Nothing,” Hilda stated with a serious face. "As long as the Duke doesn't do anything, that'll be enough, and..."

“And?” Kern inquired, perplexed.

"It would also be preferable if you could prevent word of this meeting from spreading."

Kern smiled brightly and nodded. Even if he couldn't tell if Hilda was plotting something or not, he was definitely interested in him.

Hilda had no idea that the number of eyes watching her had just increased by one.