I'd suspected as much from the moment Marquis Offenburg suddenly turned wary of me, but having it confirmed point-blank by the grand duke still left a bitter taste in my mouth. The grand duke seemed surprised by my reaction.
"So you already knew."
"His attitude toward me was a bit strange."
The marquis had not only entrusted Lily to me but even lent me the support of the Offenburg Knights, so why was he suddenly wary of me now? Well, I already knew the answer.
He'd planned to make use of me, given my closeness to the crown prince.
Lily was an excellent card in the marquis's hand.
But turning wary of me now meant his plans had gone awry. Anyone who naively swallows a prince's show of goodwill whole won't survive long in the world of nobles.
"Am I really of high enough standing to be contending with Marquis Offenburg for power?"
