Grand Duke Rivas had felt uneasy about the imperial family's treatment of his household since last year. He didn't know why, but ever since Aldrian left the empire, the imperial family seemed to be paying unusually special attention to the Rivas family.
For example, the emperor once sent many gifts to his daughter, Irene, without any clear reason. When Grand Duke Rivas asked about it, the emperor merely said that they were rewards for Irene's great contribution and merit to the empire.
Grand Duke Rivas knew this was bullshit—there was nothing Irene had done that would justify receiving so many lavish gifts from the imperial family.
He wanted to know what kind of contribution or merit the emperor was referring to, but the response remained vague. The emperor only said that she had already done something that would be written in the empire's history.
