'Naturally, we have our own interest to help you.'

That sentence lingered in his head. He still hadn't given an answer to Charles and Rosalie and they still in this table together. They ate their snacks as if what they had said before was nothing but an insignificant matter.

Rosalie bickered with Charles, they seem to let Aster sink in his own thoughts about this so-called alliance. Charles stole glances from time to time, but he still hadn't say anything after that sentence.

'What kind of interest? What kind of price I should pay for them to be able to ruthlessly eliminate their own birth mother?'

Aster felt something was too scary for him to probe into, but the choice is in front of his eyes. His hands felt sweaty even in this cold season, he was unable to say yes, but saying no in this kind of option is stupid.

'With Empress out, then my only problem is with Emperor… but Emperor is always busy anyway.' Aster thought.

'With Empress out of my sight… I can build my own… strength in this palace.'

Aster observed his cousins who seemed to be unbothered by this situation, as if… everything is natural.

"What kind of interest you guys want from me? Money? I doubt our Crown Prince and Golden Princess lacked such things," Aster said, his brows furrowed as he seek for answer from his cousins.

Rosalie giggled, "Oh, Aster, you have so much more than just money."

"I do, but it pales in front of Her Highness Golden Princess," Aster replied with a hint of irony. Again, he felt powerless in this palace.

"Oh, you just hadn't realized it yet. But for me, my interest lays not on you, but on the aftermath after we eliminate the root of our problem," Rosalie took a bite of her cake and continued. "Just like this lemon cake, what I want is not the initial sweet taste, but the tangy after taste. That teasing feeling that tempts you to eat more."

"I don't get it…"

"Haha, it is not important for you to understand. The point is, my interest goes in line with yours," Rosalie said with mysterious smile.

Aster felt that Rosalie wasn't a bad person, but he was uncomfortable with her. What kind of interest comes by eliminating your own mother? Aster wouldn't have that kind of crazy thought to his mother.

Aster nodded, then he looked at Charles.

Before he opened his mouth, Charles quickly said, "You must know that my interest is within you, my interest is you… Aster."

Charles' golden glow in his eyes seemed to be even brighter. The royal golden eyes owned by direct descendant is blue with golden circle surrounding its pupil. But sometimes it turned pure black or pure golden for some reason Aster still didn't understand.

Knowing that Aster was uncomfortable with him, Charles immediately chuckled, "No, I won't do a debauched thing to you, my interest is your safety and I have one more thing I have interest on, but this one is not about you…"

Charles smiled, "This one… is about my future and my future Empress."

"Oh, Helene?" Aster asked immediately.

Charles' smile dimmed, but he didn't answer it, "You just need to know that we won't harm you."

Aster weighed the risk and gains about this and saw there is nothing he could do other than accepting the help from his cousins. He swallowed his last doubt and finally decided, "I accept. If it will help me, then I will naturally cater to you two's interest later on."

Charles' smile beamed, "Great! Because you accepted, I won't delay this information."

Before Charles opened his mouth again, Rosalie immediately shushed him, "Shush! You are too loud Charles."

"What information?" Aster asked.

Rosalie's face drew near Aster, as if she wanted to whisper something to his ears. But Charles immediately grabbed my collar.

"Let me do it!" Charles snarled.

Rosalie sighed and rolled her eyes. Charles' mouth drew near Aster's ear and whispered, "Next month, there will be winter feast in the palace. There will be few vassal kingdoms representing there, we can't do it because of our status… but if the heir of Grand Duchy Stormhill engaged the conversation, they will surely be grateful. You just need to talk to them and be sure that they see you as an amiable person. We will distract Emperor and Empress."

Aster frowned, "Just that?" he asked softly.

"Yes, our people will persuade them after that. Just be an engaging but not too fake." Charles kissed his ear after he whispered. Aster immediately pushed him.

"What are you doing?!" Aster roared.

"Hm? I was just kissing you, is there something wrong?" Charles asked innocently.

"But… Rosalie…"

"Oh, she wouldn't even care about us."

Aster instantly blushed red. He glanced to Rosalie and saw her rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, you two need to leave. If we are too long in here, Emperor and Empress might get suspicious," Rosalie escorted Charles and Aster out of her pavilion and finally closed it.

Charles escorted Aster back to his room. He still has the same bright smile that permanently plastered in his face whenever he was near Aster. Again, he leaned towards him and whispered, "See you tomorrow, honey." Then he kissed his cheek once more.

Aster closed his door. Today, his cousins felt like entirely different people in front of his eyes. Rosalie said weird things, and Charles…

Aster shook his head. The deal had been sealed. No matter how crazy it would be, he had no turning back at this point.

Aster strengthened his heart by remembering that person.

'This is for him. If this is the way so I can meet him, then I will do it.'

****

Grand Duchess the tea and took a bite on the lemon cake served to her. "You know, I hate sweet food, but I like lemon cake because of that tangy after taste. Makes me want to taste more, even though I hate that initial sweet taste."

Grand Duchess took another bite before finally shifted her blue eyes to her niece.

"How is it? Is everything working alright?" she asked.

Rosalie clenched her fist under the table. How could it be? Her interest was perfectly in line with Aunt Duchess' plan, but she still felt very nervous.

"Everything is under control," Rosalie replied.

"Then, did my son question your interest?"

"Yes."

"And he still accepted it?"

"Yes… but he looked very suspicious…"

Grand Duchess stopped eating and put her fork neatly. "That is natural. I expect him to be suspicious. I trained him with all those pain anyway."

Grand Duchess' face suddenly became serious and she grabbed the teacup, "But to accept it this fast… there must be hidden motivation for him. Maybe a person…"

Grand Duchess' face turned stern and a flash of hostility painted in her face. She threw the teacup until it hit the wall and shattered.

CRACK!

Rosalie jolted out of fear. She still didn't understand what was inside Aunt Duchess' head. But it was sure unpleasant.

"Well, for now, you did your job decently. As expected from Golden Princess, your charm works well," Grand Duchess praised her.

"Thank you, Aunt Duchess. But… you were a Golden Princess before me, it seems your charm forever lingers with you," Rosalie tried to praise her aunt. But Grand Duchess only smirked.

"It is no use. Such charm, for an almost forty years old lady like me, has no use. But for Aster, his charm could even make your brother goes almost crazy. It is definitely more useful for him."

Rosalie immediately remembered about his impulsive brother. That bright, handsome man turned into crazy obsessed dog in front of Aster…

"Aunt Duchess, would you let Aster and Charles be entangled like that?"

"Hm? Certainly not, but I have my own way to handle such thing," Grand Duchess replied. "I won't kill Charles, he is not moronic either. He just has the fated illness of golden camellia. Aster is his golden circle."

"Golden circle?"

"They said it is a blessing, to be able to be a prince's golden circle, means the best thing for them. But it is a disgusting curse for me."

Rosalie became curious, "That golden circle--"

"It is late now. I will leave," Grand Duchess cut her words. "Also, pardon me for the broken teacup. I accidentally dropped it." She smiled.

Rosalie stared at that teacup that was smashed to the wall until it shattered completely. She gulped and just nodded nervously.

"Then, excuse me…" Grand Duchess stood from her chair and left the room. Only Rosalie here, all alone, but she still felt suffocated with the atmosphere.

'What kind of person Aunt Duchess is? Why is he turning her own son like this…'

Rosalie mused. But all she could think was horrible thoughts. She sighed and stared at the broken teacup once more.

'What makes her became very hostile so suddenly…'