[IFITAOAMV] Chapter 51

How beautiful she would look in a wedding dress! Would she smile like that again when he put the wedding ring on her at the ceremony? The thought alone was exhilarating. 

“A royal ball invitation has arrived,” Seth informed him. 

“Ugh, just when I was in such a good mood...” 

Edwin frowned, irritated that his pleasant daydreaming had been interrupted. 

“Why are they even bothering? Burn it.” 

“An imperial decree states that all heads of noble families must attend, as a significant announcement will be made.” 

“Ignore it.” 

There was no need to travel to the capital just to see the unpleasant faces of the royal family. The announcement would be all over the empire the next day anyway. 

“Understood.” 

“It looks like the Crown Prince is seriously starting to look for a Crown Princess. Keep an eye on the Shabine and Peyton families.” 

“I’ve already noticed that the Peyton family has been drawing some attention lately.” 

Edwin gestured for Seth to continue. 

“The Ilia mine in the Peyton Duchy collapsed during operations.” 

“Wow, that’s a big one,” Edwin whistled, his expression of mock surprise. 

“Nothing like this has ever happened under the current Duke.” 

“He’s a particularly meticulous old man.” 

“Indeed, he’s thorough and precise,” Seth corrected, causing Edwin to click his tongue lightly, though he didn’t argue. 

“There’s more. There’s a rumour going around lately.” 

“What rumour?” 

“They say Lady Peyton has trouble with her vision due to complications from a fever. She can’t go out and supposedly can’t even look at anything sparkling, like jewellery.” 

“Oh, how intriguing.” 

Edwin, who had been lounging nonchalantly, suddenly leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with interest. 

“It could just be a coincidence...” 

“Coincidence, my foot. This has ‘intervention’ written all over it.” 

“I’ll investigate further.” 

“Yes, we need to find out who’s behind this, whether it’s the Shabine family or the Crown Prince—or both.” 

Edwin didn’t particularly care who would become the Crown Princess. The more they fought among themselves, the better it was for the West; he had no downside. However, he did need to keep an eye on things because of the Crown Prince’s prophecy.  

The contents of the prophecy, which Shark had obtained recently, had made it clear who the rightful owner of the jewel was. 

“Things are getting interesting,” Edwin murmured with a grin, resting his chin on his hand. 

“Is there anything else that needs my attention?” 

“We received an invitation to the Garden Fair. How would you like to handle it?” 

“Burn it... Wait, hold on.” 

Just as he was about to dismiss it as usual, Edwin paused. 

“Garden Fair?” 

“Yes, it’s an invitation to the Rubyrn Garden Fair. It’s an annual customary invitation to the imperial family and nobility.” 

Edwin stroked his chin thoughtfully before gesturing for Seth to hand over the invitation. The envelope, adorned with intricate floral patterns, caught his eye. 

“Hmm. A Garden Fair in the capital, huh? Are there no events like this elsewhere?” 

“There’s no other place where one can see such a variety of gardens as in Rubyrn.” 

“Lina likes flowers...” 

Edwin’s gaze drifted to the glass display case on the right side of the office, where the nine flower crowns Angelina had made for him were preserved, still full of life. 

“Will there be a lot of flowers there?” 

“You’ll even get to see some new breeds.” 

“What should I do...?” 

Edwin tapped his foot as he pondered, the invitation now pushed to one side of his desk. 

“Let’s keep it on hold for now. By the way, have you found that guy?” 

The playful gleam in Edwin’s eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, steely gaze. 

He had immediately ordered a pursuit after the man who had collided with Angelina in town, but the man had quickly disappeared, leaving no trace, and they were still broadening the search. 

“It seems he’s headed to the central region. We’re still tracking him.” 

“I should have killed him on the spot.” 

Edwin clicked his tongue softly. 

An ordinary person couldn’t have disappeared so quickly without a trace. That man had some skill, particularly in stealth. Edwin had suspected as much, but he hadn’t expected him to be so adept at hiding. 

“Make sure you don’t lose him. Even if you have to use Shark, find him.” 

“I’ll take care of it immediately.” 

Edwin nodded and leaned back on the sofa. 

‘Of all things, why did it have to be someone with the eye colour I hate the most?’ 

The fleeting glimpse he had caught of the man’s eyes under his hood had revealed green irises resembling emeralds. Since Angelina’s appearance had changed, the man couldn’t have been searching for a Jueri. It was more likely that he knew Angelina. 

Edwin suddenly remembered the ring Angelina had worn on her finger when she had fallen from the sky. She hadn’t worn it recently, probably storing it in a jewellery box, but it had bothered him for some time.